Oral Care

Chapter 37: Something is Up

*** Rafael's POV ***

I'm fucking relieved when we leave the Whaley compound the next day. Evelyn handles every attack that comes her way without batting an eye, immune after years of deflecting their pettiness. It seems that while the woman are making an effort, the father and brother are plain ignorant.

I defend Evelyn at every opportunity, but they refuse to see her as anything but difficult. It is a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts because as they continue to belittle her she responds by digging in stubbornly. For example, I was prepared to sleep in the spare room to respect Bennett's wishes. It was one night, but Evelyn wasn't having any of that as she waltzed into the spare room.

She proceeded to strip down and coax me to have sex, which she then made certain that the whole house heard. It was just her parents, and in some weird way it was liberating, but also a little unnerving to sit at the table with them for breakfast the next morning. None of us spoke a word, but the atmosphere is tense and the others who came over to send us off pick up on it too.

"Did something happen?" Jenny asks Evelyn under her breath. Evelyn leans over and whispers to her. I watch Jenny's eyes widen and her mouth pop open in surprise. My girl isn't one to sugarcoat.

"So are we going to see you again before the holidays next year?" Bruce pokes. "Or are you going to pretend like we don't exist for a whole 'nother year?"

"I've already started and you're ruining it." Evelyn snaps.

Bruce starts to react when Abigail interjects. "Enough. I'm sorry, Rafael. We're not usually this dysfunctional."

Evelyn rolls her eyes and Bennett slams an angry fist on the table. "I can't imagine what Rafael thinks when you act so childish. Last night was a disgrace and you're just dragging him into the mud with you."

I stand, setting my napkin on the table, even though we are barely started on breakfast. I look Bennett dead in the eyes. "And I told you yesterday, sir. I'll willingly go wherever she takes me. But right now, I'm taking charge and getting her away from this... this... toxicity."

"She's got you pussy-whipped." Bruce mutters.

"Bruce! Seriously?" Sarah barks, calling him out.

"It's fine, Sarah. If he wants to interpret my relationship through his own insecurities that's his perogative. I see my actions more as preserving respect and dignity for the woman that I love, but however you need to see it to feel good about yourself, man." I turn to Evelyn and offer her my hand.

She stares at it for a moment before she slips her hand into mine and stands. Abigail hurries to intervene. "Please stay. Bennett and Bruce will keep their mouths shut for the rest of the meal."

Bennett raises a bushy eyebrow, but doesn't say anything to contradict his wife. Bruce, however, doesn't take kindly to his mother silencing him and continues bitching at Evelyn. "You always were such a drama queen."

"Did you ever consider why I'm that way? She snarls. "Turns out this environment just provokes that response in me. Raf, I'm ready."

And with that, we take our leave a couple hours earlier than we planned. Hannah is really bummed out as she says goodbye, but we tell her we will arrange with her mom to have her visit, possibly in the summer. She claims she wants to come during winter and Evelyn quickly talks her out of it. Watching the way those two connect makes me eager to watch my own nieces and nephews age. I wonder who they'll take after with so many influences in their lives.