-5 Years Later. Alexander's P.O.V-
"Why won't you tell me where they are? It's already been 5 years since they disappeared from the base of the earth!" I looked at my mother who wasn't even looking back at me. She continued washing the dishes as if I weren't even there. 5 years ago, I came home after learning from Matt that Evelyn and Dawson had gone to see me at university. Only to find them completely gone by the time I got home. Neither my mom nor Sophia could tell me where they went, only that it already had been a week since they last saw them. Maverick, Dawson, and Evelyn had gone away without telling anyone were. They changed their P.O.Box number almost every week. They change their number every other week. I've tried searching for them. I even asked my father for help, but even he has refused to help me find them. 3 years ago, I found out from Desirae what she had done. After learning that Evelyn disappeared, I guess her guilty consciousness was eating her alive. I came back home to explain to my mother what had happened but even then, she wouldn't budge. I explained to Sophia, but she too wouldn't budge. I asked Matthew and the twins, but they knew little to nothing about the situation. "Mom, please." Every time I got the chance to come back home, I did. And every chance I got to corner my mother into telling me she would just ignore me. "I shouldn't have walked away on her at dad's farewell dinner. I should have been more mature about what Dawson said. I regret my actions every day since then, but it's already been 5 years, how much more will you punish me for?" I've cried plenty of times in front of my mother since Evelyn's and Dawson's disappearance. I've shown her my weak side over and over again but even then, she won't tell me where they are. "Have I not suffered enough in your eyes?!"
"She suffered way more 5 years ago!" My mother yelled out at me as she threw the dishes into the soapy water. Tears ran down my mother's eyes and I didn't know why.
"What happened 5 years ago?" She gave me her back once more. This was the first time I had seen my mother acting this way in regard to my brother and Evelyn. I walked up to her and turned her around so she could look at me, my hands on her shoulders. "Mom, what happened 5 years ago?" My mother shook her head before pulling out a small piece of paper from her pocket.
"This is Maverick's most recent number. Talk to him. It's up to him and Dawson if they allow you to see them again." I took the paper from her hand and gave her a tight hug. After 5 years this was a step forward.
"I'm sorry I made you all suffer for the past 5 years. I promise I'll bring them back." No matter how I looked at it, there was more to why they had left. Finding out I had another girlfriend shouldn't have been the only reason for them to disappear like that. It wasn't true to begin with. My phone had broken the night before. I stayed over at a friend's dorm. I didn't know they would go looking for me. I became distant from Matthew from the get-go of orientation. I was upset at myself for the way I treated Evelyn. I felt that being away from Matthew would be my own punishment. How… why was I so immature back then? If only I had come back home with Matt after the orientation none of this would have happened. My mother wouldn't have lost a son. Matt wouldn't have lost a sister. Sophia wouldn't have lost her husband and daughter and I… I wouldn't have lost my brother and love of my life. I went up to my old bedroom and dialed the number shown on the paper.
"Hello?" A hoarse voice soon answered. Maverick. "Hello?" He called out again.
"It's me." I didn't know what else to say. But somehow, I knew he would know it was me.
"Seems your mother thinks it's time. That woman sure is something. She told me once you know that if you ever hurt my daughter, she was going to be the one to deal with you first. I never knew how much she cared for my daughter till the years started passing by. Jane really is something." I didn't quite understand what he was saying or what he meant.
"Where have you been for the pass 5 years?" I didn't want to waste time. I wanted to know where they were. I wanted to see Evelyn.
"I'll have a word with Dawson. He said he'd deal with you second. I'll stay connected." With that Maverick ended the call. I tried calling him back, but it sent me straight to voicemail. Just when I thought I had finally moved forward.
"Damnit all!" I slammed my fist in my desk causing a couple of things to fall off. I ran back downstairs into the kitchen. My mother was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee. "Why are you doing this to me?!" She sat there nonchalantly. "Why are you punishing your own blood like this?"
"I should be asking you the same. Why punish Evelyn for something that hadn't even happen? Why did you abandon her when she needed you the most? Such a fragile girl and you broke her." I could see the bitterness in my mother's eyes. She hated me. I saw that same bitterness every time I came home to visit. I destroyed her family. I destroyed Sophia's family. "What did Maverick say?"
"He applaud you." My mother chuckled at my words.
