Coming Clean, Chapter 23 ~Evian and a host of others~
by Luvin_Evian

Chapter 23

Julian took a small step out of Eve’s heavenly embrace.  He caressed her cheek and offered her with a reticent smile.  “This isn’t exactly what I had in mind for our first night as husband and wife, but at least we’re together,” he said, unloosening his bow tie and removing the first few studs to his shirt.

Eve returned his smile.  “Yes, we are together. And nothing is ever going to change that,” she affirmed, sealing the statement with a soft kiss.

Julian chuckled.  “That was nice, but I think we can do a little better than that.” He tossed the tie and studs to the nearby table and drew Eve closer.  Her soft curves molded to his body, arousing his starving libido.  “I can’t begin to tell you how much I want you right now.”

His lips descended on hers.   Eve’s soft moan offered the opportunity to slip his seeking tongue into the warmth of her mouth.  Julian’s heart pounded, and Little Julian throbbed in anticipation.   After years of separation, he and Eve would finally be one again, and this time in every way.    His hands roamed her back in a maddening search for the zipper to her dress.

 She squirmed against him.   “Julian, we…” Eve murmured against his lips.

“Yes, my love, I know.”  He dusted kisses alongside her neck.  “We’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”  Finding the tab, he proceeded in his quest to open the zipper.   “Trust me, we will recover every lost second.”

Eve groaned.  “No, Julian.”

No, Julian? That wasn’t the response he sought.   “What was that?” he asked.

A flash of annoyance streaked her beautiful countenance. 

Uh-oh, he’d done something.

“Julian, we can’t think about us until we find Whitney and explain to her what’s going on,” she said with a frown, reaching behind her back and returning the lowered zipper to its original position.   “We need to tell her the truth.”

Julian felt about two inches tall.  How could he forget about Whitney?  He could only imagine what the poor girl was going through right now.   Believing she slept with her brother.   A chill ran down his back at the thought.  His father was so evil.   “You’re absolutely right, Eve, I’m sorry.  I wasn’t thinking for a moment.”

“I told Fox to call me, but I don’t have my phone.  Have you heard from him?”

He shook his head.  “No, I haven’t, and since he thinks you blame me for all this, I doubt he’ll call me.”  Julian reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone.  “I’ll have to call him.”

The phone beeped as he activated the speed dial to Fox’s phone.  In the middle of the fourth ring, Fox finally answered.  “Father, now is not a good time,” he said.

“Is Whitney with you?”

“Yes, she’s with me.”

Julian turned to Eve.  “Whitney’s with him,” he mouthed.

Eve’s shoulders slumped as she sighed with relief.   “How is she?” she asked.

“Is Whitney okay?” Julian questioned.

“You tell me, Dad,” Fox remarked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.  “She just found out the first man she ever loved is her brother. How do you think she’s doing?”

Julian excused his son’s acid tone, deciding Fox’s take on the situation demanded the response he gave.   “Where are you two right now?”

“Why?”

Julian blew an exasperated breath.  He excused him once, but enough was enough.  He didn’t have time for this.  “Look, if you’re not with Whitney at the hotel now, take her there and keep her there. I’ll be over with Eve in a few minutes.”

“With Eve?  Eve’s with you?  I thought she was…”

“I know what you thought,” Julian said, interrupting Fox’s words.  “I’ll explain everything when I see you.  Just get Whitney to the hotel and make sure she stays there.   We’ll be right over.”

***

“So, you see, Chad is not our son.”  Eve took her daughter’s hand and held it to her chest.  “Whitney, he’s not your brother,” she explained.

“Chad’s not my brother?” Whitney repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.

Fox could have been knocked over by a feather.   Those were the first words he heard Whitney say since she raced out of the garden.  To learn that whole scene, all that upset was a scheme perpetrated by his grandfather to hurt his father and Eve.   He just couldn’t believe it.

