A very overdue update... but I was on vacation and had to deal with midterms, college, etc...normal very annoying teenage stuff. But yeah here it is, chapter 14. Hope you guys enjoy, I'm so sory if it seems too... choppy... Idk that's what I felt when I was re-reading... but it was the best I could do given the situation. At least it's longer than most chapters.

Thanks for the wait, love ya guys =)


It was tucked behind an old rusty shed, so I felt privileged when I stepped into the garden. It was 2pm.; dead in the middle of the day, it felt as if everyone were asleep, gone somewhere perhaps? So I took off on my own, exploring the outside of the house since it was the first since we'd came here that the sun shone brightly.

Vines and shrubs had almost submerged the whole lot; twigs sharply brushed past my skin as I pried myself through the iron rod gates. With each step I got closer and closer to a fairly large fountain. No longer in use, the shallow water at the base of the fountain was murky, occupied by clusters of lilies and lily pads.

Maybe it was the stillness of the water that called me over to sit on it ledge for the next two hours but whatever it was when I there I just sat. I wasn't really thinking of anything particular, just playing with the cotton and lace folds of the white sun dress I wore.

I don't think I really wanted to think anymore about the whole situation, just avoid it and let things happen for itself; I was fed up with trying to make things go my way for clearly all my attempts were failures.

Sure, I like Evan… and his family. This house was it more than what I imagined myself living in. And the people here, maybe my future friends, seemed so inviting and welcoming, but even so.

I let out a heavy breath before lying down on the stone base, watching the cloudy puffs roll across my eyes. The rhythm of the rolls of each pick up of wind hummed like a gentle hymn in my ears. It lulled me to sleep.


"Hey…"

My skin shivered, sudden miniscule bumps forming on my arms.

"Why are you out here alone?" he chuckled hushly, resting a warm hand on my arm.

I blinked once… twice… before looking up to see him bent on one knee to watch me.

"How'd you know I was here, where you stalking me all this time" I suppressed a yawn in the midst of sitting up.

Evan smirked through his eyes "I saw you from my study….I-I haven seen you around lately"

"You just don't look for me. I'm sure if you did, you would" our gaze meet for a moment making him chuckle at himself
"No I do, you're just always..."I suppose he didn't know how to describe it, but I knew what he meant. I- no the two of us are always running away from each other lately. It's like we melt into each other one moment but then we suddenly isolate ourselves from each other.
"Running away?"
He didn't expect me to finish the thought for him, and more importantly he didn't know I was thinking the same
"no-no... I-"

Slowly but surely Evan rose from his spot and sat next to me.
"-and you are too"
"what?"
I watched him in his confused state, those tired hazel eyes of his revealing it clearly.
My eyebrows knitted together, "don't tell me you haven't been avoiding me like I have been with you"
Evan was speechless, I'm sure he was thinking of a way to counteract the comment but he just couldn't think of how to.
"So tell me... " my voice started to dull, sink lower, maybe out of the grief of that fact that I was right about Evan trying to suppress any feelings towards me
He sighed interrupting me before I could go further "I'm not 'running away' from you Kallin, I'm right here..." he was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees. His pupil slide to the corner of his eyes slowly to get a glance of me "... have you ever thought that its maybe you who's not letting me it?"
"I -I..."
"Yes you try, but then you suddenly change your mind" he seem somewhat frustrated
I looked down at my feet, playing with the old crushed leaves next to them "its only because I realize how much you and I probably don't want this"
"Kallin..."
"It's the discontent. The unsettling feeling that you're just going with what's planned for you and then in instant, if you had the chance, you'd leave without a second thought."

"-Kallin?"

"What?"

He had a hard time saying whatever he was going to say. His lips quivered a bit, but he snapped out of the phase and sat upright "are you afraid?"

"….Kind of" I was blunt because I felt that maybe inside he'd comfort me? Maybe even understand?

"Of?"

I sighed, abruptly shrugged my shoulders "I don't know…. Just… this" I searched for the right description but I just couldn't get it out of my mouth. "I just…" I just stopped mid-sentence, burying my face into my knees which were bent against my chest. I didn't know how to explain anything to Evan without seeming like I was whining. I didn't want to seem like that girl complaining about how there's no love, but I do think I deserve to, just a little bit, no?

"…Need someone to understand?" the boy tucked my hair back, trying to look at me. When he didn't, he pulled me close. And with a humble smile but intentions to joke he gingerly raised my face by the chin "You're so full of angst for being in your 20s."

My gaze morphed into a glare, but then his warming expression melted the small agitation away. My lips spread into a small grin. "It's only because of you"

"Oh I see" Evan chortled, slightly resting his head on mine "So I'm the cause of all your problems"

I simply nodded my head against his shoulder. "If it wasn't for you; I'd be living a happy life…"

He knew I was just teasing, but I felt like he still sensed a little truth in it. But even so, he passed it by as if he wasn't fazed at all.

And then all of a sudden, Evan, with so much force, stood up, having a strong grasp on my hand. "Here, come with me"

I looked up at our hands and then up at him. He wore a smirk, cynically hinted. "What? Where?"

"Just come on" he tugged my arms, and when he saw I was a little too hesitant, he just pulled me; dragging me away from the old fountain and up to iron gates. Shielding me under him, hugging me against his chest, firmly, we navigated out way out all the shrubbery and almost ran towards... um…, I think it, a very opulent version of a garage.

