"Come on Halston, you're kidding me, right?" Cerutti pulled on his jacket and prepared to head outside. His shift was over and he was ready to start his weekend.
"I'd be so lucky if I could be the lieutenant. First, he pulls a super-hot lawyer who is way out of his league, and know he's dating the commissioner's niece." Halston was always one to kid with John, but after these past few months he'd had to hold it all in. Things were starting to get back to normal, so he could finally let loose again.
"Call me crazy, but I like to come in to work to get away from the ball and chain. He's stuck with her like twenty-four seven. At this point, I just feel bad for the man."
Since her return, Natalie had been back working at the LPD. She was continually shadowing John. She'd even gone as far as to try joining him in the field. No one could have called it when Natalie declared she wanted to become a forensic technician.
"Hey, if some hot babe wanted to follow me around like a sick puppy, I'd be all for it." Halston was in the middle of a dry spell. He'd thought about ask John for dating tips as a joke, but knew his lieutenant wouldn't take it well.
"She's one sick puppy alright." Cerutti shook his head and shuddered at the thought of Natalie.
"Whoa, whoa, what's that supposed to mean? You don't think she's hot." Halston punched him in the arm playfully. He figured he was just whipped because his wife wouldn't let him make those kinds of comments anymore. "Cathy's not here, man. Speak your mind."
Cerutti looked over his shoulder making sure they were the only two in the locker room. "She's attractive. I'll give her that, but she's got nothing on you know who."
Halston rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Apples and oranges man. You have to appreciate each separate woman for what she can bring to the table. There are not too many women here in Llanview who can compete with Ms. Williamson."
"What exactly is there to appreciate about her? Seriously? Half the time I can't tell where John ends and she begins. Her family is super rich. She could be anything. She could do anything. Instead, she's here trying to make sure she can keep her hooks in a man. The whole situation is just crazy, and you know what they say about crazy?"
"Yeah, don't stick your stick in crazy, but I'm sure it's way too late for that." The pair shared a chuckle. "You're right, okay. I still wouldn't mind sticking it to either one of them though, especially Ms. Williamson. She's single now and it's been long enough since she broke up with the lieutenant. Maybe I should ask her out."
"She wouldn't even waste her breath on you." Duffy had heard enough of the two. "I'd hoped to be leaving the city in the hands of Llanview's finest. It's a damn shame that all we have are jokers like you."
Halston and Cerutti both knew better than to object. They'd had more than one class in sensitivity training. Talk like this was not for the office.
"Those two women that you were both talking about like pieces of meat have both been through hell this year. Let's also not forget that they're women who are constantly in and out of this station. One of them works here, so I'm sure you know that talk like this is considered as harassment. Let's try to keep it professional."
Both men just nodded and quickly moved to excuse themselves. There was no point in arguing. In few more days, McDuff would be retired and that would be the end of his interfering with their casual banter. On the way out, they saw John leaned against some locker staring at them intently. They prayed that he hadn't heard them.
"Duffy, I've always counted on you to be the most mature. Don't know what I'll do without you." John had indeed heard their whole conversation. He'd thought about interrupting, but he didn't know what to say. Had it not been for Duffy their bad behavior would have gone unchecked.
"What I said wasn't for your benefit." Duffy placed his coat in his locker and started to prepare for another long shift. He didn't bother acknowledging John any further.
John had let it slide for these last few weeks, but he was tired of Duffy's attitude. "You got a problem Duffy?"
"Not for long." At the conclusion of the Killing Club Killer case, Duffy decided to retire. He knew John would just continue to be a one man show, and he didn't want to stand on the sidelines anymore. He'd accepted a position to work with at risk youths. He thought he could at least do some good work there.
"What's that supposed to mean?" John was confused by Duffy's indifference. "I do something to offend you."
"Your being here offends me, Lieutenant. I get that you're some former FBI big shot, but I can't see that you coming here has done a whole lot of good. You work alone and play by your own rules. Sure, you've put away some killers, but you've drawn some to you too. I'm scared that your cavalier regard for danger is going to start catching on. I don't want to watch this police force turn into a bunch of commandos."
John stared at him wide eyed. He didn't even know how to respond. He was highly decorated because he always got the job done. He valued the lives of his comrades. He chose to work alone, so that he could minimize casualties. He was willing to stand in place of another if it meant keeping them out of harm's way.
