Eva woke up early the next morning and trudged to the washroom to freshen up. With the wedding scheduled in the morning, there was no time to spare. Last night, Maxwell was in a terrible mood and refused to talk to her on their way home. Eva didn’t talk to him, although she was bursting with curiosity to know why he hated Alexander so much. Surely it wasn’t because of an immature fight! How did she not see through him earlier?
Her condition had improved, but the memory of Alexander weeping by her bedside drove her crazy. She looked for her mobile phone everywhere, but strangely, it was nowhere to be found. Maxwell’s sisters brought her breakfast to her room and ensured that she had her fill.
“Have you seen my phone, Kendall?” she asked, but Kendall shrugged, looking clueless.
“Did you leave it at the hospital? I’ll ask, bro.” Eva didn’t remember seeing it after Alexander visited her in the hospital. She was too upset to keep track.
“I haven’t seen it for the last couple of days,” she admitted. What if Alexander was calling her? She needed her mobile phone immediately.
“Maybe Max has it. I’ll ask him later. First, let’s help you with the bath,” said Katie.
“I can manage, please.” Eva was adamant and refused all help. She missed Alyssa like a sore thumb now. For almost two hours, Eva didn’t have a minute to spare as Maxwell’s family rushed her around, getting her ready before the officiant arrived. Thankfully, the nausea didn’t hit her since last night and she could save her energy to face the day.
She sighed, staring at her pale, distraught reflection in the mirror while they fixed her hair. There was absolutely no happiness in her dull, hollow eyes and Kendall frowned, looking at her.
“I’m sure you can smile, Eva. Aren’t you feeling better today?” she prodded, but Eva sighed, her eyes filling up with tears.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying? Do you want to talk to bro?” asked Katie worriedly.
“Please, can you get me my phone? Please?” she begged desperately. They eyed one another and Kendall kneeled down before her.
“We asked bro, but he said he hasn’t seen it. He has asked your nurse at the hospital. I’m sure we will find it soon.”
“Do you want me to call Hayley and Skylar? They should be here any minute now,” asked Gabriella.
“No, you help me, Gabby. They will be here soon,” said Katie. Kendall looked at Eva with concern but stood up, not wanting to talk in front of her sisters. Eva was restless, unable to sit through and get ready for her doomsday. She couldn’t marry Maxwell and had to find an avenue to escape.
Maxwell’s sisters fixed her hair up in a French knot and adorned it with beautiful jeweled accessories.
“Smile Eva. Is anything bothering you?” asked Katie, but Eva shook her head. Katie sighed and left the room to grab some breakfast. Gabriella went to get the makeup kit, leaving Kendall alone with Eva. This was the opportunity she was looking for. In the last few days, Eva was always busy, sick, or surrounded by people and she had to postpone this talk.
“Don’t you want to marry my brother Eva? Do you not love him? For the last two weeks, I’ve never seen you and bro together the way a happily engaged couple should be. Aren’t you guys expecting your first child together?” she asked in a low, hushed tone. Eva looked up at her with surprise. She hadn’t expected Kendall to see through her. Was this the opportunity she was looking for? Could Kendall help her?
“You can tell me, Eva. I know Maxwell isn’t happy with you, but what I cannot understand is why he is marrying you.”
“You’re right. We don’t love one another,” sighed Eva.
“Then are you marrying him because of your pregnancy?” Eva nodded and Kendall hugged her to comfort her.
“Then you have nothing to fear, Eva. Bro is very caring and will be the best dad for his child. You will grow to love one another,” she consoled Eva, who slowly shook her head.
“It isn’t his child.” Shocked at the roots of her hair, Kendall released her.
“What do you mean? Aren’t you pregnant with Maxwell’s baby?”
Eva slowly shook her head. “No, I love someone else, and this is his baby. He was marrying someone else and I couldn’t get through to him. Maxwell offered to marry me for the baby’s sake and I accepted. Now I have realized that it was all a misunderstanding. The one I love, Alexander Van Every, isn’t marrying anyone else. He wants to marry me.” Kendall listened with her jaws dropped to the floor.
