Page 26

Eve

The door had barely clicked shut before Luke's voice echoed in the room, raw and laced with anger.

"Tell me everything, Eve. Now."

His words weren't a question. They were an order. A demand. He was furious, and I knew he had every right to be. He was my brother—my protector—and in that moment, he looked at me as though I had been hiding something unbearable from him.

I swallowed hard, trying to summon the strength to speak. I could see the pain in his eyes, the hurt that had turned into something sharper. He wasn't angry just at our father; he was angry at me too. Angry because I hadn't told him what was happening, angry because I had carried this burden alone for so long.

"Eve," he pressed, stepping closer. "Please. I need to know."

I closed my eyes for a moment, the tears already threatening to spill over. The weight of it all—of everything I had kept hidden—crashed over me in waves. But this wasn't just for me anymore. It wasn't just my pain I had to bear. It was Luke's too. It always had been. I owed him the truth.

I took a deep breath, gathering my words like fragile glass. "It's been happening for a long time, Luke. Since... since you left for college. When you weren't here, it was just me and him. And when you weren't around, he... the hitting didn't stop when you left, in fact it got worse."

The words felt foreign on my tongue, like I was speaking someone else's story. But it was mine. This was my reality. This was the truth I had hidden for far too long.

Luke's face twisted in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock. His hands clenched at his sides, his knuckles turning white. "No. No, that's... that can't be true. I made bargains with him for him to praise not to hurt you, he promised." His voice cracked, and the confusion in it was quickly replaced by a fury that I had never seen in him before.

I nodded, my throat tightening. "Yes. I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to worry you. You were off at school, starting your life. I didn't want to drag you into this. But I couldn't take it anymore, Luke."

His breath hitched, and he turned away from me, running a hand through his hair. "Why didn't you tell me? Eve... I—" His voice trembled as he turned back to face me. "I would've come home. I would've... I would've done something."

I could see the guilt written across his face, the weight of it sinking him into a place of helplessness. I had been so sure that I was protecting him by keeping this secret, but now I saw the truth. It wasn't just me who was hurt. It was him too. And it tore me apart to realize that I had kept him in the dark for so long.

In this moment he reminded me of the 13 year old version of himself, tied down onto a chair his face and body helpless as he was forced to watch our father continuously beat me up. I flinched at the memory.

"I didn't want to burden you, Luke," I whispered, my voice breaking. "You were already dealing with so much, and I thought... I thought if I could just survive it until you came back, it would stop."

Luke's hands trembled as he reached out to touch my arm, his fingers brushing against my skin like a promise. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I should've known. I should've been there for you. I'm your brother, Eve. I should've been there to protect you."

The tears I had been holding back finally spilled over, and I let them fall. I couldn't stop them. I couldn't stop any of it anymore. "I didn't want to be a burden," I whispered. "I didn't want you to see me like this. I didn't want to be... weak."

"You're not weak, Eve," Luke said firmly, his voice low but strong. "You're stronger than anyone I know. But I should've been here. I shouldn't have left you all alone with that monster."

I shook my head, trying to calm the storm in my chest. "You couldn't have known, Luke. You had your own life. And I thought I could handle it. I thought maybe if I just kept going, it would stop. But it didn't."

Luke's hands clenched into fists at his sides, and for the first time in years, I saw the anger that had been buried in him come to the surface. "I'm done with letting him getting away with this, we are finishing this."

I nodded, the quiet strength in his words giving me the courage I needed. We had to make it stop. We couldn't let him get away with it any longer.

"I don't know if I can do it, Luke," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know if I can face the police... if I can face the truth."

Luke's hand found mine, squeezing it tightly. "You won't do it alone," he said, his voice steady despite the storm I could see brewing inside him.

"We're doing this together. You've got me, Ev. Always."

I nodded, the tears still falling, but the hope rising in me, like a quiet flame. "I'm ready. I'm ready to make him pay for what he's done to us."

There was more to it than just the years of abuse, though. I hadn't told Luke about what happened a few days ago. What our father had done when he came to my apartment. I couldn't carry that weight anymore, either.

"He came here, Luke," I whispered, my voice thick with guilt. "A few days ago. When you and Lizzie were at home. He came to the door... and he slapped me."

Luke's face went cold, his expression hardening like stone. "What? He slapped you? He found you?"

"Yeah." I closed my eyes, remembering the sting of his palm against my cheek, the sharpness of the slap that had left me reeling. "He said... he said if I didn't do end it with Carson, he'd hurt him. He said he'd find a way to get to him, to ruin his life. He threatened Carson's life, Luke. Told me he was going to make sure that no matter what I did, Carson would pay for... for being with me."

I could see Luke's fists tighten, his face flushed with fury. "That bastard," he muttered, pacing back and forth in the small space. "He's crossing a line now. He's... he's threatening people who have nothing to do with this. He's dragging others into his twisted world. I won't let him get away with it, Eve."

I felt my heart race at the thought of Carson being in danger, of our father taking his hatred out on the people I loved. "I couldn't let him hurt Carson. I couldn't let him get to him, Luke. I just... I froze. I didn't know what to do."

Luke stopped pacing, his eyes softening as he knelt in front of me. "You don't have to protect him anymore, Eve. You don't have to protect anyone. We're going to stop him, once and for all."

I wiped my tears away, trying to calm my ragged breath. "I just... I don't want anyone else to get hurt, Luke. Not Carson. Not anyone. I don't know what he'll do next."

Luke nodded. "I know. But we're going to make sure he doesn't hurt you or anyone else again. We're going to take him down, Eve."

We didn't have long to talk before Lizzie walked into the room, her expression soft with concern. My niece in her arms, her tiny face scrunched up in curiosity as she gazed at her parents, god I think Willa was the prettiest baby I had ever seen. Lizzie's eyes flickered to Luke and then to me, instantly understanding that something was wrong.

"What's going on?" Lizzie asked, her voice quiet but full of concern.

Luke wiped his eyes and sniffed, his voice still shaky. "Eve's been keeping something from me... from all of us. Our father..." His voice broke, and I could see the rage bubbling beneath his calm exterior. "Kept hurting her after I had left, after I made a bargain with him with my own fucking blood."

Lizzie's face went pale, and she quickly crossed the room, placing Willa into her dad's arms, his eyes immediately softening at the giggling girl in his embrace. Her hands reached out to me, pulling me into a tight hug without saying a word. I could feel her tears against my cheek as she whispered, "I'm so sorry, Eve. I had no idea. I had no idea."

I let out a shaky breath, wrapping my arms around her in return. "It's not your fault," I said, my voice breaking. "I should've said something. I shouldn't have kept it from all of you."

Luke stepped back, running his free hand over his face as he spoke again. "We're going to the police. We're going to make sure he never lays a hand on you again, Eve. We're doing this. No more hiding. No more pretending it's not happening."

I nodded, my hands trembling. "I'm ready. I'm ready to make him pay for what he's done."

Lizzie pulled back, taking a deep breath as she looked at Luke and then at me. "Whatever you need, Eve... whatever you need, we're here. You're not alone."

I gave her a small smile, the first real one I'd managed in what felt like days. "Thank you."

The rest of the day was a blur. Luke and Lizzie kept busy with Willa, making sure she was fed and settled before they turned their attention back to me. But I couldn't shake the feeling of dread settling in my chest. We had to go to the police. We had to make this real.

As I stood in front of the mirror, the weight of what was about to happen sank in. I was going to expose everything. I was going to tell them everything.

"Eve?" Luke's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his expression serious.

"We need to go," he said quietly, his voice filled with determination. "It's time."

I nodded. I was ready. At least, I had to be.

We arrived at the police station, and I felt the cold chill of fear run through me as we stepped inside. But I wasn't alone. Luke and Lizzie were right behind me, and I could feel their presence like a shield. Katie was at home with Willa, catering after the princess of a baby. I had no doubt that when she grew up she would give her mum a run for her money.

The officers led me into a small, sterile room, and I sat there, my hands trembling as they explained the process. They took swabs and photographs as evidence, their questions blunt but necessary. I answered them as best as I could, my voice shaking with every word, but I kept going. For myself. For Luke. For everything I'd hidden.

The truth was out now. There was no going back.

Luke's eyes never left me as I recounted the painful truth. His hand, firm yet gentle on my shoulder, acted as both support and a silent promise. When the officer asked me to sign a form, my hand shook, but Luke squeezed my shoulder just a little tighter, grounding me.

"You're not alone, Eve," he whispered, his voice filled with quiet strength.

Lizzie, sitting just behind me, gave me a warm, reassuring smile. Her presence was a silent comfort, one that reminded me of the family I had—one that would stand by me, no matter what

Just as I finished the form, Willa's giggles echoed through the hallway, breaking the tense silence. Katie had clearly made her way to the station with Willa, and the soft sounds of her daughter's laughter brought a flicker of warmth to the otherwise cold room. As Willa rounded the corner, a small beacon of light in this sea of darkness, she reached for me, her tiny hands outstretched.

Luke looked down at his daughter, his expression softening as he bent down to lift her into his arms. "Hey, princess," he whispered, brushing a kiss against her cheek.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. The weight of everything—the past, the secrets, the fear—seemed to dissolve as I watched Luke, holding Willa with such tenderness. It was a side of him I rarely got to see, and it reminded me that no matter how bad things had gotten, there was love in this family that would never be broken.

Lizzie walked up beside me, offering a soft smile. "You're doing the right thing, Eve. I know it's hard, but we're all here."

I nodded, feeling the quiet comfort of their presence wrap around me like a blanket. In that moment, Luke, Lizzie, and Willa became my rock, my anchors in this storm. For the first time in a long while, I felt hope.

"I've been waiting years to put that bastard in jail." She whispered to me, a small chuckle threatened to escape me.

Willa reached up to tug at my sleeve, her innocent smile lighting up the room. "Aunt Eve," she said in her babyish tone, her little hands patting my cheek. "Make sad face go 'way."

The simplicity of her words, her pure heart, broke something in me. I smiled down at her, wiping away my tears. "I will, sweetie," I whispered. "I will."

The interaction was brief, but it reminded me that love, in its simplest and purest forms, could heal even the deepest of wounds.

And as I glanced at Luke, holding Willa against his chest, I knew that together, we could face anything. No more secrets. No more hiding. The fight ahead was going to be hard, but we would do it as a family. Together.