Evangeline's POV
"Mhmm. So did I." Darcy says and we both laugh. Both guys are asleep and both our new pets are asleep. It's almost as if nothing could go wrong from here on out because life is at a perfect stopping point.
The next morning
After waking up on the sofa, which was awfully uncomfortable, I hear faint noises coming from inside my room. I go up to the door and open it to see Eugene running out. He rubs against my fuzzy socks and I rummage through the boxes in the living room for some food. "Shhh Eugene you'll wake everyone up." I grab the bowl and place it onto the counter. I tear open the packet of wet food and mix it with some kibble. I place it down and he eats straight away. I also fill up his weird looking water bowl which has a switch. I turn it on and it starts acting as a water fountain. I read the instructions and apparently this is good for cats because it simulates what they would've drank in the wild. I wipe down the counter and poor myself a glass of orange juice, as I do Jaye emerges from my room. His hair is all messed up and it suits him. His shirt is unbuttoned by three buttons. I can't seem to take my eyes off of him.
"Sorry I took your bed Eve." He says and snaps me out of my trance. I decide to poor him a glass to try and distract myself.
"It's fine, we have a nice sofa." Lie.
"I know you don't. That thing is on its last legs." He says. True. I pass him the glass and he shakes his head. "I'm alright." I raise an eyebrow at him and he takes it without further argument. Eugene comes up to the table and jumps onto the chair next to Jaye. He crawls onto his lap and Jaye doesn't even flinch.
"Aren't you going to flinch, gag or shove him away?" I ask knowing that Eugene has grown on him.
"Huh?" He says stroking his head. I laugh and sit next to him.
"We need to discuss shared custody." I say grabbing a piece of paper that was lying around.
"No he's yours." He protests.
"But with Ben gone I'm sure you'll be lonely. You need someone stable in your life. So does he. He needs his daddy." I say.
"Could you say that again I wasn't listening." He asks putting his drink down and turning his whole body in my direction.
"Ugh... he needs his dadd-" I stop after realising my mistake and seeing his smirk. "Nice try."
"So you'll take Monday to Thursday and I'll take Friday to Sunday." He says.
"Great so you get to be mr fun guy and I'm stuck with school runs and being the voice of reason." I say trying to hold back a laugh. He smirks and stands up handing Eugene back to me. He goes back into my room and grabs his jacket. I place Eugene back onto the floor and smile at Jaye sorting out his hair. I realise what I'm doing and grab the glasses to put into the sink.
"Right then I'm off to work. When my brother deems it fit to come to work send him quickly." He says. He's always concerned with work. I saw him last night with his phone light working. It's all he ever does and I wonder if he'd ever stop.
"Off so soon?" I ask,
"Indeed." He says. "Be ready for tonight. It's not just a dinner it's a charity event. We're all on the same table so the Newley engaged will hopefully steal the attention. There will be a lot more media there because Ben is leaving a lot of broken hearts behind. You'll be getting a new vase that's worth a lot. It's the main event for tonight. There are six in total."
"Fantastic" I say sarcastically. I grab Eugene and grab his paw to simulate a wave. Jaye waves back and leaves.
Ten minutes later Darcy and Ben emerge all over each other. I grab the pen that I was writing up the joint fake custody agreement and mime stabbing it into my eye. I decorate the paper with doodles of hearts.
"Good morning to you too Eve." Dee says.
"Is he gone?" Ben questions peering out into the rest of the room.
"Mhmm and he says to go to work quickly." I laugh knowing full well that he won't.
"Fat chance." Ben says. "I need to mentally prepare for tonight. Even my dad will be there. Allegedly." He says. A hint of disappointment covers his face and I know just by that, that his father won't show.
"You never know Ben, he might show." Dee says rubbing his arm. I get up so the two can take a seat.
"Will you give us a rundown of tonight?" I ask Ben slightly nervous. "Also where is your dog?" I say looking around.
"Pops!" Ben calls.
"Poppy come here baby." Dee calls as well. Their dog come tumbling out of the room almost tripping over her own feet. She has a bow on the collar and her nails are painted pink. She sits under Bens chair and tries jumping up.
"So basically it's this big prestige event full of high donators and special guests with fat wallets. Lots of media coverage thanks to... us I guess." He says putting an arm around Dee.
"Oh shit what time is it?" I ask remembering I have work soon. Dee quit some time ago because Ben insisted that no fiancé of his would work. He's basically living here now and pays her half of the rent. I still pickpocket every now and again. It's not that fun however without Darcy nor is work.
"Twelve?" Ben says checking his phone. Crap I'm late.
"What time is the event?" I shout to the kitchen as I get dressed frantically in my uniform.
"Jaye and I have a car that'll pick you girls up at 9:00pm." That's half an hour after my shift finishes so I'll have to basically run back.
"Bye love birds. Keep it off the counter." I say running out of the apartment. I leave the room and shut the door but remember something. "Keep an eye on Eugene." I say and receive a thumbs up from them both as I leave. I run down the stairs thanks to that stupid lift. And when I'm out I see a tall man holding out a sign with my name on it. I walk up to him and he hands me a note.
