Eve: Drink Of Me (F&L Story #2)

Eve: Part 18 (Final)

Part 18 (Final)

July 28, 2010.  Wednesday.  5:00 p.m.

Two months later...

 

Eve twirled in front of the three-way mirror at the bridal boutique, admiring the satin lilac gown that hugged her curves with precision.  “You've lost weight,” Emma scorned, waving over the seamstress.  “I told you about that.  We're going to have to alter that dress again.”

Chloe stepped up on the dais next to Eve, smoothing her own bridesmaid dress over her swelling stomach.  “I think you’ve given me all that weight.  I swear I’ve gained twenty pounds in the last two months.”

“Nonsense,” Emma said.  “You look beautiful.  You both do.  But you’ve got four days to eat something, Eve.  I’ll not have my best friend looking like starving refugee from Switzerland.”

Eve gave her a tiny smile and fluffed her skirt.  Four more days…and Emma would be married.  That left Eve to wade around in the single pool all by herself.  The happy bride rushed off to try on her gown, leaving Chloe to talk about the elephant in the room.

“How are you doing?” she asked, giving Eve's fingers a friendly squeeze.

“I'm good,” Eve replied, fidgeting with the neckline.  “I just wish my happily ever after would hurry up.  I'm getting tired of waiting.”

“Your prince still not talking to you?”

Eve sighed, picturing the last time she saw Clint – which happened to only be yesterday.  “I said some really awful things to him,” she admitted.

Chloe frowned at her through the mirror.  “From what Emma told me, he was kind of awful to you...using you like that.  If Daniel ever tried to pull a stunt like that...”

“I let him do it,” Eve declared, still protecting Clint and taking care of him.  “I knew what I was doing.  I don't blame him for any of it.”

“Still...”  Chloe shrugged.  “If he truly loved you, then he wouldn't have kept silent for so long, especially since you practically still see each other every day.”

She had a point, and Eve knew it, but the fact of the matter was nothing more could happen between them until he accepted that he can endure the evils of life, that he owned a strength in his soul to conquer his demons.  Until then, Eve couldn't help him, but she been noticing a change in Clint.  He seemed calmer, more at peace with himself, and Eve knew it was because of her absence from his life.  She had not been good for him, and seeing this wonderful, stable side of Clint was the only thing that kept Eve from running into his arms everyday.

Emma came back, swishing her wedding dress and grinning from ear to ear.  “Just wait until Michael sees me in this!”  The ruched bodice hugged her every curve from the square, sleeveless neckline down to her mid-thigh where soft waves flounced out in a gossamer bell skirt.  Chloe immediately began gushing, but Eve's heart hurt and she made her excuse. 

“I'm helping Sage pack today, so I'll see you guys later.”  She disappeared behind the dressing curtain and gingerly took off her gown.  Emma called out, “Remind Sage about the wedding!  She didn't know if she'd be out of the hospital in time.”

“I will,” Eve shouted back as she slid on her favorite pair of old, worn jeans.  “Can she come to the bachelorette party, too?”

“The more the merrier,” Emma answered, and soon Eve was dressed in her clothes and kissing her friends good-bye.