Eve did not leave Ethen’s home for a few days. It became a matter of safety for her to remain there. She had thought about leaving the same night she had arrived, but she knew that the press would mob her the same way they had on her way in. Obviously, they would follow her to her apartment, and then her own anonymity would be ruined. And the only reason that she could even live outside of a witness protection program was that she had become obsessed with staying under the radar. If the press followed her home, plastering her face and her apartment on the news, it would only be a matter of time before Danny would be able to track her down. The news had not identified her yet, but their speculations ran wild. They had no idea who she was or the nature of her relationship with Ethen or the James family. Some sources published that she was his girlfriend, nanny, legal advisor, a member of his board. Some more sensational news sources even speculated that she was his missing wife. It was interesting to her how these so-called news sources published so much without a shred of real evidence. It made her ashamed to call herself a reporter.

Although Eve wanted to go home, there were worse places to have to hole up in; this she knew from experience. Her time at Ethen’s would be the most luxurious hideaway she’d ever been in. He had more amenities than she even knew existed. To her, luxury meant a fridge that gave you water; to Ethen, luxury was a fridge that gave you water but also had a built-in touch screen and television. She was a little overwhelmed by it all and felt like she was a bit of an intruder, which was why she so desperately wanted to return home to her comfortable, average apartment. Ethen had been wonderful and made her feel more welcome than he had to. Jeremy tried to make her feel welcome, but he had a lot more on his mind than the comfort of his dad’s new girlfriend, or whatever she was. Despite this, she still felt like an intruder; there were so many people that worked there and were constantly coming in and going out. He knew all of them by name and they all acted as though they had been dear friends for a lifetime. They were kind and polite to Eve, but she did feel like an outsider, unsure how to behave around them. She had never had so much as an assistant, so had no clue how to walk the line of ‘boss’ and friend. Ethen was a master at this and lived comfortably telling people what to do, and having them respect his requests, but also knowing his employees personally and getting along with them. Watching him, it became obvious why the Ethen James Corporation had become so successful.

Charlie had also been staying with them, though he seemed to come and go as he pleased, working and trying to live his life as normally as possible. He was there less for his personal safety and anonymity and more as an emotional support for Ethen. She had still not told Ethen the truth of her and Charlie’s relationship. Eve had asked Charlie not to say anything until she got the chance to. He was reluctant to agree but did when Eve brought up the fact that Ethen needed to be focused on his own case and not on either of them right now. It was risky to keep it from him for longer, but it could be equally risky to tell him.

They had been working nonstop trying to find where Laura had gone after she left him. Eve was still unclear how Ethen could be so sure that she had left and wasn’t kidnapped or something terrible. Every time Eve questioned him about her, he got cagey and wouldn’t give her a clear answer. She knew he was innocent in all of this, but Eve also knew that he had to be hiding something. It frustrated her, but she knew how unfair that was to him considering just how much she had been keeping from him. She couldn’t figure out what his secret might be though. Eve went over the original story about Laura’s disappearance. So far, the program that Iris had designed had been faultless, so there had to be some reason why the article was flagged by it.

It was a sparse article, barely longer than an engagement announcement, and its contents were just as sparse. It said that Laura had been reported missing by her parents. They didn’t have an exact date, where she was last seen or what she was wearing. And with how little Ethen spoke with her parents, that didn’t surprise her. Eve wasn’t sure how the article had even been published with how little there was to go on. It mentioned that she was married and had a son, and it seemed to plead with its readers to come forward with any information. Eve had utilized some of Iris’ hacking abilities to try to find anything else about Laura, but she had been unable to find anything yet. It was truly as though she had disappeared into thin air.

“What about the blackmail? What did they have on you?” Eve asked Ethen once more. He had evaded this question more than once already.

“It has nothing to do with this,” he responded, frustrated. Ethen and Eve were getting a bit of cabin fever from being inside the house for so long. To make matters worse, the board had strongly suggested that Ethen not do any work until ‘all this blows over’. Ethen was a man of action and not being able to work was grating on him. It made him even more frustrated to see Charlie come and go as he pleased and work a regular schedule. He was clearly jealous of his friend.

“But if we could uncover those files, we could prove they were faked. That the evidence they gave the police wasn’t real,” Eve pleaded.