Hey Eve,
I bought this car for you because I knew you'd forget about your shift. It'll pick you up so your not late for the event. I also spoke to your manager and your allowed to go an hour early. (Fully paid so don't worry). See you tonight my love.
- Jaye.
Well then. Now at least I don't have to worry about being late. He's sweet when he wants to be. I shoot him a quick 'thank you' message and walk in to start my shift. The bar is quite busy today which is never fun. It felt like time was dragging along.
It reaches 7:31pm and I'm allowed to leave. The car driver Ethan is waiting for me. I gave him some money to go and get something to eat and I could see remnants of fast food. He smiles to me as I get in and we have a conversation about his life. I think he doesn't often get people asking about him so I hope this is a good moment for him. We get home and I thank him for toady and begin my climb up the stairs. I unlock the door once I arrive and I'm greeted by Dee playing with poppy on the floor.
"Hey darlin, how was work? Wait you're back early. How'd you manage that?" She says sitting up against the coffee table.
"Work was long and Jaye managed to get me off an hour early." I say dumping my bag onto my bed. "What are you wearing today?" I ask leaning out of my room.
"That blue silk dress you have if you're not wearing it." She says giving treats to pops.
"Yeah that's all good. Do you want the matching shoes?" I ask.
"Yes please my dear." She replies with a big toothy grin.
"What should I wear?" I say opening my wardrobe. I see nothing and go into Dees room.
"I have a purple dress if you want. It's flowery." She says.
"You know Eve, purple was never your colour." I say imitating my mothers voice. Dee laughs then looks to the floor.
"You need to forget about that woman. She doesn't deserve the time of day." She says looking at me.
"I know but it's like she's engrained in my brain." She made me feel worthless every breathing moment. She emotionally manipulate me and forced me into pick pocketing because she refused to buy my food. She would tear my clothes apart and all of my favourite things because I needed to learn to buy my own things. I was seven at the time. That's why me and Dee moved away when we turned 16. Her mother, my auntie, was similar but not as bad. They never came after us.
"The purple would really flatter your figure. Show off your banging bod Eve." She says taking it out of my hands and holding it up to my body. I take it and Dee helps me get into it. I look in the mirror and Dee was right. It looks good. I start applying makeup but being cautious that it doesn't cover my freckles.
Baby daddy 🐈: don't be late today. We have a press conference curtesy of Mrs. Smith.
Me: fanfuckintastic.
I hear a car pull up outside and look out the window to see the car.
"Dee the car is here move your ass and get going." I say filling up Eugenes food bowl and putting it in my room. I have to close him in there because Poppy is a terror and would eat his food.
"Do I look alright?" Dee asks giving me a twirl.
"Just gorgeous." I say. Her hair is curled at the ends and she really does look good.
"Let's go then. Bye Poppy, mummy loves you." She says shouting to the house. Poppy is probably eating her shoes. She gets away with murder because Dee is a softie.
We start walking down the stairs holding onto each others arms so we don't fall. I despise heels but like the way they make my legs look. We eventually get to the bottom and just like Ben said there is a car there waiting for us. It's not Ethan but a mean looking man. I'm sure he might be lovely but his face is stern and he hasn't acknowledged us.
"This is a barrel of laughs." Dee murmurs. I elbow her arm and we laugh quietly. It feels like a long drive and I keep wondering is Eugene is okay. This is the longest he's been alone for. I made sure there was a spare bowl of water in case his other one malfunctioned.
We arrive and the doors were locked from the inside. I had a momentary panic before a younger man opened the door for me and offered a hand out to me. I took it and straightened out my dress waiting for Dee. She takes my arm and we walk up towards the event. I can hear the faint clicking of cameras and people shouting to look a certain way. We are led to a room towards the entrance and we see the boys. Ben comes straight up and compliments Dee. He kisses her cheek and then she stands by his side leaning into him. She compliments him back in a hushed tone then they start whispering to each other. Ew, love. I walk up to Jaye and stand by him.
"How's Eugene?" He says making brief eye contact with me.
"I'm worried about him. It's his first long time alone. I've texted the sweet old lady that lives the next floor up to check on him and Poppy. She has a key from the time we went backpacking to water my cactus at the time and I never took it back." I say fidgeting with my rings.
"You trust her?"
"Did you not hear the sweet old lady part?" I said putting my hands on my hips. He scoffs and Dee and Ben stand next to us.
"Rock paper scissors to see who goes first?" Ben challenges.
"You're on" I say. Jaye rolls his eyes but continues to watch.
"Rock paper scissors, shoot!" Ben says and he shows rock at the same time I show rock. We do it again and I stick with rock and he chooses paper. I jump up and high five Dee. She then realises she has to go first and gives me an evil look however we both end up laughing.
"Well played." Jay whispers to me and I take his hand. "Ready to act like you love me dearly." He says with a slight smirk.
"I don't think anyones that good." I say smiling looking straight forward.
