Evelyn
Nathan stared at me, his expression unreadable. Should I have told him this after just recently fixing things between us? Maybe not. But I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to lie to him, and I didn’t want to hide things from him, either. Being honest was the only choice I had.
I straddled him on the sofa, and when his hand landed on my hips, his thumbs gently drawing circles under the tank top I wore, I relaxed. He wasn’t angry.
“And you really want to do this?” He brushed a lose strand of hair from my face, his hand cupping my cheek afterwards.
“I know you don’t like him, but I do want to tell him. He’ll be happy for us, really. Plus, it’s an opportunity to get rid of the bad blood between you two.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Nate muttered.
He sighed, wanting to say something but refraining himself. I’d taken a risk, but I really wanted to tell Derek about the engagement, both because I considered him a friend despite knowing him for such a short time, and because that way, Nathan would see that I truly didn’t have feelings for him.
And I didn’t.
“I guess you can tell him, Evie.”
I squealed, wrapping my arms around him and kissing his neck. “Thank you, thank you. You’ll see, he’ll be happy for us.”
Nathan studied me for a moment, pecking my lips briefly before pulling back and saying something I never thought he would say. “Invite him over.”
I touched his forehead, frowning. “Are you sick? Are you not feeling well? Because I am sure you did not just say that.”
“Stop.” He chuckled, capturing my wrist in his hand. “Invite him over. I want to thank him for taking you to the gallery that day when…you know…”
“The day you were a dick?” I grinned, teasing him.
Nate narrowed his eyes in warning. “Yes, the day I was a dick.”
I bit my lip, amused. This was exactly why I loved him so much. Maybe I was a bit prouder, but Nathan—when he messed up, he had no trouble admitting it. He’d apologize, and the apology would be sincere; there was nothing hypocritical about him.
“Besides…I have a confession to make.”
Oh no.
When a man says they have a confession to make, it’s never good.
I took a deep breath. “What is it?”
“Remember that bar fight?” He grimaced.
Did he seem afraid?
I nodded slowly, not understanding what the bar fight had to do with any of this. He was angry, so he drank and got in a bar fight. Big deal; that’s the typical male thing to do, nothing surprising there.
“Well, the fight wasn’t really a bar fight. It was more of a ‘I’m pissed, and Derek is here’ fight.”
“It was with Derek?” I shrieked, jumping off his lap. He scratched the back of his head.
“Kind of.”
“Yes or no, Nathan?”
“Yes.”
I groaned. “Are you kidding me? Why?”
“I was pissed.” He shrugged. “So I guess it can be a thank you/apology dinner.”
I rolled my eyes. “Is he okay?”
Nathan seemed offended. “I’m your fiancé, and you’re asking about him?”
I raised my eyebrows. “I know you know how to fight. I don’t know about Derek. So is he okay?”
“I mean…I guess he has a broken nose.”
Was he smiling?
I shot him a hateful look, crossing my arms over my chest, far too pissed to waste any more time arguing with him. He seemed to be having the time of his life.
“I don’t see anything amusing about this,” I hissed.
He stood, placing his hands on my hips, the smirk never leaving his lips. All the while my anger was soon forcing tears to my eyes, tears that I was desperately trying to blink away. I averted my gaze, but he didn’t let me, his grip soon on my chin.
“Are you crying?” he asked.
“No.” I shook my head, biting my lip as a tear ran down my cheek. Nathan smiled, running his thumb tenderly over my cheek.
“Hormones?” he asked me softly, all amusement gone. As much as he liked teasing me, Nathan despised seeing me cry.
I shrugged, leaning into his hand. “I don’t want you to fight. I hate the thought of you getting hurt.”
“But I didn’t get hurt.” His gray eyes pierced through me. “Is this about him? That the fight was with him?”
Again, I shrugged.
“Text him,” he murmured. “I do want to apologize to him. I was an ass to you, to him, and he didn’t deserve it. But I also want to have an honest conversation with Derek, see what he has to say.”
“Really?” I asked in slight disbelief. “You’d do that for me?”
“I’d do anything for you.” The words rolled off his tongue with no hesitation. It was true, he’d always done so much for me, never giving anything a second thought. He loved me completely and without reservations.
I pressed my lips to his firmly, hoping he felt every bit of the love I had for him. He smiled against my mouth but didn’t break the kiss as he carried me back to the bedroom.
