V.O.I.C.E

.Chapter Twenty Three.

Chapter Twenty Three                            Evalyn

I opened my mouth to tell him that I didn’t like Owen, that I was dating Owen because I loved him, but the words wouldn’t leave my mouth so instead I began to eat my plate of food. “I don’t,” I said, the words slipping out of my mouth a few minutes later without me ever meaning to say them out loud.

“You don’t what Eva? You don’t love Owen?” He asked me. I looked up at him and could see the flash of hope in his eyes. A million thoughts swirled in my head; he said he loved me, now was the chance I had been waiting for. But what about Mum and Colin? What if they found out? I couldn’t let that happen. I promised I would make mum happy no matter what.

As I whispered the words, I shook my head, “I don’t like you, Carter. I can’t like you.”

“You can’t be serious, right?” he said, sounding almost like he was begging for it to not be true.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, forcing the words from my lips, “Very serious. I’m sorry, but I only see you as a brother.”

“I know you feel the same way Eva. Please tell me you’re just joking,” he said as he leaned over the table and grasped my hands firmly.

I pulled my hands gently from his, my heart cracking as I did so. I wanted to jump into his arms, tell him I was just joking and kiss him like I would die if I didn’t. Carter loved me! I knew that now, but it was too late. As I had told him our parents are getting married, I was dating Owen, and he was dating Isabella. I stared at my plate and I finished the last few fries there. Carter knew me so well and I hadn’t even know it until now.

“Is there anything I can do or say to change your mind?” he asked after the long silence.

“Nothing.”                                                                

“If this is what you want then,” he said as the waitress came back to pick up our finished plates.

After Carter paid, we both walked back out to the car in silence. Instead of sitting in the back seat I sat up front, making the memories of how everything had been before we had messed it up come rushing back. It had been a while since I had sat in the front instead of Isabella. I pulled off my shoes and crossed my legs so I would be comfy on the long ride back. I pretended to be listening to my IPod even though it had died just before we had gotten to the restaurant, to save me from having to talk.

When we got home and opened the front door, the first thing you could smell was dinner cooking: lasagna. I followed the smell and found my mum was in the kitchen with an apron that was covered in sauce tied around her hips.

“Do you need any help mom?” I asked as I looked around for something to do.

“Would you mind doing those few dishes? I’ll make Carter wash up after we’ve eaten,” she replied as she went to the oven to check the lasagna. Mum was known for forgetting things in the oven and slightly burning them.