Chapter 21
Christmas Eve comes, and I am getting ready at the shop to go to Ev’s and meet his parents.
I’m a nervous wreck. My hands are shaking, and I went through every article of clothing I own to try to find something they would like.
Something that didn’t look like it came from the thrift store…
but all my clothing did come from there.
A knock comes at the bathroom door. “Leora?”
Ski’s voice has a shakiness I have never heard in his confident tone.
“One sec!”
I wipe the tears I was crying from my face. I don’t know why I started crying. I’ve been so emotional the last week, but looking at all my clothes, realizing I own nothing new or pretty or elegant or girly, it’s all just crashed down on me.
I open the door, and he is holding up a beautiful royal blue dress.
It is made of a chiffon material and has long sleeves with delicate ruffles on the cuffs.
It’s a wraparound style with a ribbon to tie in the front.
It looks like it’s about knee length, and the small ruffles on the cuffs have matching ruffles around the bottom of the skirt.
It’s the prettiest dress I have ever seen.
To go with it, he holds up a pair of simple black strappy heels. The closed toe comes to a point, the heel is big enough to be elegant but small enough I think I can handle it, and there is a thin black strap that goes around the ankle.
“Ski.” I hold my hands to my mouth. I don’t know what to say.
“If you’re meeting the parents, parents who happen to be the mayor and his wife, you needed something…well…” I can tell he is trying not to offend me.
“Something that wasn’t from a thrift store and two sizes too big?”
“Exactly.” He smirks shyly.
“It’s perfect. Thank you so much.”
I take it and put it on. It fits me like it was tailor made. It’s the first item of clothing that has ever fit me, that has never been worn before. And the blue color is perfect. Ev’s favorite color.
When I come out, the old, bulldog, retired Marine tries to hide his watery eyes.
“Yup. Looks good.” He scratches at his eyes. "Damn dust."
I go up and give him a hug. “Thank you again. This means more than you know.”
Ev stands from where he was waiting. He looks dashing in his dress slacks, tucked-in white button-up, and bow tie. His jacket is tailored to his lean muscular body. He is radiant, like he just came off a red carpet.
“Jesus Christ, Leo. You are fucking stunning.” He wipes his hand down his face like he is doing all he can to hold himself back from being inappropriate in front of Ski.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” I give him a wink, and he comes up and grabs my face and kisses me. Hard.
“Okay, okay. Keep it in your pants please, Everett.”
When he pulls back, he slips a note into my hand. “To read before we go in.”
As I step up into his truck, I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. My hands are sweaty, and all my brain can think is run.
Run. Run. Run.
I completely zone out the entire ten-minute drive, and as we pull up the circle drive, I regret coming. Is it too late to back out?
“Open your note, pretty bird.”
I force myself to slow my breathing and begin to unravel his note from its tight origami.
You look stunning tonight.
I stop right there and roll my eyes at him. “You didn’t even know what I would be wearing tonight.”
“Does it matter? You look stunning every single time I lay my eyes on you.”
“Suck-up.” I roll my eyes again and continue reading.
I know you want to run right now.
You wouldn’t be my Leo if you didn’t.
But if you run, I’ll catch you, and I’ll tell you again how much I love you.
Because it doesn’t matter what happens tonight or any other night.
I’m yours, and you’re mine.
So take a deep breath.
Now, Leo.
I pause reading and take a deep breath.
Good girl.
I love you.
Now get out of the truck and take my hand.
I got you.
– Ev
I look up from reading his note, and he is waiting outside my door.
Jesus, I am so nervous I didn’t even realize he got out of the truck.
When I look at him, he is already watching me.
He opens my door and holds out his hand.
I take it and hope that everything he said in his note is true.
If I run, will he catch me? He has so far, but a part of me will never fully trust someone.
It’s a product of my past, and despite how deeply I want to change that, I can’t.
It’s part of the reason I know that Ev is too good for me.
He doesn’t deserve someone as broken as I am.
When we get to the front door, their butler opens it. “Mr. Rowan, Miss Laney.” He motions us in and bows slightly. “Mr. Rowan, your parents are waiting in the sitting room.”
“Thank you, Richard.”
I nod and give him a smile. God, how rich do you have to be to have a butler? I know Mr. Rowan is the mayor, but does being the mayor of small-town Aurora, Oregon, really pay that well?
