In Control

Ch. 21 (Part 1)

Ashley

After leaving Cody and Becca to finalize the details of our plan, I knew what had to come next. There was no way I was going to let Dominique get her hands on Kyle or any of us, for that matter.

All I knew what that Evie needed her to be safe and away from all the danger. So, I grabbed my phone and dialed Isa's number. Jason might never forgive me for what I was doing, but I had to keep Evie out of harm's way.

Isa picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Ashley. What's up?"

"Hey, Isa," I said. "I need you to come pick up Evie. Things are about to get complicated, and I want her to be with you for a while."

There was a pause on the other end, and I could hear the concern in Isa's voice. "Ashley, what's going on?"

I glanced over at the living room, where Evie was playing with her toys. She had no idea what was coming. I couldn't let her see any of it.

"I just need you to pick her up, take her somewhere far from all this."

Isa sighed, a soft sound that carried the weight of understanding. "Got it. I'll be there in ten."

"Thanks," I breathed out, relief flooding me at the thought of Isa keeping Evie safe. "I'll have her ready. Please, don't let her out of your sight."

"I won't. You know I've got this," Isa replied firmly before hanging up.

I stood there for a moment, watching my daughter play, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing outside our door. My heart ached as I walked over and knelt beside her.

"Evie, sweetheart," I said softly, brushing her hair away from her face. She looked up at me with those bright, innocent eyes, smiling as if nothing in the world could go wrong.

"I'm going to need you to go with Grandma for a little while, okay? She's going to take good care of you."

Evie didn't ask questions, she never did at her age. She just nodded and handed me one of her toys, as if everything was perfectly fine.

I packed her a small bag, making sure to include her favorite blanket and a couple of her toys, just to make sure she felt secure. I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to take her from her home, from Jason. But I couldn't risk it. Not when things were this volatile.

When Isa arrived, I felt a strange mixture of relief and dread. She'd taken Evie from my arms, and as they drove off, my heart clenched tightly in my chest. I watched them go, silently wishing I could protect her from everything that was coming.
But I couldn't. All I could do was make sure she was as far from the chaos as possible.

I turned around and walked back into the house. The weight of what I had to do next settled on my shoulders. Jason had no idea what was coming. And once this was over, I didn't know how I was going to explain any of it to him.

But I couldn't think about that now. There was no time for second guessing.

I stood by the window, watching as Isa's car disappeared down the road. The absence of Evie settling into the quiet of the house and it felt so heavy.

I tried to shake the feeling, telling myself it was the right thing to do, that Evie was safer with Isa. Still, my mind wandered to all the ways things could go wrong. It was hard not to worry when everything felt like it was about to unravel at any moment.

The plan I'd set in motion wasn't one I was proud of, but I had no other choice. Jason couldn't know. Not yet. I had to protect him, even if it meant keeping him in the dark.