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Evangeline stretched her arms in her bed and looked beside her when she didn’t feel Cristian’s body. She sat up and called his name at the same time. She smiled when she spotted him sitting in the chaise across the room.
“What are you doing over there?” She bit her bottom lip as she noticed the drawing pad in his hand.
“I’m drawing something beautiful.” He continued drawing as she ran her hand through her hair and got out of the bed.
“Cris, please tell me you are not drawing a picture of me sleeping.” Evangeline walked over to him in her two-piece pink silk pajama short set. She couldn’t help but smile when she saw the drawing of her on the sketchpad. Cristian Vega was such a talented artist. She quickly said a silent prayer that his boxing career wouldn’t ruin his painting one. “It’s beautiful Cristian…I can’t believe how beautiful you have made me look…peaceful…”
“Believe me.” He put the sketchpad on the floor beside him and reached for her. “All the credit goes to my beautiful subject.”
Evangeline giggled as he pulled her over the arm of the chaise and started kissing her neck.
“Cristian….Cris…Cristian stop.” She pleaded as she wiggled and giggled in his arms.
“I’ll stop if you say the magic words.” He informed as he continued his assault on her.
“What…what do I need to say?” She asked as she tried to stop him.
“Tell me you love me.” He said easing up a little. He didn’t want her to fall off the chaise or anything.
“I love you. I love you okay.” Evangeline sat up as he stopped tickling her and turned to him. She offered him a bright smile as he cupped her face.
“I love you too Evangeline Williamson.” He lowered his eyes and spoke in Spanish. “And, you too beautiful baby.”
Evangeline studied him with mixed emotions then cleared her mind. She couldn’t think about this with Cristian around. He would start questioning her and wanting to talk about her feelings. And, she couldn’t right now. Not until she was in control of things.
“I’m hungry.” She realized as she stood up and walked towards her bed for her matching robe. “I have a taste for some of your mom’s croqueta.”
When Cristian didn’t reply, she turned to find him smiling at her.
“Why are you smiling?” She put on her robe as he continued to smile. “Cristian!”
“My baby has taste.” When she frowned at him, he continued. “Your first craving…”
“Craving…” She interrupted him not liking how final that sounded. They didn’t even know if she was pregnant or not. According to the test, she took last night she wasn’t. Besides, it is too early for her to have cravings. Isn’t it? “It’s too early for me to start having cravings.” She turned and started making up the bed.
“Actually…” Cristian stood. “It’s not.”
Evangeline turned around and focused on him. She thought about the question first then asked him. “How do you know so much about pregnant women?”
She noticed pain in his eyes before he looked away. When he looked back at her, it was gone.
“Jessica was pregnant when I was with her. She lost the baby.”
“Jessica?” Evangeline said surprised. “What happened if you don’t mind me asking?”
“It’s okay.” Cristian walked over to her and sat on the bed as he relived one of the most pain periods in his life.
Evangeline listened and couldn’t believe how open this man could be with her. He shared everything with her, and she loved that. He let her in to the brightest parts of his life and the darkest.
Someone banging on his door awakened John. He groaned and turned over in his bed. When the annoying banging did stop, he slide out of bed and stormed over to the door. He was dressed in a wife-beater t-shirt and sweatpants.
“What the hell is your problem?” He bellowed as she snatched the door open and was surprised to find Natalie on the other side.
“No, John, that is my question.” Natalie rushed passed him.
“What are you doing here Natalie?” He asked as he closed the door and controlled his anger. He really didn’t care about the way he was awaken, but more importantly he didn’t like the way he found his room when he came back last night.
It was evident to John that Natalie had come back over after he left for work yesterday. He was outraged when he came home to find his memories of Evangeline in a box and an empty box on his bed. He could only imagine what Natalie was going to do, but he felt his hunch was right on the money. Unlike Evangeline, Natalie was very predictable.
“I came to pick up my things.” She spun around to face him. “Oh and for this.” She punched his left jaw with a right hook. “You son-of-a-bitch.”
John rubbed his jaw as she glared at him. If he wasn’t a gentleman, he would have punched her back the way he was feeling right now. He couldn’t bury the knowledge that she had all intentions of throwing away his memorabilia of Evangeline. He didn’t know what stopped her, but she better be thankful she did.
“How could you use me John?” Natalie ranted as she started pacing in his room. “I gave myself to you completely, and you selfishly used me.”
