Evelyn
“Hannah, wait!” I followed behind my sister, and even though I couldn’t see her face, I could picture her rolling her eyes.
She never really did like me. But to send me away when I still needed someone was…cruel. Yeah, I was a teenager, perhaps a bit crazy and far from what was expected in the world I lived in, but still, I needed a family. I couldn’t live in Florida alone when I needed my family the most.
“Hannah, please,” I begged, and finally, she turned around.
“What do you want Evelyn?” she snapped, glaring at me. “I have shit to do. Mom wants me to go to a meeting with a client today, and I’m running late already.”
I frowned. “But isn’t it your anniversary with Nathan?” I asked, looking towards the house. I knew the company was a priority but to this extent? It couldn’t be possible. “Are you flying your husband off to Florida, as well?”
Yes, I was pushing her buttons, but I had to find a way to make her understand I didn’t want to leave. Get her attention, anything. It wasn’t fair. I didn’t cause trouble; I kept to myself. My parents were hardly around, and it was okay; I knew how to behave. Being by myself in a state that I didn’t even know wasn’t fair, though.
Was I really that unwanted? Could they not handle me being in the same state as them?
“Evelyn, I don’t have time for this! I don’t have time for your drama! It’s in your best interest to be over there. You can start over. I don’t know, I don’t care. Mom agrees, so there’s nothing else to do.”
I fought back tears. “I could start using drugs or something, you know? Maybe become an alcoholic or sell my body for love.”
“Love,” Hannah scoffed. “This is exactly why Mom doesn’t trust you with the company. You’re too warm-blooded, Evelyn. If you grew up a bit and you realized what Mom has been trying to teach us then—”
“Teach us?” I cried. “She hardly even knows I exist, Han. She doesn’t pay attention to me. She doesn’t even know if I eat or not. Hannah, I’ll stay out of your way, but please, please don’t make me leave.”
Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair. I thought there was a bit of hope when her eyes filled with just a hint of remorse, but all of it was gone when she spoke up again.
“It’s settled, Evelyn. You leave in a week.”
I groaned.
What did I do to be born into such a family?
I stormed inside the house, wiping away my tears. This was so unfair. I knew I was a bit of a black sheep of the family, not fitting into their standards, but to send me away as if I was some type of menace was hurtful.
“I hate all of you!” I yelled, though I knew no one was in the house. If Nathan was there, it would be a surprise, considering that his car wasn’t in the driveway. “Fuck everyone! Screw all of you! I don’t need anyone anyway!”
No one would hear me, but it didn’t matter. At least I’d let my anger out.
“Christ, I swear you can wake up a deaf person with your screaming.”
My eyes widened, and I blushed.
Nope.
I’m dreaming.
“Evie, you okay?”
I didn’t turn around for the fear of Nathan making fun of me.
“I’m fine,” I gritted out.
I was lucky enough to at least have friend in Nathan. He was different. Many times, I wondered how he even fit in my family, but there he was, part of a world in which he didn’t belong.
“Did you know they were sending me away?” I asked. Maybe he knew all along and didn’t tell me anything because he agreed with them anyway.
“Sending you away? Where?”
I turned around at the surprise in his voice. Sure enough, his handsome features showed only concern, and his gray eyes stared back at me with sadness. “They’re sending me to Florida,” I said quietly.
“They as in Hannah, right?”
I nodded, biting my lip to stop it from quivering.
“Did she tell you why?”
I shook my head, not trusting myself enough to speak again. My heart hurt. Nathan eyed me cautiously while he waited for an answer. Maybe the pain was more about leaving my nana and him behind. They were the ones there for me, my true family.
“I’ll try to talk to her,” Nathan sighed. “She is unbelievable.”
Again, I remained silent. Of course he’d try to help. But what good would it do?
“Evie?”
Without realizing it, I had lowered my gaze. Fighting back the sadness was proving to be much more difficult than I thought, and when I finally looked into Nathan’s eyes, I broke down. I started crying for the first time in front of him, hugging him like he was the only one that could offer me comfort.
However, Nathan tensed.
