Disclaimer: I only own Evie.
A/N: A HUGE thank you to everyone who read and reviewed, I love you all! Enjoy & review!
Dressed only in John's plain back T-shirt, she stared at her wedding dress in contempt. It was hanging on the closet door, just tempting her to break down. With a small sigh, she brought her drink to her lips and took a long sip.
"Drinking yourself into oblivion and staring a hole through your wedding dress isn't going to make things better." Maryse took the drink from Evie's hand. "I know that you've had a bad day, but this isn't going to make things better."
Blowing out a frustrated breath, Evie only nodded her head. She was right about everything. Drinking wouldn't make anything better. It would only make everything worse.
"I messed up big time today."
"You didn't mess anything up." Maryse replied, taking what was left of the drink to the bathroom to spill it out. "It was Ted who did. Had he not interrupted the ceremony you and John would be married."
As if Maryse could see her from the bathroom, the brunette shook her head. Yes, Ted ruined the actual wedding. But, it was her who ruined her relationship wit John. The third time with Ted she really pushed it. John was through with her for sure. She knew he was. It was written all over his face. The sad part was that she couldn't blame him.
"What's the matter?" Maryse asked.
"I cheated on John with Ted."
The blonde looked at her friend confused. She knew that. Evie had shared that bit of information with her before they left to get ready this morning. From what she knew, John knew about those two times and he forgave her.
"He forgave you for that."
"I slept with him two weeks ago." Evie whispered, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She didn't want to pity herself anymore than she already has that day. "Kind of like a final goodbye."
Maryse couldn't believe it. "Wow. I'm near speechless."
"I know that you're probably thinking that I'm some whore who doesn't know what she wants and you're right. I don't know what I want. I love them both." She admitted. "For the longest time, I denied my feelings for Ted and a couple of weeks ago they hit me out of nowhere. I was just standing in the room talking to him and it hit me like a bus that I still loved him. The next thing I know we're making love."
"Is that why you walked out today?"
"Part of the reason. Don't get me wrong I love John and I always will. Every shred of doubt I had was gone until Liz showed up. She told me some things that really made me rethink everything with John. It really showed me a whole different side to him and made me question his character."
"That bitch showed up?" Maryse was shocked. "You should have told me."
"It makes no difference now." Evie muttered, walking over to the closet door where her dress was hanging. "Then, Ted showed up and further confused me."
"If you love John like you say you do then nobody should have been able to put doubt in your head." Maryse pointed out. "You've got a lot of thinking to do. Before you go see anybody or talk to anyone get your thoughts straight. The last thing you need to do is go see John or Ted in a hysterical state of mind."
"You think I don't know that, Ryse!" She angrily snapped, turning on her friend. Mascara was streaking her face from how she was crying. "I know I've got a lot to think about. I've messed things up for myself once again. The worst part of it all is that even if I wanted to talk to John, I couldn't because he won't talk to me!"
The Canadian looked away from her friend. It was immediately that she knew Evie was well aware of her actions and the consequences that came with them. She was just wasn't aware of who she loved more. Her friend was torn between two men and she wasn't sure where to go or who to see. The worst part was she couldn't even help her.
"Have you talked to your brother and sister about this? Maybe, they can help."
"They don't know anything. Nobody in my family knows about Ted and I. That's how it's going to stay." Evie remarked. "Besides, nobody in my family is inclined to help me with anything in my life. That's just how it's been and how it'll always be."
"If nobody can help, then you have to help yourself." Maryse stepped to Evie, resting her hands on her shoulders. "Don't sit here crying. Go help yourself. Figure who you want in your life. Make that decision from the heart not your head because Lord knows you'll only get into more trouble if you listen to that messed up head of yours."
Evie hugged her friend, while laughing for the first that day. "Thank you so much, Ryse. You've helped me more than you thought you could."
X
Dressed in her warmest clothes, Evie made the brave decision to step out of the car. It had taken her a lot of guts and a lot of convincing, but she was finally there. She was at John's childhood home. Maryse was right, she had to do something on her own. Waiting wouldn't solve anything.
"What do you want?" John questioned from the porch. He had seen her from the living room window and decided to see what she needed. Call him a fool, but he still loved her. He couldn't find it in his heart to hate her. "I thought I told you not to call me or anything."
