Going Back

Chapter Twenty Two - Perfect Gentleman

My body awakened the instant the words left his mouth, but for some reason I didn't open my eyes, I didn't let him know I'd heard them and I didn't say them back as much as I wanted to.

I felt him leave the bed, he pulled the blanket up over my naked body and kissed me on the forehead before leaving his room and turning off the light

He loved me?

My stomach churned. Could he love me? He had gambled Booked Out because he was hung up on Jean, he still had a photo of them together in his dresser, he'd loved her... and now he loved me?

I opened my eyes and looked around the room, his room was huge but suddenly I was feeling suffocated. I flipped the blanket off and walked into the bathroom, I showered again, in the hope my stupid mind would forget everything that was going on. It was futile, I couldn't ignore what I knew, what he'd said and the fact that I was leaving for four months. I dressed and walked out into the living area.

Evan was in the kitchen, a delicious smell was wafting from the oven and he was tending to a salad.

"Evening sleepy head. I set up a comfy spot for us on the couch, why don't you take a seat."

He looked up at me and smiled before pouring wine into a glass. He walked toward me with the glass and slipped his hand in mine as he led me to the couch. He'd set up pillows and blankets for us. I smiled and all my worries disappeared to the back of my head, at least momentarily. I sat down and pulled up the blanket, Evan knelt down and placed the glass in my hand.

"I wish I could freeze time." he murmured.

"So do I." I replied honestly. In this moment all that mattered was us, not the pictures in Evan's drawers, not the love proclamation, not the fact I was leaving.

Evan smiled and leaned in, pressing his lips to mine. "Pizza A la Evan is about 10 minutes away, why don't you find us something to watch. Something really soppy." he pressed his lips to my forehead then walked back into the kitchen. I scrolled through the movies before settling on The Notebook. It was an old movie, but a classic according to Mom. I hadn't seen it, but I knew enough to know it fulfilled the soppy requirement tenfold.

When Evan walked back to the sofa with dinner plates he looked at the screen and smiled. "The Notebook. Good choice."

"You've seen it?" I mused looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

He chuckled and sat down next to me, placing one of the plates on my lap. The pizza smelt amazing, and I almost salivated over it, I was so starved.

"I had a girlfriend in high school who made me watch it." He replied with a grin.

I smiled. "I see."

"Hey, I was a perfect gentleman!" he said defensively.

"I bet." I replied, pressing play on the remote.

We ate dinner and watched the movie. I hadn't expected to end up crying, I hadn't known what was going to happen. Once the credits rolled I looked up at Evan, with tears in my eyes and playfully tapped his chest.

"You knew." I complained.

"That you'd cry?" he replied softly, lifting me on to his lap. "I had an inkling."

He kissed me softly and then rested his head against mine.

"Do you think that love exists like that? Allie and Noah, never ending, even at the end?"

"I sure hope so."

He kissed me again this time savoring the moment. We sat there, holding one another for the longest time. I knew that tomorrow I'd be a different kind of busy. Preparing for something I wasn't sure I could do, but knew I had to. Then in a few days there would be so much space between us that it already hurt to think about.

"I'm glad I came to LA. That I worked for Booked Out, even for such a short time. Even though we were connected through our history... I'm glad I met you, truly met you." My words came out like a goodbye, but I hadn't meant them that way. I felt Evan tense beneath me.

"You don't think us as a couple will work long distance do you." he said softly.

I sucked in a breath. "It's not that. I just don't know how to be in a regular relationship, I'm scared of messing up."

Evan relaxed slightly. "No one really knows how to be in a relationship at the beginning, long distance or not. We'll figure it out as we go."

I nodded and rested my head back on his chest. He was right, we'd figure it out... one way or another.

We went to bed not long after, when I woke the next morning Evan was already up. I looked at the time, it was barely 7am. I yawned and sat up, unwilling to admit it was morning just yet.

A few minutes later a completely dressed Evan walked in with a cup of coffee and toast.

"Morning." He murmured. "I'm sorry I need to get in to the office early, I've got a 9am meeting that I need to finish preparing for. Kat is going to pick you up at 10am. She's going to take you to practice with the band and go over the gig with you okay?"

He spoke quickly, like he was trying to escape without much of a reply conversation. I just nodded and picked up the mug of coffee.

"Thank you." I replied.

Evan pecked me on the head and left the room. I got up at 8am, cleaned my dishes and got dressed into a pair of jeans and a shirt that I'd left behind and Rita must have laundered. At 10am on the dot the reception called the apartment to let me know Kat was waiting.

Once I got down there she came at me with open arms and drew me into a hug.

"I'm so glad you agreed! The Four Jays are too." She exclaimed.

I just smiled and nodded, I was too nervous to even think straight. Kat and I left the apartment complex and got into the back of what I assumed was a corporate car from the record company.

"So, we've got a lot to get through today. I have your temp contract, I've already had Evan and his lawyer okay it. We'll need to get that signed, then we're going to run through a set and tighten up any niggles." She paused and looked through a folder that sat on the backseat. "And then tomorrow we fly out at 9am. So we've book a hotel for you and the four jays right by the airport."

"Tomorrow?" I choked. "I thought it didn't start till after the weekend"

Kat nodded. "Thats right, but the studio wants you guys out there ASAP so you can meet the bad first. I sense that you're not ready for that."

I tensed and wanted to open the car and roll out. My anxiety was high, I didn't want to say goodbye to Evan yet, and we hadn't even figured out a way to explain my absence to Scarlett and Xavier.

"I haven't cleared my cover story with my family yet." I replied. "On tour I'm Ela, in real life I'm Alice. I don't even know what to say."

I looked at Kat and she frowned. "How about you join the others at the airport in the morning and use the evening to sort yourself and your story out."

I nodded. "Oh, please."

"As for your story. Tell them that Evan asked you to be Ela's assistant on tour?"

I smiled. "That might just work."

"Of course it will, now, lets get today over with, so the real fun can start."

I sucked in a breath, my life had gone from zero to everything so fast I was having trouble keeping up. I wanted to stay in the bubble with Evan, I wanted to accept that he loved me, and I wanted to love him back, I was sure I already did... There was another part of me, one I hadn't banked on that wanted to do music, that wanted to do this tour. Not just for Evan, Booked Out and our entire patchwork family... but for myself.