There was nothing that Wyatt hated more than doing anything his parents asked him to. Everything he loved as a child was always replaced by something his father thought was more educational and befitting of who he was.
His father told him he was to get engaged to the daughter of the Hastings and he was more than happy to do so because he thought the person was Kayla, only to find out it was her older sister, Evelyn.
Evelyn was beautiful, classy, and had proper etiquette, everything his mother loved and wanted him to find in his 'life partner' which Kayla would right call hogwash. Kayla was everything he wanted to be: free and unapologetically herself.
Looking at Evelyn was staring back at his reflection. Both were forced to give up their happiness for the sake of their family's growth. Which made him angrier that he was about to spend an entire evening with her, talking about the weather or the news.
"Hi," he greeted with the fakest smile he could muster when Evelyn walked up to where his car was parked in front of their house.
Her hair, slightly below her shoulders, looked wet and curly and the curves of her body were accentuated by the satin, long-sleeved lavender gown she wore.
"Hello."
"You look stunning," Came Wyatt's polite reply. It was clear that both of them didn't want to be here but Wyatt didn't even appear to be the slightest bit enthusiastic to be going on this date.
Being a gentleman, he opened the door for her and she slipped in gracefully, muttering a 'thank you' and Wyatt nodded stiffly before slamming the door.
"So you like playing football." Evie started the conversation since Wyatt had no intention of doing so. He had no intention of doing anything not even glancing at her.
Wyatt couldn't look at her because she looked too much like Kayla with a lot of differences but the resemblance was striking. A few months ago, Kayla was the one sitting on the same seat, cracking jokes and talking to him about soccer while Evie didn't know the sport he played.
"It's soccer. There's a difference." He corrected a tick in his jaw.
"Oh." She laughed shortly, playing with her hands. "I always mix them up you see."
Wyatt didn't respond and focused on driving. He could at least try to enjoy the date but it felt like her presence was like dog poop or even worse than that.
The next twenty minutes didn't aid the overwhelming feeling of being unwanted by someone. Kayla, sometimes unknowingly, made her feel that way so did her parents. Most times their care suffocated her with guilt and a heavy sense of being a burden.
Now she was a burden to Wyatt, disrupting his life and plans just like she did with Kayla and her parents. Now that she had the chance to make things better and do right by her family that too was frustratingly difficult.
The soothing music of the orchestra playing in the golden-themed restaurant did nothing to soothe both of them.
Wyatt called his hands into fists as they were led to their table. Why did his dad have to choose a restaurant with an orchestra? It just reminded him of his date with Kayla.
Even as the waiters brought their food, his eyes were fixated on the orchestra and how Kayla got almost everyone at the restaurant to dance. A genuine smile appeared on his face and this was the first time his features had softened since the date started.
Evie noticed this, paused eating her shrimp rice, and asked, "Do you know how to play?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you play any of the instruments?"
"No, I don't." He shook his head.
Then why did he keep looking at them all night? Were they more beautiful than she was? She would have loved to ask but that would be rude.
"That's a shame. My sister, Mitchie, loves to play the cello." Hearing Kayla's name, his eyes snapped to hers. "She even had this customized cello and would never let anyone touch it. She would clean it by herself and sometimes…" her voice became smaller, "when I was very sick, she would play something for me." Evie glanced at the orchestra as she said, "A pity she had to sell it."
"Why did she sell it?" He inquired, softly and Evie stiffened, her expression unsightly. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. Forget I asked."
"No, it's okay. Six years ago I had one more surgery. My last surgery but my parents didn't have all the money for the surgery and they wanted to sell our house." The way her parents were frantic and helpless was still fresh in her mind. How they called all their friends and borrowed huge sums from the bank but it still wasn't enough because of their previous debts with the banks.
"But Mitchie didn't let that happen. She sold her cello and gave us the rest of the money." Though she knew that the money for the cello wouldn't have been enough to pay such a large amount but Kayla never answered her doubts.
Even with the surgery she had a long way to go before she fully recovered and even now she still had to take medication upon medication.
"Do you like the restaurant?" Maybe if he were nicer the date wouldn't be so unbearable. They were going to spend the rest of their lives together so why make it more miserable?
"It's nice. But I don't really have that much experience of how dates are meant to go." She looked around, the golden flecks reflecting in her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh. This is my first date." Wyatt almost choked on his saliva. He searched her face to see if this was a joke but the way her lips curved up innocently told him she wasn't lying.
"How could this be your first date? No this is some kind of prank." It had to be just like how Kayla pranked him about the fake soccer team.
"Why would I lie about something like that? What do I have to gain?"
"But how come you didn't go on a date till now? I mean you're smart and extremely beautiful."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence but between going in and out of hospitals and the times I spent out was used to catch up on school work, where was the time to go on dates let alone meet someone."
