Do You Know Eva?

Do You Know Eva- Chapter Seventeen

Do You Know Eva?

 

-Chapter Seventeen-

-The Getaway–

Part I

 

My eyes open slowly; the sun light from my window burns them and I am forced to shut them once more.

“Ugh, Jess…” I mumble.

“Sorry,” I hear her reply. She climbs out of bed and pulls the purple curtains. The room falls dark. It’s now safe to open my eyes, to get up. But, I really don’t want to. I don’t know how I am going to confront my- Susan, I don’t know how I am going to confront Susan, because the fact is, she isn’t my mother. I guess I should have seen that one coming. I mean look at the way she treated me for most of my life, no mother could possibly do that to her child. I sit up, pulling a pillow against the headboard. Jessica watches me- she has no idea what to say to me. I have no idea what to say to her. She puts her arm around me and pulls my head so it rests on her shoulder. For a moment we just listen to the slight breeze outside.

“I’m here for you, Eva.”

“Thank you. I have to find out what happened. I need to know. It’s been two days since I talked to her.”

“Do you want me to come with you?” she asks as I jump out of the bed.

“No, this is something I need to do on my own.”

“I understand. Anyway, I have to go home, I need to pack.” She says, excitedly- a big smile spreading across her face.

“Oh don’t remind me, but I can’t wait- me, you, Jason, Grace and Mindy- just chilling at a lake house. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Yesterday, Grace and Mindy invited Jessica and I to their family’s holiday home in a small town. We jumped at the chance to escape the drama. We leave tomorrow, after school, but I can’t leave with things being the way they are. I need to sort things out before I go. Jessica pulls on her clothes and kisses me goodbye before leaving the house. She walks by Susan in the sitting room, sending her a slight nod. I see her out and close the door behind her. The house is silent. I walk into the sitting room and sit down beside Susan. Did she even leave the sitting room last night? There is bulging lumps under her eyes- she has been crying.

“I want an explanation.” I say to her, I demand. She lifts her head as if only noticing me now- maybe for the first time ever.

“I told you your father walked out on you because Scott died.” She says and I get the feeling that that was just another lie, part of the web that spun around my life.

“Yes.” I reply.

“He didn’t leave because of that, in fact I thought that brought us closer together, we needed each other, we helped each other. Some days I would be upset and he would need to look after you, other days he would be upset and I would look after you. Your father didn’t leave because he fell out of love with me; he left because he lost his true love, my sister. Her name was Barbara and she was a truly wonderful person.” Susan explains, a tear slides down her face. She pulls out the picture of Barbara and looks at it, almost smiling.

“Your father and my sister had an affair. They never thought that she would get pregnant, but she did and along came you Eva. Barbara died not so long after giving birth to you and suddenly your father found himself with a baby, a beautiful baby, you had the smallest hands and her eyes… anyway, he came home and confessed everything and stupidly enough I forgave him, I let him back in. For years we raised you, I raised you as if you were my own. But your father and I were never the same again, and he left. He left me with you. I gave my life up to raise a child that wasn’t even mine.”