"I see that look on your face, and I know you don't get. I know that you're not a bad guy, but what you're doing here is wrong. You need to figure out what the problem is, and then you need to solve it. This is your mess, and it's time that you cleaned it up already. Don't you think?" Duffy slammed his locker shut and stormed out of the locker room. He was glad to have finally gotten all of that off his chest.
No sooner than Duffy was gone Natalie appeared. "Hey, John, is everything okay?"
John gave her a blank stare and nodded. He didn't even know how to process what Duffy had just said to him. "Yeah, let's go."
"Okay." Natalie flipped her hair over her shoulder and waited for him to follow behind her.
John walked in daze behind her. He found that more and more often he was tuning out what she was saying. He thought about what Cerutti had said. He really didn't have any time to himself. Natalie had moved in with him almost immediately. That had been his fault for not being able to express himself. At this point he was resigned to his fate. He knew that he would never be comfortable with expressing himself. Being with Natalie was his penance for that.
"Hello, John?" Natalie waved her hand in front of his face and frowned at him. "Have you been spaced out this whole time?"
"Sorry about that." She'd talked without his input or acknowledgement for the whole ride home. "What were you saying?"
"I was talking about Jess." She started again with her story.
John nodded as if he was listening. He went to the fridge to grab a beer so that he could start relaxing. Every night there was some new family drama that he had to hear about. He was tired of listening to her. He watched her pace back and forth behind the sofa. For a moment, he thought about having sex with her just to get her to be quiet. It had been a long day and Cerutti's, Halston's and Duffy's words were still getting to him.
He sighed and shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Tonight was going to be a long night. He only hoped that the next day would give him some sort of reprieve.
John walked into the Angel's Square Diner and he actually had a smile on his face. Natalie had some family emergency to take care of, and that meant John would be able to spend most of his day alone. He was glad for the much needed solitude.
He was lost in thought deciding on how he would spend his day when he nearly bumped into Evangeline. His smile became even brighter. "Hey." He hated the awkward tone in his voice.
Evangeline looked up shocked. She hadn't seen John in quite a while. She'd taken on a couple of new attorneys at her firm, so she could start reducing her case load. That also meant that she didn't really have any need to go down to the precinct. The few times that she had been there she made sure to avoid places that she was likely to see John.
"John, excuse me." She moved to step around him, but he moved in her path. She was not in the mood for this. She'd seen him once since he and Natalie had become an item. She listened to him stutter through some lame apology about how he'd only recently realized his feelings for Natalie. She dismissed him quickly opting to avoid a painful argument about his life choices.
"What's the rush? You got time to grab a cup of coffee?" John was excited to see her and didn't notice her discomfort. He was sick of seeing her lackeys in place of her smiling face. He figured she hated him, but he still wanted to give it a shot. Her friendship was all he wanted at this point.
"No," she answered too quickly. She wasn't trying to be completely standoffish, but she didn't know what he was expecting. "I've got a meeting and I'm running late." She chose a more polite approach. Of course they would have to be friendly after the baby was born, but that was still months away. She wanted to hold on to her anger a little while longer.
"Working on Saturday? Thought you were taking it easy these days." John thought quickly of how he could keep her there longer. He knew he didn't have any right to ask for her friendship, but that wouldn't stop him.
Evangeline just nodded. She had a meeting with her realtor, and if everything went well she'd be getting the keys to her new home in the next couple of weeks.
"If you're busy now, maybe we can get a drink later on." He stared down into her soft brown eyes and felt his heart breaking. Had it really been that easy for her to write him off?
"I'm not ready for that, John. To be honest, I'm not sure I'll ever be ready." She exaggerated slightly, but she really wanted to drive the point home to John. "At the end of the day you're still with Natalie. That's your choice. This is mine." Evangeline stepped around him and left him to his thoughts.
John stood for a moment to gather himself. He'd wanted to chase after her, but there would be no point. He still wasn't able to verbalize what he was actually feeling. He walked somberly through the diner to find a seat. He scanned the booths trying to find one that didn't remind him of her. He sighed knowing this town was far too small. No matter where he went, he would always be reminded of her. He chose to take a seat at the counter. For once, he was hoping to engage in some light conversation with a random stranger; anything to keep him from thinking about Evangeline.
