Butterfly and Flame - Alina and Evan

Family Ties

Elliot finished with the notes he had made on the latest submission he received. He enjoyed working early in the morning when the sun was barely making its presence known. The house was quiet and the chamomile tea that he had brewed for himself was still hot in the cup. He submitted his appraisal of the book and sent it back to the author for changes to be made. These days he was very selective with who he chose to work with but he enjoyed helping up and coming writers who caught his attention with their personal stories and of course their abilities. He didn't need the money and he had plenty of time especially now that his star and favorite writer was away. He stared out through the window and watched the wind carry off the leaves as winter had finally arrived to Ash and thought of how she was settling into Mew York. Alina was definitely not a city girl but she was inquisitive and open to new experiences and cultures and that aspect of who she was would help her take in The Big Apple rather than take it on. He had spoken with her a week ago as they reviewed the final chapters she managed to send to him prior to having her life turned upside down and he made some suggestions for changes. Her book was basically finished and now it was up to Evan to illustrate and bring to visual life the cats that dominated the theme of the the book. Evan also has touched base with him with an invitation to come to New York but Elliot declined politely saying that he was not feeling well enough to travel as the flu had put him out of commission for a couple of weeks. In reality Elliot was perfectly fine as far as his day to day health went but as usual his heart was a different story. Being so close to Ashley was always a struggle and now with Alina there it was sure to be even more ridiculous . He wondered if Ashely would notice the similarities to herself in Alina. After all she was her grandniece. He imagined Ashley's reaction at seeing Alina. Through all the sporadic conversations they had with each other over all these years he never brought up her extended family. She didn't want to know anything about the life she'd left behind and although he could understand it about himself and her father she didn't know why she had felt that way about her sister Camila or her brother Andres and his family. It was the only family she had left but her brothers children and grandchildren had simply never come up. He had bonded immediately with Alina. As Andres's best friend and even brother in law, his younger sister had married Andres soon after the death of the elder Salvatierra, her father. He had been uncle Elliot to Andres Jr. and then great uncle to Andres Jr. And his wife Emma's children. The first of them Alina. Elliot was a natural Great Uncle and Alina was nothing short of his favorite. As she grew up he began to see the likeness of Ashley in Alina but it was only natural she was her great aunt.

Alina picked up the FaceTime call on the fourth ring wrapping a towel around herself straight from the tub. "Hello gorgeous!" Alina's heart pounded in her chest at seeing him. It was his first night away from her in weeks. "Hello there Mr. Evan Alexander! How was your flight?. Did you get to switch to a seat with leg room? How's the weather?." Evan smiled at her and was happy to hear the easy chatter she delivered when she was comfortable and happy. He had learned a lot about her feelings and moods in the time he had spent with her before having to leave. He missed her terribly and looking at her in her towel fresh out of the tub only made him miss her more. He answered all her questions and showed her his room and view from the hotel. They talked about his grandmother and how she had been doing well and all the time they had spent in the sunroom and also going to the art museums with her. Evan quietly listened to Alina explain what an amazing woman she thought Ashley Malek to be. She was having a wonderful time and it was stimulating her creative mindset. Evan felt a little sad that she seemed perfectly happy without him there. She seemed to notice and said "Evan I miss you so much! I slept in your sweatshirt last night and will probably sleep in it every night until your home". She was starring at him with her huge beautiful eyes and all he wanted was to reach through and grab her around the waist and bring her toward him. Staring at her in a towel with her hair curling in long strands around her she looked so dammed tempting. "Alina, if I was there right now I would have a hard time keeping my hands off of you! I wish I was that towel right now all wrapped around you. Especially...." Her face was a mix of shyness, giddiness, and a little playfulness! "Oh really! Well. I guess I'll take it off then." Evan was awestruck for a minute but he laughed in the next when she dropped her towel to the floor but the phone followed her towel rather than her presumably naked body. "Don't tease me that way. I'm a man, alone in Montana, with the next couple of weeks of taking pictures of nothing but mountains, geysers and the occasional animal. I'd much rather take pictures of you". He was currently staring at the wall knowing that she was most likely changing into her pajamas. "Evan. If you were here I might be tempted...." she smiled at him and blew him a soft kiss. She sat in her favorite nightgown. Actually it was his too. Simple and white and threadbare.....yep it was his favorite too. "Honey, it's late and I have an early start. I'm already gonna have a difficult night sleeping!" "Why, is your bed hard?"she asked innocently. He thought to himself well it might be but he sure was. Again her nightgown presented him with optimal views of her body. The tops of her breasts were on display and he could just make out the contrasting shadow that her nipples made pressed against the gown. She was killing him and she wasn't even trying. She lifted the phone and docked it on its charging station and continued to talk to him as she brushed out her long hair. His favorite nightgown flowed around her and the straps fell down, exposing more skin and views that left him hot and bothered. "Alina", he said a little too loud, getting her attention. " uh.....I better say goodnight before I change my mind and take a flight back to New York. "Don't be silly you just got there" she said as she sat to put lotion on her arms and legs. Bending over,as she spoke; over her legs he got a perfect view of them and her arms and her breasts pushing against the thin material and showing him the very tops of her areola's. They were pink and large and perfect as far as he was concerned. He had felt her nipples grow hard under his touch but he had never seen her naked, on purpose. She looked up as she continued speaking about something, which he had no idea of now; and stopped... starring at him. "Evan, are you even listening to me.... what?" She caught him, he would have been drooling in a second or too but as it was he must have looked like a pervert just watching her. "So thats why you haven't said a word this whole time" She put her hand on her hip and with narrowed eyes she said "do you see something you like???" He sat up and speaking with a husky voice and with what felt like ages of need he said "Everything I see and I like everything! I'm dying and it's your fault". She couldn't be mad at him. She wasn't use to having such a close and dynamic bond with anyone like this but her family and the fact that he was her boyfriend made it that much more exciting. She came close to the phone and starred at him and said
"I'm flattered. It makes me feel beautiful and sexy but nervous and a little uncertain about.....well uhm....sex." He swallowed hard knowing that they hadn't really talked about it much. They had cuddles, made out, petted each other and had gotten close but he knew she wasn't ready to take the next step. "Alina I'm not pressuring you but I swear you have only to say the word and I'm back home."
She giggled and said "I love you Evan. Your my dreams come true and I'm the luckiest girl In the world". She looked at him with a grin as she showed him she was now wearing his sweatshirt. He smiled and dragged his hand over his face saying "I'm madly in love with you baby, if only I was  that sweatshirt tonight!"

