The rays of the sun were shining bright against my skin, the room was a little chilly though, I could feel the cool breeze coming from outside through the windows. I fluttered my eyes open and I couldn't help but smile. A pair of strong arms were wrapped tightly around my small waist. I turn my body around to face Connery who was still peacefully sleeping next to me. Soft snores escaped his pink lips and his hair covered part of his face.
While I laid in bed next to Connery small fragments of last night ran through my mind, my cheeks turned a little shade of pink as I remembered what happened. The kiss was unexpected but it couldn't have been more perfect. After we swam for a bit and kissed a few more times we went inside through a secluded entrance where nobody could see us walk in. Thankfully nobody did, my makeup was all over the place and our clothes were drenched.
I ended up showering and changing into one of Connery's oversized hoodies, I wasn't small in size but Connery being 6'2, his clothes fit me like a dress. I wanted to opt for a t-shirt and sweatpants but Connery's sweatpants were too big. Besides, I'm pretty sure Connery was secretly rooting for the hoodie. Connery was supposed to drive me back to the apartment but he insisted that I stay the night. By the time everybody left it was pretty late to drive and I didn't mind staying over.
I thought it was going to be awkward once we both went to bed because frankly, I wasn't sure how to act. This was all pretty new to both of us and I wasn't sure what it meant. But in the end, it turned out to be the complete opposite. We ended up having way too many conversations in the dark while we were cuddled up in bed until we both fell asleep.
A smile curved on Connery's lips once he fluttered his eyes open. "Good morning," I smile and Connery pulled me closer to him. "What's on your mind?"
"Nothing," I pause. "I promise."
"Liar," Connery says giving me a look. "You've got that look on your face, that's your overthinking face. What is it? You can tell me."
"It's silly," I laugh nervously. "I was just thinking about last night, I thought I was dreaming. I'm not going to lie, I pinched myself a couple of times to make sure I wasn't."
Connery laughs. "Why? Is it actually that hard to believe that I wanted to kiss you, over and over again?" Connery says as he plants kisses repeatedly all over my face.
I laugh in the process but then I got a little serious. I'm not great at opening up, especially if I end up showing my vulnerable side. I've never liked it. For some reason, I have always believed that being vulnerable only gives the key to break you. But if this was going to lead both of us somewhere, I wanted to do it right.
"Yes," Connery looks at me confused. "If we're both being honest, I'm not the type of girl you always hang around with. I'm not the type of girl everyone hangs around with to be more specific. So even though I'm the happiest I've ever been in a long time, I can't help but ask myself the question. Why me?"
Connery looked me in the eyes and he tugged one of the many loose strands of my long hair behind my ear. For a second I looked down, but he instantly lifted up my chin.
"Why not you?" His answer definitely took me by surprise and I looked at him confused. "You may be the shy girl that sits in the back of the class or the girl who stands alone in a corner at a party. But you're not like most girls. You're different. You have so much more to offer than something as temporary as looks."
I smiled and Connery caressed my cheeks. "I love the way your eyes sparkle every time you talk about something you love, I love the ability you have to make other people happy even if you may not be having the best of days, I love how you're not afraid to speak up your mind, I love how you don't take shit from anyone. You should see how you look from the other side when you talk back to Dant. It's incredibly sexy and badass from your end. But out of all that, the thing I love most about you is how you're undoubtedly yourself."
I didn't even know how to respond so I responded in the best way I could, after taking one last look at Connery's eyes I pulled him in for a kiss. "I didn't mean to question your intentions, it's just that I've been hurt before and it took a lot of time for me to give myself a second chance. I don't know how to do this, I'm scared, that's all."
"You don't have to apologize Ev, I understand where you're coming from," Connery reassures me. "I can wait, we can take things slow. I'm not going anywhere. You're worth the wait."
Connery and I stayed in bed for about half an hour before we both got out of bed. Emma was leaving for Paris tomorrow morning and she wanted to head to the lake for a few hours. She was going with Daniel so she asked Connery and me to tag along as well. Conveniently, Emerson canceled today's class so we had the entire day to ourselves. I didn't have any clothes with me aside from the now dried dress so Emma lent me a bathing suit and a nice cover-up for the lake.
Victoria and Conrad weren't going to be joining us at the lake today, but they did promise us a barbecue for when we came back. I was still trying to process in my mind how could one person be so double-faced. Conrad looked like a regular man and he has been nothing but nice to me ever since Connery introduced me to him. So the question that still remained was, how could he be hiding all these rape allegations yet at the same time be helping victims? Was his conscience not letting him sleep at night?
"Connery, can we make a quick stop at the supermarket?" Emma asked her brother. We were currently on our way to the lake, it wasn't going to be a long car ride but we did need to stock up on some essentials if we were going to be there all day. "We're going to be there for a couple of hours and even though we just ate before leaving it won't last us all day."
"Sure, we can stop at Target. We already passed the supermarket and there's not a single one on the way there." Connery says and Emma nods. "And Emma, you don't have to hide it. We all know you just want to stop for the wine."
