Ruby 💙

7

Evelyn let herself into Chris's house after going home to take a shower and change her clothes. She smiled when she was again greeted by Dodger as she entered. She followed him into the kitchen where Chris was. "Hey."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around her, "you okay?"

She sighed, "yeah. It's super draining seeing my mom. In case you hadn't noticed."

He chuckled, "I noticed." He poured her a glass of wine, handing it to her. "Unless you want something stronger."

She looked at the wine, drinking it all quickly before handing it back to him as he laughed, "if you want me to open up, you might want to try something a little stronger."

Chris nodded, "okay." He put the wine glass next to the sink before pouring her a glass of whiskey, "here." He watched her sit at the kitchen table as he went back to finishing the pasta he was cooking. He plated it on two plates, bringing the bottle of whiskey with him, setting in on the table as he sat across from her. He watched her push her food around her plate for a while, "we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to talk about Evie."

She sighed, taking another drink as she looked at him over the rim of the glass. She found his eyes welcoming and warm, it made her heart ache. "I want to...."

He shrugged, "it's fine. I can prompt you.. and you can talk about what you like.."

She smiled, "okay. Thank you." She took a bite of her pasta as he smiled at her.

"Where's your dad?"

Evelyn groaned, finishing her drink, "I don't know. I don't know who he is. I never met him. I doubt my mother even knows who he is."

Chris nodded, "okay. So it's just always been you and your mom?"

"I mean.." She poured herself another glass before Chris took the bottle away.

"Eat more. Please."

She laughed, nodding as she took a drink. "Okay. Yes, just my mom and me and the endless onslaught of men she brought home all the time."

"I see." He watched her eat some more, not wanting to say more. "Has she always been an alcoholic?"

"Yes." She stared at her plate as she paused, "alcohol, drugs. You name it, she's done it. Hence all the men. They fed her drug habit."

"Okay..." He saw she was getting there as he went back to eating. "You can tell me anything Evie."

She nodded, "when I was around 12, she would let the men come into my bedroom to pay for her drugs. They traded, time with me for drugs for her..."

"Oh god." She avoided his gaze as she finished her drink. He slid the bottle back to her as she poured more. "I'm sorry Evie."

Evelyn shrugged, "when they were bored with that, they would shoot me with drugs. So I left when I was 16 and went to rehab before finishing school and going to nursing school. I've been dancing since I was 18. Paid for school. And my house."

Chris got up from his chair to sit next to her as she began to cry, "I'm sorry love." He wrapped his arms around her as she rested her head on his chest.

She sighed, listening to his heart beat as it calmed her down. "I reconnected a few years ago after finding out she was sick. I guess I was hoping I would get some sort of apology from her or something. But she's even worse than when I was a kid."

Chris nodded, looking at her as she looked up at him. He wiped tears away with his thumbs, "some people aren't meant to be forgiven Evie."

"I know. I'm trying to let it go. I'm in therapy. I just um... don't feel like I'm good enough a lot."

"I know you don't. But you are. You're more than good enough... What's your biggest fear Evie."

She chuckled, "mean."

He smiled, "you said you'd tell me at some point."

She sighed, not looking him in the eyes, "that I'll meet someone really great and fall in love but scare him away.."

Chris laughed, grabbing her chin to make her look up at him. He didn't say anything as he kissed her softly on the lips, "you won't scare me away Evie."

She nodded, bringing a hand up to his cheek, "you promise?"

"I promise." He pulled her into his lap, kissing her as he wrapped his arms around her. He groaned as she bore her hips down on him. "Eat your dinner."

She laughed as he set her back in her chair before going to sit back in his own. "Does this count as a date..."

Chris laughed, "no." He groaned, "maybe. I want you Evelyn."

"Me too." She stood up from her chair, grabbing his hand as she pulled him up, leading him into the living room. She pushed him onto the couch as she straddled him, "might be the whiskey though."

He laughed, "we don't have to anything you don't want to do. I can take you out for a real date tomorrow night."

She nodded, "I'd like that. And if I haven't scared you away yet, I'd like to spend the night?"

"Of course. I like sleeping with you Evie."

She grinned, "me too Chris. Now, make out with me before we go back to eating dinner?"

Chris moaned, bringing his hand up to the nape of her neck, "yes please."