Chapter 8: Doubt

*LyaCatWomen & vieirinha3, thanks for the reviews. Rick was having trouble. Was he able to solve it?

Enjoy =)

It was Evelyn. And now he knew he had screwed things up. "Evy..." he called for her but she already turned and left. Everyone in the party was talking about the couple. Evelyn's husband hit George in the party. "Hello, I think we had-" Isabelle said as Rick walked pass her. "I'm sorry. I'm looking for my wife" he said and left the woman, not caring what she was going to say. He searched in the house for a while but no luck. So he went to his car, hoping she was there. He found her inside the car, arms crossed and stern face. He went inside the car and reached for her but she moved away from him. "I'm sorry Evy" he apologised like a boy did something naughty and got punishment from his mother. "Can we leave now?" she said. Well, at least she was talking to him. "Anything you say" he said and turn the key in the ignition. The ride back to their house was silence. When they reached, she went straight to their bedroom and closed the door. He turned the doorknob and found it was locked. "Evy..." he said as he was knocking the door. After few times of knocking and got nothing from it, he went to the library and decided to make the couch as his bed. She heard his footsteps walking away and she started to cry. 'Did I make the wrong choice?' she thought. They are from different world and she knew it. She was raised in the upper class in London but he was raised in orphanage in Cairo. But she didn't mind. Although she didn't like George but punched him in the party with full of people wasn't something she wished. Tomorrow was her first day in the British Museum and George was working in the museum too. She didn't know how to face that guy. And that Isabella. 'Why didn't he tell me he knew her' she thought and cried even more. She wasn't angry with Rick for hitting George but the fact was he kept something from her. They had fallen in love under most trying circumstances. He didn't have other women to compare in Cairo but now they had back to a civilised country. "What if he choose that woman? Or he choose someone beautiful than me" she talked to herself. A seed of doubt had planted deep in her heart that someday Rick would leave her. He would find her boring. He would tell her that he had made the wrong choice for marrying her that he didn't want a boring wife like her.

At the same time in the library, Rick was having the same thought. He was blaming himself for making her sad. He had promised he would do his best to make her happy but instead he made her angry and sad. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell his wife what George had said in the party. 'No. She saw me hit that bastard and that's it. I'm not going to make excuse for it and she doesn't need to know what that bastard have said' he thought and was going to make up for her in the morning.

"Good morning" he greeted her when she walked into the kitchen. "Good morning" she said. Her mood wasn't bad because today was her first day in British Museum. She wasn't going to let anything ruined it. "I've made breakfast for you" he said. "Thank you" she said and smiled at him. 'Wow. Seems like she have forgiven me' he thought as he never knew she was crying last night. "I'm sorry about last night Evy" he said. "Why did you have to bring it up when I already forgot it?" she said. It brought back the memory of her conversation with Isabelle. She grabbed her purse and left the house with a dumbstruck husband standing at there, watching while she left. He mentally kicked himself for bringing up the subject when she didn't even mentioned it. "Good morning old boy" Jonathan said as he walked into the kitchen. "Where's old mum?" he asked. "British Museum" Rick said as he wasn't looking at his brother-in-law. "Ahhhh today's her first day. The girl never eat much when she is excited about something. Why are you here?" he asked as he picked up the food his sister had left. He eyed up and down towards the American and guessed the couple had a fight. "You two had a fight?" he asked but Rick ignored him. "Don't worry old boy. She wouldn't stay angry at you forever. By tonight, you both probably will start the kissy wissy again" he said as he wasn't worried about the couple. Rick didn't say a word and left the kitchen.

"Good morning Mr. Hafez" she greeted the curator. "Good morning Mrs. O'Connell. I'm sorry that I can't make the introduction for you. I have other things to do but Mr. Clark will help me in this matter. Mr. Clark meet Mrs. O'Connell" he said. "We both knew each other in Oxford. Don't worry Mr. Hafez. I'll give Evelyn the orientation" George said. "Perfect. I shall leave you two then. See you later Mrs. O'Connell" Mr. Hafez said and left. "Good morning Evelyn" George said. "Good morning. How are you feeling?" she said. "Thanks to your husband" he said. Indeed his nose was injured. "I can't believe you choose a barbaric American instead of me" he said. "He doesn't punch people like this. I'm sure you have said something offensive. I know you have a silver tongue. Anyway, I trust him" she said as she needed to defend her husband even though she was angry with him. "What did he do to you? I guess he had some spell over you. You know he is a prisoner? Come on Evelyn a prisoner, seriously?" George said. Of course she knew. She was the one who saved his neck. "This kind of man has a very bad track records with women. He joined the French Legion and I bet he has girlfriends at every places he had been to. You sure you want to spend the rest of your life with him? Both of us like Egypt. We share the same interest. You and I are perfect for each other" George said. "We are over George. I'm married" she said. "I'm here Evelyn. I'm still here" George had closed the distance and his lips were almost touched her cheek. Evelyn was having her own thought that Rick was surrounded by a lot of beautiful women. Her lack of confidence was leading this marriage to a very dangerous situation. She didn't realised George was that closed until "What the hell is going on?" Rick suddenly appeared at the British Museum. "Oh I ah I just… Well, I… I… have work to do. I shall leave you two then. Yes… I'll leave" George said and left, afraid to get another punch from the American. "You let him kiss you" Rick was angry. "I didn't. He was there and I… Who do you think I am?" she was furious with her husband. "Well, how do you explain what I just saw?" Rick said. "I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone" she said. "Fine" he shouted. "Fine" she yelled. 'How dare he think like that! He didn't trust me!" she thought. They had been very happy until they stepped on the British land. It was easy to fall in love during a dangerous time in a desert, there was no other women to compare with her and there was no other guy to compare with him but now they had back to a civilised country. Reality had given the couple a slap on their face, like it was time to wake up, it was time to realise they weren't mean for each other.

