chapter six

Chapter six

Julian.

Eveline is sitting by my side, on the hospital bench beside Harold's private room. Her face looks like there's a lot going on in her mind. Uncle Lucian is inside with Harold — perhaps, she's worried about her Uncle.

Amidst the quietness, and noise going on in the hospital. My mind traces back to last night, my night with Aniya, and her friend — Celyn. It was…hmm…

Aniya and I have been in a situationship for a little over a year. I travel to Italy occasionally, and we have ‘fun’.

Aniya and I want the same thing ‘no commitment’. She's not willing to get married, and her Dad is not forcing her yet — she's just 23.

We have known each other since middle school. She relocated to Italy just before high school, and we reconnected two years ago. Since then…

I can't be blamed. The fame, and the family drama is just too much weight on my shoulders as the only child — and heir to the companies. I'm not ready nor willing to commit to anything serious. This marriage with Eveline is the condition my mother gave me if I want to continue enjoying my freedom with little to no responsibilities from the family.

In her words “Marrying Eveline will bring honor to this family. She's an orphan, Harold might die soon. She'll be useful”.

It's not as bad as it sounds. At the end of the day, I just have to do what's right for me, and be there for Eveline as a friend when she needs me — just like now — I've been here all day, helping her figure things out with her Uncle, like a good fiance that I am.

“How long has Lucian known Uncle Harold?” Eveline cuts through my thoughts.

“Known?” I frown, confused. “They don't know each other. They shouldn't.”

If I remember correctly, Harold signed on as a business partner five years ago. Lucian's been gone ten. The math doesn't work, and I say so.

“What do you mean?” She asks. “I thou…” she pauses. “Never mind, I guess I am just assuming things”.

It's unlike her to dismiss something so quickly. Eveline likes putting pieces together, and getting her facts in.

"You okay?" I ask, mostly because it's the thing you're supposed to ask.

"Fine." A beat. "Does anyone ever talk about him? Lucian. Before today, I mean."

I think about it, actually think, and come up short. "No. Not really." I lower my voice, even though the hallway's empty. "My dad doesn't. Ever. If his name comes up at dinner, my father just — changes the subject. Used to think it was because they didn't get along. Now I'm not so sure."

"What do you mean?"

"There's a whole shelf of family photo albums at the estate. Christmases, graduations, my dad's wedding. Lucian's in maybe three pictures total, and he's a kid in all of them." I shrug, like it doesn't matter, even though some part of me has always filed it away as odd. "It's like the family decided to stop taking pictures of him around the time my dad had his accident. I never asked. You don't, in my family."

Eveline goes very still. "The accident that…"

"The one that put my dad in a wheelchair, yeah." I don't love talking about it — it's the one thing in my life that actually hurts instead of just being inconvenient. "I was fifteen. Don't remember much. Just that Lucian left not long after, and nobody ever explained why, and asking about it got you the kind of silence that teaches you not to ask twice."

She doesn't say anything else. I figure she's just tired, same as I am, same as everyone in this hospital today.

***

Harold.

Lucian's hands are steady checking the IV line, unhurried, like he's got nowhere else to be even though I know he's got three other patients on this floor alone.

He was always like this. Even at twenty-eight — ten years ago, standing in my doorway with James's letter in his hand and grief he hadn't learned to wear yet, he moved like a man who'd already decided panic wasn't useful.

“Eveline is engaged to Julian” I tell Lucian, as he checks my vitals again before he leaves. He doesn't look surprised. He's never surprised.

He doesn't look up from the monitor. "I know.”

"It's my only shot at staying close to the Vales." My voice comes out thinner than I want it to. "The business contract ends this year. Without a reason to be in that house, I lose my access — and I need access, Lucian. Until this is finished.”

He pauses. Doesn't disagree. Nor does he agree.

“I'm worried about Eveline” I say.

“Why?”

"Because I'm about to go under anesthesia for six hours with a tumor sitting against my brainstem, and I don't know if I will wake up whole, or wake up at all. While I'm here — while I'm useless — I can't protect her. I need to know she's somewhere safe. Somewhere I trust." I hold his eyes. "Until the engagement dissolves. Until this is over.”

Yes, I intend to postpone the wedding until it dissolves. They can't get married without me anyway, so that's a win.

“She's still a student and…”

“She can stay in my villa”, he interrupts.

My eyes widen. “Really?!” I don't hide the surprise. I don't think I could if I try.

“She'll be the first to know about any update regarding your surgery, she'll have access to whatever she'll be needing while you're away”. He assures me.

I know I don't have anything to worry about with Eveline in Lucian's villa. He knew James — Eveline's father. If there's anyone I can trust to keep Eveline safe while I'm useless here. It's him.

"Thank you," I say, softly. "I'll talk to her."

He nods once. Doesn't say ‘you're welcome’. He never does.

Now to the last part of it. How do I explain this to Eveline?!