Introducing Evie Woods - NaNoWriMo 2016 Novel

Chapter 12

He sighed. "It took a lot of convincing, but yes, she'll be there. She's already warned that she won't be a pleasant guest, so don't get your hopes up."

"Baby, I'm going to be myself and hope that that's enough to change her mind about me and us," I responded.

"Beautiful, I know that you always want to see the best in people and give them the benefit of the doubt, but please don't put too much into this. I can already tell you that she's going to make me choose between the both of you, and she's not going to respond well to my choosing you over her. It's just a bad idea waiting to happen, and I'm only letting it happen because you're stubborn, and sometimes people as nice as you need to learn the hard way," he said.

I scowled. "Are you saying that I'm naïve?"

"Not always, but when it comes to people, you can be, and it's not a bad thing. It's actually one of the things I love about you. Life has dealt you the worst kind of people, and yet you still choose to believe that everyone has some good in them. I guess I just wish I shared your optimism, especially where my mom is involved. I wish I believed that she could be saved," he explained.

I won't lie and say that his words didn't make me emotional, and not for the reason you'd think either. I don't think I've ever met anyone who loves the way that Cain does. He told me that his mother is the person who taught him to love the way that he does, and to see her so full of hate kills him.

To see him so gutted kills me.

I once asked my father what being in love is like. It was a subject he didn't like talking about, but one day he entertained me. He told me that to him, being in love felt like you were forever floating. He told me that being in love is when you find yourself crying for the other person simply because they mean so much to you that what they feel, you almost seem to feel too.

I didn't understand then, but I understand now.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Cain panicked at the sight of my tears.

I quickly wiped them away. "It's nothing."

He left the car, making me realize that we'd reached the mall, and came to let me out of my side. "It's not nothing beautiful. What's got you in tears so suddenly?"

"It's just, I hate seeing you like this. You love so wholeheartedly and I hate seeing what this thing with you and your mom is doing to you. I just wish it could be fixed. I hate seeing you so crushed and down and out," I explained, watching as adoration graced his face. He pulled me in for a sweet kiss.

"I love you so much woman. I don't know what I did to deserve you, but I have no intentions of ever losing you. I know that nothing I say will change your mind about this, so I won't bother. Yes, the situation between my mom and I doesn't sit well with me, but knowing that you don't hate her, even when she's said that she hates you, makes it better to deal with. I know you won't want me to choose you over her, but you have to understand that you're my future. I want to build a better life with you, and have kids who we will both love and never abandon. They will be the luckiest kids because their mother is an amazing woman. Now, will you please stop crying? You're kind of bumming me out and I still want to milk this newly engaged thing for all its worth," he ended off on a teasing note.

"Ok, ok, I get it. I just want you to be happy Cain. It's all I want for you," I said, cupping his cheek.

"Ah gee, just that? What about love, a great future, you know, the good stuff?" he joked.

"Nah, you might get selfish and go after world domination," I taunted.

He mock gasped. "That's a secret! How did you know that that's the end goal?"