𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 ~ | 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘤

V

Chapter Five: 

~ *Swirls chocolate milk in a wine glass* ~

"Evangeline!"

If people hadn't noticed me before, they definitely had now. I tried to ignore the stares as I walked through the train station towards the siren I called 'mother'.

"Evangeline!" my mother's voice was a mix of scolding and relief. She bustled over, her arms open wide. "There you are, dear."

I thought she was going for a hug but at the last second, her hands flew up to my hair, fussing over it. I sighed. "Hi, Mom."

Her eyes swept over me, a critical gaze that made me feel like I was five again. "You look tired," she said, her voice a symphony of disapproval.

"Mom," I warned, "I've had a rough few days."

Her expression softened slightly, but the words remained unspoken. 'You should have called us sooner'. And I shot back a 'I didn't ask you to come at all'.

But she was already turning to Ethan, taking one of their bags from him and handing it to me. He hadn't even looked me in the eyes since they got here. I wasn't complaining. Usually, his gaze was like a physical assault, leaving bruises on my self-esteem that took weeks to heal. But his sudden silence was unnerving.

Ten minutes later Mom looked around my apartment, her nose slightly upturned. "It's so... quaint."

Thea was supposed to be meeting us here, take the parents to their hotel, and then all meet for dinner tonight. She wasn't here. Of course she wasn't. Wonderful. Time to stall the hell out of them before they could get to my career or God forbid my love life.

"I thought you were supposed to be rich. Or at least your boyfriend is." She commented.

Well, never mind. Straight for the throat, as always.

"Mom, I'm not a billionaire, I'm a reserve driver for Ferrari, not Ferrari's poster child," I reminded her, setting the bag down. "And I don't want Oscar to take care of things for me. I'm good."

"Oscar," she said, clapping her hands a little. "Is he coming tonight? You did invite him, didn't you? I bet you didn't. I knew it, you don't want us to meet him!"

"What- just what?" I stammered. "He's coming to dinner."

"Oh... well good. I'm excited to meet him. From what I've heard he's less problematic than the rest." She gave me a knowing look.

"Mom- What? That's not nice-"

"So tell me about him. You never tell me anything. All I know is 'His name's Oscar' and 'he's nice'." She dropped her handbag on an armchair and sat down.

"He is nice," I said, trying to keep it simple. "He's kind, and sweet, and..."

"But is he good for you?" She interrupted. "I just want what's best for you, Evangeline."

"Mom," I sighed. "I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions."

"But when it comes to love, you're about as reliable as a chocolate teapot," she said, patting my cheek. "Remember that time you thought you were in love with that guitar player? What was his name again?"

"Mom, drop it," I said, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"Oh, right. Marcus. What a phase," she said with a laugh, turning to Ethan. "Remember Marcus, babe?"

Ethan grunted, his eyes flicking to mine briefly before looking away. "Seemed like a decent guy," he said, surprising me.

"Decent?" My mom scoffed.