Chapter 12: Kingdom Come

She was Jason’s cousin.

Her family tree was just another branch of the same rotten trunk.

Retribution comes fast.

The Evanses always settled their scores.

I hadn’t even caught my breath when a voice came from outside the office door.

It was familiar—cool, calm, and absolutely terrifying.

"Hey."

My eyelids twitched. Even after puberty, I’d recognize Jason’s voice anywhere.

His voice was deeper now, but it still made my skin crawl.

"Bro!"

Samantha ran to the door, threw herself into Jason’s arms, and burst into tears.

She clung to him, sobbing so loud the whole office could hear.

"Look at my hair! It’s all her fault! Bro, you have to stand up for me!"

I watched her play the victim, knowing nobody would ever believe my side of the story.

All I could think was, this world is really too small, much too small.

There was no place to hide. The Evans shadow stretched everywhere.

The curse of the Evans family seemed destined to shackle me for life.

I wondered if I’d ever be anything more than the girl they blamed, the one they hurt, the one who never truly belonged.

Would I ever escape?

Hope felt as far away as Kentucky did all those years ago.

Jason patted Samantha’s back, murmured a few words of comfort, then looked over at me.

His eyes met mine—hard, unreadable. He was a man now, but the cruelty in him was unchanged.

After puberty, Jason had grown into a tall, broad-shouldered man, a full head taller than me.

He filled the doorway, shoulders squared, every inch the king of this tiny kingdom.

As he walked closer, a chill swept over me. I’d managed to win against Samantha, but facing Jason, I could only be crushed.

I tried to shrink back, but there was nowhere left to run. My palms were slick with sweat. My pulse pounded in my ears.

His shadow loomed over me, and I had nowhere to run. The old fear of drowning, of dying, rose up from my childhood.

The feeling in my chest was the same as the day he pushed me into the pool—a cold, bottomless panic.

He said, "Megan Evans. You really are something."

His words hung in the air—half threat, half invitation—and I realized my story with the Evans family was far from over.