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"Um, sure," I replied before recalling that Aurora was in the car with us.
"Um, I mean, definitely," I replied with a smile. "I’ll be careful."
Aurora’s giggling was the next thing that filled the space.
"Don’t mind him, Evelyn," she said. "He’s just being a big meanie."
"Right," I replied and tried my very best to avoid looking at him through the mirror. I did wonder, though, why they had become so close because I could have sworn they were at the most extreme of odds. Frowning, I slightly turned back to look at her, and I could see that her eyes were even shinier than usual.
"She’s been crying," Drake explained, and it finally made sense.
"I’m fine," she said not realizing just how wide her smile was.
"You have to keep an eye on her for the rest of the night," Drake admonished me, and I instantly nodded.
"Of course."
"No need," she, however, drawled. "I was just a little bit upset. Evelyn, I thought my fiancé wouldn’t be able to make it. Can you imagine it?"
I had no choice then but to look at her in the mirror, and so I couldn’t miss Drake as he turned away.
"He tried his best to leave work early but couldn’t. Thankfully, Drake saved the day and hired a helicopter, so he’ll be here soon. Thank you so much," she grabbed onto her brother's arm and held him tight.
I couldn’t help but smile because she was just so adorable, especially when she was giddy. As a result, my eyes met Drake's, and for the longest moment, I couldn't look away. My smile immediately deflated not because I was unhappy to see him; it was just… uncomfortable. He had seen parts of me just a little while earlier that made it incredibly difficult for me to even look at him now, not to mention acting normally around him, and so I couldn’t help but look awkwardly away.
Chapter Twenty-One
Drake
She looked so beautiful. I wasn't surprised that she could clean up this nicely but given that she hadn’t exactly been dressed to the nines every other instance I had seen her, this was a very welcome change.
She, however, couldn’t look me in the eyes for too long. It was almost amusing to watch, but I was in a sour mood, so I couldn’t appreciate the moment fully. I didn't, however, share in her shyness, so I took my fill of her appearance before I looked away. She had on a nice-looking set, white romper and delicate pearls on her slender neck, seemed to pull it all together. She looked casual yet elegant, and it just made me appreciate just how gorgeous she was even more.
And then on her lips, she had the darkest shade of red, and all it made me think about was kissing her and once again drinking in her taste.
"Do you have siblings?" I asked. She knew I was talking to her; however, she pretended not to hear me, and that annoyed me.
I didn't ask the question again, but pretty soon she looked up and confirmed that Aurora was now asleep, resting against the window.
Then she met my gaze.
"Uh… no, I don’t,” she replied. "I’m an only child."
I nodded in response, and she returned to staring at the road.
"Would you have wanted one?" I asked a bit surprised at my behavior because usually, I didn't like to speak much in the car. However, as I watched her, I couldn’t help but ask. I was curious about her, I realized, which was in itself a rarity, so I didn’t want to just blatantly ignore or push it away. Plus, none of these were intrusive questions, at least not yet, so I didn’t expect her to have any difficulty whatsoever in responding.
She thought about my questions, and I watched as she lifted her gaze to think. And then she looked at me.
"I don’t know," she said. "I mean, if they were kind and loving and caring, then yes. But if they were toxic and uncaring and forceful, then, of course, no."
I was almost amused at her words because it was so obviously a dig at my relationship with Aurora.
My gaze lowered to my dear sister Aurora, and I couldn’t help but sigh. If only she knew what she was supposed to, none of these would be an issue. She wouldn’t feel so sad and as though nobody was on her side.
However, if she did know, then this week would be even worse for her, and so I had no choice but to stand by our unilateral decisions to keep things as they were until her wedding was over.
Turning, I stared out of the window, deep in thought and with my mother on my mind, I loved seeing her smile. Over the past few years, she hadn't quite been that way, but now she seemed to have shed so much emotional weight. She had obviously accepted what was to come and was literally living out every single moment with all of her heart, and I couldn’t help but be happy about this. It also made me feel quite sad, but I couldn’t help but smile once again.
