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Bloody hell.
One by one, more thoughts come to mind. The lies my family kept from me, their secret talks, and how they’re both so adamant on seeing me get married.
What if Frederic lied once again and I believed him to be the victim of Chester Boyd. My heart tells me something different now. I need to listen to it because I know my heart and I know who owns a part of it.
I have the right to know the truth before I pay for their feud.
“I think I need to have a conversation with my neighbour,” I say.
“Or another one with Frederic,” Topper adds, and I scoff. Frederic is a lost cause, and I’m not investing my energy in a foolish conversation that will lead nowhere.
“I gave up on my brother a long time ago, Tops. He won’t tell me the truth now, or ever.” At least I can count on Chester to tell me the truth, even though I fear seeing him again, staring into his eyes, and having the wounds reopen.
“I could always hit Frederic really hard on the head and hope it’ll fix all those broken parts.” Topper says, raising his fist to punch the air. I chuckle.
“Sure. Could you do the same with Chester too? Maybe then, love will be enough.”
“I’ll think about it because I’m pretty sure Frederic will beat my arse when I try to hit him, and now, you’re asking me to take a second beating from another muscular man.”
I laugh, imagining my tall, lanky, and quite clumsy best friend trying to punch Frederic. My brother works out way too much, and his power lies in his aggressiveness. Topper will run for the hills the minute Frederic becomes enraged.
“Yeah, that won’t go well.”
Topper raises his eyebrows before flexing his right arm. No, my best friend is not a fighter, but he does have my back no matter what, and that makes him my warrior. I lean forward to tap him on the cheek a few times.
“You’re amazing.”
“Don’t I know that,” he says smugly, and I roll my eyes, but he’s right. Topper is quite amazing, and as long as I have him, I’ll be able to keep on breathing.
“Do you know who could make both guys cry for Mummy?” I shake my head, coming up blank.
“Moreen Van Doren.”
“Of course.” She only needs to stare at them with her glacial stare. But this is my problem. I have to figure out the truth on my own. Chester made his decision, and I won’t use his friends to manipulate him into something he doesn’t want.
We’re done, and I’m left to accept it. I could always wait for a miracle. I could always pray for a change of heart, or I can lay down my arms and move on with my life. For now, I need to try and solve one problem, which is understanding why Frederic pressured me to marry and what Chester’s role is in all of it.
“I’ll be able to conquer this, right?”
“Of course, Evangeline, and if something doesn’t work out, I’ll be the one holding your hand through it all.” My heart warms at his words, and I might have lost my first real love, but Topper will always be the true love of my life.
“But, Evangeline, if this goes your way, we’ll smack Frederic in the face and tell him to fuck off.”
I nod my head while my body regains its strength. There’s a flame burning inside me again. I’m flooding with newfound energy and my dark tunnel finally has a light at the end.
“And if it doesn't, maybe you could marry me?” I ask with a smile coating my lips.
“I don’t have enough money.”
“Oh well, I guess that means my worst nightmare will become reality.” Because if the conversation doesn’t go my way, I’ll have to marry Thomas.
Chapter Thirty-one
Evangeline
My heart is beating in my throat as I head down the stairs. My stomach, due to nerves, has been unsettled since this morning, and I feel the constant urge to vomit.
I’ve wasted away the week, conjuring up the courage to approach Chester, but today, I can’t push it back anymore because I’ll be married tomorrow. My opportunity to stop this wedding has arrived, and I hope Chester will confirm what I’ve been longing to hear.
