Finding Eva (Highland Creek Series) (24 page)

“She missed out, honey. I always loved your mom, but she was always a bit sad, and now I know why.”

“She made her own bed, however misguided. I always thought that I would just hate her forever, now I just feel bad for her. I also have a new appreciation for my mother and father, who did the best that they could with what they had. They raised three beautiful, successful children and have always been a model that I want to emulate.”

Aaron stared at her, noticing the stress lines that had been there since he met seemed to soften and leave. “So you feel better?”

“Yes.” She ran her hand through her hair. “Now all I want to do is enjoy the rest of my summer break here.”

“So you’re staying for now?”

“For now.” She nodded, wondering if now was a good time to talk about what she was feeling, when his phone started to ring. It was Mary calling about something he needed to do when he got back to the office. Figuring that the moment had passed, she decided just to roll with everything and let the cards fall where they may.

E
va and Aaron seemed to settle into a comfortable relationship, having spent the last couple of weeks getting to know each other better. Their routine became almost rote; with Aaron going to work while Eva finished going through her mother’s house, but both came together at the end of the day. They moved from house to house, but woke up together, something Eva knew she was getting a little too used to. She was prepping her mother’s house like she was going to sell it and went through everything within it. She threw away whatever she couldn’t sell or donate, and began posting the stuff to sell online. A huge part of her didn’t want to leave the family and life that she had begun to build here, despite only being here for a little over a month, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was meant to be here.

Eva loved her life back home, she had a great job, good friends, and her parents were there. But Aaron wasn’t, and it was scary how synonymous Aaron had become with her happiness. Whatever it was, she had to decide soon. When she was home a couple of weeks ago, she had gotten a letter in the mail from her school stating what she would be teaching the next year. It was more of a form letter, she taught the same subjects year after year, but it was symbolic of decisions she didn’t want to make right now. If she was going to make the decision, she needed to make it soon before it was too late for them to find another teacher before the beginning of the school year.

Her phone rang and she looked at the screen at someone else she was avoiding. Gwen. She didn’t feel like talking to her, knowing that Gwen was going to tell her what was going on in her relationship with Nick, and she didn’t want to hear that she was back with that asshole. She sighed, knowing that she had to answer it, because she had been avoiding her for a couple of days. Knowing Gwen, she would drive down and bang on the door to see why she wasn’t picking up the phone.

“Hey, Gwen!” She tried to sound excited, but knew it would be a stretch to be happy for her.

“Hey, doll! How are you doing? If I didn’t know any better, I would think you were avoiding me,” she finished on a laugh.

“Avoid you?! Never.” Eva mentally cringed, thankful that Gwen couldn’t see her now.

“I wanted to tell you that I got all my tests back from my STDs and everything is negative.

“That’s great news! I just hate that you had to go through that.”

“Yeah, me too. I told Nick if it ever happens again I am going to castrate him.”

“Are you guys back together?”

“Kinda. We are trying to work it out. We have been seeing a therapist that a lady at church recommended to Nick, but we still aren’t living together yet.”

“Well that’s good that you’re taking it slow.”

“I just figured that we didn’t need to jump into bed right away. Sex was never the problem, despite the fact that he had sex with someone else. Ours was always the relationship, with both of our issues causing Nick to seek comfort somewhere else.”

Eva didn’t like the way this conversation was going. Nothing would ever excuse the fact that Nick chose to sleep with someone else, regardless of her actions. He should have talked to his wife instead of turning to someone else.

“What did you do wrong in the situation?”

“All of the things that have been going on in the past two years. I wanted a baby so badly that I pushed him away, something that I shouldn’t have done. I was unknowingly pushing him toward someone else.”

“Who told you that?! Nick? He fucked his secretary; of course he is going to try to put that shit on you.”

“Actually it was the therapist. She is really good. I am seeing some major differences. And don’t worry about me. She tells both of us what we are lacking. I was really surprised because he normally doesn’t take criticism well, but he seems to be taking hers in stride.”

“So how does this work?”

“Well, we have different sessions. I have a separate session, he has a separate session, and then we have a session together. It has been working wonders.”

Eva didn’t like it, something didn’t sound right with the whole situation, but who was she to judge. She had never been married, hadn’t even been close, so she didn’t want Gwen to think that she was overstepping her boundaries by offering her advice.

“Well that’s good I guess.”

“I am rediscovering my husband, something I never thought I would be able to say when all this stuff went down. I am learning what it’s like to be with an adult Nick, and he is doing the same. We had been together for so long I think we just got lost in each other and didn’t know how to get out.”

“I hope it works out however you want.”

“Me too. I took my vows seriously, and I don’t want to think that we both throw in the towel after one little setback.”

One little setback? What the fuck was Gwen talking? Her husband stuck his penis in someone else, and she was talking like he forgot to take out the trash.

“You aren’t having sex yet though?”

“No. I figure he needs to understand this gift is important. My therapist suggested it, and I think she has a really good idea. He has been perfectly understanding and hasn’t pressured me or anything. He knows if he wants me back then he has to work for it.”

“Good.”

“My therapist said I would know when it’s time, but right now we are just enjoying each other.”

“I wish you the best.” As if it dawned on her, she asked Gwen, “Have you talked to Conner?”