“No, he’s not your brother,” Julian reiterated.  “Years ago, when Eve first got a hint that our son was still alive, she thought Chad could have been our son, but the DNA test proved that he wasn’t.”

“That test at the hospital when all the lights went out?” Whitney wondered.  “Alistair could have been behind those favorable results.”

“Exactly, he could have been,” Eve said. “That’s why Julian and I did more tests.”

“Yes,” Julian said. “When Eve and I actively started searching for our son, we thought about the whole fiasco at the hospital with the power, and why that happened.  It didn’t make sense.  The test proved Chad wasn’t our son, but we had to be absolutely sure.  So, when Chad had a physical for his insurance with the recording studio, we took a sample of his blood, and samples of our own, and had two more DNA tests done.”

“Because Alistair has his finger on everything that might go on at the hospital, we had the tests done at two separate hospitals by people I know and trust,” Eve continued.    “One in Salem and the other in Port Charles.   The test were conclusive, Whitney.  Chad is not our son.   There is absolutely no possibility.”

Whitney leapt from the couch.  “I don’t understand!”  She paced from one end of the room to the next, before turning back to Eve and Julian with a jerk.  “Why wouldn’t you say anything?  Why did you let Alistair believe you agreed with him?”

“Because Alistair had information that we didn’t.  He led us to believe our son was dead, and that was a lie.”

“Mom, what makes you think that’s a lie?”

“Because Chad is not our son.”

Whitney shook her head and groaned.  “I don’t understand.”

Julian walked over to Whitney.  “Allow me to explain,” he said, escorting her back to the couch and settling her next to Eve.   “Father created this elaborate story about our son.  We had dates, names, and documents.   All the information we had coupled with what the investigator gathered pointed to David Alan Dobbs being our son, because that’s what Alistair wanted.  He controlled all of that.”  

Eve took Whitney’s hand between hers.  “When Alistair said our real son was still alive, I knew it was true, but his bringing our son to us, Julian knew was a lie,” she explained.  “He was certain Alistair wouldn’t do that.  That’s why he pulled me aside and we talked.”

“I remember that,” Whitney shared.  “I wanted to hear what was going on, because I was already thinking the worse.”

Julian grunted.  “So was I,” he clipped.   “Alistair presenting us with our son on our wedding day?”  He chuckled in ill humor.  “Yes, that a made a lot of sense.”

Fox raked his fingers through his hair and sighed.  How could he be so dense?  Whitney was a basket case from the moment Alistair walked into that garden with the news that their half brother was still alive.   She thought Chad was her brother months ago out on the wharf when she first heard her mother had a son.  Damn!  Why couldn’t he put that together at the wedding before Chad showed up?  

“When I got Eve alone, I told her there was just no way this presentation could be good.  Whoever it was Father brought into that garden, he wouldn’t be our son.  But we had to make him believe we thought so in order to look for our real son without making him suspicious.  And then, because I know my father, give him the reaction he expected.    He wasn’t doing this on our wedding day for nothing.”

“That’s why you two started fighting,” Fox said, the proverbial light bulb now shining bright over his head.

“Yes,” Eve answered with a nod.  “We put on quite the show after you left.”  She made her way to Julian and linked her arm with his.  “Even after I heard Julian out, and as much as I trust him, I truly wanted to believe Alistair was being decent for once.   And had anyone but Chad walked into that garden, I don’t know if I would have been able to follow his plan, but Chad did walk in.   The full scope of Alistair’s evil hit me square in the face.  There’s nothing this man won’t do to hurt us.  This time he truly believes he’s succeeded.  In not only hurting us, but breaking us up for good.”

“He thinks you broke up?”

“Oh, yes,” Julian chimed.  “When Eve, my dear wife here, mentioned filing for an annulment on Monday, that pretty much cinched it for him.”

“Father, it’s fine.  I understand.”  Fox turned to Whitney.  “We can go back to L.A.  Grandfather will think you couldn’t handle staying in Harmony after everything.   It will make perfect sense.”

