Butterfly and Flame - Alina and Evan

Looking Back Again

Dear Readers:
This is a pretty long chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Lots of things coming to a head!

Christian tried once again to reach Evan. The call went immediately to voicemail. "Evan, listen carefully and forget about anything I may have said earlier. I'm here at Alina's parents home with Elliot. Something is happening that concerns Alina. I don't know what it is at this moment, but its got her brother and friends worried. We are trying to get to you as soon as possible. Brother, my gut is telling me that she is in some kind of trouble or danger. Watch yourself and....." the call ended. Christian was worried. His brother was a careful, world travelled man. He knew he could take care of himself out on the Savanah's or the jungle. He had even trekked as far as the Himalaya's. He was an adventurer and enjoyed the danger. This was different. This danger was human in origin and he needed to learn precisely what it was so he could help either the girl he had never met or his brother. Either way he intended to find out what was going on. Coming back into the house he could heard the group talking beyond the dining room he had come through. He walked from the dining room across the kitchen that lay to the right and heard the voiced growing louder to his left. He stepped into the the hallway that separated the dining room from an adjacent room where he could see the feet of a baby grand piano. He followed their voices and saw that they were all gathered there. He wasn't surprised, as he trusted his gut instincts; at seeing a sheriff among the group now. In fact the group had grown as he now noticed two young women that weren't there when he had arrived. One was clearly the sister of the man in the wheel chair. They shared the same colored eyes and facial features. She had to be in her early twenties. She was the one closest to the entrance of the room and therefor closest to him. She had not noticed him approach so he decided to stay put. The other woman standing to her left and obscured slightly from his sight was slightly taller and with long dark hair that reached the middle of her back. She had dancers clothing on. Obviously she had come in a hurry and had not had time to change. He listened intently and tried to make sense of the conversation. "I've told you everything I know. Michael called from his private jet and relayed everything to me. He also informed me that he was actively working with the FBI and that he would have a dossier prepared and ready to give to local authorities here". Leo waited for everyone to take it all in and then he said "Michael is on his way and I expect him any minute. I have known since the beginning that Michael had a twin brother", looking at his sister he added; "identical twin". I never shared it with any of your or even with Alina because I didn't want her to somehow continue her relationship with Michael. You all know her well enough to know that she would never have blamed Michael for his brothers actions, but that would have kept Michael in her life and as long as his brother was alive; it would have kept him in her life too." He stopped for a moment to catch his breath. "Leo, you should have told her. Alina is an intelligent woman and she would have reasoned it all out and decided for herself." Elliot spoke with measured tones and not in a accusatory way toward Leo". Christian knew that he had been right about there being something wrong. It was clear that Elliot was not aware of it when they arrived but he had knowledge of some previous problem that was now resurfacing. Christian wasn't happy to be eavesdropping but he felt he needed to know as much as possible before walking into the room. "Uncle Elliot, I understand your point of view. Forgive me, but you are not aware of everything. I have my reasons for what I did. I would do it all over again if I had to". The room got quiet and Christian decided it was time to make an entrance.

Alina paced her bedroom not knowing how to address her crazy behavior with Evan. He had not done anything wrong. They were making out. Seriously making out. She was feeling like she was floating on the clouds. It was absolutely what she wanted and he was who she wanted to be with. She had no doubts about her growing feeling for Evan. Somehow though she panicked. She wasn't sure why. She was not new at making out, and although she had really only had one serious relationships, she had made out with a few boyfriends in the past. It had always left her less than satisfied and never wanting to comeback for more. She was raised in a very Catholic home. Her parents were openminded people but they didn't believe in sex before marriage and they had taught that to their children. It wasn't that she was a prude or that she didn't have an understanding of sex and relationships it was that she had always felt that she would know when she met the right person and when the right time would be. Her parents had openly talked about sex with them and she knew that it was good and frankly was created by God. Their belief that sex was to be a sacred act between a man and a woman within the context of marriage was something that she embraced as well. Not merely because it was a "religious" teaching or concept , but because she had seen it grow to fruition with her own eyes. Her parents had both been virgins when they married. They had grown up together in every sense of the word and their bond was unbreakable. She knew that they had had their problems like any couple with a family, house, bills would have but they had deep faith and they lived it joyously with their children. She wanted that too. She wanted to wait for marriage to experience that with her husband. She wanted that special union to be within the confines of marriage. She had thought she had found it with Michael at the begging of their relationship. She was so thankful that she had realized quickly that what they had was a strong physical attraction, some shared interested but that their personalities and their aspirations were too dissimilar to have a long committed relationship. And then he had betrayed everything she thought they had shared together. He had wiped out in less then an hour every good thing they had shared and turned it into ash. She shivered at the little bits and pieces of that night that she allowed herself to remember. He hadn't accomplished what he set out to do that night but he had hurt her just as deeply if not more by what he did the following night. That was something that would be ever present in her life. She could never get away from that. Her gorgeous and strong brother paralyzed because of him, her career gone, and now this. Her inability to let her guard down, to let herself experience something sweet and sensual with a man she was falling in love with. Alina stopped pacing the room. She stopped dead in her tracks. She stopped and starred at the wall in front of her but she didn't see it. She saw Evan's face instead. Evan. Evan who was downstairs waiting for her. Evan who had made her dinner. Evan who had come to her dance recital. Evan who had taken a picture of her and then sought the perfect frame to put in. Evan who had spent hours on the phone talking and texting with her. Evan who had hoisted her on his shoulders to climb up to her room. Evan who had tasted her salty tea. Evan who had enraged her at their first meeting. Evan who had sketched out a cat and posted it on his instagram page. The instagram image that prompted her to write her book. Evan. She had fallen in love with Evan. It had happened so easily and so quickly. Her head was spinning. She was shaking. Tears were sliding down her face and she was afraid now. Afraid that she would ruin this. Looking back again, somehow the impact of what had happened to her would always be with her and would not allow her to move forward. Always when she had nightmares of that night she saw herself running into the woods, fleeing something that was pursuing her. He was gone and she had survived. She needed to live otherwise he would surely win.