***
Me: Hey Derek :) It’s Evie…Guess who wants us all to meet up? Nathan!!! :D
Let me know what time works for you, I have some other news I want to share.
See you soon!
I set my phone on my lap, eagerly waiting for Derek’s reply. For some reason, letting him know about my engagement with Nathan made me feel very excited. I knew in my heart Derek would be happy for me; I had never denied my relationship with Nathan, and his behavior the last time I saw him made it more than clear he wanted a sincere friendship with me.
I always did admire someone who could own up to their mistakes. The fact he’d told me he had bad intentions won my trust over. My instinct told me Derek was a good man, a bit misunderstood, but good nonetheless.
“Has he replied?” Nathan asked, taking my hand in his as he drove.
“No, he hasn’t. He will, though.”
I saw the doubt plastered all over Nate’s face. Whatever argument they’d had, it was obvious that he didn’t believe that Derek would meet with us.
When we arrived at the gallery, Nathan practically rushed inside, calling Jessica and Thomas over. I laughed, already knowing what he was going to do.
Once in the office, Nathan wrapped his arm around my waist and held my hand up so they could see. Thomas’ eyes widened, and a wide smile spread across his face. Jessica, on the other hand, seemed surprised and…disappointed.
“She said yes,” Nathan said proudly. “Evelyn has accepted to be my wife.”
My former professor grinned, congratulating both Nathan and me with a warm hug. He was sincere, genuinely happy for us. Jessica was smiling…but it didn’t meet her eyes.
She had heartbroken written all over her face.
“I had no clue you were going to propose already,” Lanthorn said.
“Neither did I,” Nathan said, smiling down at me. “But it was time. It’s been time for a while, I think.”
“It’s a surprise for everyone. Congratulations to both of you,” Jessica chimed in. She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “I’ve got to get back to work, but really…congratulations.”
She then embraced Nathan quickly, too quickly to be considered a hug. It was as if the contact stung.
She had feelings for him.
More than she was willing to admit.
***
I waited in the office for Nathan to come back with our food. I was starving…well, not quite. But I was truly hungry. I closed my eyes, rolling around in the chair, which I found much too entertaining.
“You are like a child.” I stopped, turning my attention to the woman that stood at the door. Jessica smiled, shaking her head.
“A bit,” I replied. “Did you need something?”
“Just getting paperwork for a purchase.”
I nodded, hesitating before asking the following question. “Have you talked to Derek?”
Jessica’s brows pulled together. “Not since that day that we saw him at the bar. Why?”
“I messaged him earlier, and he hasn’t replied.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow, her blue eyes accusing. “Don’t you think that you’re way out of line messaging another man while Nathan is parading you around like a perfect little girlfriend?”
I scoffed.
There it fucking is.
“Can’t even hide it, can you?” I asked, tilting my head to the side. “Have you told him about your feelings?”
Jessica pressed her lips together, glaring at me. She was so angry she couldn’t hide it anymore.
“I appreciate the fact that you’ve kept quiet, Jessica, but you can go ahead and tell him,” I said, standing up from the chair. Her eyes traveled down my body, gaze hardening when they landed on my pregnant belly.
“Why would I tell him? He’s with you. You snagged him up good, got pregnant, and now he’s proposed. My feelings don’t matter.”
“For your own good,” I said. “You’re keeping it all to yourself. Nathan loves me, I know that, but maybe telling him will allow you to move on.”
Jessica considered my words, glancing out towards the window. “Even when you were over here and he was in Pennsylvania, I could tell when he’d talked to you. So, you see, my feelings don’t matter.”
Nathan interrupted our conversation when he opened the door, holding up a bag of Chick-Fil-A with a handsome smile.
“Ready for lunch?”
I understood Jessica. It was difficult not to like Nathan. It was difficult not to fall for him. But the more I thought about the little that I knew about Jessica, the more I realized that perhaps she wasn’t in love with him but loved the idea of him. Any woman would be lucky to have a man like him by their side.
We ate lunch together, and though it wasn’t awkward, I decided to leave to give them a chance to talk. I hoped she did tell him. Getting what she felt off her chest would be good for her. She wasn’t a bad woman; I believed that now.
However, as nighttime came, I had something else on my mind. Derek still hadn’t replied. Something was wrong.
He should have answered me by then.
I waited another day, but Derek’s answer never came.