Whitney’s eyes locked with his.  He noted the slightest hint of hesitation before she finally nodded.  “Okay, we can go back to L.A.”

Fox struggled to conceal his excitement as a smile tickled the corners of his lips.  Alone with Whitney in L.A., they could finally explore their feelings for each other.   He wouldn’t push her.  He knew she still felt something for Chad, but the kiss they shared earlier made it clear she felt something for him, too.  And together, they would find out what that something was.  If things went the way he hoped, she would realize she loved him as much as he loved her.

As if reading his thoughts, a slight shade of dusty rose colored Whitney’s cheeks.  She quickly averted her eyes and cleared her throat.  Fox caught the unhappy frown on his Father’s face.  He wasn’t clairvoyant, but he knew exactly what his old man was thinking.  

“So, Mom, Simone doesn’t know about this?” asked Whitney.

“No,” Eve answered with a shake of her head.   “We want to tell Simone, but she’s going to be here, and reactions have to authentic.  So, we can’t risk it.  Not yet.”

“And if she calls me?”

“Talk to her.  I want you and your sister to be close again, but just sidestep any mention of Chad or this situation.  Explain you can’t talk about it now.  That wouldn’t be a lie.”

Whitney nodded.  “Alright.”

“The jet will be ready whenever you are,” Julian said, crossing the room to stand by Fox.  He placed his arm around Fox’s shoulder in what felt more like a chokehold than a friendly gesture. 

“What are you…” Fox began as the ‘embrace’ tightened.

“I know what you’re up to, Fox,” Julian whispered in his ear.   “Chad may not be Whitney’s brother, but this evening was still quite traumatic for her.  Do not push her.   If you hurt her in any way…”

“You’ll make me regret it,” he finished. “I know, I’ve heard this before.”   Fox frowned, making no attempt to conceal his annoyance as he released himself for his father’s grasp.    “How many times are you going to tell me this?  When are you going to get that I love Whitney, and I only want the best for her?”

Julian raised a questioning eyebrow.  “You think that’s you?”

“I don’t think it’s Chad,” Fox countered.  “Look, why don’t you worry about you, your wife, and your lost son, and let me worry about Whitney, okay?  I’m sure there are things you can be doing on your wedding night other than giving me a hard time.  So, why don’t you leave.”

“I think I’ll do that.”   Julian started toward Eve, but then turned back to Fox.  “Just remember what I said.  I don’t doubt you care about Whitney, just don’t take advantage when she’s vulnerable.   If you do, you won’t be doing yourself or Whitney any favors.”

Fox said nothing, but he grudgingly took his father’s words into advisement.

Julian placed his hand on Eve’s shoulder.  “Are you ready?” he asked.

She gave Whitney’s hand a little jiggle and nodded.  “Yes, I am.”

When their parents left, Fox attempted to broach the subject of the kiss with Whitney.   “I know it’s been a crazy day and…”

Whitney held up her hand, halting his words.  “Not right now, Fox.” She walked to the door and pulled it open.   “I need to pack and so do you.  We’ll have plenty of time to talk later.”

  ***

Eve held fast to Julian’s neck as he carried her over the threshold and into their cottage.  “You didn’t have to do this,” she remarked with a nervous laugh.  “We’re not exactly young marrieds, you know?”

“We’re not exactly ready for the retirement home, either, my love,” he said with a wolfish grin. “Besides, it’s a husband’s duty to carry his bride over the threshold. ”  Julian gave her a soft kiss and then lowered her to the floor.  “Why did you want to come here instead of going back to the boat?”

“I wanted to be here.  The boat is beautiful, but this place…” Inhaling a deep breath, she took everything in.  Their couch, their fireplace, and the light scent of fresh paint that still hung in the air.  “This is home.  And after the day we had, there was nothing more I wanted than to go home with my husband and spend the night in his arms.”