𝘚𝘖 𝘉𝘈𝘋, 𝘮𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘵

𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 19

"Evelyn, listen. I didn't mean it like that" Mike said as he went after Evelyn who stormed off to their room. Evelyn threw herself on the bed, sprawling out on it. "You guys mean everything to me. It was a bad choice of words." Evelyn got up to look at him. 

Mike was leaning against the door frame. Evelyn let out a long sigh, "Mike. I'm not in the mood. Let me sleep." Evelyn buried her head into the pillow. Mike sat on the bed next to her. "No. No, we don't go to bed angry at each other. We don't do that." 

Evelyn sat up with a huff. She looked the man in his eyes, waiting for him to speak up. Mike sat next to her, taking her hand into his. "Evie, I didn't mean what I had said. You know how much you girls mean to me. I just wanted to make it clear to Vanessa that I need to know what happened to my brother, how important it is." 

The girl sighed and nodded her head, "I know. I know and I'm sorry. I just... I've just always felt like a second option to everyone, for some, I wasn't an option at all. It had brought those memories back up to the surface." Mike felt terrible. He knew what she was talking about, and him making her feel like that, even for a second, made him feel like the biggest piece of shit ever. 

Evelyn spoke again, "It's fine. I understand what you meant. I'm not mad." Mike pulled her into a deep hug. The girl melted and threw her arms around him. "I'm sorry I brought up bad memories, that was never my intention. I love you." 

"I love you too. Now, can we please get some sleep before we go back to the hell hole tonight?" Mike chuckled, He laid down and pulled the blanket up. Evelyn slid under and cuddled up next to the man. Mike threw the blanket over her and pulled her closer. A kiss on the forehead was the last thing Evelyn felt before she drifted off to sleep.

The morning went as smoothly as normal. Evelyn was just waking up when Mike called her into the living room. She sat down next to him and saw the phone on the table. "What's up? Who are you calling?" Mike looked Evelyn straight into her eyes, "We can't let her go back tonight, she needs somebody to sit with her." 

"Okay. Who? Have you heard from Max?" The male shook his head no. It was so strange how Max had just disappeared. "Aunt Jane. I'm going to call her." Evelyn's eyes went wide, she wasn't expecting that. "If that's what you need to do, go for it." 

Mike picked up the phone and started to dial his aunt's number. When the line clicks, he wastes no time, just wanting to get to the point, "Hey, it's Mike. I need your help." Evelyn patted his arm as she made her way to the kitchen, getting started on breakfast for the three of them. Well, the four of them. 

Mike finished his call and went to Abby's room. The young girl was sound asleep. The man sat on her bed, gently shaking her awake. "Abby." The child stirs awake and gives a welcoming smile to her brother. "Is that bacon?" 

"Yeah, Aunt Evie is cooking." He gave a small smile to his baby sister, "Hey, why don't you, uh, get dressed and then come to the kitchen, okay? Aunt Evie and I want to talk to you about something." Abby nodded, "Okay." 

Mike is back in the kitchen when his aunt knocks on the door. He opens it and sees the older woman with a big smile on her face. Mike didn't let her speak,  "She's getting dressed, we'll wait here for her to come out." He opened the door wider, inviting her in. Jane stood by the little table in the kitchen as Mike took a seat. 

Evelyn hears the happy girl skipping down the hall. She comes into view of her cigarette-smoking aunt, and he faces falls. Jane puts on her best smile and speaks to the young girl first, "Wow, there's my favorite little girl." Abby looked over at Evelyn who had given the girl a sad smile. 

"Come have a seat, all right?" Mike asks his little sister. Abby shakes her head and speaks very quietly, "What did you do?" Evelyn's heart broke right then and there. The sadness in the usually happy girl's voice was hard to hear. Mike looks at his aunt, and then Abby, "Abby, look, I think i you just sit down, we can explain it to you, okay?"

Abby holds back her tears, "No."

Mike tries to get her to sit down again, "I promise you, this is not what you think it is." Abby shook her head no. Evelyn steps forward, "Sweetheart, just hear him out." "No!" Abby looks over at her brother. "I hate you. I hate you, Mike!" With that, she storms off to her room.

"Well, I-I think that went well," Jane says before sipping her coffee. Evelyn let out a scoff and pushed her shoulder into the older woman's, causing her coffee to spill on her shirt. Evelyn stopped at Abby's door, hearing her cry. She knocks on the door twice before entering. "Sweetheart?"

What Evelyn sees just breaks her heart even further. The young girl is scribbling out Mike's face in all her drawings. "Honey, please. It's really not what you think." Abby stops and looks over at the older girl, "She's here! She's here to take me away!" Evelyn shakes her head, "That's no-" "Mike called her to take me away and you let him! You are letting her take me from my home." 

"Abs, please. We-" Abby cuts her off yet again, "Just get out. Leave me alone." Evelyn nods her head sadly, leaving the girl to her emotions. Jane speaks as Mike pulls on his jacket," She reminds me of you, you know. Always with the temper." 

Mike looks over at Evelyn then back to Jane, "Well, look, when she calms down, can you, um, tell her that I'm sorry and that we'll be back soon?" Evelyn walks over to him, throwing her jacket on. 

"Well, Mike," Jane starts again as Mike opens the door, "There's a larger conversation that needs to happen here. So when you do get back, you and I are gonna have a little chat. Just the two of us." Evelyn lets out another annoyed scoff and leaves the house. Mike is heading out the door and lets a simple, 'Okay' pass his lips and shuts the door. 

𝗔𝗡:hi my loves! here's a new chapter! i'm going to try my hardest to finish this story this week! i hope you aren't too mad about my long disappearance. anyways, enjoy!