Evan's Rose [18+]

Chapter 33

"Dad, I'm home." He glanced at me through his reading glasses and smiled at me. I tried not to show how exhausted I was. It wasn't work. It was my personal life that was taking its toll on me.

My father was a librarian in the local library while my mother was a school teacher and both of them were active members of the church and community.

One look at my face and he immediately knew something was wrong. "What's wrong sweetie?"

"I talked to Evan today." My parents had strongly unapproved of Evan for me. They disliked him from the instant I introduced them. I didn't blame them. They didn't know the loving, possessive person underneath his cold exterior. Him being an atheist also put marks against him in their books. My parents were devout Christians, I was too but his faith or rather lack of it never mattered to me. I loved him and that was enough for me.

"Oh?" He asked facing me. "How did it go?" My parents wanted me to break ties with Evan and that meant quitting my job and deleting all traces of him from my life.

I narrated the scene at work. I had handed over my resignation to Evan with teary eyes and told him of my decision to quit my job and also about my family disapproving of our relationship. He reacted the way I expected but that didn't mean I was prepared to face him.

"He loves me, he doesn't want to let me go."

"He doesn't love you. He's taking advantage of your innocence. You are too young and innocent to understand him. Men like him have hurt too many innocent girls like you. He doesn't understand love. He only wants to take advantage of you. Once he is done with you, he'll leave you alone in misery. Ask him how many women he has been with. I've known enough about men. Don't be a fool." Dad was angry. But he was wrong about Evan. Evan was not like any of those men. He was a good man.

"He wants to marry me. He won't hurt me, he loves me. I love him." I recalled the events in his office earlier when I spoke to him about quitting my job. He had panicked. He had asked me to marry him so that no one could separate us. I had agreed but could I go against my family? Could I disgrace them?

"Rose, why don't you listen to your dad? You're so blinded by that man, that you cannot see past the image you have of him in your mind. You need to see the real him. He's not the one he portrays himself to be."

Why couldn't my parents understand? Why couldn't they see things from my perspective? They hadn't even met him more than once. How could be they so sure?

I wiped my tears while mentally making a decision. I decision that required no weakness. A decision that needed no regrets.

"Dad, Evan's the only one for me."

That night I wrote my final goodbyes to my finally. I wrote all those things I could never express in words. I apologized for leaving them and causing them pain and shame. At last, I told them I loved them and hoped someday we'd be able to put this past us and reunite.

Evan waited for me in his car. My new life, the love of my life was waiting for me.

"D-Dad," I stuttered, rushing towards him. I halted just a step away, uncertainty washing over me. Would he reject my embrace? David Jacobs was a mighty fine man. Even though he wasn't particularly into fitness, he managed to keep I shape.

"My child," Dad sobbed, swiftly pulling me into his arms. I nestled into his chest, feeling like a small child once more. I felt like I was the schoolgirl whose father had come to pick her up from a kindergarten class. Warm tears soaked his crisp white shirt. I clung to him tightly, fearing he might vanish.