Claire’s POV
I felt a pang in my heart as I turned to leave, but before I could take another step, Evander grabbed my wrist gently from behind. His touch was warm and hesitant.
"Where are you going?" he asked as his voice was soft and almost pleading. He looked at with those wide, innocent eyes that always made think of Eliam. "Please don’t go," he added, his brows drawn together in a way that made him look heartbreakingly earnest.
"I am sorry, Evan, but I need to go," I murmured as I tried to avoid his gaze. "I have work to do in the morning." I might have said that but deep down, I didn’t really want to leave—not when he looked at like that.
His grip tightened a little but not enough to hurt , just enough to make stop. "Claire," he said quietly, tilting his head in that way he always did when he was confused. "You said you wanted to talk, didn’t you?"
I hesitated.
Yes, there was a lot I needed to tell him. I wanted to express my feelings to him so that he wouldn’t feel insecure just as I did in the past.
"I want to talk to you... a lot," he said, his cheeks faintly flushed by the shower and maybe he was still drunk. He shifted nervously but didn’t let go of my wrist. "I have been thinking about it all day. I wanted to say sorry and also..." His words tumbled out in a rush, like he was afraid I could leave before he could finish.
I glanced at him. His hair was slightly ssy and wet that made my heart skip a beat.
"Evan..." I began, but the words stuck in my throat.
"Please," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "Just... stay a little longer. Five minutes. That’s all." His eyes shone with hope and desperation, and I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
I sighed softly and nodded. "Okay. Five minutes."
It was not like I would literally be with him for five minutes. I wanted to be with him forever. But... please... Please just take Susan out of our lives.
I could bear everything but not her.
His face lit up like a child who’d just been given their favorite treat, and he let go of my wrist to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Thank you," he said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
I couldn’t help but smile back. How could I ever resist him?
"Claire, I..." Evander’s voice trembled as he struggled to get the words out. "I know you and Damian have nothing going on, but... I almost destroyed Damian and... and every other man around you." He paused, taking a shaky breath. "I wanted to lock you up so that no one could ever see you."
What? My heart skipped a beat. What did I just hear? He wanted to destroy who? And wanted to do what with ?
He looked down, his expression a mix of guilt and sha. "I know," he said quietly, his voice breaking. "I have beco a monster... just like Gloria said."
"Evander..." I whispered, but he didn’t seem to hear .
"I never even tried to think about how you felt or what you would feel," he continued, his eyes fixed on the floor. "I was so consud by my own fears, my jealousy, that I didn’t stop to consider what I was doing to you."
His words hit like a storm, leaving speechless.
"I was on my way to do exactly what I just said," he admitted, his voice barely audible now. "But then I t Susan..."
Susan. That na again. My stomach churned at the sound of it. What about her now?
How many tis did she plan to ruin us? To co between Evander and ?
I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but I couldn’t. My mind was racing, and yet I couldn’t form a single word out of my mouth.
Evander had fallen silent. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why was he just standing there, looking so defeated?
No! Don’t tell she... she did it again?
"Evander," I said as I couldn’t stay silent now as my voice was firr this ti, though my heart was pounding in my chest. "What does Susan have to do with this? What happened?"
He finally looked up at , his eyes filled with regret. "She... she made realize how far I had fallen, Claire," he said softly. "She told what I needed to hear, even though I didn’t want to. That I couldn’t keep hurting the person I love the most."
I stared at him, unsure whether to feel relieved or angry. The storm inside refused to calm.
He needed Susan to make him realize? Couldn’t she just keep out of our lives?
"And now?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my best efforts to sound strong. "What did she teach you now?
Evander fell silent. He looked down as he went to sit on the bed. "She... She didn’t say anything pleasing but... It made realize how you might have felt with those rumors in the past when I was always in the news with other girls!"
Oh... So, that was it?
A wave of relief washed over as I took a deep breath.
"So... What now?" I asked.
"I want to make things right," he said, his voice steady for the first ti. "I want to be the man you deserve. Not a monster. Not soone driven by fear and jealousy. Just... ."
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them away. "It’s not that easy," I said quietly.
"I know," he replied. "But I will do whatever it takes, Claire. Anything. Just don’t give up on ."
His sincerity tugged at my heart, but there were still answers that I needed but I would ask so other days, since I didn’t want to ruin the atmosphere.
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