Page 50 of A Little Bit Uncertain

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DONOVAN

After Audra let me geek out about my butterfly garden for a half hour, I gave her the full house tour. She ribbed me a couple of times about the size of it, but it was all in good fun. When we were eating the breakfast I had prepared, I brought up the elephant in the room.

“So, are we going to call the police today?” I asked.

The defeat in her body language was immediate. “I don’t want to.” Her finger twirled her hair nervously.

“I know, I get it. But this behavior is irrational, erratic, and scary. Last night, you even said you were scared, and you have every right to be. This isn’t normal, Audra. Part of me feels like you’re under-reacting to this because of your past with him. But this is worrisome.” I held her gaze as her eyes welled up.

“Can’t I just hide here forever? I can become a full-time butterfly caretaker,” she joked, wiping the bottom of her eyelids before the tears fell. I mean, I’d be down.

“I mean, you can, but then you’d be a prisoner. Because I wouldn’t let you out of here with Theo lurking around unchecked.”

“You have a library. I could definitely be Belle.” She laughed again. “All we need is a talking clock.”

“Easy. Echo Dot and the Roomba.” I laughed and tapped my temple. “Problem solved. And I’ll even buy you fancy dresses.” That spurred a memory. “Oh, that’s right. I just remembered I have something for you.”

She quirked her head, looking confused.

Going to the front closet, I pulled out a shoebox. When I was patching her up the night of the dart league, I realized she wouldn’t be able to salvage her shoes. So I noted her shoe size and the brand to get her a replacement. Though there wasn’t an exact match because the ones she had were from a couple of seasons ago, I found a similar enough pair. But standing at the closet, I got a wave of nervousness at the thought of giving it to her. It seemed like a good idea when I bought them, but I started second-guessing myself. Who buys someone shoes for a first gift? But I had to give her something.

When I came back and handed the box to her, she tilted her head again, recognizing the brand. “What is this, Donovan?”

“It’s just a little something I grabbed for your bar bravery.”

She lifted the lid to inspect the wedge shoes inside and then looked between the shoe and me a couple of times before she spoke. “How? Why? These are beautiful. How did you know my shoe size? You didn’t just grab these; you looked to find them.”

“We both knew you weren’t getting that blood and, whatever that sludge was, out of the white. I looked when I was putting the Band-Aid on. I’m well acquainted with that brand because my sister loves them.” That was a lie, but I was feeling a little weird, so I had to cover my bases.

Then she cradled the shoe up to her chest. “I don’t even know what to say, Donovan. I love them. You are full of surprises, aren’t you?”

Before I could answer, my phone rang. Speaking of my sister. Her ears were probably ringing because I blatantly lied about her liking the brand. I let it go to voicemail, which was abnormal for me, but then she called again right away. Since she wasn’t particularly prone to war dialing, I excused myself and went to the office off the kitchen to take the call.

“Hey McKenna, what’s going on? Is everything ok?”

“Hey, Donovan. Yes. Kind of. No one is hurt or in danger.” Not exactly the kind of answer I was looking for.

“What’s wrong?”

“Before I tell you, you have to promise that you are still coming to New York.” Shit. This didn’t sound good at all. I already didn’t want to go. What could she possibly be laying on me right now?

“Okay.”

“No, you have to promise you’ll still come, and you should sit down.”

“Fine, I promise I will still come. You’re freaking me out here, Mackey Mae.”

“Ok, so I told Mom and Dad you were coming because I had to clear the jet to fly. Mom decided she was going to invite Evelyn to join us. According to her, you just needed more time, so now she is bringing her on Thursday to try to set you up with her again.”

I hit my head on the wall of my office, and rage bubbled up in my body. “Did you inform Mom that this is an event to celebrate you? And to leave me the fuck out of it?”

Evelyn was someone I’ve known since she was born. A year younger and my mother’s best friend’s daughter, I’m pretty sure they betrothed her to me upon birth. She lived on the West Coast growing up, but her family moved to New York when I turned twenty. Because of our mother’s incessant meddling, we had two dates, and there wasn’t even a tiny spark on my end, so nothing came of it. Not even a goodnight kiss. Apparently, Evelyn felt differently and thought it was love.

I always thought the concept of falling for someone right after you met them was a crock, though now the joke was on me, because I had undoubtedly fallen for the woman sitting in the other room. I wasn’t in love with her, but I was having stronger feelings for her than I’d ever had for anyone. After I told Evelyn the two of us weren’t happening, she went a little crazy, and I got blamed for it. She would show up at places I was at, profess her love, make scenes, and just act unhinged. Not unlike Audra’s current Theo situation, now that I was thinking about it. Then, she and my mother tried to cross every line conceivable to force my hand.

“I told her you would not be happy about it. But you know how she is,” McKenna said. I rolled my eyes because I knew exactly how our mother was. She was among the reasons I ran. But I’d already assured my sister I’d be there, and given how excited she was when I agreed, I couldn’t back out now.