She shook her head she was being ridiculous. They were no way he had any clue about it. With that thought, she breath out calming her nerves who hard being at edge since those words left his mouth.
The insane ringing of her phone wasn't helping her to calm her nerve. She took her phone in her bag to answer the called but frown seeing it was Melissa calling her again. She has being doing so since the morning but she ignore them all but the latter couldn't take the hint. Don't she get that she doesn't want to talk to her?
After year of no communication, they stumble in each other a year ago and in Melissa mere attempt to build their friendship back they exchange number but Eva did little to no effort to build it back. It was almost a miracle when she answer any of her calls.
They were a knock at the door, "come in" she said leaning in her seat.
Abigail entered and closed the door behind her. She had a pile of document in her hands.
"I was online with Miss Shine a minute ago," she started putting the documents on Eva's table.
"She said she tried to join you since the morning but you didn't answer," she continued.
"And why didn't you pass me her call?" Eva asked, taking one of the documents from the piles. The sight of it intensified her existing head. She should really take her medicine or else, she won't reach the end of the day.
"I figure it out you didn't answer it because you didn't want to talk to her so I told her that you were busy," she explained.
"Good! At least someone have some brain," Eva said.
"She asked me to have you remember her birthday party since you didn't give suit to her invitation,"
A week ago? Melissa sent an invitation to Eva for her oncoming birthday party who will be this weekend. Eva had no intention to go and thought not responding to the invitation was sufficient to have her message sent through but it seem not to be the case.
"I didn't give a suit simply because I have no intention to go plus I was already at a party yesterday and I can't take any more drop of alcohol for the week and not forgetting the flight to France I have to take the same night. All the condition are reunite for me not to go and without talking about my profound hate for the birthday girl," she said not meeting Abigail eyes. Her eyes glued on the document in her hand despite understanding only half of what she was reading.
"I think you should go,"
"Why?" she lifted her head to meet her gaze. Surprised by the words she heard.
"You are running away of something I don't know about. You are afraid and I think it has to do with your past. Something had happen and I think you should confront it for once and for all instead of continuously running away." Eva wanted to speak put Abigail stopped her.
"You are not the same. You survive it all. Show them how much you grew." she had no idea what happened to her and in spite the fact they were friends Eva never told her anything. She respected her choice but Abigail was sure it had something to do with those people she doesn't want to see and especially Melissa.
"You think?" Eva asked. Abigail nodded.
Eva remained silent. Unsure of what to do or what to think. The fact Abigail was right perturbed her. She was running and has been running for the past ten years. Maybe it was time for her to confront her fear.
.
.
.
The days went by and it was Saturday morning. She was having some work done but an uninvited Noah came in her apartment. Unbothered by the fact he interrupted her work and lie in her sofa while she was at the dinner table trying to read through the documents in front of her. He just kept talking and in the end, Eva gave up on working and joined him in the sofa opposite to him and have a talk with him.
"She really said that?" he asked after she told him about Abigail words on how she was running.
"Yes, she did," Eva confirmed.
The party was tonight and she didn't know whether to go or not. And even if she went, it won't be for long because she had a flight to take that night to another country.
"She's not completely wrong though. You are trying to run when you should take full step and walk to it,"
"I'm not running. I have a business trip this night and you know that. I have no time to go to her birthday party. I party I don't want to be in first please. You know my feelings towards her,"
Noah rolled his eyes, "the both of us know the reason you don't want to go it because-"
The rest of the words was cut off by the sound of the bell door ringing.
"Waiting for someone?" he asked.
"No," Eva answered standing up, "but I also wasn't waiting for you. It must be another person thinking it is a good idea to come to people house unannounced," she complained walking to the door.
"If I cares." he rolled his eyes.
He watched her open the door but from where he was positioned, he couldn't see whom it was. Immediately Eva opened the door, she closed it with forced. She walked back confused, a shock expression on her face.
"Who was it?" he asked watching her carefully.
"My eyes must be playing thing because I saw my mother at my door!" she pointed behind her still in shock.
"Really?" he stood up.
