November 29, 1941
As weeks went by, I started to get closer to the new recruits more than my friends. Of course I talked to my friends a couple of times, but most of my day was hanging out with the others.
I haven't really spoken to Evelyn, nor Danny of that matter, but it still hurt when I heard that Evelyn and Danny were with each other. Weather it be a beach date, or an actual date.
But, every time one of the nurses brought it up and how I felt, I brushed it off and smiled saying I was fine.
I sighed rubbing my temples trying to ease my headache away from looking at paperwork and medical charts for my shift. I advert my gaze from the papers to the clock, which read a quarter till 11.
"This is exactly why I despise working night shifts." I mumble to myself as stand up and brush off my pencil skirt and leaving my desk for a break.
As I was walking down the hallway to the kitchen, I felt someone lightly tap my shoulder as I jumped a bit in surprise. I turn around to see someone I didn't expect to be here, especially so late.
"I heard you have night shift, so I thought I could come over and help you for a bit." She said.
Every fiber in my body wanted me to turn back around and head to the kitchen to avoid her as much as possible, but knowing Evelyn like the back of my hand, I knew that it was impossible.
Emotions ran through my body as they all fought for dominance. Sadness, anger, hurt, annoyance, all of it.
"Umm, sure, I mean I don't have that much left, but I guess." I say simply.
I turned back around and headed for the kitchen, and as I started walking, I heard a pair of black pumps clicking on the tile floor as they walked next to me.
Knowing it was Evelyn, I didn't say anything to her and just kept my thoughts to myself as we arrived in the kitchen.
From the time I was in there making myself some supper, the tension in the air was so thick and awkward, that not just an ordinary kitchen knife would be able to slice through it.
Evelyn cleared her throat, clearly sensing the awkward tension, and came over to me as she started putting away the meat and cheese, that I already put on my sandwich, and returned to her spot.
I knew that one day I would have to talk to Evelyn, I just didn't expect it to be this early for this matter.
"I heard you haven't been feeling well the last passed month." Evelyn said.
I could only nod my head at her statement, telling her that she heard right. I haven't been feeling the greatest throughout the month, but I shook it off and took some ibuprofen.
Of course, it was nothing out of the ordinary, nausea, excessive eating, headaches and mood swings.
Although I did have a suspicion of what I might have, but I wasn't sick. I have been stressed out more, and it has definitely taken a toll on me.
"Yeah, but I also heard from the other nurses that you threw up this morning." I tell her, as I grab a fresh ripe pineapple from the counter and started making pineapple chunks. I offered a piece to Evelyn and she gratefully took it, muttering a thank you.
"Yeah I haven't." She said.
I looked from the corner of my eye as I saw her combing her fingers through her hair and tidying up her skirt, signaling that she was nervous and wasn't telling me anything.
I sighed and placed the sliced fruit onto my plate, with my sandwich on it, and headed back to my desk to finish my work.
"They told me you came out of the bathroom looking a bit pale." I say as I walked with her.
"Yeah, it's nothing, just something didn't sit in my stomach, but enough of that, how have you been? It has felt forever since we talked." She said, changing the topic.
I only nodded my head, knowing I didn't want to push her with more questions.
The rest of the walk was silent, but once I got there and set my sandwich down onto the desk, Evelyn turned to me as I did the same as she held nervousness in her eyes.
I furrow my brows in confused.
"Em, I need to ask you something."
I knew this wasn't going to be good, since she sounded serious. I gulped silently and nodded my head for her to go ahead and ask me the question.
"Why have you been avoiding me?"
My heart sunk to my stomach as I looked away from her and back at the desk.
"I've been busy, plus you've been," my words caught in my throat as I tried to form them, but I cleared my throat and started again. "you've been busy yourself lately, so I didn't want to bother you." I answered her.
Her eyebrows furrowed and her nervousness turned into confusion, but nonetheless, she nodded.
"Can I ask you something?" She asked a couple minutes later.
I glance at her, then back to my work.
"Sure, what is it?"
She looked down, then back at me as she played with her fingers.
"Do you hate me?"
I stopped working and looked at her with wide eyes. I was speechless.
"Why do you think I hate you?" I asked her.
She looked down for a second, then back at me.
"You haven't talked to me in the passed months, so I thought you hated me." She said mumbling the last bit.
I looked at her with a frozen look, then I scoffed lightly and kept my gaze at my feet.
"I never hated you." I said quietly.
It was loud enough to reach her ears because her head snapped up and looked at me.
"What?" She said.
"I never hated you," I repeated. "You've been everywhere and I haven't had time to talk to you plus, I've been working more and helping the new recruits that I just didn't have time to talk to you. I'm sorry if it felt that way." I tell her.
I look back up at her and she gives me a small smile before pulling me out of the chair I was sitting in and pulled me into a tight hug.
I was surprised at first, but hugged back.
She pulled away and held a big smile on her face.
We talked for a bit longer, and by the time she left the hospital, it was 11:30.
It was around 11:45 when I finished my work, but I couldn't help myself think about what Evelyn asked me.
I couldn't tell Evelyn that I hated her being with Danny, but I wouldn't admit it to her either.
It was still a difficult topic to talk about, but I couldn't tell Evelyn that Danny is mine and that she needs to back off, when her heart belonged to him, while his heart belonged to her.
