20. Jumbled Mess

Tomorrow's update could be late (if it gets posted at all)... but I still plan on having it up... maybe not till like, 2 hours after it would normally be up. I have a lot of time this coming week to write, so hopefully I won't miss any updates.
And yes… I did skip Christmas a while ago so… don’t think you missed anything. Why? Because I hate Christmas… sorry lol.

Where I Stood - Missy Higgins(Cover)

Taking a cue from Alex, Evan wanted to do something nice for her best friend. He had, after all, not only cleaned up her house, but taken care of her the night before; that at least equalled a hearty, home cooked breakfast.

Feeling extremely chipper, especially after a night of drinking, Evan hummed as she made her way into the kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out an assortment of food; eggs, bacon, has browns and condiments.

Turning on the stove she cracked the eggs and beat in some ham, chives, cheese and peppers; just the way Alex liked them. Flipping them a few times, before she laid the bacon, sizzling, on the pan.
She stood back to wait a few minutes for the food to be ready, deciding to run out and get the paper; after all, she didn’t even know if the Flyers had won last night or not.

Jogging down the hall, she came to a stop in front of the open closet door and grabbed her thick coat off the hanger. She draped it around her shoulders and hopped into a pair of her boots, by the front door, before opening the door to the mid-January air.
Evan pulled the coat around her and dashed off towards the driveway, where the paper sat, rolled in a blue plastic bag, waiting.
She grabbed it, letting out a squeal as a gust of wind hit her on the bare legs, sending her jetting back towards the front door.

Giggling, she closed the door behind her, taking a deep breath of the warm, indoor air, before shaking off her jacket.
She set the paper down on the hall table and grabbed the hanger, putting her jacket back and kicking her boots into the bottom of the closet. Evan took a step back when she felt something stick to her foot.

Glancing down she noticed a piece of paper stuck to her. Bending her leg up behind her, she tugged it free and flipped it over.
The bill was steep. Apparently Jeff had spent two nights at the local Hilton. It made no sense to Evan; originally she had assumed it was for work but, why would he need to stay at a hotel that was only twenty minutes away?

Then she looked at the bill closer. Room service, including wine and desserts… a room with a hot tub and extras…? Evan shook her head, no, this wasn’t possible. Why on earth would Jeff need all that stuff…

“Oh!” She said loudly, smiling to herself as things began to make sense. Jeff was planning a getaway for them; a two day retreat where they could just be alone and get to spend some well earned time together.

Evan was relaxed, boarder-line giddy as she turned and headed back into the kitchen, when a few words slammed the wind from her.
She crumpled to the floor, her hand covering her mouth as she re-read the words, and re-read the words, and re-read the words.

December 14th and 15th, 2009. He had already gone on a romantic getaway, and she hadn’t been with him.
It was everything and nothing at the same time. A wave of anguish and pain, mingled in with a vain sense of vindication.

Evan would have found humour in her line of thought, if there was any humour to be had, when her mind automatically wondered to who the other woman was.
Questions flooded through her faster than she could comprehend them. Was she prettier than Evan? Was she better? Nicer? Smarter? Funnier? Why did Jeff want to be with her instead?
Why wasn’t he just with her, if he was so uninterested in Evan?
Was this her fault? Was she not enough woman for him? Did she somehow not give him what he needed?
What had she done to him? To deserve this?

There was no question anymore as to was there another woman, no, Evan knew better. Her she held the proof and, beyond that, hadn't she already known?
The chain was short lived, as the original took back over in her mind. Was this other woman just simply too desirable? Maybe she was the perfect woman and Evan couldn’t compete with her… did she even want to compete with her?
Did Evan even want to be with Jeff anymore?
She was hurting, badly. She wanted to curl up into a ball and die, not have to feel any more of the burning agony that was pumping through every nerve ending in her body.
She wanted to forget everything. She wanted to find answers, without having to ask the questions… but she had none, just doubt.

The only thing she could truly understand, or form thought around, was the fact that Jeff was cheating on her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Look After You - The Fray(Cover)

Alex woke up to the sound of the smoke alarm beeping from the downstairs. Sitting up with a start, he didn’t bother reaching for a shirt as he threw open the door and ran down the stairs.
He rounded the corner and flew into the kitchen; realizing instantly, to his relief, that there was in fact, no fire.

He crinkled his nose up at the smell of burning food, pulling the pans off the stove and dumping them in the sink; charcoaled bacon and all. It wasn’t until he had fanned away the smoke and managed to turn off the fire alarm, that he began to get worried. Where was Evan? And where was she that she’d managed to burn everything? “Evan?” Alex called loudly, his voice anxious as he moved quickly out of the kitchen and into the front hallway.

Alex saw her then, her tiny, frail, form clutching the white paper in one hand. Her other hand was covering her face and even from down the hall, Alex could tell she was crying.
“Oh god… Evan…” He groaned, angry at himself for his moment of idiocy the night before.

He slid down onto his knees when he reached her, grabbing on to her and pulling her against his chest; his arms encircling her and holding her tightly. “Alex…” Was all she could manage to sob before she threw her arms around him, crying harder.

Alex lifted her up, murmuring soothing words to her as he carried her into the living room. He manoeuvred her as he sat down, until she was resting on his lap, his arms still embracing her.
He held her for a long time, quietly trying to hold himself together as she fell apart. He couldn’t let his own pain and guilt overcome him now, she needed him to be strong… she needed him to be strong.

When she had finally composed herself enough to stay her tears, she pulled away; but only enough that she could look up at Alex. “He’s cheating on me… I found this… look…” She said quietly, holding out the receipt Alex had already seen.

He took it from her and glanced at it, trying to pretend like he was somewhat surprised; but the attempt was lost on both of them. Evan was too over come with information and hurt that she didn’t even notice, and Alex was too mad at himself to really care if he looked shocked or not.