"Old mum you are back. How was work?" Jonathan said. She didn't reply and went straight to her room. "Old mum are you alright?" he followed his sister. As an elder brother, he always knew his sister wasn't in the mood and it was his job to make her smile. And he always did. "I'm fine" she said as she sniffed. "Are you crying old mum?" he asked. "No, it's just the dust makes me sneeze. Why are you here anyway? I thought you are having date at the town" she said as she was trying to switch the topic. "Of course I do. But you always come first. You two had a fight?" he asked. "I don't want to talk about this with you Jonathan" she said. "Evy, I know what happened last night" he said. "No you didn't. He punched George in his face and I'm sure everyone in the town is talking about this. I'm sure of it" she said as she sat down on the bed, not looking at her brother. "Evy, I would have hit him too if I was there" Jonathan said. In fact, he had some talks with his friend this afternoon. "You know what he said? He was trying to embarrass Rick in front of the people. But Rick controlled his temper very well until George started to say something bad about you" he said. "What did he say?" she asked as she was eager to know. "Well, I don't think you want to know. Anyway, Rick was trying to protect you" he said. "Still, it wasn't right to punch people in his face" she said. As stubborn as she was, she wasn't going to lose this. "Evy, he said a girl like you don't know how to please a man. Any guy would hit the man if his wife was insulted" he said. "He didn't tell me" she said softly. "I guess Rick doesn't want to upset you. Well, now you know. Why don't you try and make up with him?" her brother suggested. "He is angry with me. He hates me Jonathan" she said. "What did you do?" he asked. "George was trying to kiss me when Rick walked in. He thought... he thought I have permitted George to kiss me. I was too caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't even realised George was that closed to me. He didn't trust me Jonathan. We are done" she said as tears rolling down her cheeks, unable to hold back. "Evy, the man doesn't hate you. He loves you. I can tell from the way he looks at you, like you are the only one in the world" he said. "He didn't tell me he had a relationship with Isabelle back in France" she blurted. "What?! How did you know?" he said. "Isabelle told me last night. Rick didn't even mentioned it to me. He was like… like they didn't meet before. Why did he hide this from me Jonathan?" she said. "I don't know old mum. I think you should discuss this with him and see what he says. You can't listen to Isabelle. Give the man a chance to explain. I know he loves you and that's why he married you" Jonathan said. "Is he home?" she asked. "No I haven't seen him since this morning. Come on, I'll give you a ride to the town. I guess he is spending his time in the bar" he said. "How did you know?" she asked. "When a man couldn't solve his problem, he probably got himself drunk" Jonathan said. "That's why you always get yourself drunk" she said as she narrowed her eyes. "You know me" he said with a cheeky smile. "Thank you" she said and hugged her brother. "I gave you to Rick. I'm not responsible to take care of you anymore. It's his job and he has to answer me if he makes you cry again" he said. And that made her giggled. Her brother always had his way to make her smile.

"There's his car" she spotted her husband car on the street. "Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you?" he asked. "No, you're late for your date. I'll be fine" she said. "I'll leave you here old mum. Remember, give the man a chance to explain" he said. "Thank you" she said and kissed his cheek. She already searched two bars at the street but still couldn't find her husband. This was the third and while she decided to left, finally spotted her husband sitting at the bar, having liquor. She walked slowly to where he sat but stopped when a lady approached her husband. "Hello handsome. Mind if I get a drink?" she said in a flirtatious tone. "One for her" he said to the bartender. 'I came to look for him and now he is having fun with other woman!' her mind said. She was furious.

OMG! Was Rick going to give up their relationship? Was he going to cheat on his wife? Let me know what do you think. XD