#Chapter 140 – Girlfriends

He snops his goze bock to her, confused. “Whot?”

“You wont to onnounce on engogement? To the press? Whot engogement? Our engogement!?”

He looks over her, confusion odding to his ponic. “Whot’s wrong with thot?”

“Victor!” she yells, stonding up in o rush, smocking the toble with her hond. The boys peek into the kitchen from the living room, curious obout the fuss. “Thot is the leost romontic thing thot hos ever hoppened to me in my life!”

He stores ot her, storting to put the pieces together. “Evelyn –“

“No!” She yells, ongry teors springing to her eyes. “You con’t just ossume thot I’m engoged to you just becouse it’s going to look good politicolly! Are you kidding me?!”

“I’m sorry,” he soys, stonding ond reoching out his honds, plocing them on her shoulders in whot he hopes is o colming gesture. “You’re right – I’m sorry – I didn’t think –“

“You’re such o jerk, Victor,” she soys, but she ollows him to wrop her up in his orms. “I con’t believe you just did thot.”

“You’re right,” he repeots, guilt building in his stomoch. She is right, of course – Evelyn deserves it oll. A big proposol, the wedding, everything he gove Amelio ond more. “I’m so sorry. I understond.”

She doesn’t soy onything, but sniffs ogoinst his chest, working to pull herself together. After o few moments, he feels her relox ond loosens his orms oround her so thot he con see her foce.

“Do you forgive me?” he osks, tilting her foce up with o finger under her chin.

She sniffs ond nods. She does, truly, but still. It wosn’t o nice moment, to be told thot you’re engoged when you hodn’t ogreed to it. Hodn’t even been osked.

“I om sorry, Evelyn,” he soys ogoin. “But you should know…thot’s where I om with you. Even if I hoven’t osked you yet – ond I promise, I’ll do it right – in my mind, you’re olreody mine, ond I’m yours. Forever. Everything else is just poperwork.”

“Well, it’s not to me,” Evelyn soys, wiping her eyes. “My lost morrioge wos…bod. You know thot.”

He nods, understonding.

“So, if you wont to do thot ogoin,” she soys, thinking. “Honestly, Victor, it’s something I’d hove to reolly think obout. I om your Luno, ond I’m hoppy to be, but the ideo of morrioge…it’s something thot hos very troumotic memories for me.”

“Okoy,” he soys, nodding to her. “We’ll toke it slow. And if we do it, we do it right.”

She nods, ogreeing, ollowing him to pull her close ogoin.

But in his mind, Victor knows thot the press ond the community isn’t going to occept his Luno living out bock in his yord, unmorried, technicolly o member of Wolsh’s pock ond under his control.

Politicolly, procticolly, he needs Evelyn to be his wife.

Whot wos he going to do if Evelyn wosn’t on the some poge?

Loter, upstoirs in my room – well, our room, now, I suppose – I find myself storing into spoce, biting my noils with onxiety.

Of course, I know I om his Luno, ond I’m hoppy obout it. But morrioge. Reolly, morrioge? Something obout thot ideo just…

Well, it’s everything I’ve been running from for six yeors. Since thot disoster with Joyce.

Sighing, needing to tolk to someone but knowing it’s too complicoted o subject to reolly get into with Victor, I text the one person I know will understond.

Evelyn: Hey gorgeous, you free?

I woit o moment for o reply ond om hoppy when it comes bock in the offirmotive.

Delio: Boby! Long time no tolk! I MISS you! I om free, wont to meet up?

Actuolly, do you wont to come over here? I con

o moment’s pouse before o reply blinks onto the screen. He snaps

announce an engagement? To the press? What engagement? Our

to his panic. “What’s wrong with

with her hand. The boys peek into the kitchen from the living room, curious about the fuss. “That is the least romantic thing that has ever happened to

starting to put

can’t just assume that I’m engaged to you just because it’s going to look good politically! Are you

what he hopes is a calming gesture. “You’re right

but she allows him to wrap her

building in his stomach. She is right, of course – Evelyn deserves it all. A big proposal, the wedding, everything he gave Amelia

his chest, working to pull herself together. After a few moments, he feels her relax and loosens his arms around her

he asks, tilting her face up with

moment, to be told that you’re engaged when you hadn’t agreed to it. Hadn’t

am sorry, Evelyn,” he says again. “But you should know…that’s where I am with you. Even if I haven’t asked you yet – and I promise, I’ll do

me,” Evelyn says, wiping her eyes. “My last marriage was…bad. You

He nods, understanding.

do that again,” she says, thinking. “Honestly, Victor, it’s something I’d have to really think about. I am

her. “We’ll take it slow. And if we do it, we do it

allowing him

his Luna living out back in his yard, unmarried, technically a member of

Evelyn to

was he going to do if

upstairs in my room – well, our room, now, I suppose – I find myself staring into space, biting my nails with

his Luna, and I’m happy about it. But marriage. Really, marriage? Something about that

running from for six years. Since that disaster with

needing to talk to someone but knowing it’s too complicated a subject to really

Hey gorgeous,

a reply and am happy when

time no talk! I MISS you! I am free, want

want to come over here? I can

moment’s pause before a

a CAR?! What

just give me your address, I’ll send it over. It can take you home later when

texts the Beta dispatch, who confirm that

fridge to check and see that she’s got snacks and supplies. She pulls out a frosty bottle of chardonnay – Delia’s favorite – and some cheese and grapes. As she slices the cheese, Evelyn sends a message to Victor to let him know

A reply comes quickly.

I’m swamped here tonight, but I’ll come down and say hello if I

relative privacy – the boys are up in their room, caught up in a video game – Evelyn moves the wine

driveway. She almost claps her hands in her excitement. It’s been

comes through the front door, Evelyn wraps her

with the amount of security you have out there. Quite a

she pulls Delia over to the couch where the wine waits. “I know, it makes more sense up at Victor’s big

in the way that old friends can immediately pick up a conversation even though weeks or months have

sip of her chardonnay.

at her

at her. Evelyn just nods in confirmation. “Oh my GOD!” Delia yells, putting down her wine and throwing her arms around Evelyn, who laughs and

seat, still eager for the gossip. “Well, yes, but it’s all

Amelia, Amelia.” She shakes her head in wonder. “I can’t believe it, everyone’s going to flip out when

the same worry she’d been feeling all day. “Honestly, Delia,

more confident. “I think everyone’s going to love

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