Eva nodded, "It must be the effect of the alcohol I drank the other day," she nodded to herself. There were no way her mother really came to see her. Pig must fly if her mother was truly standing behind her door.
Noah raise his eyebrow and went to open the door which Eva has locked when she closed it earlier and to his surprise, he did see Eva's mother behind it.
"You were not dreaming. It's really your mother," he said shocked.
She never stepped a foot in Eva's apartment since she got it and it has being years she was living there.
"Are you lost Grace?" he called her by her first name, as he usually does.
Grace, Eva's mother rolled her eyes at his words but said nothing. She has long stopped telling him to call her with respect, which he never did. He was a lost cause to her. She forced her way through the apartment.
"What are you doing here Noah?" she asked as she walked further in the apartment to where Eva was, watching her mother like she was a ghost.
"Love and I are one person. Me, in her home is a common thing but I can't say them same of you." He closed the door and joined the daughter and mother duo in the living room.
"You should have stop seeing him since the beginning when I told you Eva. He is a bad influence to you," grace said disappointed.
Noah chuckled, "me, a bad influence on Eva?" he pointed the latter with widen eyes. Eva shook her head with a smile on her face.
"It just proof how little you actually know her," he added, sloping himself on the sofa.
"Which you are . My daughter could never slap the door in my face like earlier if not of your influence," she insisted.
"I was just surprise to see you at my door. It's a surprise to see you in here and more to that, you actually know where I live mother!"
"How would I not know?"
"Maybe because you never worry to pay a visit?"
Grace frowned, not happy by the way Eva was talking to her.
"What do you want?" Eva went straight to the pint.
She knew her mother came to ask something from her. The faster they resolved it, the faster she would be out of her life again.
"You change," her mother remarked.
"And it's only now that you notice it? What a great mother you are! What do you want?"
"Can I talk to my daughter alone?" she asked Noah.
He got up from his seat, "I will be in the other room," he said and disappeared in Eva bed room.
"You should really stop whatever is happening between the two of you Eva. He is not someone for you. You are way above a person who paint for his life. It is the reason I was happy about the broken engagement. He was of no value and reason why I opposed from the beginning to your marriage," Grace said, taking Noah previous place with a look.
Eva remain expressionless and watched her mother with a cold pair of eyes. Waiting for her to state the reason for her unwanted presence. She could care less of what she thought about Noah or their relationship. She had no word into it.
"Okay," Grace resigned seeing Eva won't let her be.
"I came to tell you so stay away from Klaus."
Eva raised an eye brow, surprise by the words that left her mouth. It wasn't what she was expecting to say the least.
"What do you mean?" she asked not understanding the purpose of that.
"I know he came to your office the other day and you guys dance the other day. He is going to be Elsa's husband and your brother in law. I want you a keep your distance away from him," she commanded.
"Of course, it's all about Elsa. Why aren't I surprise?" she mumbled but her mother heard it.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"The only reason you could take on you to come and see me is because of Elsa! I'm not surprise though. It would have be weird if it wasn't about her."
"Eva…" she began but Eva cut her off.
"Why do you feel the need to come and tell me this? You already know of our estrange relationship."
"It's not like I'm not aware of your love for him." Eva eye widen, what was that woman saying?
"You were in love with him and the moment he return, he is in your office? I don't see people hating each other acting like that."
"Thank you said 'loved' I was already rethinking everything." she left out a sigh.
"Mother, tell your daughter she has nothing to worry about, at least coming from me. I'm not a treat to whatever she wants from Klaus. If they want to marry, great for them but please, don't invite me. It will be unbearable to see that. An eyesore."
"What else?" she asked. Her mother raised an eyebrow wondering what she meant.
"What other reason are you here for? We both know it's not to tell me this you came, you want something else. What is it?"
"You know me too well," Grace said.
"We know each other for twenty seven years, of course I do but I can't say the same for you. Anyway, what do you want?"
"I want three golden invitation for your next charity gala for the Briar," Grace confessed.
She chuckled, "mother you are impressive." She nodded to herself.
"You put so much effort in all this don't you? Why all the work though? I thought their relationship was already set in stone?"
"It is, but it won't hurt for me to establishing it further,"
Eva nodded, impressed.
