Evelyn
There was a knock on the door before Anna walked inside my room. "So, how was tonight?"
"A little shitty." I sighed, sitting down so I could undo the straps of my heels. "Dean's a dick."
Anna sat down next to me on the edge of my bed, and propped her elbows on her thighs.
"I thought we went over this."
"He kept telling me how good I am at being his fake girlfriend like I was the world's best actor."
"And that made you mad?" She asked, with a cocked brow.
"Yes, it did. Because I was being genuine with him."
I gave her my back so she could help unzip my dress, and she obliged. I stood up and kicked it to the floor before reaching for a makeup wipe from my bedside table.
"The charity event was for kids that grew up like him. You know, alone and in orphanages?"
She nodded her head, letting me know she was listening.
"It made me cry. I was crying and clapping for him, and I meant it. I meant it, and he just came and fucked it all by saying how proud he is that I'm playing my role right."
"Evelyn, honey, it is a role. You're not his. I thought maybe he liked you, but maybe he's just a sadistic asshole who gets off knowing he's blackmailing you."
I let out a loud breath of air. "I thought that the time we spent apart made my little crush go away, but it didn't. It's not even close to being away."
"It's back, and it's on mega-steroids. I literally got off this morning thinking about him. I know he's playing with me and toying around because he thinks it's funny, and I'm just Nick's little sister. What do I know?"
Anna gasped. "Hold up. You got off this morning, thinking about him doing what?"
"I was thinking about his hands," I muttered as I reached for another makeup wipe. "His stupid manly hands."
"He does have nice hands." She spoke, and I glared at her. "Evelyn, you can't get too attached. This is a game. A three-month-long game."
"If you get too close now, you'll only be left more heartbroken when it ends. Try your best to keep it professional between the two of you."
"Just tell yourself that it's all fake and that he doesn't care about you. It'll take time, but your heart will get the gist. Hopefully."
Yeah, hopefully.
The following day I had plans to have lunch with my parents. So, after picking up whatever groceries, my mother forgot I headed out. I parked my car in my parent's driveway that led to the garage and grabbed the bags.
I locked my car and walked up the gravel, past the rose bushes, and up the steps. I pulled out my spare key for their house and unlocked it as I let myself in.
"Mom! Dad! I'm here." I shouted as I kicked off my sneakers at the door.
"We're in the kitchen!" I heard my father shout.
My parent's house was a two-story white and dark blue Colonial house with a gable roof with Tuscan pillars. You could see the bedroom lights through the french door windows from the outside.
It had three bedrooms and three bathrooms, all located on the upper level of the house. The study was the first room on your right when you walked inside the house, and the second room was the kitchen with the adjoined dining room.
The kitchen was a fresh, traditional style, or what my mother called 'chic,' but then again, my mother called everything chic.
Brown, dark wooden flooring, white ceilings with globe pendant chandeliers hanging down, and an eggshell white U-shaped kitchen island with grey marble in the middle.
The cabinets that filled the kitchen were all the same color of white, adding to the chic decorating of my mother, who was now standing over the stove with a polka dot apron cinched around her waist.
"Evelyn! I love your dress, honey. It's so chic!" My mother set her mittens down and ran to hug and kiss me.
I got my looks from my mother, those crazy unruly blonde locks and big blue eyes that take up our entire face. I was her twin, which was something we heard a lot whenever we were spotted outside together.
My mother's cheeks were rosy-pink, and I could tell she had put on more makeup than usual. Her lips were painted a bright red, and underneath her little apron, she was wearing a beautiful, colorful summer dress.
"Thank you. It smells amazing in here."
I placed the plastic bags on the counter and went over to see my father setting up the wooden dining table in the dining room.
"Hi, daddy." I kissed his cheek.
My father was all light brown locks that he always left untouched or hidden behind a hat. There was no in-between and light eyes that he shared with my brother Nick. He was in one of his many button-down red shirts with working jeans.
My father used to work as a lawyer in a law firm when he graduated with his degree, but then realized how much he hated being cooped up inside.
So, he quit, and now works as a landscape contractor. He's happier, has better hours, and is doing what he loves.
"Hi, honey. How are you?" He asks as he finishes setting up the last fork.
"Good. Is Nick coming?" I speculated as I pointed to the extra plating.
Our table seated six, in case we had guests over, but I was having lunch with my parents alone as far as I knew.
"Yes, he said he might be late though." My mother grumbled as she set the bechamel pasta bake she made in the center of the table.
