Another Wrong Turn?

Chapter Twenty-Two: Being Gullible Might Be a Good Thing

            “You can sleep, too, Victoria. We’re going to drive there in an hour and half,” Miranda advised, looking at me in the rearview mirror.

            “I don’t feel like sleeping,” I decided.

            “Then let’s talk,” Evan said, removing his earphones from his ears, looking at me expectantly.

            “About?” I hesitated.

            “My brother.”

            I knew it. I sighed as I tried to be comfortable on my seat. “What about Ian? Should I know something about him?”

            “Look, I know I warned you from the start. But I was wrong. Maybe I was right in the beginning that he was using you, but I realized that he truly loves you. Victoria, you need to give him another chance. You need to understand why he lied that he said he wasn’t sure about his feelings. He doesn’t want to feel the pain when Patricia died. He’s having these thoughts that everything he loves is going to be taken away from him. Our parents… His girlfriend… He doesn’t want to lose you, Victoria.”

            Miranda snorted at the driver seat. “You know what, Evan? Victoria is better off without him. He’s just hurting her—can’t you see? I don’t care why Ian lied to Victoria, but the point is he lied and he used her. She’s better off without someone like him.”

            Evan sighed. “I know. But my brother has his reasons! You need to understand that!” Then he looked at me. “If you truly love my brother, you need to understand why he lied and used you. If you truly love him, you wouldn’t give up on him easily. If you truly love him, you’re going to talk to him and not to ignore him like a scared mouse.”

            I rolled my eyes at him. “I don’t need you to tell me what to do. I know what’s right and wrong. I have my own decisions, Evan. Thank you for the concern, but no thanks.”

            He frowned. “I’m trying to help you here. My brother is very depressed, Victoria. He doesn’t want to lose you. He loves you and that’s the truth. Give him another chance. I’m sure he’ll turn out to be good.”

            I sighed. “I don’t think there’s no more space in my heart for any heartbreaks, Evan. I’ve been hurt two times now. I can’t make another.”

            “Victoria—.”

            “Evan,” Miranda said sharply, glancing at him at the rearview mirror, “drop it.”

            Amazingly, he obeyed. He just sighed and placed the earphones back on his ears. Biting my lip, I slowly closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I was dead asleep.

            “Wake up, Victoria! We’re here.” Vince’s voice sounded so far away but somehow, very near. Yes, I’m making no point here.

            Slowly, I opened my eyes, wincing at the sudden brightness. Vince’s face was inches away from me, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he smirked at me. I raised my hands and pushed him away. I stretched my hands and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes.

            “Look at the beach! It’s so amazing,” Suzanne gushed, grabbing Vince’s arm and dragging him with her.

            “Hey, hey! Slow down!” he said, laughing.

            I smiled. They seriously look cute together. I glanced at the seat beside me and found Evan passed out in his seat. Miranda, however, was nowhere to be seen. Thinking that we must go to at the beach house to fix our things so we could go swimming, I woke up Evan.