“Oh God, I’m sorry,” I sobbed, pulling away from him. “I’m so sorry. I’m such a pain in the ass, aren’t I? I’m just going to go up to my room.”
Before he could say anything, I rushed upstairs, determined at all costs to save me any more embarrassment.
Nice, Evelyn. You get kicked out of the state and then make a complete fool out of yourself with your brother-in-law.
To my surprise, however, when I started to close the door to my bedroom, Nathan stopped me. My eyes widened slightly at the fact that he’d followed me.
“You caught me off guard, Evie,” he said softly. “But no, you’re not a pain in the ass. Come here.”
He extended his hand to me, patiently waiting for me to take it. Nathan sighed in relief when I did and guided me back downstairs to the basement. I sniffled behind him, failing at my attempt to keep the tears at bay.
Sadness soon turned into surprise when Nathan turned on the light, illuminating the basement. In front of me were endless portraits, the colors bringing a little bit of brightness to the darkness that had settled in my heart.
“What is all this?” I asked him, running my fingers over a delicate canvas. “Did you do all these?”
“Yeah,” Nathan stated with pride.
“They’re beautiful,” I breathed. “I didn’t know you could paint like this.”
He smirked, the action brightening up his eyes.
“It’s a shame I won’t be here when you open up your gallery or sell your first piece, though.” I bit my lip sadly. I would have loved to see his dreams come true. I never knew he liked to paint, though I did know he was very artistic. To see how talented he was truly was a surprise.
“That’s exactly why I brought you here,” he said with a small smile. “Do you seriously think I’ll be able to pursue anything with the type of family I married into? You should be as far from all of this as possible, Evie. You deserve much better than this.”
“You do, too,” I murmured. I knew my dad tried to get him into the family business and that they deeply disagreed with the art degree he’d chosen, but since my sister and he were already married, they couldn’t risk the “scandal” of a divorce.
“I’m not sure I deserve better than this,” he said, glancing around. “We get what we wish for.” His fingers brushed away a strand of hair. “Enjoy Florida. You deserve to be in a place like that or California or—”
“New York,” I interrupted. “I’ve always wanted to be in New York.”
“Or New York. Make your dreams come true away from them because you don’t belong here, Evelyn. Not with us. You’re better than us.”
I wanted to try anything to contradict what he said, but the conviction in his face made me falter. Instead, I settled for hugging my friend once again, and this time, he hugged me back without hesitation.
“What are you thinking?” Nathan’s voice brought me back from memory lane. Little actions like that showed me he’d always been different.
I glanced up at him, smiling. It was so ironic…so crazy that things had turned out this way.
It was perfection.
“Before I left for Florida…remember?”
Nathan grinned. “Of course I remember. You tried to paint that day, and all you managed to do was blur colors together.”
I rolled my eyes. I should have known even back then that painting was not my forte.
“Did you ever think we would end up here? In New York?”
He shook his head. “Never, but I’m glad we did. I don’t regret anything, Evie.”
Gently, Nathan shifted lying me on my back. I smiled up at him right before he kissed me. I loved him, all of him, and I would forever. My arms wrapped around his neck. He was so loving. Caring. All I ever wanted.
“I don’t ever want to lose you.” He buried his face in my neck, inhaling deeply, as if trying to wrap my scent around his soul. As if I was the only thing he needed to stay alive. “I love you so much, Evelyn.”
Every time the words left his lips, my heart swelled. My eyes filled with tears when I thought of how lucky I had gotten. I went from having a family that didn’t care for me to finding a large family who loved me more than words could express, just as much as I loved them.
Nana wasn’t here, but I knew wherever she was, she would be smiling down at me because I was with the man I loved. I could almost hear her saying to trust my heart, to be who I wanted to be, to not let anyone change who I was.
I hoped I was making her proud.
Nathan kissed me again, his lips tilting up to a smile against my skin. Hand traveling down my waist, he raised himself up just as he raised the shirt I wore. He grinned, lowering his lips down to my belly as he pressed the most tender kiss in the world.
“And I love you too, little one.”