Age 16
The change in Evan was sudden and somewhat concerning. Riley hadn’t realized she might actually miss Evan’s cocky attitude until it disappeared overnight. He became noticeably withdrawn, his smile gone, his forehead constantly furrowed as though something was bothering him.
Max had been irritated with Riley at first, questioning why she would tell a sixteen-year-old boy about her abusive first mate. He hated that she had pointed out ways Evan reminded her of Paul and accused her of making him feel bad about himself. But Riley waited him out. Max could be temperamental and short-sighted, but she knew he would come around, especially after Evan finally agreed to go back to therapy and give it an honest try.
After that, Evan showed up on time to nearly every training session. He wor