"Of course, he does." She took a sip of her coffee. I turned my mother into this. She no longer smiles at me.
"He said it's now up to Dawson to deal with me." My mother chuckled once more.
"Don't worry. Your brother will go easy on you." She thought about it for a second. "Maybe." She added.
"Why do you hate me?" I sat in front of my mother, I reached for her hands but she pulled away.
"I don't hate you, my sweet, sweet child." Sarcasm. I could hear it clearly in her tone. I couldn't help the tears from falling. My mother placed her hand over my head and patted me. "Oh sweet, sweet child. Your tears are nothing compared to the ones Evelyn shed 5 years ago." I turned to look at her. My mother's eyes had lost all shine. She had grown old in just 5 years. Being alone in this house had done quite a lot to her and I was the cause of it.
"What happened to Evelyn 5 years ago?" My mother wiped away my tears but there was no gentleness to her touch.
"You will soon find out." My mother stood from her place and walked out of the kitchen. I didn't dare follow after her.
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"How's Auntie Jane doing?" I had called Matt over to join me at a bar in town. I don't know exactly when I started drinking. Was it 5 years ago? No. it was 3 years ago when Desirae told me the truth of what she had done. Maybe. I never really was much of a drinker being in sports and all. But after graduating from college there was nothing else stopping me from really going all out. It's already been a year since we graduated and every night, I have to drink myself to sleep. Only to be waken up by the nightmare of loosing my entire family in one day.
"She hasn't smiled at me in 5 years. She hasn't opened up to me in 5 years. I know you've visited her, how is she with you?" Matt hesitated to answer which only made the answer clear to me. "She's the same as always with you, isn't she?"
"Yeah. I can't imagine the person you're describing her to be. I've never seen that side of her." I took a sip of my whiskey neat.
"Why…" I coughed a lump in my throat. "Why do you still hang out with me after I was the person that ruined your family?" I drank the remaining of my drink and signaled the bartender for another one. Matt clicked his tongue, searching… thinking for an answer.
"Because at the end of the day no one should be left alone." He took a sip of his beer. I was never a fan of beer. "You need someone to be on your side. I misunderstood the situation 5 years ago. We drifted apart as soon as college started. I believed 3rd parties more than I believed my best friend." He sighed. "Moving away was the grownups' idea but Ev and Dawson agreed to it. Evelyn needed the space."
"You know what happened 5 years ago. Why won't you tell me?" The bartender handed me my drink and I gulped the whole thing in one go. Asking for another one.
"It's not for me to tell you." Matt patted my shoulder as he took another big sip of his beer. I don't know how much we had to drink, all I can remember was Natasha, Kristine and Jonathan fetching us from the bar.
"You guys' reek of alcohol." Kristine said as she and Jonathan held me up.
"Long time no see. I'm glad you two are still together." I slurped out. "I missed you guys. I miss all of us spending time together. We should get together some time." I spoke as if I wasn't the one that pushed them all away and out of my life.
"Yeah, yeah." Kristine could give a rat's ass about me. She was helping me out because Natasha asked her because Matthew asked her. I knew they all blamed me for Evelyn's disappearance.
"Do you know what happened 5 years ago?" I poked Kristine's cheek. Wondering if they knew about it. I doubt that they wouldn't know. I swear I was the only one that was kept in the dark. "Do you still talk to her?" I asked again. Maybe I could get some answers from them. "I miss her, you know." Kristine let me go and Jonathan couldn't hold onto my weight by himself, so I fell hard to the floor.
"You have no right to be saying that you miss her! You have no idea how much she suffered because of you!" I knew it. They knew what happened 5 years ago. Why wasn't anyone telling me though? I could see tears running down her cheek. Why was she crying? What exactly happened?
"Kris…" I heard Matt calling out to her. He knew she would blur something out. No one was allowed to tell me anything.
"Deal with him yourself." She pulled Jonathan along leaving my sorry ass still on the floor.
"I'll call a cab. I think they can come all this way." Natasha said as she helped Matt over to me. He sat down next to me. I don't know how Natasha felt about me but at least she was on Matt's side.
"Why am I the only one in darkness?" I asked why no one would tell me what happened 5 years ago. What happened to Evelyn? Why did they have to leave?
"Because that's what Evelyn wanted."