When we enter the sitting room, my fingers interlocked with Ev’s, his mother's eyes instantly meet mine, her chin tilts a little higher, and her eyes roam down my body, inspecting me.
They don’t say a thing. An awkward silence thickens the air, and I practically choke on it.
“Mom, Dad, this is Leora Laney. My girlfriend.”
By some miracle, I manage words. “It’s nice to meet you both. Your house is incredible.”
They don’t acknowledge my compliment. Ev’s dad looks just like him, or I guess it would be the other way around.
He has the same stature as Ev, just slightly stouter, and his once-blond hair is mostly gray now.
His face is almost identical to Ev’s, just slightly more wrinkled and worn.
He clasps his son on the shoulder. “Come, son.
Let's go into the den, let the ladies get to know each other.”
I beg Ev with my eyes not to leave me, but he gives me an apologetic grin and kisses me on my temple. He whispers in my ear, “You’ll be fine. Just be yourself. She will love you.”
Ev leaves with his dad, and I feel like the walls are caving in on me.
“Come and sit, Leora.”
She looks like she is gliding as she walks to a dark leather wing-backed chair.
Her posture is perfect, legs crossed at the ankles.
In her stiff white dress, she looks like the wife to the president, not the wife of a small-town mayor.
She is beautiful in that old-money type of way, her dark-brown hair wrapped up into a French twist. Her face is tight, skin flawless.
Most likely from Botox, but could be really good genetics, I guess.
I take the seat across from her and try to mimic her position and posture. She raises an eyebrow at me like she notices how hard I’m trying to fit in. “So, you and my son?”
“Yes, ma’am.” I’m not really sure what she is asking.
“I’m going to be forward with you, Leora. You and Everett were a surprise. Everett had been in love with Natasha for two years and then suddenly ended things with her and is completely smitten with you. I wonder how that happened?”
How do I even answer that?
“I…I…umm. I am not exactly sure what you are asking me?”
“We and the Baldwins have had an arrangement since Everett and Natasha were young. They were to be together. Married. In the world of politics, connections are everything. Do you understand?”
“Everett and Natasha have an arranged marriage?”
I feel like my heart has stopped beating. Can they do that? Are arranged marriages still a thing?
“Yes. Everett understood the importance of such a powerful connection and had agreed to it. Until you came along. So you can see why his father and I are not exactly thrilled about your hold over our son.”
My hold over him? He pursued me. Is she insinuating that I tricked him into loving me? Like some kind of sorceress who bewitched him? I open my mouth to respond, but she holds up her hand to stop me.
“However, all I want is for my son to be happy. So if you are the answer to that, as he has so adamantly expressed, then I will accept this relationship. So long as Everett stays on the path that is destined for him. He will go to the college of our choosing, obtain either a doctorate or law degree, and he will come back to Aurora to be close to his family. Do you understand?”
Come back to Aurora? I can’t have a future with Ev if he is coming back here.
I can't. He never told me that he was planning on coming back.
Was he too scared, knowing that I never would?
Was he planning to make me fall desperately in love with him, live with him, marry him, and then drag me back here when I was too invested to leave him?
“Leora, did you hear what I just said?”
“Yes, yes, I’m… I… Sorry. I just… That was a lot to process. I have no intentions of holding Ev—Everett back from his dreams and goals. I promise, Mrs. Rowan. I only want what's best for him.”
“Well, if that were true, you wouldn’t even be here, but that is neither here nor there since you have already bewitched my sweet Everett.”
I swallow hard. How do I even respond? She hates me.
Run. Run. Run. I need to get out of here.
“Excuse me while I use the restroom.”
“Down the hall, third door on the left.” She watches me like a hawk as I exit.
Do I curtsy…or bow? I don’t know if there is a proper way to exit.
Does it matter? I have a feeling I could be the image of perfection and I still wouldn’t be good enough.
My last name isn’t Baldwin, so in her eyes, I’ll never measure up.
Now that I’m out of that room filled with impossible expectations, I realize I really do have to pee. Jesus, I just peed before we left the shop. Must be the nerves.
I’m in the little powder room when a knock sounds on the door. “Leo? You in there?”
I open the door, and instead of allowing me to come out, Ev steps in and shuts the door, locking it.
“What are you doing?” I whisper shout.
“I needed to know you were okay, and I know you wouldn’t be honest in front of my parents.”
He’s got me there.