Evelyn showered and got ready for bed. She laid down on her satin sheets. She wasn't tired though her mind was racing with the night's events.
She was so angry with what she saw. She couldn't get the image of her traitorous husband out of her mind. When she threw open the door she received far more than she bargained for. Their embarrassed faces gave her little comfort.
How dare he take that woman to their house? The place they built together. How could he have used their marital bed. The thought made her sick.
She felt like a fool. How could she have not noticed? Wouldn't any woman have seen the signs of her cheating husband?
She tried to remember their interactions from the past year. He was working late more and went on more meetings. He had more business trips. They didn't sleep together as much, but her sex drive had basically become nonexistent when she took the anti-depressants.
Evelyn felt so humiliated. Those were the signs. All the times that he was away, or he had to work late. He must have been with her. She was happy when Shawn seemed to understand her lack of desire to become intimate. She thought he was being supportive. It made sense why he didn't care now.
She thought she could trust him. So much so that she believed his lies, his excuses. She trusted that he wouldn't do that to her.
"I'm so stupid," she said into the darkness. Interestingly enough she felt more humiliated than heartbroken. She didn't understand why. With how much she loved him she would believe that she would be more broken up that he had ended their relationship.
Maybe on a subconscious level she knew the dynamics of their relationship had changed. She had become so focused on her loss and her work that she had neglected their relationship. Maybe she had wanted this. Her subconscious wanted to get away from Shawn.
She got up and went through her jewelry. She pulled out a diamond necklace that used to belong to her mother. She put it on. When she needed strength she wore this. It made her feel like her mother was there.
"Ma, I miss you. What am I supposed to do now?" She whispered. Pain seared through her heart. The pain of losing her mother never healed, it didn't get easier.
"Ma, tell me what am I supposed to do?' She whispered as her voice choked on a sob. She cried into her pillow and she fell asleep when she exhausted her tears.
Her dreams started pleasantly that night. She dreamt she was back in her childhood, walking along the beach with her mom. This was a recurring dream that made her happy. It was something that her and her mom had done together, just the two of them.
Her mom would hold her hand as she would skip across the sand. The water would lap at their feet as they walked. It was so peaceful.
As she was walking along the beach with her mother she saw a a bundle of blankets on the shore. The water was gently touching it.
[WARNING: NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS CONTAIN CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING]
Little Evelyn went to the little bundle with her mother in tow. When she picked it up she saw that it was no ordinary bundle of blankets.
Inside were the parts of a body. A bloody face of a baby came into view as she dropped the bundle. The expression indicated that the baby was crying, but no sounds came out of the lifeless head.
The image of her mother warped into something terrifying as it flew as her. Her mother turned into a doctor with a surgical mask and a bloody scalpel. Evelyn screamed as she woke up.
[END OF DISTURBING CONTENT]
Her hair was matted to her head by her sweat. She was breathing heavily. Her hand was pressed against her chest. She squeezed her eyes shut hoping that that would stop the onslaught of images.
The door was thrown open and that made her jump more. Jinhai was at the door surveying the scene in front of him. Evelyn was shaking on the bed.
"Hey, its okay." He said. He held his hands up and slowly went toward her. She just continued to breathe as he walked toward her. She didn't stop him. When he got to the edge of the bed, he wrapped his arms around her.
She allowed him to hold her against his chest. He gently rocked her back and forth against his chest.
"It's okay, shh," he said as he rocked her gently. After a while she finally relaxed. It was amazing what fear could do to a person. She had originally wanted to deal with his on her own, but while she was in the face of fear, she suddenly welcomed the comfort that Jinhai offered her.
"I'll be right back," he said when she was sure that she was okay. He went to get her a damp towel and a cup of water.
He handed her the water then gently dabbed her skin.
"Do you feel better?" He asked her.
"A little." She answered.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked. She shook her head. She felt calmer and even though she didn't want to feel grateful for him, she did.
He sat on the edge of the bed while she drank her water. She handed it to him and he put it against her night stand. Then she got back into bed and pulled the covers around her.
He tucked her in and then kissed her forehead. The gesture helped bring a wave of calm over her. Then he turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" She asked him.
"Back to the guest room." He said. He paused, her face registered her fear of being alone right now. Her doe eyes were wide and her lips trembled slightly. His face softened and he gave a gentle smile.
"Do you want me to stay?" He asked her in the gentlest voice she ever heard. She nodded. He went to close the light and then walked back to the bed. He pulled back the covers and got in. She scooted over to give him room.
When he was comfortable she leaned against him, placing her head on his arm. He looked at her. He couldn't see her because his eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark but he didn't move.
Truth be told he was actually very happy right now. He felt like she was a little more accepting of him than she was almost a week ago.
"Jinhai?" Her small voice cut through the darkness.