"By the way, there is an increased security due to many necklaces and watches going missing so be careful. I've heard the pickpocket is devastatingly gorgeous and crafty." He says. I turn to look at him and look away once his eyes meet mine.
"Well I've heard that she isn't bothering tonight because she worked a long shift and her dress doesn't have pockets." I say.
"Well that's good to know."
"Indeed." I agree. A woman comes up to us and tells us that the press is ready.
Jaye squeezes my hand twice perhaps trying to be reassuring but I'm too nervous right now. Once we step outside the room and onto the red carpet lights blind me and people start shouting. It hits me like a train and all I feel are Jaye's eyes on me. He takes his hand out of my grip and pulls me into him. His hand rests on my waist. I start picking voices to focus on, smiling in each direction when I'm told to. Jaye moves his hand to the small of my back and whispers into my ear.
"You're doing great. We just have to answer some questions. I can do most of the talking and if there is anything you don't feel comfortable answering just say no comment." He flashes me a quick smile and I nod slowly gaining confidence.
"Mr. Smith how long have you known each other?" A lady with glasses asks.
"We knew each other before we started to date." He replies. Lie one.
"But how long?" She asks persistent to get an answer.
"Around two years although he never payed me much attention for the first few months." I say laughing. He smiles and turns towards someone else.
"Ma'am what's your name?" Someone asks.
"Her name is Evangeline Danes." Jaye answers for me.
"Are you the sister of Darcy?" A man with a ginger beard asks.
"The cousin." I say.
"You came from a poorer background so isn't it coincidental that you two ended up with the two richest men in the city." Someone says from the background of reporters. It's like all questions come to a hault.
"I-" I was finding it hard to answer before Jaye interrupts.
"What are you insinuating? That I wouldn't be able to spot a gold digger? I sort after her. She's gorgeous and kind and hasn't good a mean bone in her body. She cares for everyone and a fucking cactus. I'm done with these. What a stupid fucking question." I put my hand on his chest and he looks down at me and pulls me away. Honestly having a guy that looks down at me in heels is so hot. I'm not exactly short at 5'9.
"Was I alright?" I ask slightly nervous that me being hesitant with that answer was a problem.
"Nah I just wanted to get out of there. It gets so hot." We laugh and walk towards the event.
We mingle with business associates and I was told to try and make connections with wives to form connections but they were quite dull. I look for Dee but cannot find her. There are some necklaces here that could pay my rent for a good few months but I told Jay I wouldn't. He leaves me to go get us drinks and I stand against a pillar trying to be invisible.
"That colour makes you look fat and come on that cut. No no no." Says a shrill voice that makes me feel five years old again. I turn around and see my mother. "Heels at your height? You've got to be shitting me." She says placing one hand on her hip.
"They're your genetics." I say under my breath. Thankfully she doesn't hear that.
"It seems you've done quite well for yourself. And Darcy is getting engaged! Her mum is trying to find her. Have you seen her?" She says craning her neck to try and find her.
"Auntie Janice is here too?!" I say worried for Dee. She wasn't as bad as my mum but still it wouldn't be nice for her to see my Auntie.
"We were invited before you throw any allegations. How's stealing?" She asks smugly.
"I don't do that now. I've made a name for myself. Without you." I say lying. She doesn't need to know I still do that. She got me into it. I had to do it to feed myself. Clothe myself.
"It seems you have. Especially with that hunk of a man Jayden? James?"
"Jaye" I correct her. Barley giving her the time of day. As I'm ignoring her I see Mrs. Smith out of the corner of my eye, staring right at me. She clutches her bracelet and excuses her from the people she was talking to. I decide to go and find Jaye because everything is a bit overwhelming.
I walk across the floor and see the back of his head at the top of the stairs. I start going up and as I am someone grabs my wrist and shouts "THIEF".
I Turn around and see Jaye's mother holding me. I look at her wrist and the bracelet that was there before is missing. I pull my hand away and everyone has gone silent. Jaye walks down the stairs hurriedly and goes to my side.
"What's going on?" He asks, concern etched into his face.
"She stole my bracelet. Look." She says gesturing to my wrist. Jaye turns to me and I shake my head. He nods and goes his mother pulling her aside. Then it hits me. Jaye's mum invited the heinous woman that gave me life.
"Old habits die hard, don't they?" I know it's my mothers voice from the crowd and I feel seven and all alone. I shake my head and try to force a smile. Where is Darcy?
"I- I didn't do it." I say towards the faces that are staring at me and a camera flashes. I feel as if I'm going to throw up when I hear a loud smashing noise.
I turn to look and see Darcy smashing vases that would've been used for the auction. She's screaming and smashing every vase she can get to. Security pushes past me almost knocking me over but Jaye steadies me. Ben who was watching it all unfold from the bar rushes over when security reaches over. He fights them off so no one touches her but eventually she's cuffed. I try and chase after her but Jaye holds onto me. Dee winks at me and then she's led out with Ben right behind her. Jaye leads me out the back exit.
"How the fuck did tonight even happen?" Jaye asks. I smile and thank my best friend for being here for me. She's one crazy bitch.