The Imposter II (an alternate version); Chapter 14 (Evian)
by ejcrane
It had been a week later, and Eve was holding the funeral services in the
mansion. Even though the whole world knew that Julien had been cheating on
her and had gotten killed while having an affair with a prince’s wife, she
still felt that he deserved a proper ceremony…even with snickers and whispering
behind her back.
The last of the people arrived and Father Lonigan was about to begin when…
HIS voice was heard behind the sliding doors, out in the foyer…
“They must have started already…”
Everyone turned when they heard the familiar voice…
…including Eve.
Her heart began to beat faster, she began perspiring…and a smile almost
formed, but never did for she saw HER with him…
That must have been Gianna. Julian’s eyes peeked in after his fiancée
and had just missed Eve’s stare…glare. She turned back forward and closed
her eyes.
In the corner of her eye, she could see them…hand in hand. And she comforted
him after he knelt in front of the casket and did the sign of the cross.
THAT should have been HER that was comforting him, Eve thought! Julian then
stood and faced her, but she refused to make eye contact with him, and he
took notice of this, so, he just decided to sit at the other end of the room.
“DADDY!” Simone yelled out and ran to Julian, who scooped her up.
“Ohh, honey, she’s adorable…” Gianna whispered.
“Daddy, why aren’t you sitting with mommy, me and Chad?”
Gianna placed her hand over Julian’s…and that’s when Simone went off on
her.
“NO! You can’t touch him! HE’S MY DADDY! AND HE LOVES MY MOMMY!”
“Darling…darling…shhh, I’m not your…” he inhaled and exhaled, “…daddy…and
this is my fiancée; we’re going to be married soon…” he caressed Simone’s
back as he explained things.
She shook her head as she stepped back from the couple…
“You don’t love us anymore?” she asked sadly as her lips quivered.
And then suddenly, she turned and ran out of the living area and up the
stairs…
Julian jumped up to go after her, when Chad stood in front of him…
“You promised, but you BROKE that promise…and now just leave us alone!”
he shouted and ran after his sister.
But that didn’t stop Julian from going after his children…
Eve soon followed…as well as Gianna…
She was just about to step onto the first step when she heard that Italian
accent behind her…
“I’m sorry for your loss…”
Eve stepped back from the stairs and turned to face this woman…whose a**
she wanted to kick…
“Excuse me?” she glared, “You don’t know what I’ve lost…b*tch,” she mumbled
under her breath.
Gianna didn’t hear the name Eve called her…or, she pretended not to hear
it.
“I’m sorry…” she crossed her arms across her chest and rubbed her forearms
with her hands.
It had been a bit chilly or was it that Eve’s stare gave her chills?
“This is a lovely home…Julian told me he grew up here…” she tried to make
small talk.
“Oh?” Eve raised a brow, “Well, did he tell you what happened right there?”
she said and pointed to the stairs.
“No…what?” Gianna smiled in anticipation of hearing the story.
“Well, that’s where we made love and conceived our child about two months
ago…” Eve smiled.
Gianna’s smile faded…
“What?!” she swallowed.
“You heard me,” Eve said and gave the woman in front of her a smug look,
“We made love every night and EVERYWHERE…in the pool, on the desk, on the
stairs,” her eyes moved to the stairs.
“You’re lying!” Gianna glared at Eve.
“And why would I be lying,” she shrugged, “Just face it, Gianna, Julian
forgot all about you the first time he set foot in this mansion…the first
time he kissed me, touched me, and made mad passionate love to me…”
“No! Why are you saying these things?!” Gianna’s eyes began to water.
She couldn’t take it and decided that she needed some air, and so she turned
abruptly and ran out the front door.
Coming down the stairs after talking to the children, Julian caught the
back of his fiancée leaving through the front door. And as he stepped
onto the first floor, his eyes caught Eve’s…
“What did you tell her?”
“The truth…”
“What is that supposed to mean?” he walked towards her and watched as Eve
backed away from him, but was blocked by the table in the middle of the foyer,
“What did you tell her?” he gripped her arm.
“Don’t touch me!” she yanked her arm away from him.
“You know, you don’t have to tell me what you said…because I HEARD you…why
are you doing this, Eve?” he shook his head, “Why are you trying to ruin my
life now that my brother isn’t here any longer? HE’s the one that ruined your
life, and now you’re trying to take it out on me…”
“NO! YOU ruined my life…YOU!” she began to sob as she pounded on his chest
with her balled up fists.
