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Revisiting the Past

Chapter 8

Evie’s POV

She pulled me back to the dining room table and said, “Sit with me for a little while Evie. I just want to warn you to be mindful of the words that people spout. People are so willing to deceive others to get what they want out of you. You need to invariably pay attention to their actions. Actions will always let you know how people really are, and what they actually want from you. Some people can talk a very good game. They tell you what they know you want to hear. Do not listen to what they are saying to you, my dear. Lies are so easy to speak for some. That is what happened to me. I fell for the words, and I fell hard. I have never been so hurt as to find out that it was all a lie. I honestly thought that my husband loved me. That he wanted me. He told me every day just how much he loved me, but it turned out that he just wanted my families money. As soon as we were married, I caught him with another woman. She had sat on the groom’s side during the wedding. When I went to find him to cut the cake, I caught him kissing her in the room he got ready for the wedding in. He begged me to forgive him, that it was all a mistake. I stupidly gave him another chance. I should have told my father, I should have left him right then and annulled the marriage. If I had let him go that day, my family wouldn't have lost a quarter of it's money. He told me just how stupid I was after the divorce was complete. I have never trusted another man again after that. He left with her, I have no idea where they went, but I listened to his honeyed words about how much he loved me, about our having children together. He knew I wanted them, so he just told me what he knew I wanted to hear. I still feel stupid to this day. My life would have been so different if I had just spoke up at the time. I allowed my pride to keep me silent, and it was the biggest mistake of my life.”

I didn’t even realize that I had been crying at what she told me. She had always said that due to the fact that she couldn’t have children he had left her. My heart breaks for her as she is such a kind and loving person. He clearly broke her heart, and then left her in the dust after he got what he wanted. Being in the system I am already well aware that people lie a lot. They are deceitful and they are always working their own agenda. They will lie to the people who are supposed to come to check on your well-being. I already knew to pay attention to what people say, but what she said makes sense. I got up to hug her and she patted my back to comfort me. She would have been a great mom if she had been given the chance to have children.

“Could you have children Ms. Helen?” I asked her softly.

“Yes, but after what he did, I just didn’t want to date anyone else. I saw him for the snake that he was way to late. I just couldn’t take the chance on that happening again, my heart would not have been able to take it. Frankly, I never met a man I even wanted to give the second chance too. I gave my whole heart to a man who singled me out just for the purpose of taking my money. I wish I had be brave enough to have tried again now. I wish I hadn’t let him take my future joy away from me. Having the few foster children that I have had here helped to repair my broken heart. I know that if I had remarried and had children that I think my grandchild would have looked like you” Helen told me and reached out to squeeze my hand. I saw her in her younger days in pictures around the house, she was a very pretty lady. She did have light brown hair too, but her eyes were blue. I continued to cry at her kind words to me. She loved me and she has truly been a gift to me.

I wiped my tears with the back of my arm and asked, “Ms. Helen, I forgot to ask you earlier, but can I spend the night after graduation with Gracie? I know graduation day is my birthday, and she was leaving us to celebrate after I graduate. Would that be OK?”

“That is fine sweety, you should be able to go out and have some fun after you graduate. If you want to spend the night before graduation there, you can, we can celebrate when you come back home” Helen told me.

“No, one night is enough, I want to spend my birthday with you. You are my family, my only family. I love Gracie too, but she is my friend. I want to be here with you to celebrate my birthday” I told her and now she has tears in her eyes.

“OK, we will make your birthday meal, and bake your birthday cake, after we get back home from graduation then” Helen tells me and I got up to go upstairs. I have homework to do and I need to get it knocked out before I shower for bed.

I get started on my homework, and I am super focused and work through it, but I keep feeling like I am being watched. I finally get it done and put it all away in my backpack ready for tomorrow. That way I can pick up time and not miss the bus again. I glanced out my window and there he is again, staring at me like he is trying to figure something out. His shoulder is propped against his window, watching me. I know that he has to have been there for a little while. I knew the moment he realized that I saw him, as his smirk grew even bigger as I was startled when I saw him there.

I always pull my hair out of my way into a messy bun on the top of my head so I can focus on my work in my room. My whole face was now exposed to him, and my look ofstunned surprise at him makes his smile get impossibly wider. I closed my blinds to keep him from looking into my room anymore, and then pulled my curtain closed for good measure. I needed the extra sunlight to do my homework, but I am done with it now. It is creepy how he is just looking into my room like that. What a difference a day makes, I think to myself, and my stomach feels like it wants to give up my dinner now.

I start to repeat my mantra, “Just a few more weeks, and I am done.” He will have to go and either get a job, or go to a local college. I didn’t know what he was going to do, because we are not friends, and I will not waste my time trying to talk to him. I knew he wasn’t in any of my classes. I don’t think that he really cares about going to go to college. His family does have a small business. I am sure that they will want both him, and Trinity, to work in it after they graduate college. I have my fingers crossed that it won’t be the same one as I am going to, so I can avoid him easier. He is just messing with me now because I am a novelty to him, not because he is truly interested in me. I will just keep doing what I usually do and he will get over it sooner or later. His attention span isn't very long, so I think that before graduation he will give up on me. His interest is his problem, I will not be encouraging his advances at all. He just needs to let it go because he and I will never be happening, not if I have anything to say about it.

I went to take a shower and get dressed for bed. I grab my calculus book and make sure that I am up to speed for my first class tomorrow, and that I will be able to help Rhett as much as I can. If he really wants to learn, I will help him. Hopefully, he is not just trying to try my patience with this. He did seem like he was telling the truth when he begged for my help. I understand how he felt, he wants that scholarship, and I have to admit I looked it up in my phone on the way home this afternoon and it is a pretty large scholarship. He is pretty bright, he is in several of my classes so maybe this won’t be as bad as I think it will be.

I grinned as I think that maybe we can get him up to speed in three lessons, and not four. That would save me some of the headache that I know is coming. Hillary will be pissed that I will be spending time with her man. That alone makes me realize that tomorrow will be even worse than waiting to see what Preston is going to doing next. I am sure the Preston and Truman show on the bus will be something I don’t want to be a part of, but Hillary is who I am actually afraid of.

People think she is nice because she acts nice in front of the adults. She is a hateful tyrant who will stop at nothing to get her way. I have no idea why she is always after me, or why she has hated me from the moment we met at school. That kind of ugly has never made sense to me. I can understand anger over some awful actions by another, the need for revenge if it is needed. But for her to dislike me before I had even opened my mouth, I just can’t understand. That is not how I operate, or do things. She judged me from the moment we met, and her opinion of me has never changed at all after that. It is no loss to me, I know who she is at her core, and I do not mourn the loss of her as a friend. If I never see her, or her little group of friends again, it is still no loss to me. I fell asleep while trying to figure out how to avoid all 5 of them tomorrow, to keep my peace around me.

I haven’t figured it all out yet, but I will find a way to make sure that I am not alone with any of them, and I will figure out the rest tomorrow night. I refuse to allow them any furthur control over my life, or my emotions. I smile into the dark at the thought of graduation, and my birthday coming soon. I know things will be better for me then, I just have to have faith and hope that it will happen. I fall asleep with a smile on my face at the knowledge that big changes were coming my way.

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