There was a hitch in her voice when she answered, “We text back and forth a lot, but I have only spoken to him a couple of times. Why?” Gwen asked a little too quickly, and the hitch in the voice said more than her brush off of the question.

“He asked about you the other day so I was just wondering.”

“We’re great,” she answered quickly. “He has been a really great friend to me, and a nice break from the crazy that is my life.”

“How does Nick feel about the fact that you are on the phone with another guy?”

“He’s fine with it. He trusts me. The therapist said it’s good for me to have friends that are the opposite sex, just like it’s ok for Nick as long as it doesn’t get sexual.”

The more she heard about her, the less she liked the therapist. She sounded crazy as hell, but what could she do? Gwen was doing well, so Eva didn’t want to mess that up.

“Besides,” Gwen continued, “it would be really hypocritical of Nick to say that I couldn’t talk to him. I may have briefly considered a minor flirtation with Conner when I first met him, but it’s strictly platonic. He’s easy to talk to and knows I’m back with Nick so I don’t have to worry about him trying to hit on me.”

Eva didn’t know if Conner’s feelings were as platonic as Gwen thought they were, but his questions about Gwen made sense, especially if he had heard some of the crazy shit the therapist had said.

“Enough about me, I feel like that is all I talk about nowadays. How are things with you and Aaron?”

“Really great. We’ve been spending a lot of time together and enjoying each other’s company.”

“Does he know you love him yet?”

“No, and how the hell do you know that? I haven’t told anyone.”

“Hello,” Gwen said as though it was obvious, “I am your best friend, the girl that has known you for over ten years. You have never spoken about anyone the way that you have about him, and I figured if you didn’t love him yet that you were moving that way soon.”

“It is too soon to tell him. I have only known him a little over a month, and I am worried that it will mess up what we have going.”

Gwen laughed off her worries. “You’re crazy if you think that he doesn’t love you. I have seen that boy firsthand, and he was falling hard for you, no question about it.”

“Well, I am still a little cautious. We will just have to wait and see what happens.”

“Are you coming back at the end of the month?”

“Looks like it. I got my potential schedule a couple weeks ago, and I know that we are going to have to report to school in about three and a half weeks. The principle thinks I am coming back, so I don’t want to be that person who just leaves in the middle of the year.”

“Gotcha. Well, that’s good news, I guess, as long as it’s something that you want to do. What is going on with your mom’s house?”

“It’s getting there. I’m working with it like I am selling the house at the end of the summer, because I figure even if I don’t sell, I’m going to be gone for long periods of time and I need to prep for that.”

“That makes sense I guess. You got any plans for your birthday?” Eva’s birthday was coming up in a week, the big 3-0, and she didn’t know what she was going to do.

“I’m still going to be here if that’s what you’re asking, but as far as plans I don’t have anything set in stone yet. I figure Aaron and I will go somewhere for dinner or something. I also think I want a tattoo.”

“Really?” Gwen had a couple of tattoos and had tried to talk Eva into getting one but had never been successful. “What are you thinking of getting?”

“I am trying to get something that honors both me and my mom, and I wanted to get the quote ‘Not all who wander are lost.’ I just figure that sums us both up in a nutshell.”

“I love it, and I think it is perfect for both of you.”

“Good. I have been thinking about it for a while, but I don’t think I had the courage to do so until now. All I need now is someone to go with me.”

“If that’s an invitation, then you know I am always down. Hell, maybe I will get a new one myself.”

“Yay. And having you come down for my birthday will be great, especially since my parents aren’t going to be able to make it.”

“How is that going?”

“Better than it was. When I went home, we really talked it out, and I have gotten back into the relationship with both of them like I used to.”

“So does that mean you are talking to your mom every day?”

Eva knew that Gwen may make fun of her for talking to her mother every day, but a lot of that was just pure jealousy. Gwen didn’t have the best relationship with her mother so she never understood why Eva talked to her almost every day.

“Something like that.”

“Well keep me posted. I will see you next week, but I’ll talk to you before that I am sure.”

“Yeah, and I hope everything works out for you and Nick.”

“Thanks, girl, I will keep you posted.”

Eva hung up, feeling both comforted and worried. She was excited to see Gwen in a couple of weeks and couldn’t wait for her birthday. She was still worried about the stuff going on with Nick, if for no other reason other than Gwen’s therapist seemed to be crazy. Eva knew it wasn’t her life, but she didn’t want Gwen to be stuck with an asshole because she was fed some crazy thoughts about her relationship. She didn’t know what to say, because Gwen was clearly stuck on trying to make this relationship work. What would she say? “Hey, Gwen, your husband sucks and I think you should leave him?” Eva figured Gwen and Nick were going to do what they do, regardless of what she thought, but she would just have to wait and see if any other craziness went down.

A
aron sat with Bryan and Conner, excited to get some time together with his brothers. He had been spending a lot of the last couple of weeks with Eva, and although he loved the routine they had going on, it was nice to see his brothers. Sitting at the café, he couldn’t help but be thankful for all the stuff that had happened to him in the last month or so. As upset as he was that Elizabeth had died, he was thankful that he had met Eva, and he could really see himself with her for the rest of his life. He thought the prospect should scare him more, but it made him strangely excited.