“I just… I can’t believe it…” Evan said slowly, before exhaling loudly and shaking her head. “That’s a lie. I knew Alex… I just knew. He was drifting away and I felt it… I just can’t…” She trailed off, her emotions too jumbled to bothering describing them.

They sat in silence a while longer as they both stared at the small paper that held the proof of Jeff’s betrayal.
It was amazing how something so simple could do so much damage.

That receipt had been printed off by someone, someone who had no idea that a little over a month later, someone would cry over it. It was funny almost, how things managed to work out like that.
Funnier still easily it couldn’t have worked out. If Jeff was smarter he could have thrown it out, or told the receptionist that he didn’t need it, then it wouldn’t be here, and things would be unfolding differently.

Alex glanced away from the small letters, to look at Evan carefully, searching for some sign of resolution in her eyes. “Can you believe that he did this to me? Can you believe he cheated on me?” She asked softly, her fingers numbly clutching to the paper, as if she could just hold on tight enough, then maybe she could hang on to the shredded pieces of her failed relationship.

He tilted his head back, glancing at the ceiling as he ran his tongue along his bottom lip. He thought about giving some typical, friend answer, one that didn’t really satisfy the question, but attempted to make the person feel better. He decided against that though, not looking down at her as he nodded his head. “Yes.”

Her voice was barely audible when she responded. “What?”

“I believe that he cheated on you. Jeff Carter is not a good person, he never has been… not in the time I’ve known him and not in the time that anyone else has either.
You deserve better than him… you always have.” He didn’t bother to add that he wanted to be that person, Evan had too much to think about already.

Evan sighed as fresh tears began to trail along her cheeks, outlining the contours of her face, before Alex reached out and gently brushed them away. “Do you know that I caught him? That I thought he was up to something but he got me to call Mike, and Mike lied for him?” She shook her head, disgusted as she remembered how guilty Jeff had made her feel, how dumb and horrible she felt after suggesting he was doing something wrong. “He told me that someone had to be the ‘honest one’ in our relationship and… he tried to make me believe that that was him.” She said, starting to laugh through the tears as she thought of the irony of the whole situation. “I should have known when he said that you could come over, that something was up.”

Alex stared at her wide-eyed as she started to giggle louder, her entire body shaking with the force of her confusion.

“Ummm… Evan?” Alex asked timidly, glancing away from her as the familiar melody of his ring tone, sounded out in a muffled buzz.

“Get it, I’m fine…” She hiccupped, climbing out of Alex’s lap. He stood up and crossed the room quickly, glancing back at her as he did so.

He stood in front of the open closet, searching through the pockets of his hung jacket. Finding his phone he flipped it open, only to hear a familiar voice. “Bonjour! He lives!” Max laughed, causing Alex to grimace.

“Listen Max, this isn’t a good time-”

“Alright well then, we’ll just talk to you tonight when we see you…” He trailed off, a grin in his voice.

“What? No! No..? Why would you see me?” Alex sputtered, walking back into the living room, afraid to leave Evan alone.

Max shrugged, also walking into the living room, only he was going to make sure Jordan didn’t eat his pop tarts. “Because, we’ve decided to go visit you for the night… oui? Supper then bars? Remember Philly women love us so… it‘s really our duty to show them a good time! À bientôt!” He yelled before hanging up the phone and tossing it away onto the couch.

Alex shook his head and flipped his phone closed. “Umm… you wanna go out tonight?” He asked, for lack of anything better to say in the moment.

“With who?” She said quietly, her fit of laughter over. Now that she was facing him with her hair pulled out of her face, Alex could see just how wan she looked.

“Max and some of the guys…”

She gave a feeble shrug. “Might as well.”

Alex stopped in his tracks, looking back and forth between her and his phone, did she really just say that?
She finds out her fiancé is cheating on her and instead of wanting to kill him or stay home and eat ice cream, she wants to hang out with Max? “Ok.”

“I’m gonna go… have a shower. If Jeff calls…” She began to say, looking away from Alex and gulping loudly. “… he won't but, if he calls, just don’t answer it.”
She stood up and moved towards Alex stopping in front of him and placing her hand on his bare chest. “Thank you.” She began to say, ignoring him when he tried to stop her. “No, just listen… You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever known, and I don’t know what I’d do without you…
It feels like I’ve always been able to count on you… that there’s always something going on in my life that I need to depend on you for and, I don’t think I’ve ever returned the favour. Just know that…” She smiled in spite of herself, grinning up at him before changing her train of thought. “And I've never told you how proud I am of you... look at you. You've accomplished everything you set out to... and you deserve every second of it. If anyone should have success it's you and... I'm just so proud of you.”
Evan moved past him, leaving him standing alone as she quietly ascended the stairs towards the master bathroom.
She tried not to think about how many times she’d had sex with Jeff throughout the house, instead, she tried to focus on other things; things that usually left her mind wander to Alex.

Alex stood, unmoving, until he could hear the water come on in the shower. When he turned around he glanced at the stairs and the way she had gone, his heart beating in his throat as he moved towards them.
He climbed them slowly, heading down the hallway and walking through the open door of Evan’s bedroom.

The shower door was slightly ajar and Alex could hear Evan humming quietly through the pounding water as he placed a hand against the white, wooden door. He recognized the song, an old fashioned melody that played during the credits of the Notebook… the song she always cried through.
It reminded him of something else, something that caused him to retract his hand and decide against pushing the door open. A few words that rang so close to home, especially after she had talked of his successes; because what Evan didn’t know was that he had accomplished the most important thing, but it was only with her help.

He remembered the scene so vividly, like the movie was playing in front of him as the man’s voice echoed out over a few faded memories… In one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived...I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough.