Chapter 99 < Extra Story - Chapter 7 Extra Story - Chapter 7 Age 16 More Rewards Evan stormed into the pack house, his body thrumming with anger. Riley didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Comparing him to that? To her first mate? To someone who had h urt her? He wasn't like that. He wasn't. But the words kept spinning in his head anyway. You made her uncomfortable. You made her feel unsafe in a place she should've felt protected. Ask yourself what path you're on. He threw open the door to the wing, nearly hitting Emma in the process. She leapt out of the way, her eyes wide as she took him in. "Ev?" Her voice was small, hesitant. "What?" he snapped, heading toward his room, still shaking with the need to do something, punch something, fix the wrongness crawling beneath his skin. She flinched. "Are... are you okay?" "What the hell do you care?" he barked, whirling around to glare at her. Emma jumped back, pressing herself against the wall, her hands trembling at her sides. He regretted it immediately. The way her face pinched. The way her shoulders hunched, like she was trying to disappear. But the apology stuck in his throat, caught behind the heat of his frustration. "Just... leave me the hell alone, Emma." He shoved his way into his room and slammed the door hard enough to rattle the frame. His desk chair took the brunt of his fury, skidding into the wall with a crack of plastic. The impact made his hands tremble, but he didn't care. Evan sagged onto the edge of his bed, burying his face in his hands, heart thundering like 1/6 : Extra Story - Chapter 7 he'd run for miles. He wasn't like Paul. He. Wasn't. Like. Paul. More Rewar But Riley wouldn't have said it if she didn't mean it. She never said anything she didn't mean. And that was the part that hurt most. The door opened sharply. "Evan." His father's voice was firm. But then, it always seemed that way when they talked. Evan didn't look up. "I know. I yelled at her. She didn't deserve it." His voice sounded hollow, even to himself. There was a pause, then the sound of Max shifting in place. "She's really upset. It was uncalled for." "I know," Evan snapped, then softened. "I didn't mean to. She just... caught me at a bad time." Max sighed. "You think I haven't had bad days, bud? But I don't take it out on a ten-year-old." "I know, okay?" Evan ran his hands through his hair. The silence stretched. Finally, Max asked, "You want to tell me why you're so upset?" Evan hesitated. He didn't talk to his dad much anymore. It was hard when every conversation turned into an argument. And with Max, he always felt like he was screwing up. "Riley tore into me," he finally said. "About the other night?" Evan nodded. "She said I didn't respect that girl's boundaries. That I made her uncomfortable. Compared me to..." His throat tightened. "Compared me to her old mate. The one who hurt her." Max's expression darkened, but he stayed quiet. "She thinks I'm turning into someone like that." Evan finally looked up, eyes burning. "But I'm not. I didn't mean it that way. I was just talking. Joking around. She was smiling at first. Laughing." Extra Story Chapter 7 "Did she ask you to stop?" Evan swallowed. "She said she had a mate. That she wasn't interested." "And what did you do?" He shrugged, staring down at his hands. "I kept talking. I... I touched her face. Her cheek. She got upset. Told me to stop touching her. To leave her alone." "And you didn't?" His stomach churned. "I didn't think it was a big deal..." Max moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Maybe it wasn't to you. But it was to her." Evan turned away, jaw tight. "You've got to see it from her side. She told you she had a mate. She asked you to stop. You kept going. You're bigger than her. Stronger. You were being pushy. How do you think that felt to her?" Evan's mouth felt dry. "Scared," he admitted finally. "Yeah, Ev," Max said, his voice gentler now. "You frightened a girl who just wanted to have a drink with her friends. Who thought she'd have a good time without being harassed or made uncomfortable by a teenage boy." Evan dropped his face into his hands. "I'm not... I'm not some monster... I just..." His voice cracked. "No," Max said. "You're not. You're a sixteen-year-old with more power than most adults, and a temper that still scares you. You've been carrying more weight than any kid should. But that doesn't give you the right to ignore the people around you or push past their boundaries." Evan stared at the floor. "It just feels like... no matter what I do, I mess it up." He didn't say the thoughts that always circled in his mind: This isn't even really my family. I'm not really one of them. Everyone's just waiting for me to leave. To go back to Green River. No one actually wants me here. No one really cares what happens to me. Max placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know you've been through more than you let on. And I know you hate this idea. But maybe it's time to talk to someone again." Evan tensed. "Therapy?" 