"The surprise is mutual, Mr. Anderson," she replied with a polite tune. No expression on her face with a swift move on her glass.
She was as surprise as he was, to see herself there. The very moment they got the invitations, she declared she won't be going and she wasn't going if not of her father words who got her curious. Now she was doubting it was a good idea to let in. She was going to be confronted with what she has been running away from.
Zack pressed his lip in a thin line at the used of his last name by her. It has been years now that she decided to address him as such, by now he should normally be used to it but he was not. He has already gone used to her cold behavior toward him, it was better than the hate she threw toward Klaus but not the use of his last name. It would always be strange to have one of the person he loved so much be so distant with him.
"I'm glad you changed your mind. I'm happy to have you here," he said. Taking a rapid look of her glass before his eyes rested back on her face.
"Why?" she questioned taking a sip of her glass.
Why would he be happy to see her? It wasn't like they were friend or anything for the matter. Her presence was completely irrelevant to him.
"To have me see that you are doing well. I heard about your broken engagement few months ago. I wanted to check on you but since we aren't that close, I restraint myself from doing that. How are you Eva?" he asked concern.
Eva eyes sharpened. Trying to figure out if he was being sincere or was messing around with her. She concluded he really wanted to know, that or he was an excellent actor to be able to fool her.
"You don't have to worry about me Mr. Anderson. It was a friendly breakage. We remained good friends," She decided to tell him the truth.
"Glad to hear that," He said.
There were a pause of silence between them.
"It's not often we get to see you without Briar. Where is you twin?" she asked, looking around to see if he was nearby but got no sight of him.
Zachariah eyebrow furrowed, "We aren't always together," he argued.
"Yes you are! You guys are like light and shadow. Not one without the other," she retorted.
"That is no true!" He protested, his lips slightly lifted up.
"Totally true you meant to say!" Eva said with a small laugh. Realising what she did, she pull her smile down. She had gone way too relax with him.
He put on a stern look at her rapid change of behavior but he was quick to pick himself up. He shouldn't let her know he was affected.
"Zach!" Klaus called taking large stripe toward them.
Eva smirked at Zachariah, Klaus arrival proof her earlier point. Zach rolled his eyes with no comment.
It was true they were always together though, and he can't deny the fact. Since the moment they met as kid, they never was one without the other.
"Your father has been looking for you," Klaus said without sparing a glance in Eva direction. As if he didn't notice her.
He place his hand on Zach shoulder before whispering in his ears. Eva rolled her eyes at the lack of acknowledgement from Klaus. She knew he knows whom she was. There were not many black people in there and was sure her former friend will recognise her on spot.
She finished her drink in silence. She wanted to go but it would have be impolite for her to do so. All she could do was to wait. Her eyes wandered around in search of a waiter, she was in short of wine. She needed it.
Zach nodded at what Klaus was saying. Klaus pulled away from Zach with a light tap on his shoulder. It was then that he turned in Eva direction and pull a confused look on his face, as if he was surprise to see her there.
It has been eleven years, eleven years since the last time the three of them was stood next to each other. Eleven years since they broke of their friendship. After high school, they rarely met, as each one of them went their separate way. Zach and Melissa was the only one she got to meet during business occasion. Klaus usually choice to send Zack, who was vice president, instead of coming himself most of the time. He wasn't a public person. They happen to meet on rare occasion, and either of them tried their best to ignore the other. Since they were both public figured, they didn't get to miss the glimpse of the other through the media.
"Stop the act. We all know you recognised me on the spot," Eva said, not wanting to play whatever game he wanted to pull out.
"I was trying my best to delate this interaction as much as possible," he said gesturing between the two of them.
He shared the same height with Zach and was towering over her. He had to look down to meet her eyes. His face held no emotion as he stood in front of her. His green eyes had no glow in it, his polite smile nowhere to be seen. The warm aura which radiated from him when he was at Elsa sight turned cold.
"It's quite paradoxical since you are the one who came to me,"
"I came to Zach, not be so full of yourself, Farewell. Really think I will give you my attention for a minute?" his eyes swept up and down in a swift motion, "not worth of it," he remarked.
Eva had a doubt, was he talking about her appearance or about her herself, either way it wasn't like it matter. They both hated each other, which was something they could agree on.
"It's for sure a displeasure to see you again Briar," Eva complained checking him out like he just did for her and the least that she could say was that he change. He was nothing of the little boy he used to be back then.
The Klaus she knew from high school was a fragile boy with soft and delicate features that girls could only envy. He was now a men with a strong built and broad shoulder and had lost all the feminine feature he once had but his face wasn't as sharp as Zach's. His feature was manly but delicate. His long eyelashes enhancing his eyes beauty. His full lips was still pink and his hair as long as ever.
"It's shared Farewell. Imagine my surprise when I heard your name being called," Klaus said.
He was sure she won't come. They merely sent her an invitation out of politesse. She was an important member of their society, not inviting her was not possible.
"It seems I didn't pray enough for you to stay where you were or that God doesn't exist because here you are, poisoning my eye with your sight. I should have try voodoo, it would have be more effective I think,"
"Be graceful you contented yourself with prayer because I'm a blessed child, protected by God. It would have backfired on you,"
"Protected by God?" she left out a laugh, "I'm surprise you even know about him Briar"
Klaus Briar was not a saint and his multiple partners could testify as much. In fact there was no need for their testimony, it is wide knew by all since he wasn't trying to hide it.
Eva sighed, "You did a wonderful job no coming in my sight for the past months, so use the same magic and don't appear in front of me again after this party,"
"Coming from the woman who came here knowing she would see me it don't sound right. Perhaps your mouth say something but you long to see me?"
Ever giggled, "Me longing for you?" she shook her head in disbelieves "Never," she said, looking straight into his eyes, which he returned without fail.
Zachariah was silent the whole time, quietly observing their new founded passion, hating each other. He has long stop trying to put an end to it. It was not as if either of them would hear what he has to say. Eva disregard him like nothing, she won't even spear him a minute to speak his point through and Klaus was too stubborn to hear any of his advice. For the rare time they meet, it always have a bad encounter.
"Guys, look at who I found!" a female voice broke their stare contest and had them look on their right, at the sources of the voice.
Eva eyes landed on Melissa and Elsa, with Elsa holding onto Melissa who was taller than her. She was much taller than the Farewell siblings but both men were taller.
Eva frowned at their sight. Not please at the fact they joined them. It was already hard enough to support Klaus, paired with the two of them. She doubt she could.
"Elsa!" Melissa announced with excitement as if they wasn't seeing her. She pushed Elsa forward to the group.
"See how much she has grown over the years. She is a woman now, not only a woman but a gorgeous one at that!"
"She is nothing to do with the little girl I left behind," Zach nodded.
"Eva! You are here as well," she said finally taking notice of her.
"You are gorgeous" she complimented her.
"I can't say the same though" Eva lamented.
"Don't worry," Melissa brushed it off, "I know I'm stunning" she complimented herself, hands resting on her hips.
Eva rolled her eyes and didn't add words further. She was already drained.
Melissa gave her attention back to Elsa, understanding it was the end of her conversation with Eva.
"I knew she will grow to a fine lady but this was higher than my expectation. And she isn't just beautiful but intelligent. She started to work at their family company on her first year of college. I heard…"
"Oh gosh," Eva muttered. Their attention shifted to Eva.
"I'm out of here. I can't take this," she gesture to the four of them, "anymore," she finished. It was getting beyond her. All what she hates in front of her.