Ashley lay in her bed thinking about what her next move would be. The investigator had gathered all the details of Alina's upbringing and had more than confirmed her identity beyond any doubt. She had provided her birth certificate, baptismal certificate. Grade school, high school and college transcripts. She had verified that it was Camila that had signed the adoption paperwork and had been her godparent at her baptismal. It had been Camila who had arranged for an attorneys office in San Francisco to take over the inheritance procedures when the time came. She recalled several months before her sisters death she had called Alina from Andres's phone number and had asked to meet with her. Ashley has considered it but then there had been an untimely accident with Evan and he had been injured during a skiing accident out of state and she wasn't able to meet with her. Camila died on the anniversary of Christians death and Ashley couldn't help feeling as if though it was a reminder to her of the baby she had given away. Three years later her brother was dead and although she did not attend the funeral she sent a beautiful bouquet and sentiments to her nephew and nieces. A week after his funeral she received a package in the mail from Andres. She had so many mixed emotions about Andres. He and Camila both had interfered in her love affair with Elliot. Camila had been in love with Elliot herself and saw Alina as her competitor for Elliot's love. Alina has been oblivious to her sisters secret crush for Elliot. They had always been close until Andres had come back home from college with his new friend. Ashley was still in high school
and Camila was  just a year behind her. Andres and Camila were twins. Alina was the older sister but Andres had been a prodigy in music and had advanced to college before she had. As time went on Elliot and Alina became close and then secretly engaged. Her father was a hard man and wanted her to marry well. Although her family loved Elliot he was a man with no means, no family heritage and no immediate plans to make money. Andres has been furious with Ashley when Camila had told him that it was Ashley that was trying to steal Elliot from her. She even told Andres that she, Camila had had sex already and she was pregnant with Elliot's child. He had dumped her when Ashley made a play for him and now they had eloped. Andres told his father and soon enough they were found the day they were married. Her father threatened to accuse Elliot of rape as Ashley was not 18 yet and separated them. Elliot shipped out to Vietnam two days latter. Ashley ran away and took a train and and then a flight to New York City, on the day she turned 18. She had intended to look for Elliot's family which were from New York. She met with Elliot's younger sister Julia Stephenson and was immediately embraced by her. She stayed with Julia for the next two months waiting to hear from Elliot but instead of letters sent to her in return of her own The Stephensons received a message that their son had been killed while reporting on the military exersize and his body was not able to be returned to them. Ashley's life ended that day. She walked out of their house and in a fog stumbled around the city for hours with a broken heart and the knowledge that she was pregnant with Elliot's child. She walked through the cities streets and blindly crossed a small one way street and was slightly struck by a large and expensive black limousine. The man who exited the vehicle and found the girl laying on the street in a faint was none other than Arthur Malek. Fifteen years her senior, Arthur convinced Alina to return to his home so that he might see to her needs and she never left. Marrying the man but not before telling him that she was with child. He had been previously  married but his wife had died soon after due to a heart condition. Malek himself was sterile and the thought of having a child, one not even his own; to carry on his legacy was equally as enticing as the beautiful young woman who he had fortuitously met. Alina was happy for a while the first few years that they were married but then she learned the horrible truth that Elliot was not dead and it had been someone else's son. Julia had contacted her and she and Elliot met. She had told Maleck that she was going to visit her family in Ash but in reality Ashley and Elliot met and spent an entire week together in New York before Maleck found them. He threatened Alina with taking away Christian who by the law of the land was their son. He told her he would shame Christian into learning that his mother was indeed a two timing whore and that he would ruin Elliot's budding career. He also threatened to ruin her fathers business and her brothers as well. Ashley was devastated and instead of telling Elliot the truth she told him it was over and she would not leave her husband and never told him she had had his child. All this because of a lie that Camila had told. She swore she would never forgive her. But now after so many years under the bridge and with the experience that only age can bring Ashley recognized her own faults and reckless behavior and her own lies and prayed that her sisters soul rested in peace. Alina Clarissa Salvatierra was in her home, she had come home not knowing anything about her past. Ashley has no words for the twist of fate she was now living but she was grateful for the time the two had shared. Soon however she would have to tell them all the truth and the beautiful time they had all been sharing would come to an end.