He looked over the menu and thought of ordering something other than the usual. He was pulled from his thoughts by a tap on the shoulder. He spun around on his stool and was met with familiar brown eyes and a cold stare.
"What did you say to my sister?" Layla saw the tail end of Evangeline's interaction with John. Her first instinct was to go after her sister, but she thought better of that. She had something to settle with John and now was as good a time as any.
She folded her arms across her chest and stared him up and down. She could see why her sister was physically attracted to him, but other than that it was beyond her. Evangeline could have her pick of handsome, successful well-adjusted men, but of course she'd want the one that gave her a challenge. She'd already lectured her sister on trying to change people, and she thought she'd finally gotten through.
"Look," John started. He'd already been shut down by Evangeline, and he wasn't in the mood to hear it from Layla.
"No, you look," Layla interrupted. She didn't want to go back and forth with him. "My sister has been through hell these last few months. I shouldn't have to remind you of that fact. If It wasn't for you, she wouldn't have ever been in any danger."
John shook his head. Layla sounded just like her mother, Lisa. "You don't understand."
"I think it's you that doesn't understand. I may be new to Llanview, but I've heard all about you. You made my sister look like a fool by chasing after some other woman while you were together. Oh, and here's the cherry, you're dating that other woman now!"
John had reached his limit. There was definitely some truth to what Layla was saying, but she was way out of line. "My relationship with Evangeline."
"Or lack thereof," Layla interjected.
"Has nothing to do with you." John snapped then regretted it. He'd drawn some stares from the other restaurant patrons.
"It has everything to do with me when I'm the one there comforting her." Layla lied. Evangeline did get down every now and then, but for the most part she'd managed to keep her spirits up. "I won't say it again. Stay away from my sister."
John didn't have a chance to respond before Layla stormed off. She nearly collided with Michael on her way out. John spun around on his stool and thought of the quickest way to get rid of Michael.
"What was that all about?" Michael sat on the stool closest to John and looked over his shoulder at the woman who seemed so familiar.
"Nothing, Mikey. Don't worry about it." John dropped his head and wondered why he'd even bothered Evangeline.
Michael looked at him frowning when suddenly it came to him. "Layla! That was Evangeline's sister. What did you do to piss her off?"
"Nothing. She was just warning me to stay away from Evangeline." John chose the truth hoping that would be enough to get Michael to change the subject.
Michael laughed and shook his head. "Why would she even have to tell you that?"
"The hell is that supposed to mean," John snapped. "Evangeline and I are friends." John's last statement caused Michael to laugh out loud. John gave him a bewildered stare and wondered what was so funny.
"Since when?" Michael calmed down enough to speak. "I remember it wasn't that long ago that I was begging you to go see her. She'd just been through a terrible trauma, but you were too focused on finding Natalie to give a damn. You weren't there when she needed you. Now, you say you're friends, and you're looking to rekindle that friendship? Now, she's dealt with the craziness that Hayes Barber put her though. She did that from no help from you might I add. Now, you're with Natalie. Give Evangeline a chance to digest all that. Just give her some space right now. If she wants to forgive you, she'll reach out to you."
Michael loved his brother dearly. John wasn't book smart like he was, but he had street smarts and good instincts; especially when it came to reading people. Right now, Michael was wondering how his brother could be so oblivious.
"I'm getting really tired of everyone telling me to stay away from Evangeline." John was starting to get a headache. He'd already gotten an earful from Nora unexpectedly a few days ago. Even Bo had politely suggested that John give Evangeline some time alone.
"It's not that we all want to tell you what to do. It's no secret how stubborn you are. At the end of the day, everyone has the same thing in mind. We all want what's best for Evangeline." Mike put his hand on John's shoulder as if that would soften the blow. "You can't be selfish enough to think she's ready to be friends with you. Ready to watch you and Natalie have the happiness that she was denied. You chose Natalie, bro. Deal with it."
John slapped Michael's hand off his shoulder. He left in almost as much as a huff as Layla. Forget breakfast, he needed a drink. Rather, he needed several drinks. He wondered where he could find a bar that would serve him this early. He decided that wanted to spend the rest of the day in an alcohol induced haze.
