The Broken One ✔

Chapter 21

The car ride to Baltimore was truly brutal. I was stuck in my own thoughts the whole time - thinking about Gina, what's happened to Eva, and mentally preparing myself for the abusive phone call from Blake.

After an hour of being in my head, I arrived at Eva's location which was a restaurant. She sat on the pavement outside the place, with her knees pulled up to her chest.

I widen my eyes as jumping out of the cab.

Eva stood up and walked quickly in my direction "Ned thank God" tears rolled down her cheeks as she wrapped her arms around me.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I can't do it" She shook her head violently, "I thought I could but I can't"

"Do what?" I raised my brows as pulling away from her.

"My marriage" she admitted fearfully.

"I thought everything was going well" I blinked.

"Things change" she shrugged "people change"

At that moment I understood what was happening, I knew exactly what this was. Eva was running away as usually does.

"What? What's changed?" I asked her in confusion.

"It just got too hard" her chin quivered.

Eva and I were so alike back then that it scared me. We were both so damn terrified of anything remotely real.

"Eva you can't just run away when things start to get hard," I told her.

"I'm not running away!" Eva argued "this isn't running away" she shook her head violently. 

"Then what would you call it?" I lowered my voice.

she cried aggressively "why don't you tell me what you really think Ned?"

It had been one hell of a weekend. Gina died, I exposed a bunch of people aka my family, I found out that Jenny was paying Sarah to care about me, I got into a fist fight with Chris, I had my first therapy session with Raff where I revealed Blake's secrets, and I had that argument with Sarah.

Through all the madness, something that happened along the way brought me to where I was in that moment - which made me say something that I usually wouldn't.

"I think that you distance yourself from the people that you love when you get scared" I folded my arms "You magnify their flaws and mistakes so you have an excuse to leave"

She shook her head "that's not true"

"Then what are you doing here Eva?" I asked.

Eva paused for a moment "Surviving" she said simply.

Again - I think it was everything that happened that weekend that made me say what I said next.

"You're not in prison anymore" I snapped.

Her eyes widened in shock and offence, "What did you say to me?"

"I said you're not in prison anymore" I repeated "and you're not living under your dad's roof or trapped in the Bronx! You don't need to fight to survive!"

Everything I said that night to Eva was 100% true, but it didn't make it right for me to say.

"I've survived everything life has thrown at me because the fire inside of me burns brighter than the fire around me" she clenched her jaw "that's how it's always been"

"You need to stop trying to adapt and survive" I cried "and acting like everybody you love is going to hurt you like your sister and parents did"

"That's not what I'm doing" she shook her head.

Of course, it was. She was doing the same thing I had been doing my entire life, only she was more extreame.

"Then what are you doing here Eva?" I raised my brows 

"It's just...every day it feels like Sam and I are at war" she shrugged. "And I'm just...A bomb waiting to explode"

"I know what you mean" I nodded "but you're like twenty weeks pregnant, you can't afford to be impulsive any more Eva....you need to start thinking about somebody other than yourself, and I know that sounds harsh as fuck but it's something you have to hear"

"I know" she sniffed as rubbing her baby bump.

"You got your belly," I noticed as placing my hand over hers. "Do you know if it's a boy or girl yet?"

Suddenly tear fell from her cheeks "I found out this morning"

I furrowed my brows "is that why you left?"

She looked down in shame "everything just got so...real" she explained. "I know that I'm being stupid and irrational"

I shook my head violently "not at all" I assured "just take care of yourself okay"

Elise gave birth at only twenty-six weeks. Cleo had a ninety per cent chance of survival which was good to hear, but Elise's was very low. She was a sixteen-year-old giving birth prematurely with hemophilia and placenta problems. They ordered a c-section but things were moving along faster then her team expected.

"Okay" Eva nodded as we walked towards my cab.

"Take her to the nearest train station," I told the driver as heading him the money "I'll make a few phone calls to get Sage's bike towed home, alright?"

"Thank you" she wrapped her arms around me tightly before sliding into the back seat of the car "...It's a boy by the way"

My eyes widened as a smile speed across my face "stay safe" I ordered as the cab drove away from me.

It's what happened next that changed my life for the better - but I'll get to that.

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Hi all,

It wouldn't be a 'The Silent One' sequel without incorporating some Eva drama.

I'm beyond excited to release the next few chapters, I hope you all enjoy them as much as I do.

Also, an addition has been made to the cast so please go check it out :)

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Happy reading!