Evan's Rose [18+]

Chapter 40

I had anticipated the grandeur of a Carter's party, but I was still amazed by the array of popular faces from around the world at the reception. While the bride and groom danced and kissed happily, Laura and Henry mingled effortlessly with the guests. Evan, on the other hand, occasionally socialized but mostly stayed aloof, lingering close to me.

"Don't you think you should be rubbing more shoulders with these people?"

"I'd rather rub against you."

I elbowed him in the ribs playfully. Evan grinned finding my embarrassment amusing.

"I'm not kidding, Rose. These events are soul sucking. I can find a more productive use of my time."

"It's your brother's wedding." Jake had asked Evan to be his best man but Evan had declined to no one's surprise. I too had declined to be Diana's bridesmaid. After all an employee of Carter Industries had no business being involved into the wedding party of her boss's new sister in-law.

"And I've done my part by showing up."

Suddenly, Evan froze, his gaze turning icy. I followed his line of sight and saw the entire Carter family lined up for a family picture. Though Evan didn't show it, I could see the pain in his eyes. He should have been there, happy and loved by his family. I couldn't entirely blame him for not feeling connected to them; he had been abandoned by his parents long ago, and the distance I now saw among them was well-earned.

He had depended on me for warmth and to fill the void in his heart, but I always wondered if I could be enough. Evan seemed to think so.

I took his hand to comfort him. Without even speaking, I knew the riot of emotions going through him. "I'm here." His face relaxed like something finally clicked for him.

I switched tactics and decided to distract him. "When did you realize you wanted to marry me?"

He looked puzzled but answered nonetheless.

"I never thought of it that way. I knew I wanted you to be mine. I woke up each day excited to see you, a first for me, by the way. And I hated when the day ended because I couldn't bear not seeing you for the next few hours." I remembered feeling something similar, and it filled me with joy to know that.

A faint smile grazed his lips. "I knew you were going to be the death of me when I first saw you fumbling into my office." I laughed, remembering my first day at work and how I had managed to piss off my new boss within the first few hours. He hadn't yelled at me like I expected, but the frown on his face was enough to scare me.

"You came into my life with such a driving force that my life was completely upended," he teased with a wink.

"I remember it being the other way around," I shot back.

"I still remember the sting of the slap you gave me." I winced at the memory. A series of misunderstandings had led to me raising a hand to him in front of a few coworkers. The wrath in Evan's eyes after that had me cowering in fear for days.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, baby."

I palmed his cheek gently and he was quick to press a kiss to it.

"That was it for me, you know? I have been obsessed with you ever since. There's no turning back for me."

There was no turning back for either of us after that.

"Let's get out of here." My suggestion surprised both of us. Normally I'd insist on staying till the end since we were family but I had to put my husband on priority. He felt alienated among his own people and I wasn't going to keep him here for my sake.