Natalie walked confidently through the Buchanan office building. Vicki had gotten the situation with Jessica under control, so Natalie decided to take her leave. She headed home to see John, but found he wasn't home. She called his cell and got no answer, so she decided to check out some of his usual hang outs. It was when she stopped in the diner that she got the scoop about what had transpired between John and Evangeline, John and Layla, and John and Michael.
She was annoyed that Evangeline still had such a hold on John. Every now and then, she would catch John staring off blankly. Whenever she questioned him, she got a simple response that it was nothing. She wasn't stupid. She knew he was still thinking about Evangeline. She didn't dare mention Evangeline's name. She wouldn't make Evangeline an issue.
Jessica, in all her wisdom, had told her that John probably felt a little guilty for ending up with Natalie. She assured Natalie that those feeling would quickly fade, so there was no need to worry about it. Natalie had done everything short of moving heaven and earth to get John to be with her, so she wasn't about to let his guilt spoil their happiness.
After he stop at the diner, Natalie knew that she needed to speak to Evangeline directly. She needed Evangeline to forgive John and give him her blessing to be with Natalie. She was convinced that she could get Evangeline to turn the other cheek.
Natalie arrived at the receptionist's desk and smiled politely at the young man sitting behind the desk. She'd once been a client of Evangeline, so she knew her way around. That had been some time ago. There were now lots of new faces that she didn't recognize.
"Hi, I'm Natalie Buchanan. I'm here to see Ms. Williamson." She hoped the man at the desk would put two and two together and know that she was well connected in this time.
The man with short brown hair looked up at her briefly then down at his computer screen. "I'm sorry. I don't have your name in the appointment book. If you want, you can leave a message for Ms. Williamson, or I can schedule an appointment for another day." He scrolled through several times trying to find a time when Evangeline would be free.
Natalie leaned over the desk and smiled brightly. "No, she wasn't expecting me. I was just hoping for a moment of her time."
The man looked up at her and shook his head. Things had been crazy around here. Evangeline had taken on a partner and had several new associates. Though her case load had lightened, Evangeline was still just as busy as ever. "No can do."
"I'm sorry. What is your name?" Natalie tried not to sound annoyed.
"I'm Wes." Wes backed out of Evangeline's date calendar. He could tell that Natalie wasn't looking to make an appointment for another day. "Like I was saying, Ms. Williamson is extremely busy. What may seem like a simple interruption to you would actually be a huge distraction for Ms. Williamson."
"If she's so busy, then a visit from a friend would be a welcome distraction from the craziness." Natalie used the term friend lightly. She and Evangeline had only been close when they were forced together by the killers.
"If you're really a friend, you should know that it would be best to catch Ms. Williamson when she's not at work." Wes wasn't trying to be rude, but he had this place working like a well-oiled machine. As long as everyone stayed on schedule, then he didn't have to work so much overtime. He liked the money, but he liked his personal time more.
"Excuse me!" Natalie looked him up and down with a look of disgust on her face. "I suggest you let Ms. Williamson know that Ms. Buchanan is waiting to see her. Buchanan, like the name on the building."
Wes just shook his head. He contemplated calling building security, but he didn't want Evangeline or anyone else getting off track.
"Wes, change of plans. I'll be working from home today." Evangeline stepped out of her office with her briefcase hanging from her shoulder. "Sorry to have you here on a Saturday."
"No problem Evangeline." He'd completely dismissed Natalie almost forgetting that she was there.
"Evangeline, hey," Natalie quickly interjected. Evangeline hadn't noticed her when she stepped out of her office.
"Sorry, Natalie, I'm not taking on any new clients." Evangeline grabbed a pen and pad off Wes' desk and scribbled down a note. She folded the paper and held it out to Natalie. "This is the name of another top law firm. Whatever it is I'm sure they'll get you taken care of."
"I don't need a lawyer," Natalie didn't mean to sound rude, but sometimes she couldn't help herself. "I'm sorry. I was hoping that we could talk."
"If it's not a legal issue, then I can't help you." Evangeline had already had a run in with John, and it wasn't pleasant. The buyer had accepted her offer, and her future home had passed inspection. In less than a month, she'd be in her new home. She thought she would be able to do some work, but she kept getting distracted thinking of all the things she needed to get done before her move. Evangeline was giddy with excitement. She wouldn't let anyone rain on her parade today, so she would not give Natalie the time of day.
