Wednesday, 10:39 A.M.
Evelyn is barely awake as she swings beside me in the Creekside apartments back lot playground, but I can't help but press about what happened last night at Rob's because I know we're not going to get a lot of unsupervied time once we get to the mountains.
"Dane had blood on his hands," I tell her, trying to urge her to remember with details I know she'd usually pipe in on. "Did he only punch him, or-"
"Jenalynnnnn!" Ev groans, weakly kicking her feet until her swing rocks gently. "He didn't let me sleep last night, I'm tired!"
My heart stops in my chest for a moment and the worst comes to mind as I begin to imagine him forcing himself on her as a way to get back at Dane.
"Why?" I ask with a quickness, turning to her with all seriousness although she has her face pressed up against the chain of the swing with her eyes closed.
She snaps them open and turns to me as if to suspect my exact thought. "Not that." she quickly says, followed by a frustrated sigh and a weak attempt at an eyeroll. "My brother thinks Rob likes you or something because he apologized about what happened last night, okay? Rob was upset because my brother is an asshole!"
I don't know what to say in response, so for a few moments I just stare at her with my jaw dropped slightly.
That explains Dane's interrogation last night... right? So he didn't just feed lies about me to Dane to save his own ass..?
"Rob likes me?" I ask suddenly in a half whisper though I know nobody comes to this playground because of the 'accident' that wasn't really an accident last year. I don't know why something turns in my head, but it does. It stirs in a way that makes my words sound intrigued by the idea of it...
"Rob hates you, Jena!" Evelyn whispers back, her face scrunched up like even the idea of it tastes sour in her mouth. "Why did you even get all excited about that?!"
I let out a laugh, though whatever stirred in my head begins to effortlessly distract my thoughts as it visits the idea. "I didn't!" I say after a few moments, kicking my feet off the ground to knock her with my swing. "Though... I could probably use that to my advantage somehow." I joke.
I think I joke...
Evelyn knocks me back with her swing, her eyes immediately narrowing before she jumps off her swing all together. "Don't." she says with more force than it looks like could even fit inside her tiny body. "Dane would kill the both of you! And probably me, too!"
I laugh again, this time causing her to cross her arms over her tiny chest in frustration.
"I wouldn't do anything!" I quickly tell her, playfully knocking her back with my leg as I swing. "Just harmless stuff. Think about it... Dane out on business? Stuck with the sitter? We're always in that boat, Ev! That's us!"
"NOoooOoOoooo!" she sing songs as she covers her ears with her hands and turns her back to me. "I'm not listeninnnnnnng!"
But she is, and I know she is because she always does when she pulls this one.
"-Asshole Rob sits there and fucking toooortures us, Ev!" I continue, jumping from my swing to turn her body back around to face me. "Imagine if he did like me!... All I gotta do is flirt! I could probably get us a few privilages! Harmlessly, Ev! Harmless!"
Evelyn pulls her hands from her ears and gives another attempt at an eyeroll. "And when he wants to do it with you?" she asks almost matter of factly.
I gently shove her, beginning to walk up the big hill leading down to the playground as I show her how an eyeroll is done. "Tough tittes!" I call over my shoulder as she jogs to catch up. "I'd never have sex with him if your brother didn't make it happen. It's Rob...I mean, ew Ev! Harmless. Flirting. It's called manipulation- learn it, girlie!"
Evelyn struggles to keep up with my stride, even with last night's injuries still weighing heavy on my back. I can see her face still scrunched in disapproval in my peripherals though, and allow my mind to chalk it up to her being young and naive.
"I gotta go... Dane's taking me to the mountains." I say with a sigh when we make it to the top of the hill.
Evelyn's face scrunches up again, this time seemingly in confusion. I'm starting to think the whole scrunched face is growing to be permanent.
"Yeah, we're all going." She says after a moment, narrowing her eyes like she'd just been bamboozled.
"All?" I repeat, though I heard her loud and clear. My mind instantly travels to last night, when I'd requested Dane take care of Rob for what he did to me.
And apparently felt sorry for, I can't help the thought.
I get an odd feeling in my stomach- a feeling I should probably focus more attention on, to be honest.
Almost as if on queue though, Dane and a busted face Rob emerge from Dane's apartment lugging two suitcases and a duffel bag.