“I told you, I got rid of it. I shouldn’t have, but I did and there is no getting it back.” Ethen’s voice started to rise. “If I had the files I might explain it, but I don’t so it’s no use.” He pressed his palms against his eyes. “Can you just let it go?”

“Fine,” Eve replied. She didn’t know why he was so cagey about what they had on him. It wasn’t going to remain a secret for very long. She needed to know everything if she was going to help him clear his name. There was a big difference between the kind of secrets that they were keeping. Eve’s secrets were not going to land her in prison, and right now it seemed that Ethen’s might. At this point, it felt like if he would just open up, she would finally have the missing piece she needed. In addition to this, her thirst for knowledge was nearly killing her. “What do you remember about the day she left?” Eve asked.

“I’ve already told you.” Ethen almost whined this. He had been having a tough time and going over this story so many times had been difficult for him. Jeremy believed his father’s story; he said that he remembered her always seeming sad and distant. That her leaving them made sense. Eve appreciated Jeremy’s involvement. It made her life easier, he was able to supply corroboration to his father’s words, even if they didn’t mean much to the outside world, they meant a lot to both her and his father.

“Okay, let’s take a break for a bit.” Eve squeezed Ethen’s shoulder and kissed him on the cheek. There was still no definition for what they were, but they clearly cared for one another. With all the craziness and drama going on, they hadn’t gotten the chance to discuss their relationship at all. It was not even something either had thought about much. All Eve knew was that she was happy to be with Ethen and that Ethen was happy to have her with him during this difficult time. Eve flipped on the television and immediately regretted it.

The news had identified her. Her picture was plastered on the screen, along with her name: Evelyn Bridgeport. She barely used a pseudonym; she had only changed her name slightly. Eve had always felt that if she didn’t want to be found it was best to keep as close to the truth as possible. The news went on to identify her as an investigative reporter that they claimed Ethen had hired to dispel the rumors about him and clear his name. They also claimed that she would slander Melcor in her piece on the case. It didn’t take a genius to figure out how the news had figured out who she was. They then claimed that she would skew the facts in Ethen’s favor because she was romantically involved with him. They were doing their best to discredit her, should she come out with a story defaming the Melcor Corporation. Eve’s breath caught when she saw her real name on the screen. This is what she worried about. She didn’t want Ethen to find out on someone else’s terms, but that was exactly what just happened.

“Why did they say your last name is Bridgeport? I thought it was Bridgewater?” Ethen asked, staring at her with furrowed brows. “Charlie’s last name is Bridgeport,” He said. His tone was not only dripping with confusion but also accusatory.

“Bridgeport is my given name. I go by pseudonyms to keep myself protected,” she responded, though she was uncertain how he would take it. She intentionally didn’t comment on the fact that she and Charlie shared a last name. Eve wanted to explain the reasons for her false name before she went into the complexity that was her and Charlie.

“Protected from what? Or who?” Ethen asked. He was more confused than upset. “Just from the people you write your articles about?”

Eve nodded. “Them for sure, though I’m not sure how effective it is. Considering how easily Melcor and their goons found me.” Eve rubbed her knee, which was still a bit bruised and bloody from her fall. Ethen’s jaw tightened as he watched her do this. He had taken it on as his responsibility and fault that she had almost been run down. Eve and Ethen were both prone to taking on faults that were not theirs in any way, shape or form.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Ethen asked he seemed to breeze past her and Charlie sharing a last name. Eve knew that this was also tactful and that he had not forgotten about it. They had barely left the living room since Eve had arrived, constantly checking the news coverage and going over files on Eve’s laptop. It was the most neutral place for them to be and really the most comfortable.

“I honestly forgot, and I didn’t know the right time to tell you when I remembered. I’ve been going by a slightly changed name for so long that I didn’t think about it.” Eve wasn’t sure if now was the right time to tell Ethen about Danny and her time hiding from him, but she didn’t think there ever would be. “I go by a fake name for another reason too,” she started.

“Why?” Ethen asked, looking concerned. Her heart melted at how he even had the energy to worry and be concerned for her when his life was pulling apart at the seams. She wondered if he would still be so concerned when he learned that Charlie was her brother. It was a big thing to keep from him.

“My ex, his name was Danny. I met him my senior year of college and at first, things were great, he was perfect. Then things started to get… bad.” Eve started to bite her fingernails nervously. “I knew he was bad news, and then I found out that he was in the mob. Iris and I had to go into hiding for me to get out of the relationship. We had a whole plan, and then one night he beat me so badly that I had to go to the ER. A black eye, broken arm and a few broken ribs. I couldn’t stay any longer. One more night like that and I knew I’d be as good as dead, so we left that night.

“Iris and I lived in a few different places and then settled for a bit in a small town. We lasted for a while, but neither of us wanted to spend the rest of our lives in hiding. We constantly had to look over our shoulders, make sure that we didn’t use the wrong name, pay for everything in cash. We did nothing but work and go home—it wasn’t a good life. Eventually, I knew Iris couldn’t do it anymore and we hoped it had been long enough for Danny to have given up. So far it seems like he has, but I could never adjust to life outside of hiding the way that Iris could.” Eve sighed and bit her fingernail again.

Ethen reached out and held her hand in his to stop her from biting it raw and bloody. “So you kept on using fake names, trying to hide in plain sight.” Eve nodded. “I understand,” Ethen continued. “Laura was abusive too.”

“How do you mean?” Eve asked. She could never imagine Ethen allowing someone to treat him poorly.

“It wasn’t so much physical as emotional. I was never good enough, we never had enough money, I worked too much and was home too little and then I was home too much and didn’t work enough. Nothing I did made her happy and I tried everything. We were already wealthier than anyone needs to be by the time she left us, but it still wasn’t enough for her,” Ethen said, sympathizing somewhat with what Eve had gone through. Eve knew from experience that sometimes the worst scars weren’t physical, but psychological.

“I’m so sorry. This all must be terrible for you, bringing up those memories.”

Ethen nodded, but then frowned. “Wait, Eve. If your ex sees all this…” He gestured at the television screen where Eve’s picture was still up as they once again replayed her entrance into his home. “Won’t he be able to find you?”

“I just have to hope that he doesn’t see it,” she said, trying to sound optimistic. The last thing she wanted was for Ethen to be concerned for her. He needed to focus on finding Laura so that he could clear his name. Although she attempted optimism, she felt panic in the pit of her stomach. Every instinct she had was telling her to run away and never look back. The images of herself on the television made her sick to her stomach. She had spent so much of her life trying to hide and keep anonymous that she couldn’t imagine living in a world where strangers could recognize her.

“None of this explains why you and Charlie have the same last name.” Finally, Ethen said it. She knew that he would let her speak her piece before bringing this part of the secret up. Eve appreciated this, it felt wonderful to have him know about Danny. He was one of only two people who did, not including Danny himself.

“Charlie’s my brother,” Eve said, glancing at Ethen from the side of her eyes, unsure how to continue.

“Your brother?” He asked shocked. “I don’t understand.”

“Charlie was emancipated when I was a kid, we haven’t seen each other since.” Ethen went through a range of emotions as he digested what she said.

“When did you know that I knew him?” She had expected that as a question.

“Before I met you I knew. I had kept tabs on him for a while when I was younger, and I found a couple pictures and tabloid stories about you both. It was the only connection I had to him for a long time.”

“Did that have anything to do with why you agreed to write the story?” Eve shook her head.

“The opposite actually, I never wanted to see him again. He left me in a bad situation,” she said, unsure how much about her and Charlies childhoods he knew about. “I feel differently now, but it was not why I chose to help with the Melcor story.”

“You grew up in that horrible place?” He looked disgusted. “Charlie just left you there?” Eve concluded that Ethen must know more than enough about their parents.

“He didn’t have a choice,” Eve said suddenly feeling defensive. Ethen’s face softened.

“I’m sure he didn’t,” He paused. “When were you going to tell me?”

“I wasn’t sure when the time would be best. I wanted to keep you focused on clearing your name. I convinced Charlie to wait until I could tell you first.” Ethen nodded. He looked a little dazed.

“I’m not sure how to react to this, I mean, I am glad I know now and I understand why you didn’t tell me earlier.” He sighed. “Did he know that you were his sister when he told me to go to you?” Eve shook her head no.

