(A/N): Hola! So this chapter is a little shorter but I wanted to post it because I am in love with how adorable it is! Evan and Maria....what are you going to do with those two? haha anyway please read and comment and vote etc! I love to hear what you think about the story and what you think might happen!!! Enjoy!
-Hannah :)
Chapter 20:
Maria’s POV:
“Evan where are you from sweetheart?” My aunt Laura asked.
“Southern Wisconsin, ma’am.” Evan told her politely.
“Now where are you planning to go to college?” My grandpa asked him from farther down the table.
“I’m not quite sure yet sir. I was thinking going to into medicine though.” Evan told him.
“Medicine? Ya know my son in law is a doctor…” My grandpa began but then faded off when someone passed him the potatoes.
“Do you play any sports Evan? You know Maria played volleyball.” My uncle Jordan asked Evan.
“Yeah I played basketball and ran track. And she hadn’t mentioned that.” He told him with a smile in my direction. No doubt I would have to show him some pictures later. You know how guys are with girls in spandex.
“Evan, how are you liking McClellanville? Isn’t it such a lovely little town?” My grandma Anne asked him with a smile in my direction. She was the first one to introduce herself to him. She was delighted to meet him just as she had said she would be on Friday when I had had breakfast with her.
“I love it here I really do. It’s a really great town full of great people,” Evan told my grandma with a smile.
“Alright everyone, I think we have all asked Evan enough questions for now. Why don’t you leave him alone for a bit so he can eat,” my mom told everyone as she sat down at the table with the final dish in her hands. Everyone agreed and began to talk about the food before them.
As usual my mom had gone all out for Sunday lunch but today she had really gone all out. My family and I would be eating leftovers for days. I sneaked my left hand under the table and patted Evan on his leg. I know my family could be intimidating but he seemed to be holding up well. He answered everyone’s questions politely and what more could you ask?
He turned and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek and whispered “Thanks,” in my ear. I heard an “Aww come from down the table which must have come from my grandma.
Lunch continued and the conversation switched from topic to topic so fast I could hardly keep up and I knew who and what my family was talking about. To Evan, it must have sounded like a foreign language but he didn’t let it show. He just ate his food and answered any question that was directed his way. I was amazed at how well he could be in a conversation without actually being in it. He would listen so carefully and know just what to say when he needed to. I on the other hand had to say “Pardon?” and sometimes a frank “What?” when someone mentioned my name. He needed to teach me how he did it.
“Maria would you like to come help me with dessert?” my mom asked me as she rose from her spot at the table. I nodded and stood up as well.
“I’ll help out too, Mrs. Mancini,” Evan said and he rose with me.
“Oh you don’t have to Evan. You’re our guest! Sit back down!” my mom told him patting him on the shoulder and pushing him back into his seat.
“If you insist,” Evan said smiling at her. My mom just chuckled and walked into the kitchen mumbling something that sounded like, “that boy and his manners”.
When I followed my mom into the kitchen I saw that she had Strawberry Pie and Peach Pie on the counter. Strawberry Pie was my absolute favorite and she only made it for me on special occasions. Why would she make it now?
“Mom! You made Strawberry Pie?!” I exclaimed running up to her and giving her a hug.
“Yes I did sweetie,” she told me hugging me back.
“Bu…but why?” I asked still not over how excited I was at getting a chance to eat the best strawberry pie ever made.
“Well…it is kind of a celebratory pie,” she told me as she slid the pie over so she could cut it.
“What are we celebrating?” I asked confused.
“We are celebrating you, Maria. You and Evan to be exact,” she told me looking over at me with a smile filling her face and lighting up her eyes. I didn’t know what to say. I stood there in shock staring at her for a good minute while she cut both pies and began putting the pieces on their own plates.
“That’s…that’s really sweet of you, mom. I don’t know what to say,” I told her truthfully.
“I can tell honey,” my mom said with a laugh, “but be happy! The whole family, especially your Grandma Anne, is really glad you two are together. You make each other happy just by being in the same room.”
“I am happy we are together too,” I told her with a grin and a blush.
“Good good. Now does Evan like Peach Pie or Strawberry Pie?” my mom asked me as she began placing the plates on a tray to carry them out to the guests.
“Don’t know. I guess we will have to ask him,” I told her as I loaded the rest of the pieces onto a separate tray and followed her out back into the dining room.
Turns out Evan likes Strawberry Pie like me. He couldn’t stop praising my mother for her extremely good pie-making skills. She told him what she tells everyone; it’s all in the crust. When we were done with dessert Evan and I excused ourselves to go to my room and change clothes before going out on the date I had been planning for the afternoon. Everyone told us goodbye and to have a lovely time. Evan even received hugs from many of the female family members. My cousin Alexis held hers a little too long but she’s 14 and Evan is attractive, what are you gonna do?
When we entered my room Evan closed the door and grabbed my hand and pushed me so I was standing between him and the door. My back was to the door and when he stepped impossibly closer all my thoughts about this afternoon faded away. All I could think about was the guy who was less than a centimeter away from me.
“Your family is quite entertaining,” he told me in a hushed tone. He was trailing his fingers up and down my arms and I was having a hard time thinking straight. “The strawberry pie was the best part though, especially because your mom made it to celebrate us,” he told me looking me straight in the eye.
“That was sweet of her wasn’t it?” I asked even though it didn’t sound like a question and I don’t even know if he heard me because I had butterflies flying everywhere and my brain could hardly comprehend anything Evan told me.
