Page 52 of The Devil

“Yes,” I reply, “after New Year, after the holiday season. Let him enjoy it.”

“You know he doesn’t enjoy anything unless it’s thoroughly wicked or…”

“Or?”

“You.”

“Yeah, right,” I laugh sadly.

“Deny it all you want, but the boy loves you. Always has, ever since that summer. He’s just-”

“Helena?” a familiar voice calls through the door before opening it to reveal its owner. “There you are.”

“Hi, Evan,” I reply, sitting up and trying to cover my belly with my oversized sweater. “I didn’t know you would be coming over.”

“Well, your father invited me, and I couldn’t resist,” he says with a perfect smile.

“Course he did,” Meri mumbles, so I nudge her to try and shut her up. None of this is Evan’s fault and he doesn’t deserve her bitchiness.

“Merry Christmas, Merial,” he says with a fake smile. “Do you think I could have a moment alone with Helena?”

“Er, sure,” she says with a smile that is just as fake as his. “I’ll go and nibble on leftovers I neither need nor want.”

Once she’s left, Evan walks over to sit beside me on the bed and gives me a kiss on the cheek. He then places a hand over my bump and laughs.

“So weird to think my kid is in there,” he says. “Well, I hope so, anyway. Do you?”

“What?” I ask gormlessly.

“Hope it’s mine?” he asks, taking hold of my hand and looking into my eyes with intensity. When I don’t answer straight away, his hand tightens around mine and I can’t tell if he’s desperate or angry. “Because from what I hear, this Hastings guy is a real piece of work. Your dad says his family is shifty too, as in mafia ties kind of shifty.”

“I have no idea about that, Evan, but I knowheisn’t, so I wouldn’t judge him for it anyway.”

“No, no, course not,” he says, bringing my hand up to kiss the back of it. “I’m just worried about you; I still love you, Helena.”

We fall silent and I feel awkward. I have no idea what to say or how to respond to his declaration of love and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets.

“I know you don’t love me,” he says sadly, “but I’m hoping that when baby is declared mine and we marry, you’ll get there with me.”

“How can you want to marry me, Evan? This is all such a mess.”

“I’ve always loved the quiet Carter girl,” he says with a smile, “even at school when you were so aloof. You’re my perfect woman. What’s the point in looking for anything else? You, Helena Carter, are perfection.”

“I am not perfection, Evan,” I tell him truthfully. “I’m carrying a child who could belong to one of two men.”

“Yeah, but I forgive you for that,” he says and moves into kiss me, but I pull away before he can. “Helena?”

“Youforgiveme?” I ask with both hurt and anger in my voice.

“Well, yeah, of course I do. I love you.”

“Right, ok,” I mutter to myself, unable to find a voice with which to argue with him. “You should know I plan on letting Lucius know about the baby after New Year.”

“Why the hell would you do that?” he snaps, getting to his feet and beginning to pace with angry footsteps. “Are you stupid or something?”

“He deserves to know, Evan,” I tell him, trying to sound braver than I am. But I’m arguing nonetheless; I’m arguing for Lucius and his potential child.

“No!”

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