Eva
I freshened up in the bathroom as I talked to Carlos on the other side of the room.
"How did you even find them?" I asked him, hoping to get an answer other than--
"Internet."
I dashed out of the bathroom.
"What!?"
"There's a missing people's page on the internet. I had Luis look at them, that was how he came across yours and Nate's profile."
I moved closer to him,
"Can I see it?" I asked curiously.
He nodded and opened the page on his phone, then showed it to me.
There were old photos of Nate, he must have been 4 at the time,...and then there more of me."
"This still doesn't prove anything." I look up at Carlos, "I don't remember any of those people, I don't even remember taking these photos.." I glanced down at my hands, saying, "I know how this always ends, very soon they are going to find out it was a mistake and then treat us like frauds...I can't have Nate go through that cycle again."
"That won't happen." he assured me.
"Do you have any proof that any of this is truth?"
"I had them tested.." He said.
"DNA test?"
He hummed in response,
"And, it came out positive?"
He hummed again in response.
I was surprised.
"So they are really my grandparents?"
He nodded,
"Your paternal grandparents. Your father was Joe Harry Packer, their only son, and your mother was Hellen Rose Packer, they worked at a cable company in New York. One holiday they got in a car and it crashed."
I stood up and paced around frantically.
"Why don't I remember?" My head was spinning suddenly. I couldn't explain what was happening,
"You and Nate were in the back seat of the car when it happened, and after the accident you suffered a major shock which led to your psychosis, and partial memory loss."
I was in shock.
I always just assumed our parents left us, that was what we were made to believe in all those foster homes,
If any of it is true, why couldn't anyone find us, all these years?
I just burst in tears.
Carlos came and held me as I whimpered bitterly.
Then he pulled away and made me sit.
He went to pour me a glass of water to calm me down and feed it to me, like I was some fragile thing.
I couldn't understand him.
I stop drinking and he took the glass away,
"Why?" I asked, to my dismay, "Why are you being so nice to me? Why aren't you treating me like Scarlett?"
Silence.
"Why is my fate different from Scarlett's?" I added.
He sighed,
"Do you want me to treat you like Scarlett?"
"No, but--"
"Drop it--" He cut in and wandered to take his pills, seeming irritated with me all of a sudden.
I scoff, staring at him.
"You are never going to forgive me, are you?"
He doesn't say anything at first,
"If that's the case why are you being so nice to me? Why give such hope? Is this my own punishment?" My voice came out slow and quiet.
"Eva, we don't have to talk about this." he tried to ignore it, but I was done ignoring the elephant in the room.
"I love you." I said rather too quickly, his eyes drifted to me, but the expression on his face was stagnant, almost like he couldn't decide what to do with me anymore.
I felt the biggest relief, like a huge weight was just lifted off my chest.
"I love you Carlos." I repeated for the thrill of that feeling again, "I didn't realize it before but now I do, I love you." I search for a response in his face.
But nothing came through which bothered me a lot, was it one-sided?
"Even, You don't have to lie to get me to forgive you." He said and my heart shattered.
"What?"
"You don't have to lie to me." He said again, It angered me that he would say a thing like that after I confessed my feelings to him. I didn't expect him to reciprocate but neither did I expect that cold response.
My eyes grew teary.
"What makes you think that I would lie about something like that?"
He didn't respond which made me angrier.
"Why won't you believe me?"
His reaction never changed, it was almost like he didn't believe a word I said.
I didn't blame him,
All I've done from the moment we met is lie to him. But now I'm being honest and I don't how to make him believe me again,
Tears that had gathered my eyes, began trickling down her cheeks.
"I get why you would choose not to believe anything I say, but this me being honest with you...how do I make you trust me again? What do I do so you can understand that I sincerely love you and that I'm not just saying this because I want you to forgive me? Yes, I want to forgive me but I'm not so selfish as to lie just to get you to forgive me. Carlos, I'm going to wait as long as you want, until you come to trust me again. But I really do love you." I choked in my tears.
He came over and cupped my face in his hands, then he lightly wiped tears off my cheeks using both his thumbs.
"That's enough..Stop crying." he whispered softly, that wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but it was fine. He kept wiping my tears, "You look very English when you cry."
I chuckled groggily and reached to feel his rough hands on my face, "You're allowed to say cheesy."
An equal smile appeared on his face.
Then, he just stared at me.
"Eva, I brought here to say goodbye, and you are making it very difficult."
I went pale.
"Goodbye?"
He nodded,
"It's urgent I return to Milan..."
"For the war?" I asked and he hummed in response. I panicked,
"I have to take my men to battle." He added.
"Uhm, let me come with you, I-I really don't want to stay here."
"Eva, I brought you home so you would be safe amongst your family."
I shook my head frantically,
"I don't care, I-I want to be with you." Now I was certain Nate was safe I didn't want to stay.
"No."
I was annoyed, "Why, why won't you let me fight, you've taught me everything I need to know."
He chuckled in amusement,
"In a battlefront, you won't raise an arm." he said.
"Are you saying I'm weak?" I scoffed and hit him playfully.
"I'm saying you're not prepared for war." he remained adamant.
I sighed and went to sit somewhere in the corner, in panic, my worst nightmare was finally in front of me. How was I supposed to remain still knowing Carlos could lose his life in the war?
I was sitting on the bed twiddling my thumbs together nervously. Carlos sensed my fear and came to hold me in his arms, each of us didn't say anything.
Everything was fading so quickly.
I was feeling frantic. I didn't want to stay without him. I didn't want him to leave either, what was I to do?