"Look, it's important. We haven't spoken since we were down in that basement. You're the only person who knows what it was like." She softened hoping to reach her. "I really need to talk to you." Natalie knew Evangeline was a bit of a pushover. She was always polite and she always took the highroad. Why would today be any different?
Evangeline held back a smile and looked over at Natalie. She and Natalie both knew there was nothing to say. They were both alive. They had both recovered physically. She knew this had something to do with John. Evangeline had already decided to give them a shot a happiness. She wouldn't do anything to pull them apart, but she would be damned if she would be glue that helped them stick together.
"Wes, why don't you go ahead and let everyone know they can take off for today. Today is a beautiful day and we should all be out enjoying it." Evangeline was still trying to cut back on her case load, but she still found herself in workaholic mode. She still had some more adjusting to do, but once again long hours and weekends would be a thing of the past.
Wes simply nodded. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouse. He'd rather play catch up on Monday than to stay and work on a weekend. "Have a great weekend Ms. Williamson, and congratulations again."
Natalie's smiled turned into a frown. She knew Evangeline dismissed her assistant so they could talk, but his cheery smile irritated her. She waited until Wes was down the hall before she spoke. "So, congratulations are in order?" Natalie pried knowing it wasn't any of her business.
Evangeline nodded simply offering no further details.
Natalie waited a moment hoping for more. She gave up figuring it was probably some fancy lawyer something. Evangeline's was featured in the local paper almost every week. They were always singing her praises over one thing or another. Natalie knew part of that was because her Uncle Todd was such a big admirer.
"Look, thanks. I just really wanted to speak to you." Natalie prepared to launch into the speech that she'd prepared.
Evangeline put her hand up to stop her. "That wasn't done for you." Evangeline studied Natalie's face for a moment. She was offended that Natalie believed her to be so predictable. "If you'll excuse me." She walked toward the elevator and could hear Natalie calling after her. She could try to keep ignoring her, but she decided being direct was best. She stopped at the elevator and tapped the call button.
"I know, you don't want to talk about this, but it's important." Natalie abandoned her speech and was now just winging it. She hadn't come all this way for no reason.
"There is nothing to say, Natalie. Whatever crisis, whatever emergency, whatever you have going on is not my concern. I'm not your attorney. I'm not your friend." The elevator arrived at the perfect time. Evangeline stepped in and left Natalie behind.
John walked into his apartment after a long day. Today was Saturday, a scheduled off day, but he still ended up at work. After his unpleasant experiences at the diner, he let himself get dragged in to work. He knew he should take some time away from work to unwind, but the thought being left alone with his thoughts was less than desirable. Sometimes police work could be mindless or mind numbing but he never seemed to mind. Luckily, Natalie had kept herself occupied for most of the afternoon, so he was able to make significant progress on the work he was behind on.
John closed the door softly behind himself and waited to see how long it would take for Natalie to notice him. She was pacing, so she was either angry or worried. The thought of dealing with another one of her crises was sickening. At the end of the day, his guilt always humbled him.
Without his interference, Natalie would probably be happily married. He was the reason her husband was gone. For some reason, Natalie had grown to love him despite his role in her husband's disappearance. He wanted to make up for what he'd cost her and being with her now was the only way he knew how.
He knew it was crazy, but at this point he didn't have anything to lose. For a time, he was able to distance himself from Natalie and her drama. He found happiness. That happiness had been short lived. Natalie had played her role in the demise of his relationship with Evangeline, but ultimately it had been his own fault for that relationships end.
"John," Natalie brought him from his thoughts. He'd spaced out completely in such a short amount of time. "Hey, I didn't see you there." She walked over to him and kissed him deeply. "Thought you were supposed to be off today?"
John frowned slightly. He didn't like her keeping tabs on him. "I went in to catch up on some paper work. I've been letting too much paperwork pile up." He watched her walk away while nodding her head. "Everything okay with Jess?" John really didn't care, there'd be hell to pay if he didn't at least pretend.
"Yeah, she's fine. Mom has the situation under control." Natalie folded her arms across her chest and continued to pace.
"So, what's wrong? You're going to make a hole in the floor with all that pacing," John joked hoping to lighten the mood.
"I'm just aggravated. That's all," she snapped. "I'm just sick of those stuck up Williamson sisters."