Suddenly, a rush of emotions flooded my body as negative thoughts took a part of it. What if's and theories flew left and right in my brain, making me sick to my stomach.
I shook my head to rid the thoughts and headed out of the hospital. I was ready to head home, take a nice warm bath, then sleep.
I started walking down the steps when I saw a silhouette standing at the bottom.
Fear started crawling up in my stomach with each step I took down, but once I got closer to the bottom, I could make out who the person was, and when I did, my heart stopped as I froze in place.
"Hi."
I was at loss of words.
Why did he decide to show up this late?
Was he looking for Evelyn?
Was he going to apologize?
Or worse of all,
Was he going to tell me he never loved me and break up with me?
Even though Danny was with Evelyn, my heart still fluttered when I saw him and still held a bit of hope that he still loves me.
"Danny, what are you doing here so late?" I ask him as my voice cracked a bit.
He looks down, then back at me.
"I just thought I'd stop by, since Evelyn told me you were here and were under a lot of stress."He said.
I swallowed dryly and walked down the rest of the steps and stopped in front of him, keeping distance, much to his dismay.
"At this hour? I'm lost for words, why now and not in the morning?" Questions flew through my lips as word vomit as they came out so quick.
"I was taking a night stroll to clear my head, when I ran into Evelyn and told me that you were still at the hospital." He answered.
Every time Evelyn's name came out from his lips, my heart broke a bit more.
I licked my lips lightly and looked into his chocolate brown eyes.
"Well, I was and I think it's okay for you to head back to your barracks before you get in trouble." I say trying not to sound harsh as I started walking away from him.
The sound of rushing footsteps made its way towards me as they slowed to match my pace.
"I don't think I will, just let me walk you home." He insisted.
The more he was next to me, the more my heart cried out for him, but my brain was tangled and screaming at him to go away, not wanting to risk my heart breaking even more.
I started walking a bit faster.
"No, it's okay, I'll be fine, besides, the house isn't that far." I tell him trying to reassure him, but he kept persisting.
"Well, what's the point in asking to walk me home, when you pretty much are." I tell him.
He chuckles, which causes my heart beat to quicken.
"Fair point."
After awhile, it got quiet and the silence started to get annoying, but none of us brave enough to speak to the other.
Finally we make it to the house and as I walk up the steps, he follows me and stops when I do, giving me a good look of him.
But, one question has been on my mind since the beginning of our walk.
"Why did you walk me home in the first place?" I ask him.
He looks at me with confusion.
"Because it was getting dark." He answered.
I had to inwardly roll my eyes.
I know he was just being a gentleman, but I felt like there was more to the story.
"Really?" I asked him unconvinced.
He nodded his head, keeping his mouth shut, so instead of playing his little game, I said a quick goodnight to him and started opening the door, but he caught my wrist causing me to flinch and pull it back.
"Okay, I wanted to ask you a question." He answered me.
I nodded my head.
"Why haven't you talked to me this last month? Is something wrong?" He asked me.
That was the final straw and I couldn't help, but let my emotions take over me.
"You wanna know the reason why I haven't spoke to you last month? Well, it's simple, you broke my heart and broke the trust I had for you, as you lost every ounce of respect from me.
My heart couldn't take it anymore. I had to lie to Evelyn today because she asked me the same question you did. I couldn't tell her that the man I fell in LOVE with was with her all the time and the fact that I can't stand next to BOTH of you after what I witness one night and I can't seem to get the image of my head as my BEST FRIEND in the whole world was UNDER the man I grew to love and respect, kissing romantically on a clear October night in the DAMN parachute hangers!
I can't take it anymore Danny! My heart can't anymore heartbreak! Everything fell apart when you and Evelyn got together. What's funny is that I know you fell in love with her, and vise versa.
I know this because I can hear Evelyn talk about her WONDERFUL night out as she talks fondly of you and how you would look into her eyes with love and adoration, while I'm in my bed crying as flashes of that night pop into my head! But for some reason, I can't seem to hate you, because my heart wouldn't be able to take it.
I hope you and her are happy, because I don't want to see another tear fall from Evelyn's cheek as she talks about her heart breaking. That is the reason why I have been avoiding both of you."
Once I finished my confession, it felt like a weight was lifted off my chest, but when I did, tears were streaming down my cheeks, as my mascara was running.
Danny was looking at the ground as he stood there silently.
I didn't expect him to utter a word, after what I said.
I tried to wipe my tears, but when I did, more tears flowed down my pink cheeks.
"I'm sorry." I heard Danny say as his voice cracked.
"Don't be, you made your decision, so it's time for you to stay with it." I tell him.
I turn my back on him and opened the door to walk in the house, when he said three words that made my heart completely shatter.
"I love you."
I didn't turn around to look at him, knowing my heart couldn't take it and said,
"You LOVED me, you are in LOVE with Evelyn. There is a difference."
With that, I opened the door and walked into the house, shut the door behind me, and slid down it. I brought my knees to my chest as fresh new tears rolled down my face as I started to sob.
~
IM ALIVE!
Sorry for such the long wait!
I hope this chapter made it up for you, anyways, thanks for waiting this long and reading my story, I appreciate it and I hope you've enjoyed the chapters!
As always, have a great day where ever you are!
-NewWriterOnTheBlock_
(Word count: 2445)
I do not own 'Pearl Harbor' or the characters in the movie.