A WOMAN APART: Chapter 21 - BETRAYAL

by tarskeewee08

Evangeline felt his lips on her breast and moaned.

Coming out of her sleep she could feel his hands caressing her body. Opening her eyes dreamily she saw the top of his head as he trailed kisses from her nipple to her navel. With his free hand he reached between her legs and parted them. With his index finger he massaged her honey spot making her moan. She squeezed her eyes tighter fighting the urge to moan louder. "You awake?" she heard him whisper into her face.

She opened her eyes and saw him staring down at her. "Yes" she moaned softly.
"Good" he said kissing her and climbing on top of her. She parted her legs wider and let him ease in between them. His kisses became more intense so she grabbed his hair tightly. He slid his hands under her hips and lifted her so he could enter with ease. Opening her eyes she saw that he was staring into her face. "I love you" he said passionately. She tried to speak but he quickened his pace and she used extra effort to maintain her breathing. "I'm in love with you" he said this time making a tear escape from her. She clung tighter to him.

"I know you love me" he said kissing her face where the tear rolled. She nodded at the statement. Her responding that way made him smile wider. He buried his head in her hair and slipped his arm underneath her holding her tighter as he released his love inside of her. She could feel his heartbeat matching hers and climaxed with him. With his weight on her and his love inside of her she rubbed his back "I'm falling in love with you too" she said softly. John lifted his head and looked in her face. She looked at him with tears in her eyes. She felt it too and wanted him to know it. She was scared, but desperate to be free from her pain. He touched her face. "I know how hard that was for you, but understand if you trust me with your heart I won't hurt you" he said kissing her lips. She blinked and let some loose tears escape. "I trust you" she said smiling. John pulled out of her and she rolled over onto his chest. He rubbed her back and they drifted back to sleep.

That Morning

Evangeline heard the alarm going off and opened her eyes. John's arm was heavily draped across her pinning her underneath him. Gently she moved his arm and reached to turn it off. She lay back and looked into his face. In the middle of the night he'd reached for her like he does often and made love to her. Yet something changed. In the glow of his ongoing expression of love for her she felt stronger. She told him that she was falling in love with him. Smiling at him she moved some hair out of his face. She was in love again and the world didn't stop. It was good to have something that belonged to her untouched by her parents. She rolled back onto her back and looked at the ceiling. Maybe now was the time to deal with Dennis. The thought of him still made her heart beat faster but Johns love gave her courage. Life wasn't all pain and he'd showed her that with his persistent need to save her. Today was Thursday and they both needed to get to work. But she thought she would surprise him with breakfast in bed first. Getting up she went to the foot for the bed for her robe. It was under his suit jacket that she picked up. While moving it a picture floated out of it to the floor. She bent over to pick it up. Turning it over her heat stopped. The floor fell out from under her and she fought the urge to faint from the onslaught of pain.

John rolled over and moved his arm. He didn't feel her next to him so he opened his eyes. Looking across the room he saw her in the chair staring at him. He sat up and smiled "Morning beautiful what time is it?" he asked rubbing his eyes. Hearing nothing from her he focused his vision to see her "What's wrong?"

Evangeline rose from her chair with her arms folded and walked over to him. She laid the picture in his lap. John looked down and saw what it was and then looked at her. She was glaring at him "How could you!" she seethed.

John sat up straight and picked up the picture "I can explain"
"Did you investigate me?"
John rubbed his jaw trying to find a way to get into this with her "It wasn't like that"
"You did, you went and investigated me. This picture it was taken by Candace..did you see her?" she asked walking away from the bed and pacing the floor.

John watched her. Last night she'd said she was falling in love with him and he was in fear that it all could be undone with this moment "Yes" he said softly

She spun around and yelled at him "You went and investigated me!"
"Van, let me explain this it's not how you think"

Evangeline put both her hands in her hair and grabbed her long tresses tightly stretching her face. "What did she tell you! What did she say?"

John knew that at this point all he could say to her was the truth "She told me everything"
Evangeline's eyes got big and she started gasping for air "My baby? Dennis? All of it?" she said stunned.