Kyle got back into the stollen car that he parked on the street behind the studio. He had already checked out the studio but there was nobody there. He had driven by her home twice and had seen the amount of cars outside. He knew there was no way they were there for a casual visit. His brother had to have found out he had left the sanatorium. Oh well. There was nothing he could do about that. He was furious that his plan to meet up with Alina today had been interrupted. What bothered him though was that if they had come to tell Alina everything why was she still there. He would have thought they would have taken her away somewhere so she would be safe. As if though he would ever hurt her. An image formed in his mind of the night he had met up with her and when she told him that she wanted to end their relationship. He had gotten so angry so fast that he was unable to control himself. If she had not said those things they would have worked things out between them. He knew that she was the only one for him. He had been with several girls and had learned what women wanted and was prepared to be all those things for Alina. When she said that they were just not right for each other he became enraged. He had not meant to hurt her or even scare her. It had been her fault but he was willing to start over. He just needed to talk with her privately and tell her how sorry he was and that he had learned his lesson. He knew if they could just be left alone they would be happy together.

The images came flooding back to his mind of that night. She had told him she didn't want to see him anymore because they were too different. They had different goals and she was not cut out to live his lifestyle. He tried to convince her to give them another chance but she refused. Saying that he was a good man and that she knew that he would find the right person but that it wasn't her. He watched her get up form the couch and walk to the door. Before she could place her hand on the door he grabbed her hand and pulled her too him. He had asked for one last kiss. Something to remind him of her. She pushed at his chest, refusing to do it. She suddenly looked frightened. The look in her eyes made him feel momentarily sad and he loosened his grip. She tried moving away from him but he still held her in his arms. She looked at him with fear and said "Michael, what is wrong with you. Let me go, I want to leave." Her eyes were wide with fear even though her words were steady and calm. He remembered her saying those words and they angered him then and made him angry now remembering them. As soon as she had said them he pulled had said before crushing his mouth onto her and bending her back so that she could only cling to him rather than fall. She struggled to free herself and hit the side of his face with her fisted hand. She was strong, he already knew that, but he hadn't expected her to be that strong. He remembered feeling himself get aroused at her fear and then at her willingness to fight him. He turned them around so that the couch was behind her and he forced her onto the couch with his own body weight, landing on top of her and purchasing her into the couch. She was breathing heavy and her lips were covered in blood. She had bitten down on his lips to free herself but he hadn't felt it until now. He wiped his mouth and then smiled at her knowing that what was to come next would be satisfying even if it only happened once. He was obsessed with her and he would have her one way or another. "Alina, we can either do this the hard way which personally I would enjoy immensely or you can calm down and give in. If you do, it will be more enjoyable for you. Either way we are going to make love tonight and either way Im going to enjoy it". He saw the look on her face and it was a mixture of terror, surprise and sadness. He starred at her as she tried to calm herself down. She surprised him by saying "Alright. As long as you promise to let me leave after." He had no intention of letting her leave afterward. This was going to be an all night event but if it calmed her down for now he wouldn't have to spend so much energy in the beginning. He remembered thinking that she might even enjoy herself too. He remembered letting go of her wrists tentatively. She didn't move. He got up from laying over her and reached out a hand to help her up. She took it. He told her that they should go to the bedroom where things would be more comfortable. He fully had expected her to bolt for the door but she didn't. She got up slowly and said "Michael. Please let me go. I promise you. I wont say anything to anyone. If you ever cared about me please let me go". She had said it so calmly that it temporarily dulled his senses. That was his mistake. She moved her arm forward and sprayed his face with the small can of mace she had on her key ring. Something he hadn't noticed when he started the assault. Her arms had been behind her on the couch so she couldn't use them. He had reacted violently covering his face with his hands as he tried to breath and then she kicked him. He doubled over in pain and grabbed his testicles in agony. He remembered hearing the door hit the wall as she ran out of the apartment. It didn't bring him any comfort to remember all of this but he reminded himself that he needed to be smarter with her. He wouldn't let that happen again. He just needed to find her.