Evelyn
"That's it," I whisper to no one in particular. "He's gone?"
I know we were going through a rough patch but it's nothing we couldn't work on. What am I saying? We were working on it. I pushed him away. I did this. I pushed until he had enough.
And now here I am sitting in my best friend's living room crying my eyes out. I almost forgot she and Lee are still here. I've been successfully blocking them out since I came off that devastating phone call with Marcel.
"Lyn. Lyn, look at me," Nessa demands. But I can't look at her. The tears are streaming down my cheeks uncontrollably and I can't bear to see the pity and sympathy in my best friend's eyes.
Lee left the room to give us some privacy. It's a little too late for that. I might have already lost all my pride when I started hollering over the phone for his best friend. The truth is I don't care. I don't care that my eyes are all red and puffy and there's mascara running down my face. I don't care that my heart feels like it's in a million pieces on the floor before me.
I just want him back.
"He knew I wanted to get back with him. He knew. He thinks I'd be stupid to want to forgive him, Nessa. Am I? Am I stupid for being so madly in love with him that I'm willing to forgive him for one mistake?" She's quiet for a while and I figure she can't make out a word I just coughed up.
But then she speaks. "No. No you're not." She throws her arms around me and lets me cry my eyes out until I have no tears left. Eventually I fall asleep.
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"Evelyn?" Jenny, my co-worker calls, snapping me out of my thoughts. We're in the lunchroom having lunch before we get back to work. I've known Jenny since college and we were thrilled when we found out we both got the job at Hartford Bank. We're friends but not as close as Nessa and I are. Jenny is a tall, beautiful red head with the body of a model but sometimes I think she has no clue.
"I'm sorry, what?" I ask, reverting my attention back to her.
"You're tuning out a lot these days. Are you okay?" I know she's genuinely concerned. She's not the type for office gossip. But I can't tell her no. I can't tell her that I'm losing my mind because I'm going through what some would call a 'bad breakup'. So I do what I always do when people ask me that question.
Play it cool.
"Jennifer, are you reading those therapist magazines again?" I force a laugh.
She laughs and just like that I manage to convince her that I don't feel like dying.
It's been three weeks since I've been back to work and I don't feel like the same person. I tried to bury myself in some paperwork and that's all I seem to be doing. I've been practically living at Nessa's since I can't bear to be back at the house that used to belong to me and him.
Him.
It's hard to even think his name.
After work I get in and plan to go straight to the shower then to bed. Nessa apparently has other plans.
She almost gives me a heart attack the way she appears in my room after I get out of the shower.
"We're having a girl's night!" She exclaims.
I sigh. "What are you talking about?" She knows I haven't been up for anything lately.
"You've been moping around here for three weeks now and it's pretty depressing to watch. Honestly."
"Well I'm sorry I'm not in a happy relationship like you are at the moment. I just thought since I'm alone and heartbroken I might want some time for myself," I mutter.
Her expression softens. I hate that look. I don't need pity.
"I'm sorry, okay? Yes, things are good with Lee even though it's past a month. But I still need my best friend."
She's right. I am in a bad place, yes, but I can't abandon her. "Okay. What did you have in mind?" At that she beams and starts telling me the whole plan. By eight thirty we're dressed and ready to go.
She found out from one of her cousins about this new club across town. Tonight's the grand opening and she thought it would be a nice place to go for a girl's night out.
I'm dressed in a black strapless sequin dress that hugs my curves and stops a few inches above my knees and a pair of red pumps that makes me look taller than my five six. My hair is in a ponytail and the only make up I applied was some lip gloss and mascara.
Nessa is dressed in a navy blue pumpkin dress with matching pumps. I stare at myself in the mirror before we leave, thinking about the last time I ever went to a club. No surprise it was months ago with him.
"Come on," Nessa says. The drive to Granville is usually two hours. But with Nessa's driving we get there in about an hour and fifteen minutes. It takes a while but we find a parking spot.
This place is crawling with cars on the outside. Imagine what inside looks like.
"Ready?" Nessa asks as she shuts the car off. I give her a reassuring nod. Although I'm anything but.
We walk up to the club and I must admit it's the one of the biggest clubs I've ever seen. Nessa shows the men at the door our passes and they take them and give us both arm bands. That's when I see the name of the club and the owner is standing on stage addressing the crowd.
Hale the Night.
Nick van Hale.
Just as I'm about to nudge Nessa in her side, our eyes meet. I don't know how he sees me in such a huge crowd but he does. He takes a few seconds to realize he's downright staring at me in the middle of his speech. He clears his throat and continues.
"You're drawing the attention of every guy in this place," Nessa says, smirking next to me. I look around and boy is she right. A few more minutes of it and I feel like running out of this place, but a familiar voice stops me.
"Evelyn Brady. You look stunning as always. I had no idea you were coming. Or even knew about this place," Nick says. Nessa raises an eyebrow, looking from Nick to me.
"Thank you. Nessa, this is Nick. Nick this is my best friend, Vanessa."
I've told Nessa enough about Nick to have her eyes bulging at the mention of his name. He takes her hands and kisses them both. Such a charmer as always.
"Nick as in Nicholas van Hale? As in..." she whispers to me. I nod and if possible, her eyes widen further- mouth open.
"So how come you never told me about this place? Hale the Night. Very....imaginative," I say.