He looked at her frightened for what she was going through at that moment "Yes"

"Get out!" Evangeline yelled throwing his shoes at him. She picked up the clock off the dresser and snatched the cord from the wall then threw it at him missing his head by inches. "Get out!" she yelled looking for something else to throw. This time John leaped from the bed and ran toward her pulling her close.

"Stop Van," he said through gasps of breath. She hit him hard across the face with her fist and kept screaming. He was blinded temporarily from the blow and shocked from her strength. He grabbed her arms pinning them to her as she kicked and squirmed. Using his strength he carried her to the bed and half threw half fell with her on top of it. He could hear her screams but they were so quick and so frantic he couldn't make them out. He lay on top of her and pinned her further into the bed until he felt some of it pass. She cried and moaned underneath him. Finally when he thought she was exhausted he loosened his hold on her and rose up. Evangeline put her face in the comforter and stifled her cries.

John sat up on the bed and ran his hands through his hair. They remained like that for over 20 minutes before she pulled herself up and away from him.

"How could you betray me like that? I trusted you. You said you loved me and yet you investigate me like I am one of your cases." she choked out.

John looked at her hurt. "Baby, it wasn't like that. I wanted to help you and you kept shutting me out. I turned to Layla for help and she shut me out. I just wanted to know what kept you in such pain."

Evangeline moved her hair from her face which was partially wet from her tears and sweat. "You wanted to know hunh" she said panting and glaring at him "Okay fine. Now you know that I murdered my baby and then drove my boyfriend to suicide. Now you know!" she snapped

He reached for her but she moved further away "That's not what happened. Your parents did something cruel. It was abuse what they put you through…"

"Shut up! Don't blame my folks! It was me! I was the whore! I am the murderer! I destroyed Dennis!"

John blinked at her in surprise. Her view of herself sadden him. "That's not true. You had no knowledge of what your mother planned for you…'

"Not true! Who doesn't know they're in an abortion clinic? I passed the Bar with a perfect score the first time taking it but I don't know when I'm in an abortion clinic?" she said sarcastically

John moved closer to her "You didn't know Van, she tricked you. You tried to protect Dennis and never intended for him to kill himself..."

"Stop it! I know what happened!" she yelled jumping from the bed and moving across the room angrily "You had no right John no right whatsoever to invade my privacy. No right to dig in my past. Who the hell do you think you are!"

John got up angry "I'm the man that loves you dammit! The man that wants to share his life with you! Maybe I was wrong to go behind your back but I have every right to want to know the woman that I love and help her to be healthy and whole"

Evangeline sneered at him "Are you calling me crazy? Is that what it is? Poor screwed up Vangie…let me put on my inspector gadget hat and find out what makes her so crazy" she said mockingly.

John looked at her hurt "That's not fair and you know it"
"I'll tell you what I know. I know that I was a fool to think that I was in love with you. A fool to ever trust you" she spat.

John walked over to her and pushed her up against the wall "If you do what Lisa wants, if you become her and throw us away then yes you are a fool!" he snapped

She looked at him with pain in her eyes "I'm not my mother" she said weakly
"Then stop acting like it! Own your mistakes and pain. Own them and then let it go" he said

"You go to hell!" she said pushing him off her and escaping to the bathroom. John heard the door slam and punched the wall hard enough to leave an impression.

His hand hurt but not even close to how his heart felt. He went to the door and knocked repeatedly "Open it Van and face us!" he said angrily.

She said nothing and John leaned against it. "Dammit" he shouted aloud. Finally relenting he went to the bed and got his clothes putting them on. Once dressed he saw the picture on the floor and picked it up. He walked over to the bathroom door and slid it under it "You are stronger than this Van, when you realize that call me" he said then walked out of her place.

Evangeline sat on the back of the toilet and looked at the picture he slid under the door. She heard what he said and fought the urge to go back to him. Getting up she retrieved the picture and traced Dennis's face with her finger. He was as handsome as she remembered him. Clutching the picture to her chest she sat on her tiled bathroom floor and rocked back and forth crying.

"Dennis I'm so sorry" she said softly to herself embracing the grief of his death all over again. She lay on the bathroom floor and cried the tears she refused to let go of when she was 17. The pain of it all made her spin out of control.