“Natalie, please. Stop playing the victim and being overly dramatic.” He snapped not wanting to do this again. Yesterday, he had this conversation, and he didn’t need an encore today. It is time he ended it with Natalie and get back on the right track. He wanted Evangeline. He needed Evangeline.
Natalie watched as John placed his hand on his hips and glared at her.
“You said you were coming to get your stuff. So get it and leave.” He barked as he started towards the bedroom. “I have two boxes you can use. I have to empty one of them.”
“You son of a bitch!” She threw her purse at him and was scared for a brief moment when he whirled around as it hit the floor.
“Natalie, you are not a child.” He pointed at her with rage in his eyes. “But, I swear to you if you hit me or throw one more thing at me. I will put you over my knee and give your spoil ass the whipping Vicki, Clint, and Roxy should have.”
Natalie huffed as she went to the closet to get her things. Tears were running down her cheeks, and she was overwhelmed with emotions. As she grabbed a few of her skirts hanging up, she couldn’t stop her mind from replaying everything she read in his journal and the last year of their life. When she stepped out of the closet, her eyes met John’s briefly before he looked away. She saw the guilt in his eyes from hurting her, but she didn’t see any remorse or love. She folded the skirts over her arm and headed to the bedroom. She prayed he would stop her and confess his love. When she heard him move towards her, she had a little hope until she watched him empty the memories of Evangeline onto the bed and hand her the box.
“Why not me John?” She stared at him as tears flowed down her cheek. “Why couldn’t you have loved me? Why couldn’t you have falling in love with me?”
John didn’t reply.
“I gave you all of me. I…I….slept with Vincent for you to get the information you needed to help solve your father’s murder.”
“You slept with Vincent Jones?” John placed his hands on his hips still holding the box and shook his head. “I tell you to stay out of my business, and you sleep with another man and blame it on me.”
“John,” Natalie realized what she confessed and regretted it. She regretted more that John was acting like a detective and not a jealous boyfriend. “I did it for you. He wasn’t going to help me.”
“Natalie, let’s be real.” John tossed the box he was holding on the bed. He couldn’t believe how long he has put up with her. “You slept with Jones for yourself. You have this ideal in your head that you can fix me. Your mothers, your brother, Evangeline…even I told you, you couldn’t!” He yelled. “Don’t blame me for your screwed up life. And, for prostituting yourself.”
“My life has been screwed up because of you. John, I had everything before you walked into my life.” She screeched. “Cristian loved me. I was loved, but I had to believe you loved me.”
John rolled his eyes.
“You told me you loved me!” She whined as the tears burned her cheeks. She searched his face for some hope, but when John glared at her, she didn’t see any emotion from him. The reality to her words was John said she was someone he loved after saving her life for the countless time. Of course, she took it to mean he loved her, but he was just trying to let her know she was someone who he cared about. But, she refused to listen to Michael and John.
“Natalie I do care for you.” John confessed his tone still harsh. “But, I told you right here in front of Evangeline that I wasn’t your soul-mate.”
“You broke up with her to be with me. When I was in the pit, everyone told me you were worried sick about me.” Natalie continued to fight the truth. It was hard for her to accept the last year of her life was a lie.
“For the record Natalie, Evangeline ended it with me.” John knew, if he was ever going to free both of them, he had to be brutally honest. He had to be heartless. “I tried several times to get her back, but she loved herself more than she loved me.”
“See, John…I…I would never walk away from you.” Natalie wiped her tear-stained cheeks and reached for him. “I love you…”
“Natalie, love yourself more.” He grabbed her wrists and stopped her from embracing him. “We can’t continue doing this.”
John studied Natalie, and he couldn’t believe how defeated she looked. He wanted to hold her and take away her pain. He stepped forward to hug her, but he stop abruptly when he remembered the last time he was honest with her. He could have had a second chance with Evangeline, but she walked in on him comforting Natalie. He had been completely honest with Natalie that day and saw the hurt he caused. He softened and tried to comforter her, but Evangeline found them holding each other and misunderstand.
John sighed then stepped back. If he was going to be the man, Evangeline deserved…He couldn’t be friends with Natalie.
“Natalie, I’ll leave you to get your things.” John started towards the bathroom door. “I need to get ready for work.”
Natalie started crying again, but John didn’t stop walking.
“Shut the door behind you when you leave.”
Natalie watched as John opened and walked through the bathroom door. Her heart shattered when she heard the click of the bathroom door. John was shutting her out. Her eyes drifted to the bed where he dumped Evangeline’s items. His birthday picture was the first thing she saw then his words from yesterday morning replayed in her mind. "Evangeline don't leave me."
