Arranged

Chapter-22

"Coming, coming," Evelyn muttered when the doorbell rang for the second time. She had dozed off on the floor while reading a book and leaning against the foot of the couch. The first ring of the bell broke through her unplanned slumber and she woke up with a start, looking around in surprise until her brain registered the sound being the doorbell. Her eyes caught a glimpse of the wall clock as she unlocked the door. 3.15 p.m. She frowned, wondering who could be here at this time.

She pulled the door inside and almost gasped out in surprise. She stood there with one hand resting on the doorframe, the other stretched behind her and clutching the doorknob. She opened her mouth and moved her lips up and down, unable to think of what to say. The guest helped.

"Hi, Evelyn. It's been a long time," Gwen said, forcing her lips to form a smile while her eyes darted left and right, and her palms gripping her purse more firmly.

Evelyn pressed her teeth together inside while her lips pretended to smile in welcome. She stepped aside to let her in and asked while Gwen awkwardly walked past her, "Long time, indeed. W- what brings you here?"

"Ryan called me here."

It was not even that her brother had invited her over which made her wish the doorknob in her death-hold was her neck instead as she closed the door and glared at the innocent porch. It was the mere fact that she still referred to her brother as Ryan; her brother who she had ditched. Evelyn had a hard time in convincing her anger to settle down and not result in punching the daylights out of the woman intruder in her home. If her brother, who she was not very keen to speak with in recent days, invited her, she could give his decision some form of respect. The only respite in the whole situation was that her son was in school; she really needed Ben to not know about this – imagine the questions!

"I heard voices downstairs. Who –? Uh, hi, Gwen." Darian had appeared at the foot of the stairs while rambling, and said the last syllable when he took in the scene. It had escaped his mind that he had arranged this potential melodramatic setting! He pressed his lips tight when he looked past a smiling Gwen with her hand raised in a greeting at his sister whose face was soon turning burgundy with rage. He was about to step forward and diffuse the ticking bomb when he suddenly remembered something and excused himself in a hurry as he headed back up the stairs.

Five minutes later, he arrived downstairs with a small packet to find Gwen seated at the dining table alone. Evelyn was inside the kitchen, putting the teapot to steam. Gwen was looking around the house and caught his eyes when her head turned in his direction. She smiled and said, "This place is beautiful."

"Uh, thanks," Darian said, sitting down across from her. "How have you been?"

"Good. They are still setting a date."

"I hope it's sooner this time," he said with a light chuckle. He placed the packet on the table and continued as he fiddled with it, "You know, I asked you to come today to sort out a few matters."

"Sort out?" she repeated and her shoulders straightened, stiffened actually. Her lips had a hard time in maintaining the polite smile they were portraying at the moment.

"Well," Darian said and paused. He did not look up at her and simply traced the outline of the packet with his finger over and over again. Evelyn arrived then with a tray topped with three steaming cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. She placed one cup in front of each and the snacks in the middle, and sat down beside Gwen. She eyed Darian who caught her look when he was about to pick up his cup of tea. He sputtered, but covered up his potential laugh with a cough; he knew why Evelyn chose to sit there – so that she could freely glare at Gwen without her noticing directly.