"What's up?" He asked her. There was a pause before she answered.
"Do you remember my mom?" She asked. He was slightly taken aback.
"Why do you ask?" He asked her.
"Because I miss her. I miss her so much it hurts." Her voice was shaky like she was fighting back tears. He brought his arms around her and shifted her until she was half laying across his chest.
"I remember her," he said. Their mothers were good friends and Evelyn's mother had always treated him well.
"What do you remember?" She asked him.
"Hm, well, when you were young, you never left her side." He said. "Wherever she was, you wanted to be to. You would think you drove her insane but she looked so happy to have you with her," he thought back to the little girl that had intrigued him. The little girl that helped him maintain his humanity in a world that taught him to be ruthless. The same girl that he vowed to protect. The girl that was tucked against his side right now.
Evelyn smiled against him.
"She always made me laugh, she always knew what to say." Evelyn said her voice filled with fondness.
"That she did," he murmured quietly. They continued to reminisce together and after a while Evelyn was calm enough that she went back to sleep. His head was against the top of her head as he himself drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Jinhai woke up first. She was still sleeping soundly against him. He was reluctant to wake her and held her to him for a moment longer.
He kissed the top of her head gently savoring the moment, knowing he couldn't prolong the moment any longer, he gently shook her.
She grumbled and shoved her face into his chest.
"Evelyn, it's time to get up," he said gently.
"No, it's too early," she mumbled.
"You have to get up for your first day," he coaxed.
"No." She said again. He smiled.
"How about if I make you coffee?" He asked. She moved her head to one side and peeked out at him from one eye.
"Iced?" She asked.
"With cream and one sugar." He promised. She sighed but began to push up. He immediately missed her warmth and contemplated coaxing her back into his arms.
"Fine, I'm up." She said. She got out of bed and stretched while she yawned. He kept a smile plastered on his face as she walked to the bathroom. A moment later he got up himself to go make her coffee.
Evelyn got ready for the day. She took her time in the shower and then curling her hair. She chose a bright red lipstick today. She wore a white knee length dress. It had a belt that matched the dress with gold design. It was a short v-neck collar and elbow length dress. She looked every bit a Vice President as could be. When she was satisfied she put on her nude colored heels and left the bedroom.
The second she opened the door, the smell of coffee permeated her senses. She walked to the kitchen where Jinhai was setting a cup of iced coffee on the table. He slid it toward her. Then he got started on eggs. As he flipped one the toast popped up. He moved to put them on a plate before putting the eggs on the plate as well. He put a small saucer of fruit then handed her everything.
"Thank you," she beamed feeling much happier. She popped the egg yolk in the middle then dipped her toast in it. If her father could see her now he would have a coronary.
"That's not how ladies eat their food!" He would say. Evelyn picked up several habits from her time living in America. They were more lax with protocol and she preferred in that way.
Jinhai had a plate similar to hers and he observed.
"You look beautiful," he commented. She blushed.
"Thank you," she replied. She could feel her cheeks heating under his scrutiny. She concentrated on eating her breakfast and only when she finished did she risk a glance at him.
He was slicing up his bread with a fork and knife. He displayed the proper ettiquette that he was born to have. His damp hair was in his eyes and she caught herself before she stared at him too intently.
She loved the look on him. He always seemed so perfectly put together. His clothes were always ironed to perfection, his hair smoothed and not a single strand out of place. He made it seem so effortless and she had no doubt it was, on his part. His skin was smooth and he had a strong jawline. With his hair damp he looked gorgeous. His shirt was folded up to his elbow, but the way he moved showed his biceps. 'When did that happen?' she wondered. His biceps weren't as muscular and toned give years ago.
She felt herself blush again and grabbed her coffee, taking a sip from it. All the thoughts she had from her younger years came rushing back. She used to study him, his movements. Not in a creepy stalker way, more like observing someone in their natual habitat kind-of-way.
Jinhai felt her stares on him as he watched her through his curtain of hair. When she blushed deep red and reached her coffee he smiled. He wondered what she was thinking while she watched him. Whatever the answer was, any thought she had of him that made her blush and was good.
When they finished breakfast they left the apartment together. They got into her car and she put the news on. They listened to the news in silence for a little while. When the news started to loop back he turned it off.
"Am I welcome back tonight?" He asked her. She glanced at him. She thought about it. She really was afraid to have another nightmare and to wake up alone. But she was equally as nervous to start relying on him. Somewhere deep down she knew that she could trust him. But right now she wasn't exactly trusting her own judgement.
She didn't comment and he let her off the hook. He understood how fragile she was right now. She has been hit so hard emotionally and physically that she wasn't ready. Even thought she seems to want to, she wasn't mentally ready. He wasn't going to push her. But he would make sure she knew that he would still be here. He would still protect her, take care of her, and cherish her.