Before the Ever Green (BTEG #1) ✔️

Chapter 52

I am wearing a silver dress, that is floor length. It has a slit on the side, so I can walk easier. My hair is up in an elegant bun, with flowers intertwined. I have a few piece of brown hair in the front. Tobi did my makeup, and made me wear heals. Luckily she choose a pair that don't give me too much pain.
She is wearing a black dress. She curled her red hair, and is wearing, heels, too. Both of us have a band around our thigh, which holds 2 knives, and a gun. Everett and Maxwell are coming, too. Brit and Jaeger are with the group to attack the new rulers. Adam is with them. Brice, Clinton, Allison, along with a few I don't know are in the woods, getting ready to attack after he ball. This plan has to be carefully executed. If someone sees us attack Forest, they will attack us. It's that simple.
"Ready?" Maxwell asks Tobi and I. We both nod. Everett is standing next to me. I am using his arm for balance, heels aren't my thing. I can barely walk in them.
Maxwell gets our tickets out of his pocket, and hands them to the man at the front. He had to go in to town to get them, at $50 each. It is overpriced, but what is the price of justice, and proper ruling? It is worth it.
Everett lowers his voice, "If we want to fit in, we'll need to dance, when everyone else does." He tells us
"You want me to dance...in heels?" I ask
He nods.
Maxwell and Tobi are already on the dance floor. We need to fit in, I tell myself. I take Everett's hand, and walk to the dance floor, close to the others. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he puts his on my waist. Our right hands are clasped together, close to our shoulders.
I'm not sure what this dance is called. It is calming, almost. I feel relaxed. I put my head close to Everett's ear, and whisper, "Which one is your father?"
He tenses, slightly, but I can feel it. I can see him looking around, inconspicuously. Every time we turn, ever movement we make. He is looking. When he spots him, I can tell, and I turn my head, slightly. He is gorgeous, really. He has darker hair than Everett, but has his same blue eyes. The same eyes I fell in love with, but on another man. I nod, and mouth, "Okay."
I catch Tobi's eyes, and nod towards him. She nods back in recognition. I think she's stunned, just a little. I am. But, not by the fact that he is gorgeous, but by the fact that he is gorgeous at that age. He has to be at least 40.
As we dance, all 4 of us keep eyes on him. We watch his every move. He is heading upstairs. Tobi and Maxwell follow, but Everett and I stay. We don't want to risk him seeing his son. Recognizing his son. There are so little people upstairs. Not a lot of people could afford to go to the ball. Those who could would rather spend time dancing, than talking to people they see everyday.
I am frequently looking at the beautifully engraved clock on the wall. Right now, it reads 10:48 p.m. The ball ends at 11. I nudge Everett, and he looks up, too. He nods at me. I try and find Tobi or Maxwell, but neither are in view. I grab Everett's arm, and start towards the stairs, "We have to find the two of them," I say
He nods, and follows me up. When we reach the top, we are stopped by Forest, "Do I know you?" He asks his son
"I'm not sure. What is your name?"
"Mr. Rodriguez." He lies. It's not his name, we all know it, but I don't have any reason to correct him.
"Sorry, I've never met a Rodriguez."
"Sorry for your time," he says, before walking down the stairs. How could he not recognize his son.
"Everett, how old were you when you ran away?" I am looking at him, seriously.
He takes a breathe, "I was...eleven." 5 years ago.
"Oh."
I am looking around, trying to keep my mind off of Everett, and on finding Maxwell and Tobi. I hear a sound coming from a small room. I take my chance, and open the door. I feel my thigh, just for comfort, knowing that I have protection.
I don't need it.
Tobi is in the room. She was stabbed. I run to her side. Everett opens the windows. She was stabbed with both her knives. I can see that. She is bleeding really bad. "This is going to hurt," I tell her, pulling the blade from her stomach. Everett has a towel in his hand. I see he got it from a cabinet by the window. I rip open Tobi's dress, and put pressure on the wound with the towel. Everett brings me a bottle of water. I open it, and pour in on a corner of the towel I clean the wound. She is strong. She is holding back her pain. She only moans a few times. "I'm sorry," I say.
"It's not your fault." She tells me, "It's that no good son of a bitch, Forest Green."
I give a knowing smile.
Everett hands me another towel, and I pull the second blade out of her leg. She lets out a stuffed scream. No loud enough for anyone beyond these 4 walls to hear.
"Damn!" She exclaims, making a tight fist with her right hand.
"Try and relax, Tobi. It will hurt less."
She nods, and unclenches her fist. She tilts her head back, and exhales, roughly.
