The night when on with a reluctant Eva force to socialise. She couldn't just stand on her own and drink more and more out of frustration. It won't be a good for her image. With Noah who have left her all on her own, she had no choice but to interact with the other guest. She also reason herself out, it was of no use to lose such a good opportunity with countless off rich people who can donate in her organisation. So bottling every ill emotions she was feeling at the moment, she put on a smile on her face and went to the others. To her joy, at least, she expertly escape all form of interaction with her parent and didn't had to talk again with the group of four.
She successfully found new donators who agreed to give her a call the next day to discuss it further. With a real smile on now, she tried to see if she could find either of her friends who abandoned her. Before she could find any of them, the light turn off and the dance floor was illuminated. A group of fine gentlemen make their way on the empty space. Among them, Eva spotted Noah.
She walked further toward them to see what it was all about. On the dance floor stood fifteen men and at the centre of them, Klaus. She washed intently.
Klaus open the ball and walked to the crowd with his eyes roaming around. By now everyone understood what was going on, the men were meant to choose partners from among the crowd. Eyes was on Klaus, wondering whom he would choose. His path was directing to Melissa and Elsa, who was standing side by side.
To Eva surprise, he chooses Elsa, she was confident it was Melissa he was walking to. Choosing Elsa was like saying, he was interested in her. Something Eva never thought. She shook her head, it was none of her business, and he could choose anyone he wanted except her. She focused back on the group of men, she just hope Noah will be able to choose her first before anyone does. Like many thing Eva hoped for in life, it didn't go like she wish. To her misery, Zach, the second to choose walked to her.
She watch in horror as every of his step brought him closer to her. She was hoping he was walking to the woman beside her but no, here he was, standing in front of her, a polite smile on.
"Mi lady?" he proposed giving her his hands.
Eva frowned, not taking it. She raised an eyebrow suspicious. Why among everyone did he choose her? There were no logic in his action.
"Can we please talk?" Zach asked. Hand still strengthen in front of him. They were starting to get attention.
Eva pressed her lips, unsure but took his hand anyway. He guide her in the dance floor. The others got to decide and Noah took Alicia. There were fifteen men, and the all line up, girl on one side, and men on the other side. The music start and so they did. Eva put her hand on Zach shoulder, and his lay on her slime waist. Her small hands held in his big ones. She felt small beside him.
They danced at the sound of the music. As they dance in silence, Eva wondered what he wanted to talk to her about. For all the time they met, they maintain their interactions at a professional level. She was wondering if it was of work he wanted to talk about.
"How are you?" he finally spoke, looking down at her because of their height difference.
Eva eyebrow furrowed at the question. It wasn't what she expected.
"I'm not allowed to ask about your wellbeing?" he asked assessing her mood.
"When you said you wanted to talk, I thought it was a serious matter. Not small talks. I have no time for this," she fired and tried to move away from him but he hold her harder, stopping her from running away.
"It has being years but you didn't change for a bit, Eva," he said with a little smile dancing on his face.
"I pardon to say the contrary,"
"Nope! You didn't. You still eating your jaw whenever you are anxious or trouble by something," he pointed out.
Eva pause for a second, surprise that he remember that little detail. It was true, it was a habit of hers to so whenever she was anxious. With time, she trained herself not to let it show out whenever she did it. One has to really observe her to notice such a tiny detail.
When has he noticed? She wondered.
"Do I make you that nervous?"
"That's is false. I don't do that anymore," she stubbornly argued.
"As stubborn as ever. You also didn't take a cm since high school," he said comparing her height with his hand by hand and gave her a smudged smile at the difference.
Eva blink innocently, her lips lifted up. Zach brain screamed danger but before he could react, Eva stepped on his foot,
"Ah!" he wince in pain and sent her a glare. They stopped dancing.
"I'm such a bad dancer, my apology," but didn't sound sorry for the least.
"See?" he pointed his feet, "You didn't change, still bullying me for no reason"
"You didn't have to point out my height. I know how I look like. Not everyone undergo a growth spurt,"
He smiled proud.
"But don't forget, when we were ten, I was taller than you," she insisted.
"You still remember that?" He asked surprise, taking her back in his arms.
"It is part of my life, how can I forget?" Eva tilted her head confused at his words. Why would he think she will forget about that?
"You forgot so many things that it will not be surprising. You forgot about our friendship and how we were supposed to never be without the other," he said to which Eva remained silent.
They were a huge change in mood. Eva look down, no more looking up to him, no saying a word after his comment. He wanted to beat himself up for changing the happy moment they were having. He couldn't remember the last time he was like this with Eva and even talking about the past. She has always act as if it never happen, as if they have never been friends.