She dropped her skirts as she stared at his room. Cristian was with Evangeline. John wanted Evangeline. “I have nobody.” She ran her hands through her hair and ran towards the door. “I have nobody.” She repeated over and over as she left John’s room.
Evangeline was sitting at her desk typing on her computer. She glanced at the brief on her desk then back at the computer screen. She allowed her mind to drift back to the conversation she had with Cristian earlier. She understood better now why he wanted this baby so much. She found herself getting use to the idea.
Cristian was a wonderful man in spite of his jealous side. He was someone who freely and willingly opened up to her. She was allowed to search all aspects of his life. He never shut her out even with the painful experience.
She recalled a conversation she had with John during one of their arguments. She smiled inside remembering even when they argued it was good. This particular one was when he accepts advice from Natalie about an issue they were having about her having a key to his place. Well, she now know her suspicion were right on the money about Natalie testing the temperature of her relationship with John.
John. Natalie. Her thoughts roamed back to last night at Rodi’s. John was drowning his sorrows again. Why? Was everything okay with him and Natalie?
Evangeline reached for her phone and dialed John’s office number. When she heard the first ring, she quickly replaced the phone back in its cradle.
“What are you going to say Evangeline?” She ran her hand through her hair. “John, is everything going okay with you and your girlfriend.”
She forced her mind back on her own problem. She couldn’t and wouldn’t worry about John and Natalie. If they had problems, they didn’t need her to butt in as Natalie had done with her several times when she was dating John. However, if John wanted to come to her as a friend, she would listen. She will not insinuate herself into their relationship. Besides, she had her own relationship to focus on.
Beep. “Evangeline, Cristian is on line two.”
Evangeline pressed the intercom button. “Thanks Amy.”
She picked up her phone again and pressed line two.
“Cristian, Dr. Toussaint has not called to inform me of any cancellation. You just have to wait until my appoint.” She informed assuming her lover was calling because she couldn’t get an appointment until later on in the week. But, Dr. Toussaint did promise if there were any cancellations, she would have her receptionist give her a call.
“Tiger, I wasn’t calling for that.” Cristian enlightened teasing her with the nickname he gave her, and she hated.
“Cristian, you promised not to call me that.” She rolled her eyes and smiled when she realized he couldn’t see her.
“Okay. Then, princess.” Cristian smiled when he heard her beautiful laugh travel through the phone. Between the two, he knew she preferred to be called a tiger.
“What can your Tiger do for you?” She asked moving her computer mouse and reading the material on the screen.
“I was calling to see if you wanted to do lunch.”
“I’m sorry.” Evangeline stopped moving the mouse. “I can’t. I am swamped.”
“Okay.” Cristian said his disappointment evident. “Well, Vincent just told me he set up a sparing session for me tonight. I will be training late, so…I guess, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay.” She replied not realizing she was a little too perky for him. “Maybe, we can do breakfast if you’re not too tired. I’m going to be in court all day tomorrow starting at ten.”
“Okay.” He replied wanting to comment on why she wasn’t disappointed they couldn’t see each other tonight. “I’ll call you before I start training, okay.”
“Okay, my Little Liquidator, don’t hurt anyone. Bye.”
Evangeline returned the phone to its cradle and sighed as she looked at the folders piled on top of her desk. One name caught her eye. Collier Marsden. Now, she could go to the station with this folder. She did need copies of some records. John wouldn’t be the one to handle this, but she would have an excuse to stop by. She was in the building and decided to swing by and say hi to her friend. Okay Williamson. You know what you are going to say to John. What about Natalie if she’s there?
She stood while she chewed on her bottom lip. “I’ll think of an excuse when it happens.” She grabbed the folder and looked around for her purse. She didn’t have to worry about Natalie. Evangeline was good with words and thinking on her toes. She walked over to her office sofa, grabbed her purse, and headed for the door. When she reached the door, she stopped and placed her hand on her head. “No, no! I’m not going to do this.”
“Damn!” She walked back to her desk and threw the folder and her purse on top of it. She went over to the sofa, sat down wondering how one song, one intense stare, and one night could have her so confused. “Damn you John McBain.”
She ran both of her hands through her hair then focused on the floor. Last night awakened a feeling in her that she knew wasn’t dead, but it was buried deep enough she could ignore it. Now, it has resurrected and mystified her. She glanced at her watched and remembered she had an appointment with a client in less than an hour.