My eyebrows rose when he opened up the gates; I saw rows of vintage as well as new modern cars.

"Evan?" I called his name sweetly in hopes to get his attention.

"hm?" he hummed out a response but he was too preoccupied on which car to choose within this garage. It wasn't until his eyes lay upon the deep gray almost silver Porsche that his face lit up.

"Where are we going?"

The dark haired man smirked at me, beckoning me to take the passenger seat as he unlocked the gorgeous car. "Just come on, you'll see"

I bit back at my cheeks to restrain the smile forming. Honestly, the spontaneity in the whole situation made Evan seem much more attractive than usual. But was he trying to impress me? Show me something? Or just prove he actually had feelings for me?

I obliged his request, and ducked into the sleek car.

He watched me sit in and waited for me to close the door before, revving up the car and speeding off.

"Is this some way of showing your affection towards me?" I joked, when we rolled up the main gates and waited for the iron locks to open.

"Maybe…maybe not" his playful look almost made him too cute. What was he planning? It was making me crazy and damn so anxious.

When we finally hit the highway it was already dusk, thus highlighting the lights of each car.

I watched from the window of how different this country was from the US; thought not too different, there were still a few small details that set them apart.

"You know…"

The silence that had seemed to envelope the ride had been broken with Evan's stately yet gentle voice. "...although it seems like everything's so very crazy …"

My head turned slightly to get a good look of my fiancé.

"…I'm kind of grateful for-"

A smile started to play on my lips, slowly taking over my whole expression.

"-having you in my life"

"When did you grow so corny?" I couldn't help but smile, scoff and giggle all at the same time.

Evan broke out of his warming state to glance at me and surprised "way to call on me, when I'm totally trying to be nice"

I laughed at his expression "I think you're arrogance suits your style better, but..." I daintily rested my hand on his rough larger hand which was relaxed on the gear shift. "I do like this side of you"


We walked down the cobbled streets of downtown London, arms linked, roaming around freely not really knowing where we were going.

"This is nice…"

Evan let out a soft laughter "Actually I wanted to take to this shop. It's right over there"

I stood up straighter to see what he was pointing at and it was fairly large book shop that looked like it had come out of Harry Potter, although it had a modern, new generation twist to it. Gilded lettering spelled out Brook and Bendle's

I couldn't help but laugh at the irony and sheer humor.

"It's no Barnes and Nobles but it's a fairly close UK representation of it" he beamed.

"You know this just brings back horrible memories" I joked, eyeing him closely

He shrugged "I know, but I guess to move on, we have to face the past, hmm?"

We walked closer towards the book shop and Evan opened the door, ushering me in "There isn't really much to face" I admitted with a smirk "You were just so damn arrogant then"

"And you weren't?" he mocked

"Well…"

"Let's not forget how you acted like a brat when you found out you were getting married to me"

"It was only because it was the way you acted"

"Fine then" we walked across the lobby towards the center of the large store until Evan directed me towards the little café connected to the book store. "…it was both our faults"

In all honestly, it was, clearly…

We had taken up the small table in the corner, nearest to the window. While there was still the chatter forms the café workers and occasional loud gurgling and steaming of the espresso machine, the little café had a soothing calm atmosphere. It harbored all kinds of people from the stressed teen or college student studying for a major exam to high maintenance woman reading an issue of Vogue and eating her salad….

Evan sat across form me just sipping a cup of coffee, watching me flip through a bridal magazine. It was the first time since I'd learned of our arrangement in which was kind of getting used to-no excited about getting married. I suppose that 15 year old girl who was always dreaming of a princess wedding was surfacing again.

"I'm not one about fashion… but I'm got a big fan of puffy dresses"

"You mean this?" I pointed at the page I'd been stuck on the past few minutes. It was a strapless, corseted, elaborately detailed full bodied dress. It was essentially that 'Cinderella' dress a lot of girls dreamed about.

He nodded, grimacing subtly

"Why? I kind of like it"

"There's too much going on." he flatly stated.

"So you're a man of simple things"

"Essentially…..but you look good that way"

I didn't really know how to respond, I was kind of flattered "I'll try to remember that"

We were there for what seemed like hours; it wasn't like we were talking about anything too significant, but we were simply chilling enjoying each other's , as time passed, fewer and fewer people were at the café and it wasn't until a café worker was wiping down the counter top that we realized how late it decided, seeing as it was way too late to return back on the highway, he'd check us in a hotel … this wasn't going to awkward at all…..

"I love how you wave that card like it's nothing at all"

It always irked him of how I thought he was absolutely spoiled, and now instead of fighting it any longer he simply accepts that fact "I deserve to… after all these years"

"Oh yeah…" I chortled at his reaction as tucked his credit card back into his wallet, and then took the room key form the receptionist.

Opening the door of the room, we both looked inside to see a fairly large room; I took a sigh of relief when I saw two queen sized beds. Thank god… for I moment I thought this could have become a scene right out of those corny love story.

"I call the bed in the right" I smiled, before sauntering over to it.

"Sure… I mean it's not like you ever asked for my opinion or anything"

He took the other bed, setting his keys, wallet on the side table before properly unlacing his shoes. He really was raised well…

"Next time…" I smiled his way before sliding off my own shoes, and slipping under the covers and sheets of the bed.

He grinned at me and then chuckled slightly, almost amused at my comment. If anything we'd be sharing a bed next time.

Evan flashed a smile, rolling on to his own bed, "Good night Kallin"