“And how is that?” he grabbed her wrists, “How did I do this? I just did
what my brother threatened me to do…”
“Just get your wh*re…and get out of my house!” she spat.
“Wait a minute…you have the same look you had the day you heard me call
out to Gianna…you aren’t angry…you’re JEALOUS!” he smirked.
“No!” she huffed and avoided eye contact with him.
“No?” he asked tenderly as he pressed his body against hers, “Not even a
little?” he grabbed her chin and turned it towards his face.
“No,” she whispered.
She swallowed when Julian picked her up and placed her onto the table. Her
eyes then met his when she felt his hands slide in under her dress.
“What are you doing?” she gripped the edge of the table when his hands reached
her backside.
“Friday…” Julian said breathlessly, “Today’s Friday…”
Eve knew exactly what he meant and she closed her eyes as he began to caress
her.
“You remember what I requested of you, Eve…that day, remember?” his lips
whispered into her ear as his nose nuzzled her hair, her neck…her cheek.
His hands moved underneath her dress along her smooth thighs to her bare
backside, to the tops of her thighs…
Her face rubbed against his cheek and felt the stubble on his chin. She
sighed as the prickly hairs grazed her skin…
“Julian,” she said and reached down to his elbows and pulled his hands in
further under her dress.
“What do you want from me, Eve?” he closed his eyes and rested his forehead
against her temple; his breath moving the tendrils hanging down the sides
of her face, “You say for me to leave, but you obviously don’t want me to
go. Do you, Eve?” he stroked her between her thighs, “God, Eve…I understand
why you were angry with me. I shouldn’t have lied to you; not after you told
me we were going to have a child. Our poor little girl,” Julian pulled from
Eve and spun away from her in anger, “She would still be here if it hadn’t
been for my lies, damnit!” he banged his fists against his thighs.
She couldn’t let him go on any longer thinking that their baby had died…it
wouldn’t be right.
“Julian, I…I have to tell you something…”
Her voice brought him out of his daze and brought his eyes to her. He rushed
back over to her and pulled her body against his.
“What is it, Eve?” his bottom lip brushed her top one, “What do you want
to tell me, darling?” he said while his lips were just a breath’s space away.
“Our…our baby…” she gasped when she felt his hand on her breast, “I l--…”
After ten minutes of fresh air, Gianna decided to go back in and demand
an explanation from Julian, but found out she didn’t have to…she saw it for
herself.
They were in each other’s arms, their faces so close to one another’s and
his hands…HIS HANDS…
One was on her backside, holding her to him, while the other was on her
breast, kneading it.
Eve was just about to lean in and capture his readily lips with hers, but…
“So it’s true?” Gianna choked out, “You two…” she sobbed and ran out of
the foyer once more.
“Gianna!” Julian yelled out as he left Eve and went after his fiancée.
Once she got outside, she ran to the limo and yanked on the handle to the
door. Shaking with anger, embarrassment, but mostly hurt…her hands were unable
to open the door…
Until Julian pulled on it, opened the door, and shoved her inside right
before he hopped in as well…
At the door, Eve watched as the limo took off and left the mansion…
“I love you,” she whispered into the pouring rain, “Our baby isn’t gone,”
her eyes traveled down and stared at the tire tracks in the gravel.
Pilar slid open the sliding door, stepped through, and slid them back shut
behind her.
“He’s gone?”
She got her answer as she saw the back of Eve’s head nod.
“You didn’t tell him…verdad?”
Eve shook her head this time. Her shoulders heaved as she began to sob uncontrollably.
Pilar then came behind Eve and wrapped her arms around her to comfort her.
“Gi…”
“Don’t!” she squirmed away from him, “Just leave me alone!” she cried and
stared out the window, watching as the rain ran down the glass.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’ll understand if you never want anything to
do with me ever again…”
“Ohh, I BET you would!” she spat as she turned and looked at him, “You’d
understand perfectly well, because that would free you of me, so you can run
back to HER!” she turned back to the window, “Were you ever going to tell
me?”
Julian thought about it. No, he wouldn’t go back to Eve. He wouldn’t leave
his fiancée for Eve. There was nothing in Harmony that was “his”…nothing
there that was “tying” him down. Eve was never his to begin with; she was
his brother’s…and their child, their poor innocent child never knew or would
know how it felt to be loved…
“I don’t know,” he confessed truthfully, “But,” he swallowed, “Whatever
Eve and I had…it’s over with…”
---*~*14