EVELYN

Ten

My day hadn't started but I already wanted it to be over.

The party wasn't bad, at the same time it wasn't good either. Most of the night I avoided unsolicited conversation and chose to be swallowed in the mob of people dancing. You either found me there, entertaining some guy or pouring myself a drink. Past talking to Myles, everything else was obscured in my head, lost in sips of vodka. It made me shudder as the musky smell came to mind.

Swamped by a hangover, my stomach was churning with angst while pulsations oscillated through out my skull. I hissed at the blaring light infiltrating my room, intensifying the ache in my brain. I felt painfully sober now as lay I hoping to sink further into my mattress.

Squinting against the blinding sunlight, I noticed the bottle of water and pills next to my bed. It dawned on me then, that how I got home never crossed my mind. Part of me naturally assumed Myles would take me home and this confirmed he did.

Taking some desperate sips of water, I sat up on the edge of my bed, seeing I was in the outfit from last night. Massaging my forehead to try soften the ache caged under my skull. Each movement I made felt labouring to my body. I knew I needed a shower and some sort of detox.

Ceasing me from any self-care I planned to do, my phone rang out on my bedside table next to me. Groaning, I picked it up to see who on earth was trying to call me.

It was my dad. That made me heavily debate answering it.

'Would you be able to come downstairs to my office? I have a surprise.' His voice sounded scheming.

My eyebrows immediately tied together in a knot. I wanted to decline, but my dad regularly disguised orders in the form of a questions.

'Give me ten minutes.' I sighed without any intrigue to what his surprise was.

My dad didn't do surprises, so my expectations were nonexistent.

'Just pause whatever you're doing. You have two minutes.' Agitation breaking through at the end.

Tossing my phone away, I ambled into my bathroom to brush my teeth and style my hair into a messy bun. In spite of my condition, my features still managed to pull off the dishevelled look. No time for a shower, I wore the meagre clothing I had on downstairs, predicting the disapproval from my dad.

Stopping outside my dad's office, I huffed exaggeratedly, as I prepare my hungover self for the interaction I was unfortunate enough to have. We struggled to have a pleasant interaction, even when I was in a good mood. Setting my thoughts aside I pushed against the heavy door letting myself in.

Him. I felt his aura before my attention was enthralled by him. My dad sat on one of the two sofas, while Alexander cooly laid back on the adjacent arm chair. It surged conflicting feelings in me, that I had no choice but to suppress in the presence of my dad. I was composed hastily, as I became prisoner to their varying scrutiny. My dad shot me a disgruntled frown at sight of my appearance, where as Alexander studied me slowly with darken eyes. The room was filled with a deceptive tension.

'Come in. We have some exciting news honey.' My dad broke the silence.

I tried not to visibly cringe at the nickname. I sauntered across the room, wary to avoid any contact with Alexander as I slipped past him to perch on the sofa opposite my dad. My skin was burning from the intimidating leer locked onto me. Refusing to pay him any attention, I concentrated on my dad. Any patience I had vanished, wanting leave as soon as I entered.
To hurry him along I lifted my sculpted eyebrows at him.

'What is it?' I ushered.

What news they could possibly both have to offer me was the puzzle piece I couldn't fit. Besides my dad being his lawyer, a business relationship tied by money was all they had in common. Knowing both of them well individually, they didn't compliment each other as friends. So, where did I fit into this?