“Wait, a minute! Did you say, Alexander Van Every? It’s the same guy who injured bro and sent him to the hospital, right?” Eva nodded in surprise. So Kendall knew Alexander!
“Now I get it. Bro hates that man. He isn’t releasing you to marry Alexander,” said Kendall. Eva burst into tears helplessly, unable to hold them back any longer. “Don’t cry, Eva. I can now understand what’s going on. Do you want to marry Alexander?”
“Yes, please. I’ll be indebted to you if you help me. If not for my sake, please help this innocent baby who needs its real father. If I marry Maxwell, I will surely die,” she whispered hoarsely in between sobs. “Alexander has been trying to contact me, but I don’t have my mobile phone with me.”
“Do you want to talk to him?” asked Kendall and Eva nodded gratefully, wiping her tears away. “Here, take my phone. Talk to him quickly before Katie returns.” She handed Eva her phone and Eva eagerly punched in Alexander’s number. However, even after three calls, he did not accept her call. Katie, Penny, and Gabriella came into the room along with Maxwell’s mom and Eva returned Kendall her phone.
“What’s wrong, Eva? Aren’t you feeling well?” asked Maxwell’s mom.
“She’s getting emotional and nervous, mom,” said Kendall with a smile.
“Oh, that happens on your big day. Your friends are here. They’ll join you in a minute after breakfast.”
“Yes, maybe her pregnant hormones are playing up as well. I used to feel super weepy during my pregnancy,” said Penny. Kendall’s phone buzzed with an incoming call and she paled after checking the caller ID. Eva looked at her expectantly, but she smiled and left the room to take the call.
The rest of them fussed over Eva while Katie worked on her makeup. Although she was curious about that phone call, Kendall didn’t return and she couldn’t ask her. The powerful smell of makeup made her nauseated again, and it was a struggle to get her ready.
“Just apply the basic, Katie. She looks so pretty, I doubt she needs any makeup,” said aunt Gloria, who had come into the room. Eva smiled at her thankfully while her eyes searched for Kendall. They helped her with the beautiful flared wedding dress with a sequined bodice. The sheer neckline and the floral motifs on the skirt gave the dress a romantic and ethereal look. Gabriella fixed the diamond earrings that aunt Claudia had bought for her.
As they fixed the veil, aunt Claudia came into the room but she looked a little pale as if dreading something.
“You’re looking so beautiful, my dear,” she said, wrapping her in her arms. Eva felt her throat choke up with unshed tears and wanted to tell her what was bugging her. “Smile and everything will be fine,” aunt Claudia whispered into her ear before releasing her. Eva gave her a quizzical look, unable to understand what she meant by that last statement.
“Is Maxwell ready?” asked his mom.
“Yes, but he just received an important phone call.”
“Is the officiant here?” asked aunt Gloria and aunt Claudia shook her head.
“It’s just 9:50 in the morning. I’m sure he will be here in another twenty minutes.”
Strangely, Hayley, Sienna, and Skylar didn’t come in to see her even once and Eva felt more upset.
“What’s keeping them from meeting me even once before the wedding?” asked Eva, feeling totally lost.
“Their mobile phones. What else? Today’s generation can survive without food but not without their smartphones.” They all agreed and scolded Gabriella, Katie, and Penny while Eva wondered what was cooking between them. Without her own phone, she couldn’t even message them.
“Have you taken your medicines, Eva?” asked Maxwell’s mom, sitting down with her.
“Yes, aunt Kristina.”
“Are you not happy, Eva? Just give it time. You’ll feel better after the first trimester.” Eva smiled, unable to tell her the actual cause of her woes. Aunt Claudia, too, sat down with them as they waited for the officiant to arrive.
“It’s okay to feel anxious, dear. After all, a handful of lucky people get to marry the one they love. You are one of them,” said aunt Claudia, making Eva’s jaws drop with surprise. What was aunt Claudia talking about when she knew it wasn’t Maxwell she loved? Was she implying something?