Fatal Infatuation [18+]

Ⅲ

━───────⊹⊱✙⊰⊹───────━

A young Evelyn ran around the backyard, a small black dog chasing her with a crazed look. Evelyn burst into a fit of giggles as she looked past her shoulder at the dog who couldn't quite match her speed. 

"Come on, bean!" She exclaimed, her long brown hair falling down her back. Bean was her first ever permanent dog, a gift from Wyatt after she had been officially adopted by the couple. Wyatt and Sterling stood in front of the window, watching the young girl with smiles written on their faces, Sterling resting his arm around Wyatt's shoulders. 

"We did a good thing, right?" Wyatt looked up at Sterling, an unsure look in his eyes. 

"Of course. We always wanted a kid, she's perfect." Sterling replied, patting Wyatt's shoulder. They sighed in content, watching the two play together. Evelyn was just ecstatic at having a pet, a friend who wouldn't judge her or look down on her in any way. 

Adopting her was a long and hard battle for Wyatt and Sterling, but they did everything they could to make their dream come true. Evelyn was 14 years old at this point, and the market for adopting a child grew increasingly sparse as the child grew older. Most parents outright refused to even consider adopting an older child, insisting that they're "Damaged" and "Complicated" despite every possible social worker proving them wrong. Of course it was hard to look after a foster child, but it was hard regardless of their age. Older kids had more of a chance to have emotional baggage and trauma from their past, but any parent could overcome these issues if they love the child enough. Evelyn noticed the decline in willing foster families, too, but she wouldn't let it consume her. 

She knew that when the time would come, she would find a suitable family that suited her needs and were able to handle her. And she was right, because when she was introducted to Wyatt and Sterling, her life changed. She was no longer the lonely child lingering in the shadows of the adoption center, waiting for a miracle. She was now the center of attention, with all of the affection and all of the gifts and toys she could ever ask for. This sudden change in environments was hard for her to adjust to, but they welcomed her to their family with open arms. For that, she will never be able to repay their kindness. 

━───────⊹⊱✙⊰⊹───────━

"Hey, Ev! We're going out for drinks later, wanna come?" Kashvi happily greeted her as she was cleaning the kitchen. 

"Oh, um," Evelyn stood, unsure. She wasn't completely fond of spending her free time with a big group of people she wasn't too familiar with. 

Kashvi caught on to her concerns and her eyes widened, "Oh, don't worry. It's just me, Leanna, Carter, and Mateo if he decides to come." 

Leanna was Kashvi's partner, both at work and out of work. Carter was one of the bakers, and Mateo was just... Mateo. Kashvi and Evelyn said their goodbyes and went their separate ways to get ready to go out. On her way home, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling off that she was being watched, or worse, followed. She clutched her bag closer to her body and picked up her pace, speedwalking as fast as she could without looking like she was running away. 

One of the downsides of working at the cafe was the distance between the cafe and her apartment building. It wasn't far enough for her to take the bus, but it was far enough that walking home at night would pose an imminent danger. Luckily, inside her bag tucked under the leftover protein bar wrappers was a small can of pepper spray that Sterling had gifted her the day she moved out. She reached into her bag and pulled out the pepper spray with shaking hands, holding it tightly in her fist. 

Even more luckily, she didn't have to use it. She dismissed the feeling of being followed as her mind playing tricks on her, and she made it to her apartment building safely. She exhaled and used her keycard to enter the building. The interior of the building was almost fully white and gave off an unsettling hospital vibe. The eerie emptiness and quietness didn't help, either. She entered the elevator and waited patiently, listening to the incessant and repetitive elevator music. She found herself humming the tune softly, until the elevator stopped at a halt and a man walked in, looking at her strangely.  She cleared her throat and looked down. 

Once she had made it to her apartment, she locked the door behind her and plopped her bag onto the chair in her hallway. "Thank God." She mumbled, walking into her bedroom.

 Her bedroom was cluttered with different plants and her walls were painted a pastel shade of orange, similar to the interior of the cafe. In the middle of her floor was a single, circular, fluffy rug that was originally an eggshell white yet faded to a pale beige after years of continuous use. On her walls were dreamcatchers, posters, string lights, anything she could find to make her bedroom feel more cozy. Her single bed was pressed against the wall, a small bedside table right next to it that held her laptop and an old mug that contained her pens and pencils. 

Her bedroom wasn't much, but it never failed to fill her with that familiar and delightful feeling whenever she walked in. She opened her closet doors and shuffled throught the hangers of clothing before deciding on a knitted turtleneck sweater and a pair of light-wash skinny jeans. She never liked to dress too extravagantly as to not attract too much attention to herself. She got dressed, brushed her hair, put in her small hoop earrings, and looked at herself in the mirror one last time before putting her boots on and walking through the door. 

━───────⊹⊱✙⊰⊹───────━