“No, as far as I know, he told me he didn’t. He read my article with the name Bridgewater as well, Charlie had no idea that it was his sister.”

“Okay,” Ethen said. “How do you feel about seeing him again?” It was so like Ethen to worry about her feelings when she was sharing something that would affect him as well.

“I’m okay, I’m not sure how I feel. I’m glad to see him again, I never thought I would. There is still a lot for us to deal with, but I think I’m feeling happier about it than anything else.” Eve still wasn’t sure how she felt with her brother. It had been a blessing of sorts that they were kind of stuck in Ethen’s house. They had gotten to re-know one another because of it. They were still miles away from anything that resembled what they had when they were young, but she liked where they were headed.

“I know I said that I understood why you didn’t tell me, and I do, but it does upset me.” This was the harshest thing that Ethen had said to her, and it took her by surprise. Upsetting him was the last thing that she wanted to do and knowing that she had hurt her more than it would have if he had lashed out at her. She was used to being lashed out at, she knew how to react. This she wasn’t sure how she should respond. Her heart broke at the idea of hurting him. He was already hurting so badly.

“I’m sorry, I should have told you as soon as we met. I didn’t know that we would be anything more than just two people who would meet once or twice and talk about a story I wanted to write. When I knew we would be more than that, I should have told you right then and there. You have told me so much about yourself and I have kept so much from you.” Eve felt tears brimming in her eyes once more. She was unaccustomed to crying as often as she had been lately. “I hope you can forgive me,” She sniffled.

Ethen clicked off the television. Until they released Eve’s image and began to speculate about her, there had been no updates on Laura’s case at all. It was just shots of Ethen’s arrest, release and constant throwbacks to shots of his house. They talked a lot about Laura and who she was as a person, humanizing her to the audience. Now that Eve knew how toxic she had been to Ethen, she couldn’t imagine how hard it would be to see people praise the woman who had belittled him for years.

“There’s nothing to forgive, but I want you to know that I forgive you,” He said pulling her into a tight embrace. This would not be the end of this conversation, but it was a good start to it.

“Iris is still trying to find anything she can that can lead us to Laura’s whereabouts. This isn’t over,” Eve reassured Ethen, resting her head on his shoulder. She sat up quickly when Jeremy entered the room. She brushed her tears from her eyes quickly.

“Hey, Dad, Eve.” Jeremy gave them both a brief nod.

He seemed remarkably unshaken by what was going on. He was still a teenager and cautiously accepted Eve into their home, but he certainly wasn’t about to have a heart-to-heart with either of them. Despite this, he seemed relentlessly optimistic about his father’s predicament. Every time Ethen tried to talk to him about it, Jeremy just assured him that he knew it would all turn out okay and not to worry. Ethen certainly didn’t heed this advice and was beginning to feel so hopeless that he wanted both Eve and Jeremy to prepare for him going to jail. Eve wasn’t sure if Jeremy was just putting on a brave face for his father, or he really did think that things would turn out okay. She assumed it might be a combination of the two.

“Hey Jere,” Ethen said as Eve gave him a smile in greeting. Jeremy nodded to them again before grabbing food from the fridge and retreating to his room. As soon as he left, Eve returned to her spot resting on Ethen’s shoulder.

Ethen turned his head to kiss her cheek and absentmindedly stroked her hair. “Let’s take a break,” he said.

“I think we could both use one.” Eve nodded, closing her eyes. It didn’t take her long to drift to sleep as she slid from resting her head on Ethen’s shoulder to his lap. His soft hands in her hair made her feel safe. Unconsciously she had been scared to tell Ethen about her past and Danny. She’d never expected to be with anyone again and she didn’t realize it, but she still harbored feelings of fear in a relationship. Though she knew Ethen would never raise a hand to her, she couldn’t help but expect it, especially when he found out she had lied about her name. Her childhood and her relationship with Danny had conditioned her to expect violence at the smallest of slip ups. It was equally as terrifying to have told him about Charlie. She didn’t want the secret that both of them had kept putting a strain on his relationship with either of them. It was a new experience to feel safe with someone after a conversation like the one she and Ethen had just had.