If he didn't feel like an asshole before, he did now. This was her first date and here he was behaving shitty towards her. He winced. 'Here you go Wyatt, ruin the poor girl's night.' Being sick wasn't easy, he knew that having gone through something similar.
The last thing he wanted was to bring up something so traumatic especially since they weren't familiar with each other, so he opted for something light. "So you never liked anyone?"
"Well…. I did but if I told you you won't believe me." She folded her lips and Wyatt leaned back, crossing his arms, "Lay it on me, Evelyn."
"Evie. You can call me Evie and don't say I didn't warn you." She let out a breath and whispered, "Zuko."
"I'm sorry what?" Wyatt turned his ear to her, teasingly.
"Zuko." She didn't want to say something so embarrassing and used the napkin to cover her mouth. This time her voice was lighter but Wyatt wasn't having it, "I can't hear you, Evie."
Evie scowled, exasperated, "I said Zuko!"
Wyatt laughed in his mouth, using his hands to block his quivering lips. It was unbelievable. Evie was so put together and sophisticated and he didn't expect that she would have a crush on a cartoon character.
"You can laugh all you want." She glared at him and Wyatt laughed out loud, rolling his head back. "Are you kidding me!? You had a crush on Zuko from Avatar!?" His laughter was so refreshing and enchanting to the ears. She liked his laugh.
It had been a while since she had seen someone so free with her.
"Why? Like people don't have weird crushes?"
"No," he tilted his head to the side, amused, "I didn't think you would like Avatar of all things."
"Do you like Avatar of all things?"
"I actually do. I enjoy it but not as much as soccer of course." He beamed.
"Me too! It annoys me when I ask people if have they watched it and they'll say, 'You mean the blue people?' Like it always gives me aneurysms."
"Tell me about it. Every time I watch it I just feel so free and I kinda relate to Aang the most." Wyatt's gaze on Evie became gentle as he spoke.
"I also feel that way. To be young and have the fate of the entire world in your hands, is not something easy especially when you are just a child." Her eyes glistened.
"So many expectations and pressure to be anything but the one thing you want to be is deafening and smothering at times." Wyatt agreed with her statement.
"Like this marriage. I know you don't like me or this situation we're in-"
"That's not true!" He refused.
"Oh don't lie to me. I'm older than you, remember?" She joked making Wyatt chuckle.
Sighing heavily, he replied, "Fine. I didn't have the best opinions about you because you reminded me a lot of myself. You were so uptight and everything about you was perfect just like me that it…"
"Disgusted you? Was it a huge blow to your self-esteem?" She gave him options that he couldn't counter. "I also didn't think I would marry someone that was younger than me or didn't even like me but look where we are now." Evie sipped her wine before she continued.
"All my life I've been trapped inside the hospital or at home and everyone telling me what to do, what to wear, where to go, when to study, and whatnot even by my younger sister. I felt so useless, so controlled and guilty that it felt like I was going to go crazy."
"I can't imagine what it must have been like at such a young age. It must have been terrifying." He truly sympathized with her but at the same time, a hint of pride shone in his eyes. She was strong enough to have survived what she did.
"I've never told anyone what I told you but most people look at me with pity but you didn't. Thank you."
"You shouldn't thank me. I was an ass to you from the beginning of this date. I'm sorry."
"You don't have to be. We were forced into this. A compromise of what we truly wanted."
"Don't try to make me feel better, Evie." He groaned. "What in the world should I complain about? I'm getting married to an intelligent, strong, and gorgeous woman, what else do I need to ask for?" His smile became charming.
Evie blushed uncontrollably. She used her wine glass to hide her flustered appearance.
Seeing her over-the-top reaction, Wyatt raised a brow, "Has anyone never told you that before?"
"No," she squeaked out, her cheeks getting redder by the second. Wyatt's eyes widened.
"No one has ever complimented you before!?"
She looked anywhere but at him. "So I'm the first?" He pointed at himself. She looked so cute and disconcerted. It softened her features the more.
Kayla's blushing wasn't like this and dare he say it, he liked Evie's smile. He liked that he could charm her so easily and be the first one to do so.
Evelyn was always pale and sickly and she rarely interacted with people even when she went to college. Most of her classes were online because it was during her recovery period and when she started working at the company she was cooped up in her office when she didn't have meetings.
A corner of his lips tipped upward, "It is an honor to be the first to make someone as stunning as you blush. So you know what? I owe you a proper first date. One where I'm not an asshole to you!"
"You don't have to do that. It's okay!"
"It's not and I insist." Evie had no choice but to say, 'yes'.
As she continued eating, Wyatt noticed something under the golden lights of the restaurant, she had a dimple on her left cheek. It wasn't deep but they still framed her face perfectly. She surprised him tonight, he had to admit.