He looked down at the silent woman in his arm. She was staring at a particular direction with an unshaking attention. He followed her eyes sight, to his surprise, it was on Noah and Alicia. Was she being jealous? He wonder because given what they earlier showed, it seem as they were back to be together. Was she still on love with him?
"So you and Noah…love?" he asked sincerely curious. He wanted to know what was going on between them.
His question successfully got Eva attention back to him. She stared back at him. Eva was glad he had change the topic and what best topic than Noah? She could talk about him all day long.
"I told you that my ex fiancé and I was still friends," more than friend, they were best friends.
"By friends, I thought you mean in speaking term not you guys behaving like lovers when you are not anymore!" he voiced out his thought.
"We couldn't let such a stupid thing broke us apart. He is my best friend, I couldn't let that happen,"
She couldn't let herself lost another friend again. She has already lost plenty enough like that. The universe couldn't be that cruel with her.
Zack swallowed what he wanted to say, he had so many things he wanted to say on that but decided against it, and instead said, "Why did you guys decide to be a couple in the first place?"
"We know each other well and thought we were the perfect person for one another but it didn't went as planned. We were so wrong," she shook her head amuse by their foolishness.
"Friends to lovers turned wrong," he mocked.
"Exactly. We were lucky enough that it didn't destroyed out friendship and we are back like we were before, like nothing stupid like us being couple ever existed"
"I could never, in his place think of us any other thing than friends," he pulled out a disgust face.
She giggled, "I know!!" she smiled.
"Remember when we accidently kissed?" she said with a wrong face.
"How could I forget? It was like kissing my sister," they both laughed out.
Zack watch in delight her smiling face but it was fast to drop down. It disappeared in a second, as if she remember she wasn't supposed to laugh like that. He frowned, it was the second time of the night but he won't let that happen again.
"So how did it went? You guys kiss or slept together before you thought of being a couple?" he asked wanting to bring back her joyful face.
But before she could answer, the light around them turned off.
"We found the couple of the night!" the MC said. At his word, the light turn on, only illuminating one couple. It was Klaus and Elsa.
Elsa hided her face into Klaus chest and he shielded her from the obvious stare. His hand caressing her hair with gentle move. Those simple gestures amplifies what everyone first thought. Their matching dresses, him picking her for the dance, and now what just happen. Was it their way to announce they were a couple? was the question on everyone lips.
"So this is father part"
Eva thought. She was sure it was planned by him but she wonder the reasons behind it. Was it to announce their existing relationship or to insinuate something?
Aren't you tired of always getting what you want Fav?
She asked herself seeing how all shy Elsa was behaving, a smile on her face as she nuzzled her face further in Klaus chest. She took a swift glance up at Zack face. If there were something going on between the two, he should know but his confuse face told her all she had to know.
"Fav is beautiful isn't she?"
"Indeed. She has nothing of the little girl I use to scare off with insects,"
"You were such a trouble kid,"
Zack gave her a look, if he was a trouble kid, what was she? Who was she trying to fool?
Eva rolled her eyes with a subtle smile. She knew she was the one always dragging them into dangerous situations.
"Fav?" he wondered. He wanted to ask since the first time she said it but judged it was not the best time to do so with the argument the siblings had. An argument he wasn't sure of what to think about it.
"Fav because…" she began, a small smile on her face, who didn't reach her eyes. The smile fell, she rapidly put it back on with another one which reach her eyes but he doubt it was any way sincere. As he admires her rapid change of expression, he could only think of how beautiful she was.
"Fav because she is the favorite," she finished. No words added.
Silence settle between them. She didn't need to explain further, he understood perfectly. There has always be clear distinction on to how the siblings was treated, he always knew that. He only hoped it would get better with time but it didn't. From what he saw all through the night, it only went to the worst. For all the night, he didn't once saw their parents with her but they were all over Elsa.
They silently dance to the music with no other words been added. Zach wanted to talk to Eva more but the latter didn't seem in the mood for anymore talk. She was deep in her thought. Thought who wasn't particularly happy with the long face she was pulling. He wanted to know what she was thinking about so deeply. The music change and so did their partners.
Eva didn't pay any attention onto whom she was dancing with, all she wanted was to go back already. The passed event has already dread out all of her energy. The music change on and change, and so did her partners but it was none of her concern.
"I don't think Mr. Brown dance so bad" her new partner told her. She look up and was meet with the unpleasant sight of Klaus.
She rolled her eyes and left out a soft sigh. She was way too exhausted to her to deal with him now.
"That happy to be my partner?" he asked with a neutral voice. No emotion attached.
"If you think this is a happy expression, you haven't be love much," she proclaimed.
"I was a loved child don't worry. I can't say the same of you," he replied.
It was a punch that hit directly on her already open wound. A wound she thought was already dry but it was not. Can it ever be?