She knew he was gone when she felt alone in his arms.
• • •
2 M O N T H S L A T E R
Stirring in her sleep, Evelyn inhaled deeply once more, her eyes shooting open at the smell.
She didn't have time to process what was happening, but she was already running down the stairs, her heart thumping loudly with every step she took.
The minute she entered the kitchen, she tried to locate him through the smoke, and she was successful.
"What in the world..."
Once Tony dropped the fire extinguisher, he sighed in relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
"Oh...Hi." He waved as if it were a completely normal thing to wake up in the morning to your fiancé lighting the kitchen on fire.
"What the hell were you trying to do?" Her eyes landed on the counter where an unmade messy lasagna sat, waiting to be tossed in the trash.
"You were trying to make lasagna?" Her heart swelled in her chest, and melted when she watched his sheepish expression.
It was her favourite.
"Yeah, key word trying, and failing miserably might I add."
Their laughs and giggles were loud enough for Pepper to hear them, and that's when she walked in the kitchen and took in the mess she had to clean.
"I told you, Tony. You can't cook the lasagna in a microwave." She was already cursing under her breath, picking up pieces of food on the floor.
"Come on, Tone. I don't think Pepper wants you here," dragging him along with her, Evelyn skipped her way out of the kitchen, and into the living room, where she watched her man pout the whole way there.
Longingly, she pressed her lips softly against his, when they both sat on the couch, her on his lap.
A low animalistic sound was heard, and it took her a moment to realise that it came from her.
They were already lost in a heated make out session, when someone cleared their throat, forcing their lips to part.
She spotted a red head, standing by the front door, not affected by what she had witnessed at all.
Evelyn had to admit that she was indeed very beautiful, and moved away from Tony's lap, feeling slightly self-conscious of her appearance when she stood in the same room as that random beautiful woman.
Tony sensed her distress, but didn't comment or say anything about it, letting it slide for now.
"Natalie," he acknowledged her with a nod, and a small smile which she reciprocated.
"Hi, I'm Evelyn Ross," although the woman appeared as a threat to Evelyn, she was raised right, and she must not forget her manners.
"Pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Ross."
"Please..call me Evelyn."
"Of course, Evelyn."
Releasing a sigh, Evelyn suddenly wasn't in the mood to do anything anymore, and so she decided to hit up Madison.
Eva- You didn't forget your only friend did you?
Madi- Your wedding is in a month bitch! I'm shopping with your mama.
Eva- you're with my mom?
Madi- Indeed I am, Missus Stark.
Eva- I'm not married yet.
Madi- Not that I give a shit, but are you inviting Jace?
Eva- Yeah..
Madi- Nice going.
Eva- It would have been rude not to, Mads.
Madi- Whatever you say, just make sure your billionaire daddy knows that there is nothing to worry about.
Eva- He knows, chill. Besides, I would be walking down that isle about to marry him, I doubt he would be worried about anything then.
Madi- Well, duty calls. And by the way, being your maid of honour is no piece of cake.
Eva- Do you want me to give the title to someone else?
Madi- Bitch you wouldn't dare!
Eva- Try me.
"Evelyn!"
Tony's voice snapped her back to reality, and she dropped her phone with a thud.
"What the hell?"
"I've been calling your name for the past 5 minutes."
"Sorry," smiling sheepishly, she peered up and saw him smiling, but just when he was about to speak, her phone rang startling the both of them.
"Hey, Jace!" She chirped, and Tony's smile fell, unconsciously.
He watched her with a frown as she bit her lip, and threw her head backwards in laughter.
Nothing could possibly this amusing to her.
She was laughing her heart out, and an unsettling feeling settled inside of him.
Something was wrong.
Something was indeed very wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.
And now she was fucking blushing.
A wave of anger flashed through him for a minute, but then it was replaced with indifference almost a second later.
When she did end the call with him, she turned to look at Tony, a smile on her face, which immediately fell when she noticed his facial expression.
It was a look that said that they were going to have an argument.
A big one.
"Who was that?" He asked nonchalantly, and she raised an eyebrow.
There was no need for this, she knew he knew it was Jace.
"Jace," she said casually, and Tony clenched his fists anger coursing through his veins.
Was this what it was like to be jealous?
No.
No.
Absolutely not.
Tony Stark?
Jealous?
Never.
Such a ridiculous deduction.
Yes, very.
"Goddammit, Tony. What is your problem with him?"
And there we go.
"Oh, I have absolutely no problem. You don't see me talking with random women at all hours of the day!" He spat, not caring that he sounded just a tad harsh.
"Jace is not random, he's my friend. And we work together for christ's sake." She snarled, using his same tone.
"Really now?" He sarcastically replied, making her stand up abruptly, wishing she never came down this morning in the first place.
"Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Stark." Crossing her arms, she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor.
"I'm sorry, you must have misinterpreted it. For me to be jealous, I actually have to care," his words stung her, but she stood her ground, keeping that cold look on her face.
"Oh, so you don't mind if I take him up on that offer for lunch?"
That was a lie, Jace had called to ask her if she had signed the papers he left on her desk yesterday, and kept making fun about how ridiculous her hair looked that morning.
"Be my guest. Go ahead, see if I give a shit."
Blinking back her tears, she snatched her purse from right next to him, and stormed out of their shared mansion, slamming the door aggressively on her way out.