"Are you giving them or not?"
"You don't have to worry about that. They already have one. The reason Briar came to my office was to be a member of the organisation. They already have the golden invitations," Eva clarified.
"Now, if it is all, I will like you to go," She said pointing at the door.
Grace frowned, "You change Eva. You are nothing like my daughter I know,"
"I change? For you to say that you should first know who I was to identify the change, something that you don't. Tell me one thing about me you know! My favorite colour, or my dream? You don't right? But you sure know everything about Elsa don't you?"
"What trouble you here isn't the fact that I change but the fact that I'm not anymore trying to impress you and seek for your validation all day long! The daughter that would have done everything to get her mother love is death so forget about her, mother," Eva blurted out.
Grace remained unmoved in her seat and watching in surprise her docile daughter calling accusing her, "you can't be thinking that! I love you as much as I do of Elsa, you both are my daughters!"
"Stop the act, it won't work on me anymore."
No words from her mother's mouth could make her believe anything else. To Eva, the only reason she could say those words was because her mother doesn't want her to turn her back from them in case she wanted something from her. To her mother, she was just a tool use for her own benefit.
Years ago, hearing those words would have been a bliss for her but it make no sense to her now. It was full of words with no feeling attached.
"If you have finish, you may go," Eva repeated.
Her mother saw there were no more room for her and stood up, with one last look at Eva she walked off and left. Eva breathe out once she closed the door. She wanted to appear strong in her presence but it hurt, it hurt so much.
"You can come now instead of eavesdropping," she said looking in the direction of her bedroom door. The door opened and Noah stepped out of it.
"I was just helping you out." he raised his hand in defeat.
"You would have told me what have happen anyway, I'm easing your job and hearing by myself on the go."
He took his earlier position on the sofa, "how are you?" he asked watching her intensely.
"I…" she had no idea how she was. If she was sad or angry but even she didn't know.
"I don't want to talk about it," she sloped herself beside him.
Noah nodded and didn't ask anything further.
"I will make us something to eat while I convince you to go to Melissa party," he said standing up.
Eva gave him a wrong look, he was a terrible cook.
"I have improve," he defended himself, knowing the meaning of her gaze?
"Beside I will just make some fry eggs. It can't be that difficult," he argued and walked to the kitchen. Eva followed him.
"Why do you insist so much on me going there? You won't be there nor Alicia. How can I possibly go?" Eva asked taking a sit by the island.
"I know right? How come I'm not invited!" he took the eggs out of the refrigerator.
"And she said it will be a reunite party we all our classmate," and it was one of the reason she didn't want to go. Having all of them be in the same room made her remember thing she was better not thinking about.
"To be fair, I wasn't in you class and Alicia hates Melissa and the feeling is mutual. There were no reason for us to be invited,"
"I also hate her," Eva protested.
He chuckled, "But she want you there,"
"For which reason, that's what I want to know. She hates me! We both know that even though she act like she doesn't. Plus, remember what happen the last time I went to a party she organised? I don't want to repeat the experiment. And you won't even be there," her voice was low, barely the level of whisperer.
On a faithful day in their high school days, Eva was invite to a party organise by Melissa. After a big battle with herself to go, she was greeted by the biggest humiliation. There stood a half-naked Eva in a room full of dressed ones. On her invitation card, the party theme was say to be the beach, she was in swimming suits but the rest was all dress in evening dress. She was humiliated that day. The mocking laugh and the insults haunted for years. It gave her social anxiety. It took her years to be able to be the center of attention again.
Noah gave her warm smile in understanding, "I understand but you should go. I doubt she would pull the same thing. It will give you closure on different things and have you move on if necessary," he said while putting a plate of eggs in front of her.
"You have to decide what you really want, it's the moment Eva. Ok?" he asked.
She nodded in understanding, he was right. She had to put an end to her suffering and decide on what to do. She took the fork and took a bite of the eggs he served her.
"Disgusting!" she cried, spitting out what was in her mouth.
"I'm that bad?" he said he disbelief.
"Worst!"
"We should eat out then?"
"We definitely should."
.