THE UNRAVELING

“Hey Eve, could you come help me check something?” Noah called out.

I was texting Ian before he called and I forgot to lock my phone screen as I walked to his room to answer him.

“What is it?” I asked, stepping into his room, I sat beside him.

Noah looked at my hand and back up at me serious. “You’re texting Ian.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Oh… uh…” I stammered, caught off guard. “It’s not a big deal. I was just replying to his story.”

“Forget it,” he muttered. “I don’t need your help anymore.”

He looked away, jaw tight with frustration. I left his room confused. Why was he angry? He doesn’t know anything does he?

Later that afternoon, Agatha came by to drop off some drinks for Noah. I heard his voice from the kitchen.

“Did you know Eve has been talking to Ian?”

“No, not really,” Agatha answered. Just like I told her, deny everything if he ever asked. I didn’t want her to get involved, Noah already didn’t like her as my friend, I didn’t want to give him a reason to think she was a bad person, she was my only friend.

A few minutes later, Noah called again. “Eve, come help Agatha with the drinks.”

I blinked. It was barely a few bottles. Why would he need me for that?

Still, I obeyed. I stopped mid-scroll while I deleted my messages with Ian, left my phone on the bed, and followed Agatha outside.

After the errand, we returned to my room, laughing about something silly. I had completely forgotten about the phone.

Then I heard it.

“Evelyn.”

I froze.

Noah never called me that unless something was wrong.

I turned to see him at my doorway, holding my phone, expression dark.

“You lied to me, you bitch!”

“What are…?”

Before I could ask what he was talking about, he charged at me.

Noah hit me.

For the first time since we were kids, he raised his hand against me and didn’t stop.

“I told you he wasn’t a good guy!” he shouted between blows. “I told you to stay away from him! I warned you!”

He kept hitting. Kept kicking. I fell to the floor, shielding myself with my arms, curling into myself.

Then he grabbed my phone and smashed it against the wall. “Let me see how you’ll be able to talk to him again.”

I tried to crawl away, to breathe through the pain, but it was too much. The ache was everywhere my ribs, my cheek, my pride.

Agatha rushed to help me, but Noah turned on her.

“Don’t you dare come any closer,” he warned, in a wild voice.

“Please,” I whispered to her. “Don’t.”

He glared down at me again.

“Where did you sleep the night you weren’t home?”

I didn’t answer.

“Answer me, Evelyn. And don’t lie to me.”

I couldn’t speak. My throat burned with the weight of everything.

“You were with that bastard, weren’t you?” he growled.

Silence.

And the silence said everything.

I let Noah beat me up. I couldn’t bring myself to beg. I knew I was wrong, I knew I had crossed the line but part of me stayed silent because I was buying Ian time, time to come to terms with whatever was happening between us.

“I’m calling that bastard,” Noah spat breathing harshly. He yanked his phone from his pocket. “And you’re going to tell him I’ve destroyed yours.”

“No. Please, no.” The words slipped out before I could stop them. I didn’t want this out in the open, not yet.

Ian didn’t like me the same way I liked him. It was way too soon for any of this to blow up in our faces. I planned to give Ian some time to come to terms with what was going on between us. He had already warned me to be careful and not let Noah find out. Noah’s thumb moved fast over his screen, and then, I heard ringing. My heart stopped when I heard Ian’s voice, faint but clear.

“Hello?”

“Talk to him,” Noah ordered with his eyes, shoving the phone toward me.

I shook my head.

“One… two… three—”

“Hello, it’s Eve,” I blurted before he could finish.

“Oh! Yeah, what’s up?” Ian’s voice was casual, almost lazy, like none of this mattered.

I couldn’t answer. My lips refused to move.

“Son of a bitch,” Noah growled into the phone, “you’re a bastard.”

“What the hell, bro?” Ian’s tone sharpened.

“Stay the fuck away from my family,” Noah barked. “If I see you anywhere near us, I’ll have you arrested. I destroyed Evelyn’s phone, and I don’t want you to have anything to do with her again. You hear me? Fuck off!”

Noah ended the call with a sharp tap, his chest still heaving.

I stayed curled on the floor, my arms wrapped around my knees, staring at the cracked pieces of my phone scattered across the floor, it looked like it was beyond repair,

But it didn’t matter right now.

Ian hadn’t defended me.

Not once.

Not even a “Let me talk to her alone.”

Just… silence.

And then nothing.

The ache in my chest was becoming unbearable. I wanted to cry, but the tears wouldn’t come they stayed trapped, burning in my throat like they were punishing me for expecting anything different.

Noah walked out without another word, the door slamming behind him. The sound echoed in my ears long after he was gone.

Agatha knelt beside me, her face pale. “Eve—”

“Don’t,” I whispered. My voice was barely there, a fragile thread I wasn’t sure would hold.

Because if I let her comfort me, I would shatter. And I wasn’t ready to pick up the pieces yet.

I stared at the door, hearing Noah’s words on repeat.

Stay the fuck away from my family.

I destroyed Evelyn’s phone.

I don’t want you to have anything to do with her again.

I wondered if Ian would listen.

Or if he would simply disappear, the way men like him always did when things got too real.

Either way, the message was clear,

I was trapped.