Everly’s POV

It was my first day of work, and the last day before we would leave for the wedding reception tomorrow.

So I decided to spend the morning with some shopping, for things that I might need at the wedding reception and our trip to it.

I still didn’t know how I was feeling about the whole thing, I mean seeing Chris since months for the first time, him and his fiancé, that he was about to marry on that weekend, and me and Brian, showing up as couple, with all the talks and rumors, it would probably be hell.

I tried to block out that emotion and tried not to think about the actual wedding and what came with it, and tried to concentrate on the hopefully nice time, that Brian and I were spending there, joined and with time just for us and our friends.

I wore a smile on my face as I walked the markets and bought some supplies to cook a dinner tonight.

I packed the shopping bags into my car and then walked on to have a look at some nice bikini’s, knowing it would be a spa center where the wedding was also held place, so I had to get some outfits to fit in there, and especially to Brian’s side, which I also wanted him to see me in, and only him.

When I just pushed through the glass doors into the entry of the shopping center, a call rang on my phone and I stopped in my tracks.

Within the first few notes of the song, my heart was racing and I cursed the fact that I couldn’t even tell myself it might be Brian or Val.
Because I still had a special ring tone assigned to Chris.

I hadn’t thought to change it since he never contacted me after leaving. But now as I stood in the middle of a holiday rush with hordes of locals and tourists streaming past me in both directions, my ex-fiancé was finally calling.

And after the drama witnessed by dozens of his friends this past week at Noah’s apartment, I had a feeling I knew what might’ve prompted his first urge to call me since leaving.

My hand shaking, I dragged my thumb across the screen, pressing the phone to my ear but saying nothing. I detected Chris’ breathing on the other end before he even spoke a word.

“Everly?”

I closed my eyes at the sound of his voice. My heart immediately raced and I gave no reaction to the person who bumped into me and shot a dirty look over his shoulder.

On cloud nine before, I was on my own island of panic now as I mustered up the strength to speak.

“Chris.”

But no sooner had I said his name did he hiss, “This better be a fucking joke, Everly”

His fury woke me right up and suddenly, I was breathing hard through my nose, trying to narrow down the millions of questions and retorts I had for him as he railed against me on the other end of the line.

“For Christ’s sake, please tell me you have an explanation for me!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how many fucking people have been calling me telling me they have seen you with Haner. I didn’t listen to them at first because I swore you had to be smarter than that. I swore there was no way you could be that stupid, but now it’s getting to the point where I can’t keep telling myself they are lying, so please – for Christ’s sake, please tell me this isn’t real. Please tell me you are fucking kidding me, Everly.”

“You are the one that gotta be kidding me, Chris” I seethed in sheer awe of his nerve.

“Do you have a memory loss or are we not going to acknowledge the fact that this is the first fucking time you have called me since you left me without warning – and in case you forget, you skipped out on not just our wedding but our bills that I had to pick up a second full-time job to cover. Considering the fact that your shotgun engagement to your new fiancé is the least of the problems you left me with, I would say you are the one who should be a fucking explaining yourself.”

Frozen in the middle of the full lobby, my heart pounded out of my chest, my knuckles white as I gripped my phone tight in anticipation of Chris’ reply.

“I was going to explain to you,” he finally muttered.

“Explain to me now.”

“I had a lot of pressure on me that you would never understand”

“Well, try your best to spell it out because I was with you for years, Chris so at the very least, I deserve even your most pathetic explanation as to why you packed your things and left me the way you-”

“Christ, Everly! I’m sorry! I couldn’t be who anyone wanted me to be, okay? I am not Brian or one of the band and for that, I am sorry. I am also not fucking husband material and for that I am sorry to you.” I was stunned, he wasn’t Brian or one of the band?!

What the hell had that to do with it?! I never wanted him to be… but… that was what he wanted, right? That was the life he wanted to live… but he didn’t reach it, he had to stand by and watch, but didn’t succeed and that was what he blamed Brian for, right?
Because Brian had become the important part of the band, when Chris… wasn’t.

I tried to sort through all the things he just said and almost snorted out a laugh at this lame excuse at the last part.

“Oh, but you are husband material when your bride is a swimsuit model with a billionaire father?!”

“Yes”, Chris growled, so unapologetic I nearly broke my phone.

“I can start anew here. I have resources here that I don’t have at home.”

“You mean you have money and status you don’t have to work for like the band did?” I bit back, my eyes on fire, unblinking as I soaked in the silence of his shame. Which was kind of, as bad as it sounded, satisfying for me.

“You are with him for the money then,” Chris finally bit back. “No but if I was, you’d be one to talk to”

“I don’t feel pressure with Eva the way I did with you” Chris sighed and I was getting more and more frustrated with this man. I mean, how could he be the same man I had loved for years?!

“That is because you don’t fucking know her!” I hissed in disbelief.

“You haven’t spent enough time with her to run into a single real challenge yet. You have no history with her and I hate to break it to you but if you last even six months as a couple, Chris, you will find one. There will be a challenge, there will be trouble, probably more than one and as her husband it will be your job to stay there even when it gets though. You will have to be there for her and love her and support her like you didn’t with me.”

“How can you say that?!” Chris asked shocked and I sighed, “Well… considering you proposed to me, I expected you to be there forever instead of taking off one night without telling me.”

“I have my reasons Everly, but I’m sorry.”

“You are not” I murmured, calmly. “Or you would tell me the reasons”

“Why don’t you tell me your reasons first?” Chris countered angrily “What reason could you possibly have to get anywhere near fucking Haner?!”

“He makes me happy” I replied between my teeth but without a doubt.

“Bullshit. He makes you happy until he hurts you worse than you have ever hurt in your life.”

“Again. You are one to talk” I replied, even though he might hit home with that little sentence, sometimes I really was afraid what Brian would do with me, after this was done, would this really last? Could we last?!

“I’m only warning you because I still love you, Eve” Off my bitter laugh, he insisted “I do, It’s easy for a man to disappear overnight – it’s not as easy for years off love to. You know that. So please listen to me when I say that you cannot trust Brian. He has lied to you already and he will continue to till the day he gets sick of you, which will happen the second you put out. Once he had enough to satisfy his appetite, he will be gone.”

“And what makes you think we haven’t already been intimate?” I bit through gritted teeth. I couldn’t believe I was having this talk right now.

“Because I know you, Everly. And… by the way, if you fucked already, he would be bringing someone else to the wedding.”

“Fuck you” I hissed.

“You are upset because I’m right” Chris said harshly. “And because deep down, you know you are making a mistake. Once upon a time, you hated Brian because he lied and womanized and treated women like toys – just like he is doing to your right now. I swear he is, baby. Mark my words”

“I’m not your baby” I felt hate towards this man, toward the man, I used to love.

“True” Chris snorted “You are not anyone’s baby anymore” Livid, I hung right up.

I would have thrown my phone against a wall if I knew Chris would feel it. Fucking hell!

Frozen in the midst of the full holiday crowd, I stood there, silently enraged.

My hands shaking, I waited for the change of heart to set in – for me to decide that I couldn’t do this after all.

I couldn’t go to Chris’ wedding. I barely wanted my closure anymore because I honestly didn’t want to hear his pathetic, entitled reasons for leaving me… What would I do!?

Notes

I know I know... It took me a while... but here it is!
Let me know what u think!
I'll try to give u the next chapter sooner!! :P