3/6 **** 2004 92ng your're broken. I'm saying you're carrying stuff you don't have to carry along The fore," Even erid automatically "you're not May replied, but there was no judgment in his voice. "And that's okay, bud" Even stared at the chair lying broken in the corner. He couldn't stop seeing Piley's face when she talked about her previous mate. Couldn't unhear her voice when she said he was acting the same way. Riley had always believed in him. And now.. " didn't mean to hurt anyone, Evan whispered. "I know," Max said quietly. "That's why it's not too late to try again." Max let Evan stay home from school that day, which honestly surprised him. He'd expected a fight, but Max had only pursed his lips and considered the request seriously before nodding once. "Only this once," he'd said, and let Evan go back to his room without another word. His mom poked her head in later to check on him, but Evan hadn't felt up to talking. He couldn't stand the disappointment he imagined on her face. It was just another reminder of how badly he was screwing everything up. After hours of lying there alone with his thoughts, Evan finally gave up and made his way to the top floor. He followed the familiar path to Riley's office and knocked. "Evan?" Riley looked up, surprised, when he stepped inside. He shut the door behind him and shifted uncomfortably. "Can I... talk to you for a minute?" She blinked, then nodded. "Of course, Ev. Sit down." She gestured to the couch. He sat, elbows resting on his thighs, hands clasped tightly between his knees. He chewed his lip, unsure of how to begin. "Why aren't you at school?" she asked, breaking the silence. "Dad let me stay home," he murmured. She nodded again. "Okay. What did you want to talk about?" He took a breath. "I'm not..." He faltered. "I don't want to be like your mate. I don't want to be someone who pushes people or makes them feel uncomfortable." 4/6 Extra Story Chapter 7 Her brows lifted. "I know that. I don't think that's who you're trying to be." "But that's how you see me," he said softly. More towards * She frowned. "No. But I worry that's the path you're heading down, if nothing changes." He looked away, After a moment, Riley stood and moved across the room, sitting beside him on the couch." You're not a bad person, Evan. You're still a kid. You're figuring things out. And you always have the ability to change. To make different choices." "I'm not sure I know how," he admitted. "You do, Ev. You know right from wrong. You just haven't been listening to that part of yourself lately." He glanced at her. "Dad thinks I should go back to therapy." "What do you think?" He looked at the floor, his brow furrowed. "I don't know. I'm not sure it's worth it. It's just... talking." "Talking helps. It did for me." Evan turned to her. "You went to therapy?" She nodded. "After Paul rejected me, I didn't talk about him or what happened for years. Even after I met Kent, I kept it bottled up. I thought that if I didn't talk about it, it couldn't hurt me anymore." She sighed. "But I was wrong. It wasn't until I started talking about it that I realized how deeply it had affected me. And then after the kidnapping, after everything that happened with you and me, I had to go. Kent pushed me to. I'm glad he did." Evan's chest tightened. He hated thinking about the kidnapping. The fear. The helplessness. Even eleven years later, it still made him feel like he couldn't breathe. "Did it help?" he asked. "It did. A lot. I went for several years, up until I had Elinor." "Do you think it might help me?" "I do." She reached over and gently squeezed his hands. "But you have to want to try. It only 5/6 Extra Man Chapter ? works if you're willing to be honest. With yourself and with the person helping you." Evan nodded, wanting to believe it. Wanting to believe he wasn't already too far gone. But deep down, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Comments