He smiles and I see a faint brush of pink in his cheeks. "It wasn't my idea, really. Anyways, you were the one who ran home and didn't look back," he says. And I swear I hear his voice drop a little with sadness in his tone.
"Yea. It's a nice place though. Exquisite but still vibrant."
"A lot like you then?" I know it's a compliment. I knew he's just being polite. But I feel a little uneasy at his words. Before I can reply, Nessa makes an excuse for us to go to the powder room.
"What the hell was that?" She half yells as she releases my arm from pulling me to the bathroom. The bathroom is just as expected. Completely top class, like the rest of the place.
"What was what?"
"There's a hot guy out there flirting with you and you're not even giving him the time of day. Or night, whatever. Not to mention he freakin' owns the place!" She squeals.
She senses my discomfort since her expression grows serious. "You're thinking about Marcel."
"No, I'm not," I lie. She sends me a look and I cave. "Yes, I'm thinking about him. All I do is think about him, dammit!" I'm so frustrated with myself. Crying my eyes out in this place isn't an option.
Vanessa pulls me into a hug and whispers into my ear, "Just tonight, Lyn. Forget everything. Forget him. Please. You deserve this."
It's supposed to calm me down. Distract me so that I really believe that one night of fun could help. And it works.
We go back out into the club and Nessa pulls me straight to the dancefloor. We dance, drink and dance some more. This morning I never thought I'd be at a club at the end of the night, dancing, drinking, making conversation with random people and most of all I had no idea it would be Nick's place.
After probably hours of dancing, Nick invites Nessa and I up to the VIP section. I must admit he has good taste in interior design as I'm guessing he had to approve the plans for the place.
The VIP section is almost dark except for the dim coloured lights circling the room. In the center is a quadrangle of long, black leather sofas with a small glass table in the midst. The entire club can be seen from up here.
"Oh my gosh, Lyn! This is awesome!" Nessa squeals in my ear. She does that a lot. Can't control her excitement, no doubt.
"Glad you like it, Vanessa," Nick says from behind us.
"Please, call me Nessa," she says with a wide smile and much enthusiasm. I think she drank too much. She excuses herself, saying something about calling Lee then looking for her cousin. I probably shouldn't let her drunk dial but she's gone before I can stop her.
Leaving me alone with Nick.
It's only Nick. I shouldn't be nervous but I am. He's standing really close to me and looking at me with dark smouldering eyes. I look away, back down at the dancing bodies on the dancefloor.
"I must admit, I didn't think I'd see you again for a long time," he says.
Still looking into the crowd, I reply, "Well I don't come to these parts very often."
"But your parents-"
"I speak to them regularly," I interrupt.
"But don't you think going to see them every once in a while would be nice?"
"I do see them once in a while," I retort. I thought he would notice my sharp tone and drop the subject but he continues.
"I don't mean to be nosy or upset you," he says, calmly. "I'm sorry. I just think you should go there more. They're your parents."
I inhale deeply and close my eyes. "I know," I whisper. More to myself than to him.
An uncomfortable silence follows. Then he asks me to dance and I accept. For two reasons: one; because you don't turn down the owner of the club when he asks you to dance and two; because Nessa's voice is in the back of my head saying I should.
Before I know it we're swaying along to the music.
I idly wonder why the room is empty. It's a club opening. Meaning, Nick and his important people are suppose to be up here toasting and celebrating.
"If I didn't know any better I would think you put a do not disturb sign on at the entrance of this room," I joke.
"Good thing you know better." He chuckles. "The truth is there are three VIP rooms. This one's reserved for me and any special invite I want. In a very interesting turn of events that's you." I don't know what to say to that. "I'm glad you came, Evelyn," he says, spinning me around.
I haven't danced like this in a while. It doesn't feel right. Not with him.
Nessa was wrong. This night hasn't helped. If anything it makes me realise how much I miss Marcel. This night is a distraction. But you could say I have a short attention span for anything not concerning him.
I look up at Nick. Unable to respond to him. His gaze holds mine and I can't look away.
"Evelyn," he says in a low and raspy voice. "Are you okay?"
The question is unexpected. It feels like he can see through me. Am I okay? No. Should I have told him that?
"No," I blurt out. "No, I'm not." I feel the tears brimming behind my eyelids, trying to force their way out. But I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Not here.
We stop dancing and he pulls me closer to him. His lips at my ear. "I could tell."
"How?" I wonder aloud, pulling back. But I don't wait for his reply. It must have been obvious on my face. "I think I should go. Nessa's probably drinking too much and I should find her and take her home."
I'm already backing away from him. He hesitates but lets me go. I need air and I need to take it far from him. From Nick van Hale who looks at me with a look in his eyes that shouldn't be there.
I hurry down the stairs and look around for Nessa. I spot her near the bar, of course. She's with two women laughing and drinking.
I walk over to them.
"Well look who finally got enough of Mr Hot Stuff!" Nessa exclaims, throwing her arms around me. "Lyn, this is my long lost cousin, Linda. Haha, Lyn and Linda." I roll my eyes and laugh along with the short blonde woman she introduces as her cousin and the tall model looking woman next to her. "Oh and this is her best friend, Ariel."
"Nice to meet you both. I'm never letting her drink again," I tell Nessa.
We talk a bit and then I tell Nessa that she's had enough and it's time to go. She says I sound like her mother telling her she'd had enough cookies for the night and it's time for bed. She's lucky it's a Friday night. The hangover she's going to have will need a weekend to cure it.
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