"What happened? I didn't even know that you knew Layla." In regard to Evangeline, he could imagine she was exaggerating. Evangeline was pretty much all class. Evangeline always did the right thing. In spite of everything that happened, Evangeline was probably the reason that Natalie was found safely.
"I went to talk to Evangeline today, and she completely blew me off." John watched her for a moment and was genuinely confused. Then suddenly it hit him. He was giving Natalie the same look that Michael and Layla had given him earlier today. Maybe he and Natalie were a good match. Somehow in both of their minds they expected Evangeline to take the high road and set aside her own feelings to cater to their needs. The realization was sobering and nauseating.
"Then her psycho sister shows up here!"
"Layla was here?" Something about that rubbed John the wrong way.
"Yes, she was here. She was looking for you, or so she said. I don't even know how she knew where you lived. According to her, I'm responsible for her sister's problems. As if!" Natalie chose to leave out the more colorful words that Layla had used. She'd thought to challenger her, but she was quick to realize that Layla was not at all like Evangeline. Natalie did all she could to avoid ending up on the wrong side of a well placed slap.
John sighed and frowned. This whole turn of events was his fault. If he hadn't bothered Evangeline, he would have upset Layla. Then Layla wouldn't have had a reason to try tracking him down. "I bumped in to Evangeline earlier today. She blew me off too. I wasn't trying to piss her off, but I maybe I did. Layla was there."
"So that means she has to act like a bitch. Evangeline dumped you. If she's going to go whining to her sister about being heartbroken, she could at least get the facts straight."
"I don't think that's what's going on." John felt even worse. Evangeline had just been going about her business when he stopped her. "Evangeline's a big girl. She's not one to go dumping her baggage on someone else. I think Layla was just trying to stick up for her. Though it wasn't needed."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean! Her sister came here and attacked me, and you're defending her. You're defending both of them." She was livid that John wasn't as outraged as she was.
John could feel his head starting to throb. There was no right way to handle this situation. He wasn't going to blame Evangeline, and that was clearly what Natalie wanted. "Do you really want to fight about this?" He stood and walked over to her. "Let's just go to Rodi's. Get some drinks. Shoot some pool." He pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead.
"You're right. I shouldn't even be letting this get to me." Natalie smiled knowing that John's attention was fully focused on her. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you."
"S'okay. Come on. Let's go." John took Natalie by the arm and led her out of his apartment. He'd always enjoyed the occasional adult beverage, but at this point it was starting to become tedious. He found himself drinking as an escape. He made a note to find another way to blow off steam.
"Hey Natty, Johnny Mack. What's shakin'?" Roxy greeted them from the sofa. She was wearing shades in doors which was a telltale sign that she'd been drinking.
"Just heading out." Natalie called out to her.
"Oh, Johnny," Roxy struggled to get up from her reclined position. "Some chick was here looking for you earlier. Tall and skinny with curly hair. She was asking what room you were in. I saw her creeping around up near your room earlier. Looked like she was up to something."
Natalie rolled her eyes at the mention of Layla. "She came and said her peace. I don't think she'll be back again." Natalie acted as if she'd put Layla in her place.
John let the information sink in. Something was off only he didn't know what. He felt a sick sense of dread wash over him.
Evangeline lay on her bed curled up next to her body pillow. She was absolutely exhausted. She'd probably over done it a bit. Lily had been there helping her pack for her big move. Lily had been a great help, but she'd talked nearly the whole time.
Lily and her boyfriend Troy called it quits. It was not an amicable split. Troy, unlike John, was very in touch with his feelings and always spoke his mind. According to Lily Troy was a sexist ass, and she wouldn't tolerate him any longer. Normally listening to someone else's problems was a way to forget about her own, but the subject matter hit too close to home. Evangeline had been unusually silent. Instead she just listened as Lily vented her frustrations.
She put her hand to her abdomen and smiled at the thought of meeting her unborn child. She wanted to join in the ex-bashing, but she again took the high road. No matter what she thought of John, she would always be thankful for the life they created.
She sighed and squeezed her pillow. The time was drawing near for her to tell John. She was almost five months pregnant, though you wouldn't be able to tell from looking at her. She'd maintained her slim figure and only now had the beginning of a baby bump. She worried that she wasn't as big as she thought she should be. Having Lily around had been a great help. She assured her that it was perfectly normal and gave her a clean bill of health. All she cared about was the health of her child, but she was glad that she didn't have to go out of her way to hide the pregnancy.
