It doesn't last. It never lasts.
The break in it comes three days later, and it comes the way Evan always warned me his worst thing comes, fast, and with blood.
We're near the cannery, closer than we should be, because Will's told us a shipment's coming and Evan wants to see who handles it. We're in the dark at the edge of the lot, just watching, and it should be safe, we're just eyes in the dark. And then it goes wrong, the way things go wrong, all at once. Someone spots us. There's shouting, and men, crew, coming fast out of the dark, and Evan pushes me behind him, and it's fine, it's manageable, he can handle a few crew, I've seen what he can do.
And then one of them pulls a knife, and it catches Evan across the forearm, shallow but real, and the blood comes.
I see it happen to him.
