No, you won’t go anywhere alone. Wait till I get a job. We’ll move away together,” said Alyssa, cleaning up the broken shreds of ceramic. Eva stood dazed, Alexander’s conversation with his dad having affected her a lot. She did not know that he had plans of getting back together with Beatrix after a year. It broke her heart as she realized Alexander was just temporarily playing with her emotions, taking advantage of her feelings for him. She really was a rebound for him!
“Why would you leave, Alyssa? This is your dad’s apartment,” said Eva brokenly. She decided now that she would have nothing to do with Alexander Van Every. She wouldn’t be his plaything for a year.
“I’ll leave because of you. I want us to stay together, Eva.” Eva wiped the tears from her eyes, overwhelmed by her friend’s words. No one loved her more than Alyssa did. She was the only one in the entire world who cared for her!
“I’ll stay till you get a job, Alyssa.” The two friends hugged one another, both having tears in their eyes. Alyssa knew what her friend was going through, having heard her brother’s conversation with their dad. She wanted to give Alexander a piece of her mind for playing with her friend’s feelings, but he didn’t return after seeing their dad off.
“I’m going to sleep. It’s late,” said Eva.
“I’ll call up granny to see what she wants,” said Alyssa. Her maternal grandparents, Jane and Keith Foster, lived in San Jose, California, where they ran a hobby center together. The last few years that she was there, she had actively helped them run it to the best of her capabilities, but it wasn’t her forte. She didn’t wish to run it all her life.
Eva nodded and trudged towards her room while Alyssa went to her bedroom to search for her phone. Finding it, she sat down to call her granny, but her eyes widened at seeing five missed calls from her. Quickly she called back as a sense of dread washed over her. Were they alright?
“Hello, granny. Did you call? I’m sorry, the phone was in silent mode earlier,” she said anxiously.
“Yes, thank God you called back. I called you five times. I’m at the hospital. Your grandpa had a fall and fractured his hip bone. Can you come down as soon as possible, dear? I can’t manage everything all by myself. The fracture will take time to heal,” said her granny.
“Oh, that’s bad. I’ll come down, but I won’t reach before tomorrow. Who’s with you now?”
“Trent is here with me, but his wife has given birth and he is quite busy,” said her granny. Trent Delaney was their neighbor’s son who lived right beside them and helped them all the time.
“Ask him for help till I get there.”
Alyssa disconnected the call and messaged her brother that she would have to leave for California immediately. In five minutes, he came down to talk to her. Eva could hear his voice from her room and wondered what they were arguing about. Finally, curiosity got the better of her and she went out to check, hoping it wasn’t about her.
“Good, that you haven’t gone to sleep, Eva. I’m going to California to my grandparents’ house right away. My grandpa had a fall and granny had to admit him to the hospital. She needs me there immediately,” said Alyssa. Eva’s eyes widened as she realized what that meant. She would have to move out immediately. She couldn’t stay here without her friend. How would she face Daniel Van Every when he came over to check the next day?
“Oh, that’s bad. Have you packed up? I think even I’ll pack up and leave with you. I don’t want your dad to come and see me here tomorrow,” said Eva, her face still pale and haggard. She ignored Alexander completely ever since she overheard that conversation.
“Where will you go in the middle of the night? You can stay till you find a place of your own,” scolded Alyssa, but Eva was determined.
“No, you don’t understand. I can’t stay here,” she walked away towards her room to pack up.
“You won’t go anywhere. Till Lisa returns, you will stay with me at my apartment,” growled Alexander like an order. Eva froze in her tracks, unable to move, unable to think straight. What? Did Alexander really suggest that after everything that happened earlier?
She slowly turned to see Alyssa’s jaw-dropped stare. Then her gaze fell on Alexander, who looked upset, haggard, and stressed. With his eyes red and swollen, Eva couldn’t fathom whether he had been drinking or crying, or maybe both!
“Stay with me in my penthouse. It’s huge, and it belongs only to me. You can pay me some rent if you want till Lisa returns,” he offered eagerly, his eyes searching her shocked face.
“That’s an excellent offer. Please accept it, Eva. I don’t want you to house hunt now,” said Alyssa.
“No, I don’t want to be a burden to him. What if uncle Daniel finds me there? What if his ex-fiancee finds me there? After all, he will marry her after a year. I don’t want to cause problems in his life.”
“You won’t be a problem at all. I’m not giving you a choice, Eva. I’ll carry you home if the need arises,” threatened Alexander. Alyssa sighed and got up to help him carry out his threat.
“I’ll pack her off to your place before leaving, bro,” she said, feeling guilty about the whole thing.
“Look, I have a job and some inheritance money. I’m not helpless at all! I can move into the staff quarters of Bellevue. Please stop this immediately. I’m not moving in with him,” she protested, but Alyssa stormed into her room with her brother.
“Those are like matchboxes and you won’t be able to live there for long.” She started packing Eva’s stuff instead of her own, disregarding her protests. “I’ll die worrying about you if you don’t move in with Alex. Don’t interact with him. Just pay him rent and stay at his place till I return.”
“I can rent an affordable place of my own, Alyssa. Why can’t you understand?” she muttered.
“The rent will be quite affordable, don’t worry,” said Alexander gruffly.
“I don’t need your pity, Alexander. I can afford a place of my own.”
“Don’t be stubborn, Eva. I don’t want you to stay with a bad crowd again. You will stay at my place and that’s final,” argued Alexander while Alyssa packed like a lunatic, not her own stuff but Eva’s!
“You are no one to dictate me around. For God’s sake, stop this Alyssa!” said Eva, but she handed her luggage over to her brother.
“Just take her with you, bro,” she pleaded. “I don’t want you to starve yourself for days, Eva. That’s what you’ve done for the past four years, but not anymore. Your health is improving and I want to see you this way when I return. For my mental peace, please can you let Alex take care of you?” said her friend, with tears in her eyes. All the fight left Eva’s body after that speech. She felt touched deep inside to know how much her best friend felt for her!
“Alright. I’ll stay with Alexander till you return, Alyssa. Now smile and go to your granny. She needs you more. Give my love and best wishes to both of them. Call me when you reach,” she said as Alexander strode off with her luggage, his face softening and a smile playing on her lips. Was he bipolar or what?
“Yes, I will. Now go.” Alyssa pushed her out and closed her door. Her flight was in three hours and she needed to pack as fast as possible.
Eva followed Alexander to the elevator but couldn’t say a word to him. Her throat was choked with painful emotions and all the hope she had been feeling earlier crumbled to dust. However, she couldn’t understand why he wanted her to live with him. Did he wish to have a short fling with her before marrying Beatrix? Maybe to give Beatrix a dose of her own medicine for betraying him! Wouldn’t he feel guilty for using her?
Alexander watched the flitting emotions on her face with guilt. He just wished he didn’t have that conversation with his dad earlier. He could have told her everything over their dinner date in his own way. Gazing at her downcast eyes, he knew that however much he tried, she wouldn’t talk to him right now. It was better to allow her to settle down first. He would slowly talk to her later and try to convince her of his intentions.
Being with Beatrix had been his compulsion, but not anymore. He wouldn’t get back to her at all, even after a year, no matter what her father and Desmond Rotterdam did to blackmail him.
He would definitely admit his feelings to Eva. He had to take advantage of this situation and win her over. It was his only chance with her.