Disappointment.

That's what it was. That look in her eyes last night when the guards were pulling me away from the van Hales. From her.

But do I regret it? I think about the person who took my parents from me everyday. I think about what I'd do if I ever met that person. I'd make him pay. But when the moment came- so unexpectedly- thinking was the last thing I did.

And truth be told, I don't think I regret it.

I hate the man even more knowing that his son is playing Evelyn's white knight. How is it that the son of a bitch managed to take everything I love away from me?

"Are you listening to a word I'm saying?"

"Yeah man. I heard you," I lie. Truth is the minute Lee walked through that door I knew I was about to be lectured. But do I need to be lectured?

Absolutely not.

"No, you didn't. You haven't heard a word I've said. You're throwing your life away because you're angry. Rightyly so but-" A knock on the door interrupts him and I silently thanked whoever that is. He raises an eyebrow. "You expecting someone?"

"Nope. But should I go get the door or should I let you finish your lecture?" I drawl.

He narrows his eyes at me and plop down next to me on my couch. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"Ah, but you love me, bro," I tease.

He doesn't even crack a smile. He shakes his head and turns on my tv. "Go get the door, asshole."

I pull myself up from my couch, dragging my feet to the door to tell whoever it is out there to go away. Entertaining guests is the last thing I want to do right now.

But try telling Lee that and see if he cares.

Knock, knock, knock.

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" I yell. Who the hell could be at my door at this hour? Granted it was only after eight in the evening but still.

When I open the door, I see the last person I expect to see on my doorsteps again.

"Hi." She sounds nervous and a little breathless.

I stand there staring at her, taking in every inch of her beautiful face before reality slaps me in the face again and she disappears. But she doesn't disappear. She's still there standing at my door, looking everywhere but at me.

"Uhm, I..." she starts. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah. Sorry, come on in." I open the door wider and step aside so she could pass. She doesn't take her jacket off after I close the door and I take that as a sign to mean she isn't staying. I swear if she's here to tell me to stay out of her life for good, I wouldn't be able to take it.

Just remembering how she looked at me last night hurts. So why is she here? "Did you leave something here?" I ask. I know she did.

I have a few photographs of her hanging around in my bedroom, the quilt her grandmother embroidered for her before she passed, a couple vases she bought for her flowers, and so many more things. But I was hoping I could keep those. To feel like she was still living with me. Like she was still with me.

I know. Pathetic.

She's still avoiding my gaze. "I'm not sure," she whispers. "Did I?" She finally looks at me and my breath catches in my throat.

The look in her eyes, that look of disappointment, is gone. Replaced by something else entirely but I'm not sure what it is. At least, I did but I don't want to jump to any conclusions.

Am I imagining the longing in her eyes? She takes a step towards me and for some reason I step back.

She winces and I want to kick myself. I could always read Lyn's face like an open book. She couldn't hide how she felt from me; it's​ something she both loves and hates. But tonight I need her to tell me what she's feeling because I don't trust myself to say it for her.

"Lyn, why are you here?"

"I'm sorry." She bites her bottom lip and I know that was something she does when she was trying hard not to cry. "I didn't know that Dr. van Hale was the one who...." she trails off. "I'm so sorry."

So that's why she's here. It isn't longing in her eyes. It's pity. Plain and simple.

I take a deep breath. I don't have a clue what to say. My emotions go from anger to sadness to plain self pity. Lee takes that moment to interrupt.

"Marcel? Who's at the...." He stops. "Evelyn, hey. How are you? I couldn't make it to the hospital last night to check on you but Vanessa filled me in." She doesn't seem surprised Lee's here. The guy's like a permanent fixture in my life.

She nods. "Yea, it's okay. I'm fine, thanks."

"You still friends with that vermin?" he asks. She glances at me before she answers.

"Don't call him that. He didn't know his father was-"

"Don't, Lyn," I say quietly. I close my eyes and rest my head on the wall. I don't want to see the pity on her face. I don't want to hear the lies he fed her. "Don't defend him. He knew everything."

She's quiet for a moment but I don't open my eyes to look at her. I don't have to open them to know she's wearing a slight frown and a pucker on her lips, trying to filter out the lies from the truth.

"But he said-"

"He lied, Lyn! Is that so hard to believe? Marcel overheard them talking about it," Lee snaps. I open my eyes then. Lee doesn't yell very often.

She shakes her head. "He said he didn't know," she repeats. It breaks something in me the way she talks about him. Does she...love him?

"And you'd take his word over ours? You've know him for what, five minutes?" Lee asks, coldly.

"Shut up, Lee. Not everyone is a liar like you are."

"Oh, right. You'll never get over that, will you? That was college. I'm not that person anymore."

"When you prove it, I'll believe it," Lyn fires back.

"I don't have to prove anything to you. And don't make this about me. We're talking about your blind faith in some guy you barely know. Did you believe Marcel when he told you he didn't cheat on you?"

Before she can reply, I put an end to it. "Stop! Both of you just stop." This bickering between them is nothing new to me. They've only tolerated each other for my sake- now, for Vanessa's sake too. "Lee, I'll catch you later." He looks at me as if to ask if I'd be alright. I nod and he goes back to the living room for his stuff and leaves.

I walk to the living room and she follows. Still wearing her coat. Ironically, it's one I bought her.

I sit down and switch the tv off. "If that's what you came here to do, I'm not interested."

She doesn't sit. She just stands there with her arms around herself, looking around. She almost looked like she....

No, Marcel. She doesn't miss it here.

"Last night, you said you didn't cheat on me. You were drunk. It could've happened and you don't remember."

I shake my head. "I didn't cheat on you, Lyn. I even have proof of it."

I hear her breath hitch and she sits down on the edge of the couch.

"Then why did you leave? Last night. You just said it and left. You didn't stay and fight for me. You were doing a whole other type of fighting."

"I fought for two months, Lyn. You wouldn't budge."

"I meant after you found out it never happened."

I look at her. "Maybe it's time for you to start fighting." She looks thoughtful. "Unless you don't want to. It's your choice after all."

I'm​ fighting hard to keep my voice even. Despite how strong I sound, I'm going crazy on the inside. Does she love him? Why is she here?

Will she choose him?

Pathetic.

"What choice?"

"Me or him," I state bluntly. She scrunches up her eyebrows. "You have feelings for him, Lyn. I hear it in the way you talk about him."

Her eyes widens. Does she not know this or is surprised I noticed? She begins to deny it and I stop her.

"He's lying to you about not knowing about his father's secret. But it's your choice if you want to be with someone who would lie about something like that."

"Stop it!" She gets up from the couch and shrugs out of her coat. Finally.

"Stop talking about choices. I love you. And even if I did have feelings for Nick, I'd still choose you. It will always be you, dammit!" She takes a deep breath and then runs her hands through her hair.

She turns her back to me and I gets up from the couch. I don't go to her. Just stand there waiting for her. When she turns back around, she stares at me. There is that fire in her eyes that I miss so much. "You did that on purpose." I fight the smirk that threaten to form on my lips.

I know how to get a reaction from her. I just didn't know it would be that.

"I did. And I'm gonna ask again. Why are you here, Lyn?"

She takes a step forward, probably testing my reaction. When I don't back away she comes forward until she's standing inches away from me. "I came here for you."

Before I can say anything, there is another knock on my door. I don't move to answer it. But when the knocking becomes loud and incessant, I have to. "Let me get rid of whoever that is."

She nods and takes a seat on my couch. I open the door, putting an end to the knocking. But not an end to the drama in my life. Because who else could it be but the last person I need or want to see right now.

"Hi, Marcel," she says sweetly.

Ariel.

God, no.

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