I grabbed the salad and garlic bread and placed them on either side.
"Samuel, will you call him again?" My mother implored as we all sat down to eat.
"I will, Natalie, but don't get mad or upset if he doesn't answer."
My dad put his fork down and reached for his phone. He dialed the number and put it on speaker as we waited. The sound of the dial tone was loud, and it took him a few rings, but he finally picked up.
"I'm just outside. Parking the car." He said, and my mother glowed at Nick's response.
By the time my dad was reaching for my plate to put me some pasta, Nick was rushing inside the dining room. He kissed mom's cheeks, patted dad's back, then kissed the top of my head before sitting down next to me.
Nick was still in his work suit, and if my mother weren't so happy to see him, she'd ask him if he had a change of clothes. Nick had our crazy curls, but dads chestnut-colored hair and eyes.
He was also crazy smart and always has been, so it was no surprise when he got a job as an accountant for some colossal company down in Los Angeles.
"Hey, you." He said, playfully elbowing me. "How you been?"
Oh, you know, just in a three-month legally binding contract with your best friend, which I got into because I was illegally drinking and throwing hands, but besides that, nothing.
"Good. I've been good. You?"
"I've been good, too. Yeah." He took a bite out of the pasta, and I saw him dramatically make a yummy sound. "God, I missed your food." He groaned as he looked over at my mother.
"Then maybe you should visit more often." She scolded lightly.
"How's work, Nick?"
"Exhausting. As much as I love numbers, I'm tired. I see numbers in my sleep, dad, I swear."
We talked throughout dinner, laughed at jokes Nick pulled, and everything felt so light and carefree. I forgot about Dean, our contract, and how mean and rude he treated me. Nothing mattered right now.
Just me, my family, and my mom's mean apple pie with vanilla ice cream and caramel drizzle. We were in the living room, the four of us together, eating and reminiscing about when Nick and I were little kids.
I got up to make some coffee, and while I waited for the machine to make it, I pulled my phone out of my purse. I hadn't touched it since I got to my parents, and I almost forgot to text back Anna.
My eyes went wide in fear when I saw that Dean had called me ten times and left me ten voice messages and five texts. I swallowed, feeling anxious as I opened up the messages shakily.
'Evelyn, where are you?'
'Did you leave your place without telling me?'
'You're breaching the contact.'
'So fucking help me, God. Evelyn, where the fuck are you?'
'Why aren't you answering your goddamn phone?'
Shit. Shit. I forgot I had to tell him. I forgot about his stupid and ridiculous conditions.
I forgot that I had to report to him my comings and goings. Shit. My hands shook as I texted him back.
'I'm at my parents. I forgot that I had to tell you.'
My phone rang as soon as the message read delivered. I looked over to see if my parents or Nick were in view, and once I saw that, no one was there. I answered it and hid in the corner of the kitchen.
"You forgot?" He repeated my words slowly.
"Yes, I'm not used to having to report to someone." I kept my voice low and hushed. I didn't need anyone knowing about him, about this, about anything.
"Get fucking used to it." He hissed. "Is Nick still there?"
"How'd you know Nick was here?"
"I'm meeting him for drinks over at my bar. You know, the one you got arrested in." He reminded me, and I closed my eyes in fear.
Would he tell Nick? Would he do it tonight?
"De-" I cut myself off. "I'm sorry, Sir. I should have called you and let you know that I left. Will you forgive me, please, Sir?"
I could hear his heavy breathing on the other line, while I held my own as I awaited his reply.
"Tell me what you did today at your parent's house." He asked instead.
"We ate lunch together, and now we're having some of my mom's apple pie."
He hummed. "The one with her homemade caramel sauce?"
I smiled. It was hard to remember that Dean grew up with us. He was here so much that you could have counted him as part of the family.
"Yeah, that's the one."
"Are you planning on spending the night?"
"No. I'm heading home in a little bit."
"I want you to text me when you're home, Evelyn." He demanded, but his tone wasn't sharp.
"I will. I promise. Are you still mad at me?"
"No, but I don't want this to happen again. Understood?"
"Yes, Sir."
"That's my good girl." He praised, low and deep, and I bit my lip to hold in a whimper.
I didn't speak, and neither did he. It was just our breathing that could be heard on either line for a few moments before Dean cleared his throat. "Drive safe."
"I will. Bye, Sir."
AUTHORS NOTE: This chapter is a get to know the family type of chapter. ☺️
Also if you know Nick Miller from New Girl, that is where I got the name from. He will always be my crush.😍😍