"Don't tell me you're going to bed already?" Layla popped her head into the room and stared at her sister.
"Fine, I won't tell you." Evangeline smiled before letting her heavy eye lids fall shut.
"My god, you're so boring. What exactly do you do for fun?"
Evangeline looked at her through half opened eyes. "I'm in the middle of packing up my life to move to my first house. Forgive me if I'm not up for bar hoping or late nights at Ultraviolet."
"I'm not talking about just tonight. All you do is work. You should take a break. Go out with friends. Have fun. Date." Layla walked over to the bed and sat down. "The quickest way to get over a break up is to get back in there. Otherwise, how will you know what you've been missing out on."
"The quickest way to get into a bad relationship is to jump into something head first. This isn't my first time, Lay. I'm not ready yet." Evangeline was tired of the constant back and forth with Layla. She knew Layla had the best intentions, but she didn't need or want advice on her personal life.
"It's hard to watch you sitting around and beating yourself up over some failed relationship. John McBain is not worth it."
"Stop, Layla." Defending John was not something she took pleasure in, but she couldn't get on the John hate train. She and John gave it a shot and it didn't work. He was a difficult man, but he was decent.
"No, Vange. You need to hear this. John doesn't deserve you, and he never did. You gave him your heart and look how he repaid you. He's not just with some other woman. He's with the other woman."
Evangeline sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. "It's not that simple. Yes, he's with Natalie. Yes, it hurts to know that they're together. I ended it with John, because he couldn't give me what I needed. I don't have the right to tell him who he can and can't date."
"I don't know," Layla reclined against the mountain of pillows and shook her head. "It's just suspicious to me. Of all the women, why pick her? Why is he trying so hard to gain your approval?"
"Please not this again." Layla had been convinced that John was guarding some dark secret that somehow involved Evangeline and Natalie.
"It makes sense to me, Vange, so I did a little digging. I'm not exactly sure about what I found, but I'm sure it's somehow related to whatever he's hiding." Layla held up the manila envelope that she'd been concealing. Layla borrowed the key to John's apartment from the box of stuff that Evangeline had been intending to return to him. She'd almost gotten caught by Natalie, but her acting skills had been put to good use. She'd gotten dirt on John and given Natalie a piece of her mind. "Seems strange to me that he'd be hiding a DNA report in his closet."
Evangeline's eyes grew wide. She couldn't even try to hide her surprise. "Layla, don't tell me that you broke into John's apartment. What the hell were you thinking!"
"I was thinking of you. I was hoping that whatever this would break his hold over you. I want you to get on with your life." She wasn't about to start apologizing even if she had just committed a crime.
Evangeline tried not to think the worst, but she could already feel her heart breaking. She needed to get rid of Layla before she completely broke down in tears. "Please, don't do me anymore favors. I'm an officer of the court. I have to report this."
"Oh, please Vange." Layla mocked her. "Sometimes I think you take yourself too seriously."
"Sometimes you're not serious enough. I have to take this back to John now. I have to go to his apartment and convince him not to press charges against you. John hasn't broken any laws. It's routine for police detectives to take work home with them. He could be storing them in his underwear drawer for all I care." Evangeline gave her a stern look hoping that was enough to scare her.
Layla started to regret her decision. She thought she was giving her sister power over John, but now she'd just made things worse. "For what it's worth, I was just looking out for you."
"I appreciate it, Layla. Just maybe next time think before you go commit a crime." Evangeline slapped her playfully with her pillow. "I love you, Layla. Thanks for thinking about me, but don't risk your freedom or your safety on my account."
"I'm not making any promises here. You've saved my butt on more than one occasion. I'm nowhere close to paying you back for all you've done from me." Layla pulled her into a hug. "I'm going to hit the hay. Have a good night, Vange." Layla kissed her on the cheek before departing.
Evangeline shook her head. She never understood how her sister could be so carefree and reckless. She was distracted by thoughts of Layla for only a few moments before the envelope on her bed caught her eye. She stared at it and knew what it meant. Opening it now would be like opening Pandora's box. Things would change, and not for the better.
She grabbed the envelope and carefully opened it. "Dammit, John. Dammit." It was exactly what she'd expected. She threw it onto the floor knowing that this was not a secret that she could keep.