He brought his face closer to mine and I rose up slightly to meet his, but he stopped when our noses touched and I heard him gasp under his breath when I tangled my left hand in his hair and used my right on his lower back to push him more against me.
“Maria-“ was all he could say before I brought his lips to meet mine. I kissed him like I hadn’t kissed him in months even though I had kissed him just a couple of hours ago outside the back gate of his house.
His lips moved with mine perfectly and most of the time I forgot to breathe. Evan moved his hands to my sides and I wrapped my arms around his neck. Soon his hands were in my hair and his kisses were setting fireworks off inside my body. He brought his hands back down to my hips and uttered a husky “Jump” and soon my legs were wrapped around his waist and our heads were now at the same height.
We paused momentarily to catch our breath and when I looked into Evan’s eyes I was almost overcome with happiness. Looking back at me were two gorgeous blue eyes that were filled with nothing but, dare I say it, love. His eyes looked so caring and compassionate and they were also filled with happiness. I know mine reflected back the same emotions.
Evan still had his hands on my hips and his fingers were trailing along the hem of my shirt where it had ridden up revealing skin. Streaks of fire were left behind by his soft touch and when he began to trail soft kisses down my neck I could feel the fire everywhere.
“We’re never going to leave if you keep that up,” I told him breathlessly before he brought his lips back to mine and silenced me from saying anymore.
“I can deal with that,” he murmured against my lips which caused me to smile into his kiss. I had no idea how to stop Evan from continuing his mission to kiss every part of my face and neck, but quite frankly I didn’t know if I wanted him to stop.
Never had anyone’s kiss given me the feelings that Evan’s did. He set my skin on fire but sent chills down my spine at the same time, it was paralyzing. Each kiss was slightly better than the previous and when he would tease me and barely touch his lips to mine or hover for a few seconds before deciding how to kiss me the butterflies in my stomach felt more like a tornado. I was breathless but I wanted more. I never wanted him to stop and it was kind of scaring me.
“Evan?” I asked quietly in between the short pecks Evan was peppering down my neck, afraid to break the perfect moment we were having.
“Hmm?” was all he replied with as he stopped and rested his forehead on mine.
“You are a real good kisser,” I whispered to him like I was telling him a secret.
“So are you,” he said before he brought his lips back to mine, “and you taste like Strawberry Pie,” he added with a wink and a chuckle.
After a sweet kiss that left me breathless Evan backed away from the wall and carried me with him. I unwound my legs from around his waist and put my feet back on the ground. Evan put his hands on my hips to steady me since I was a little wobbly. What can I say? Surely my brain had been deprived of oxygen in the last few moments.
I looked up into Evan’s eyes and saw he was staring down at me. He was biting the corner of his lip. There was definitely something on his mind.
“Spit it out already!” I told him jokingly as I wrapped my arms around his waist and looked up at him.
“Spit what out?” he asked playing dumb.
“Oh come on! There is clearly something on your mind,” I said with a shy smile. Something about the way he was looking at me was making me nervous.
“Do you really wanna know what I am thinking?” He asked raising his right eyebrow and giving me his cheesy smile. Oh boy, what have I gotten myself in to?
“I was thinking about you…” He began but then stopped.
“What about me?” I prompted.
“About how pretty you are….and how happy you make me….and how good the strawberry pie was-“
“Evan! Seriously? I know the pie is good and all but really?” I asked in mock outrage.
“Did you not hear the first to parts I said? I said you were pretty and you make me happy! Does that not count for something?” He asked grabbing my hands that had flown up in my moment of disbelief. He brought each one to his lips and planted two sweet kisses on the backs of my hands.
“I guess that was sweet of you…” I allowed and ran my released fingers through his hair.
“It was sweet….just like the Strawberry Pie!” Evan told me laughing at how terrible that line was. I laughed right along with him because that had to of been the worst line I have ever heard.
“You need to work on your sweet talking there,” I said with a giggle.
“My sweet talking worked just fine on you didn’t it?” Evan retorted and brought his face closer to mine.
I mumbled “Yeah it did,” and then were kissing once again. At this rate we wouldn’t leave my room until midnight.
I separated our lips and stepped backwards, away from Evan. As much as I didn’t want to say it I really needed to tell him that we had to get a move on. He looked at me with puppy dog eyes like I had just taken away his favorite toy but I was already prepared to tell him to leave me alone so I could change clothes.
“Evan, we really need to get going!” I told him as I glanced over at the clock. It was almost 1. We had been in my room for over half an hour! I gave him one last quick peck on his cheek before running to my bathroom. All I said over my shoulder was, “Put your swimming apparel on!” before I closed the door and looked at myself in the mirror.
Boy did I look hot. My cheeks were flushed and my lips looked slightly swollen; probably from all the kissing, and my hair was all over the place. Not like it mattered too much. Where we were headed, my hair would be messed up in minutes.
I pulled on my favorite purple bikini and added a loose white cover up dress on top. I added some waterproof mascara and then I went back in my room to get Evan. He had changed and was sitting on my bed waiting patiently.
“Ready?” I asked as I grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room.
“Yes ma’am. I am ready for anything that involves seeing you in a bikini,” he said from behind me.
I flung my hand that wasn’t holding his back at him to try and slap him in the stomach but he stepped back and evaded my swing. This afternoon was going to be one fun adventure. I just hope Evan and I don’t get too carried away with each other.