In The Safety Of A Lie - COMPLETED!

Chapter 52

"Ev?" She could feel herself being shoved awake. "Joey's on the phone for you."

Her eyes snapped open to Downs handing her the hospital phone. Complete alertness filled her drugged up, bruised body. She couldn't snatch the phone away fast enough. "Joey?"

"I'm trying to decide if he's worthy enough to have the phone right now." Jimmy's voice held an air of humor to it.

Ev groaned. Of course he'd be on the other line teasing them after all they'd been through. She made a mental note to slug him next time she was within reaching distance. "Shut up and put Joey on the line!"

"I don't know, Ev. I'm pretty sure if I get too close he's going to rip my arm off."

"Serves you right for messing with an injured man in a hospital!" She snapped at him, rolling her eyes at his faked fear. "Come on, Jimmy. I haven't talked to him since before being arrested. Yesterday!"

There was a pause on the other line, followed by a sigh. "Fair enough."

"Ev? Don't tell me Jacob's over there taking the phone away from you, too." Joey's exasperated voice filled the line.

"Thank God, no!" She laughed, a rush of relief flooding her body. She sunk deeper into the bed, pinning the phone against her ear. Even just hearing him breathing sounded so good. "Tell me you're okay. Let me just hear your voice."

"I'm sore." His voice sounded relaxed as he spoke. "Like really sore. I think I'll live, though."

"You had better!" Ev snapped at him, maybe a little bit more sharply than was needed. She rubbed her sore forehead trying not to think about anything happening to him. "Seriously, Joey, I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you. They'd probably have to lock me up in some crazy house somewhere secluded because there's no way I'd stay sane without you."

Joey's light chuckle carried through the phone receiver, followed by a low moan. "I've been through a lot, Evelina. And I'm still here with you. I'm not going anywhere."

"Promise me that." Her brows knit together waiting for the answer. There was a brief pause, adding to an already uncomfortable silence.

"Ev, I can't promise you that. I can promise that I will do everything in my power to stay safe and stay with you. But that's the best I got for you, baby." Hints of pain labored his voice, but he did well in keeping it steady.

"I'll take what I can get." A small smile tugged at Ev's lips. It was just nice to hear his voice. The promise that he was only a few room numbers away from her was a relief that couldn't even possibly begin to be described. "How are you feeling?"

"I don't want to focus on me, Ev. Tell me about you." His voice was tight with the knowledge of things that hadn't yet been spoken between them.

"Well, I'm cuffed to the bed right now. Not so sure I'm loving this particular piece of jewelry." The air between them felt thick, but she tried to make light of their situation.

"I'm sorry about that, Ev." He said simply, but the words held the lingering remorse.

"It's not completely your fault, Joey. I'm sure I'll be free soon. In fact, Bob called the lawyer to be here because there's an officer coming in to question me later this afternoon." Ev shrugged regardless of there being no one else in the room. She shifted the phone over to her imprisoned hand, stretching her other fingers out.

"Ev..." Joey paused, searching for what to say next. He finally sighed. "Jimmy told me everything."

Ev could taste blood from biting her split lip hard. She swallowed, tears stinging her eyes. "Everything?" She repeated quietly.

"Mhmm... everything. About you telling Downs the truth, about Downs deciding to retire, about our baby..." His voice dropped to barely an audible whisper.

"Joey..." Ev swiped her free hand across her damp eyes. "I...I don't know where to start." She hadn't expected him to know all of that. She hadn't weighed out how to tell him any of the material weighing them both down. Yes, she felt freer being honest, but a different kind of weight burdened her. The kind that came with not knowing how to deal with any of this. "I... I don't know how to handle this..."

"Ev, honey." She could hear him struggling to move in his bed. A frustrated groan told her he hadn't been too successful. "That's just it. You don't have to handle any of this alone. I'm here. Let me in."

Ev wasn't sure what to say. She hadn't realized how broken she felt. "I don't know what to say." She was trembling, fighting for the right words.

"Start with how you're feeling, baby." His words were strong and encouraging, ready to comfort.

"It hurts, Joey. Everything just hurts." She rubbed her fingers through her hair, fighting to not pull at the messy strands in frustration. "I didn't even know I was pregnant. How didn't I know? I could have stayed quieter. I... I could have protected myself better."

"Ev, honey, you did everything that you could. This was all on Davy. He's a psychopath, there's no way you could have anticipated or prepared for any of this. Believe me, I've tried. He's unpredictable. Only pain follows him." Joey's words held comfort in them, as well as coldness when mentioning anything about his brother. The comfort soothed her broken heart, but didn't completely heal it. That was something that only time could do.

Every little bit of healing she'd take. She could have sworn her heart looked like a patchwork quilt — different pieces and shapes of healing and forgiveness sewn in that only an omnipotent God could have done. She pinched her eyes shut, sighing that she couldn't be wrapped up in his arms right now.

"What are you thinking about?" Joey's voice hesitantly carried through the receiver. Her silence couldn't keep him quiet. In fact, if she ever wanted to get him to talk more she just had to keep quiet. He couldn't handle the silence from her.

"You'll probably think I'm crazy, but I just miss you." Her words were quiet, still filled with silent pondering and unshed tears. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed to death from missing him; a severe longing that made her shudder.

"I miss you, too. There's nothing crazy about that." No humor had a place in his voice; it was simply pure, raw emotion.

"Even though it's only been a day since I saw you?" She relaxed her facial muscles. Not so much relieved that he didn't call her crazy as she was that he missed her just as much.

"Evelina, it's been literally hell on earth for us. It's been more than a day since we had quality time together. That's the greatest reason why you're not crazy. And..." He paused; beyond serious with every word he spoke.

Ev sniffled a bit, hating that he paused. "And?"

"And I feel the same way, and I know I'm not crazy. Just crazy in love with you." The words melted Ev. How couldn't they? He meant all of them.

A genuinely true smile lit up her face. Not even the painful bruises stretching across her skin could take away the joyful relief to hear those words. "I love you, too. That will never change, Joey. Not now, not ever."