𝐞𝐠𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 · 𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐱

Evelyn didn't have high regard when it came to art, but this particular piece seemed to stick out to her. It was of a gorgeous pond; water lilies floating on top of the water as vines dangled down from the top of the canvas – it reminded her of the small lake that she used to ride her horse, Penny to; letting the mare drink from the water.

"It's a Monet," a voice came from behind her – the familiarity instantly causing Evelyn to freeze, not daring to turn around as he walked to stand beside her. "Yer' like it?"

"It's pretty," Evelyn's voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, still not daring to look at him.

"For a woman born into rags, yer' have rich fuckin' tastes," he lightly chuckled, the sound causing Evelyn to swallow down her unsettled nerves. "Wasn't expectin' to see yer' here, now was I?"

"Believe me, the thought of you being here didn't cross my mind either."

Evelyn's tone was blunt, but her expression softened when she finally turned to look at him for the first time in what felt like years. Her eyes darted over his appearance, taking in that even though it was a fancy event – he still dressed in his usual attire. His cane was tightly clasped in his left hand, his hat angled down to cast a shadow over his face – but Evelyn could still see the flared, flaking skin on his left cheek.

She wanted to ask if he was okay but didn't know if she had that right anymore. 

Noticing her intense stare, Alfie turned to face her – poking his hat up with his free hand so his eyes could meet hers. He took notice of how ethereal she seemed to look under the golden lighting – the hues causing her skin to glow. He noticed the dress that adorned her body, it was the same shade of green that she wore the day they first met; the thought causing him to rub the back of his neck.

So much had changed since then.

"Fuckin' 'ell, Eve," he chuckled, eyes darting up and down her figure. "Even in a room full of art, you still stand out."

Evelyn couldn't help the slight flush that coated her skin at his ministrations – noticing that Richard doing the same thing caused her to want to puke. She didn't respond to his compliment, but she knew her actions spoke louder than words when she seemed to find the floor beneath her shoes more interesting than anything else.

"What are yer' doing here, aye?" He sent her a small smile, showing that he held no malice behind any of his words. "Haven't seen any of yer' brothers now have I? Hard to believe that you came here on yer' own?"

"I came with someone." 

Evelyn looked up just in time to see the way Alfie's expression fell and she couldn't help but want to reach out and reassure him that while she wasn't sure where they stood in terms of their relations – her heart still belonged to him.

"Right, yeah – alright," Alfie fumbled over his words, his rings tapping against the metal of his walking stick. "He a good guy? Treat yer' right? Because if he lays one hand where it don't fuckin' belong, yeah, yer' know that I will cut it off. No fuckin' questions asked."

"I came here with him for business, Alfie."

Evelyn chose to ignore the relieved sigh that left Alfie's lips – the man taking a few tentative steps towards her. Evelyn didn't know what to think as Alfie tilted her chin with his thumb, his beautiful blue eyes staring into her equally as stunning ones.

"I fuckin' miss yer', Eve."

Taking her bottom lip between her teeth, Evelyn couldn't stop her hands from trembling at how close she was to the man she believed never wanted to see her again – not quite knowing what to make of the situation or his words.