"Ready?" I ask
She nods, and I put another wet towel over the wound. This time, the one in her leg. She stuff lets her pain. I try to tell her to stop trying, and just let it out, but she gives me a warning look, like she knows what I am thinking.
"Where's Maxwell?"
She tilts her head towards me, and gives a small laugh, "We came in here, trying to talk. I heard people coming,a nod pushed him down the garbage shoot. He had to live. Who knows what they would have done to him."
"What do you mean?"
"He was supposed to have been executed 3 years ago, after to stole from the government. He escaped,many went under the rule of Clinton." I hear the trumpets blow. It's 11 p.m. We have to go, but I can't leave Tobi. "Go." She tells me.
"I'm not leaving you. Who knows what they'll do."
"I used to be one of there soldiers. They never check these small rooms."
"That's why he shot you. But what makes leaving them so bad?"
"I had the highest rank. I was known very well. I was threatening to the lower ranks. I took an oath to stay with the new rulers for life, unless injury were to occur. I broke oath. That and at one of the balls, about 6 years ago...I was patrolling, and Mr. Rodriguez, as I know he goes by, now, called me to his room."
"You knew him as Mr. Rodriguez, not Mr. Green." I say
Everett looks shocked, "Wait you two-"
He doesn't finish his sentence, but Tobi gets the point. She nods. "He always did. Every ball, was a new girl. I'm surprised none of them agreed to marry him."
"One did," Everett says
"Who?" She is intrigued
"My mother."
Her jaw drops. "You're his son?"
"Yes, but I wish him dead just as much as the rest of you...maybe more."
"I believe you...now, you two, go kick some ass," she gestures towards the door. We go.
No soldiers have made it upstairs, yet. So, Everett and I get out without a problem. We head downstairs, and out the front door. There is a crowd of people heading back home, many headed for the train station. People come from all over to be included in this ball. It's tradition.
A tradition I plan on ending.
We head to the meeting spot. The spot where Allison, Clinton, and the others are waiting.
I feel a tap on my shoulder, and freeze. I turn around slowly, to a guard. "Yes?" I ask, trying not to sound nervous.
"Mr. Rodriguez would like to see you." He tells me
"Yes...well, I would not like to see him." I tun back, to Everett, but I am pulled back, by several arms. I can feel a blade across my neck. It is just barely touching, but if I move too much, it will cut me. So, I freeze. "Mr. Rodriguez" comes out from the building.
"Down." He says, and the soldier pulls the blade from my neck, but there are several people still holding back my arms. HE runs a finger across my chin, but I turn my head. "Would you believe me...if I told you that you are the first woman to deny me in 20 years?"
"Yes, I would...but that does not change the fact that I deny you. I did 5 minutes ago, and I do, now." I struggle to get free. I see Everett, he is standing, talking to aa few people. He is trying not to be seen. Smart.
"Why?" His words are harsh, "Why deny me?"
"Because I already have love. I have all I need." I spit.
He steps back. Just far enough away, a few feet. "Well, if you deny me...I will deny him." He pulls a gun from his jacket, and with his right hand, points it at me. I take it a large breathe, then freeze. I'm not sure what happened, but I can hear the sound of the bullet shot from the small black gun. I see a large object come in contact with it.
Everett.
"No!" I scream, and struggle, but they won't let me free. I struggle as I watch Everett breathe to death.
Forest goes over his son, "I was right...I do know you from somewhere...son." He points the gun at Everett, and shoots. 1. 2. 3.
"Stop! Please, stop!" I am yelling so loud. I am sobbing. The guards aren't letting go. He aims the gun at me. He shoots, and calls for them to release me. I fall to the ground. I am still crying. I pull Everett to me, as the men walk away. I see a mass of people coming toward him, but I can't resist. I pull the gun from my thigh, and shoot.
They are calling for me not to, but I don't listen. I didn't kill him. He can be healed.
Everett lifts a limp hand to my face, and brushes a piece of hair behind my ear, "I love you,"
"I love you, too." I am crying. I am sobbing, so hard, now. "Please. Please don't leave me." My voice is almost nonexistent, "Please."
"Addilyn...you will do great." He coughs, "Let the world see who you are."
"Everett,"
"You need to move on, you can't change this. I will die. I am dying, but I will always love you." His hand drops from my face, and I am screaming. I am shaking him, I am calling his name. I can feel people coming to comfort me, but it's no use. I push them away. I don't hear their words.
I just cry.
The first person to ever truly except me, to help me, is dead.
So lay my head in his chest, and wish, but my wish isn't heard, and I lay here on his chest, sinning until my eyes are dry. Some one picks me up, and I sob into there shoulder, I get enough strength to say, "Tobi is upstairs...in a room."
He is shushing me, trying to make me calm down, but it won't work. It isn't working.