Wrapping her arms around herself, she stopped at the bottom of the porch steps. Her big blue eyes looking up at him. His face was red with anger, but his eyes shone with hurt. That alone killed her. She was the one that had caused this.
"I just wanted to talk to you."
"Now, you want to talk?" John shouted. "Where was this a month ago? You had all the time in the world to talk, but you never said anything. Instead, you went to Ted. You slept with him after you promised me you wouldn't anymore."
"I know I promised you!" She shouted back. "But, I fucked up. I admit that I fucked up."
"You admit that you fucked up after Ted egged you to do so. Otherwise, had this not happened, you wouldn't have told me. You would have gone on pretending like nothing happened."
She wiped away a stray tear and only nodded her head. He was right. There was no way she would have told him. It wasn't to be sneaky or anything. It was only because she didn't want to hurt him. There was no point though, it was only in vain. He did know and he was hurt.
"Do you love him?"
Evie looked at him, wondering if she should answer that question. He had asked her at the church and she had ignored the question. Now, he asked again and she knew she had to answer him. He did deserve it after all.
"Yes."
"Why tell me this now?" He asked, the hurt evident in his voice. "Why not tell me when I asked you months ago? You could have told me that you wanted to be with him, but instead you strung me along like a little kid does their teddy bear. Like that teddy bear a kid strings along with them, you got sick of me. Evie, you couldn't face up to the truth that you didn't love me anymore because you didn't want to hurt me!"
"I DO LOVE YOU!" Evie screamed, her eyes squeezed shut. "I DO!"
"You have a weird way of showing it."
"I'll admit that I don't know what to do right now." She rationalized. "That doubt wasn't there up until earlier today. Yes, I slept with Ted. This doesn't it excuse the matter, but it was a goodbye thing. That's it."
"That's reassuring, the woman I was going to marry had a goodbye fuck with her ex." John sarcastically commented. "That makes it all better."
Evie ignored him and continued on with what she wanted to say. "Liz showed up today and she told me some things that really stood out to me. They put the doubt in me. They really made me rethink what I was doing."
His ears perked up when he heard his ex fiance's name. "What the hell was she doing there? Liz had no business at our wedding at all. I haven't even talked to her since we broke up. She shouldn't be any concern of yours or mine. Not to mention, if she put more doubts in your mind then you never loved me at all."
"She told me that you were the one who always cheated and that you became paranoid about it. So, you had your brothers watching her to make sure she wasn't doing anything." Evie started giving him a run down of what she had said. "She told me that when you start getting bored then you'll start cheating and being a douche bag to find a way out."
John shook his head in anger. "It's like I told you before, Evie, neither me nor her had a clean record. We both cheated on each other. I was paranoid and I had my brothers following her around? At that point in our relationship I didn't care anymore. Not once would I ever think about dragging my brothers into it. They have their own lives. I wouldn't put them through the hell of following Liz around."
"There's more." Evie went on, looking down at the necklace she had on. "She said you gave her the same necklace you gave me when you were younger."
He walked down the porch steps and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pressing his forehead to hers, he kept his eyes on the necklace he had given her. "I couldn't afford this back then. Believe me when I say she's lying. She said all of that to fuck with your head."
She pulled away from him, shaking her head. "You admitted yourself that you cheated on her. How do I know you won't do that to me?"
"Because I wouldn't have proposed to you! I wouldn't have gotten us our house if I weren't serious." He exclaimed, grabbing her by the shoulders. "If I didn't want to spend the rest of my life with you then I wouldn't have bothered. If all I wanted was ass from you then I would have gotten it and left you. You cheated on me with Ted twice and I forgave you. I let it go because I love you. Everything I've ever done for you was because I love you. All I've ever done was love you."
Tears streaked her face as she pulled away from him. He was right, Liz was lying. She could tell by his demeanor, by what he was saying, and more importantly it was in his eyes. Evie tugged her engagement ring from her finger and placed it in John's hand. Kissing him one last time, she started walking away from him.
"I'm sorry." She cried.
His eyes were glued to the ring in the palm of his hand. Tears were now in his eyes. The entire situation was fucked up. There was a better way to handle it. By the time he realized it, it was too late. She was already gone.
A/N: What do you think?