I couldn't help but laugh at Connery's comment, but Emma didn't take Connery's comment as a funny one. She shot daggers at him. "When you put it that way you only make me sound like an alcoholic."
"Am I wrong?" Connery asks and Emma shakes her head.
"Yes, I drink wine on occasions. That doesn't make me an alcoholic, not like dad anyways." Emma says and Connery's expression changes completely. He looked tense, Emma probably hit a nerve when she mentioned their dad.
The ride to Target was one filled with awkward silence, Connery was way too tense and Emma probably noticed because she didn't say a word either. The only thing you could hear in the car was the sound of the radio. I wanted to start up a conversation but Connery looked like he needed time to cool off so I just grabbed his hand to let him know that I was here for when he was finally ready to talk about it.
While we were at Target we grabbed a few snacks to keep us full during the day, three bottles of wine (Emma couldn't be happier), a few towels, beer (it was only for Daniel though), and water to keep us hydrated. Connery doesn't drink, which was something I found very strange since all of his friends do but now that Emma mentioned something about their dad being an alcoholic, maybe it was because of it.
We arrived at the lake a little later than we had projected, Connery was not a good chauffeur and a very stubborn guy. He insisted that he there was a shortcut to the lake (there wasn't) but he ended up taking a few wrong turns. After a minor semi-heated discussion with Emma, we ended up at the lake. The weather was just about perfect when we arrived, Emma and I leaped out of Conrad's truck heading straight to the docks where the boat was.
"So does that mean that we have to carry everything ourselves?" Daniel shouted as we ran a little further from Connery and him.
"Pretty much babe," Emma shouted back. "If you can carry me up the stairs, you can handle a few grocery bags."
"Unbelievable," Connery shook his head and I laughed.
Once the grocery bags and the boys were in the boat, Emma turned on the ignition on the boat and we were off to what would be one of the greatest days I have been able to experience.
.
The day at the lake couldn't have been more perfect. I have never laughed or smiled as much as I did today. Emma and I drank a lot of wine. So imagine a very tipsy Everest on a wakeboard, I couldn't stand still so the number of times I fell off the board were too many to count. We spent the whole day at the lake and we made it back by seven.
As Conrad and Victoria promised, they were waiting for us with a delicious barbecue. We were all having a good time but I knew Connery had a lot on his mind. I was helping Victoria with dishes in the kitchen and while Emma, Daniel, and Conrad were wrapped up in their own conversation Connery was sitting alone by the pool.
"He looks like he has a lot on his mind," Victoria says as we both look at Connery through the kitchen window. "Did something happen while you guys were at the lake?"
"Not at the lake," I pause as I put down one of the dishes. "While we were on our way to Target to grab some snacks for the day Emma might've mentioned something about their dad. His whole mood completely changed, I managed to make him laugh a few times, but he's been like that most of the day."
Victoria frowns. "His dad is a very sensitive topic for him, he hasn't been able to move past what happened. Not like Emma at least. My relationship with my first husband was a very toxic one, we went through a lot before I finally made the decision to leave. It took a lot of strength to leave but I had to do it for my children. Out of the two, Connery was the one that took it the hardest."
"I'm very sorry to hear that," I frown. "I wanted to talk to him about it, I've learned the hard way that keeping things to yourself isn't very helpful, but I don't know-how. This is all very new and I don't want to push him for details. But from what I've seen, he's not going to open up about it on his own is he?"
"No," Victoria shakes her head. "I've been trying to make him talk to me about it for years now but he always changes the subject. But it's different with you, you're not me. Maybe if you push just a little bit, he will open up."
"I will try, I want him to know that he can count on me and that I'm here for him just like he is there for me," I tell Victoria and she gives me a warm smile.
"I'm so happy to see that Connery has found someone like you Everest," Victoria says and I smile. She was giving me her stamp of approval and I couldn't be happier about it. "We've all been waiting for a few years now to see him happy with someone and seeing how happy he is with you, I think it was all worth the wait."
Victoria and I kept talking for a few more minutes until we were done with the dishes. When we both headed back outside, she walked towards Conrad, Emma, and Daniel but I headed towards the pool where Connery was sitting.
"Hey you," I say as I sit down next to Connery.
A small smile curves on his lips. "Hey, how did it go with my mom doing the dishes? Did she give you any trouble?"
"Not at all," I pause. "We had the most pleasant conversation and I'm happy to inform you that we got her stamp of approval. I was nervous that she wouldn't end up liking me but it turns out I'm more likable than what I had expected to be."
"Did we now?" Connery chuckles. "And I don't know what you're talking about, it's pretty hard not to like you."
"I have come to the same realization as you have, for a girl who's not usually your type I have you wrapped around my finger." I tease and Connery laughs. There was the contagious laugh that I have been wanting to hear ever since this morning. "I was starting to miss that laugh of yours, you were pretty quiet the whole day."
I was hoping for him to change the subject or come up with some excuse but he didn't. He started to open up. "I know, I didn't mean to. I wanted to have a good time, I had a good time. It's just I couldn't shake off the thought of my dad. I haven't thought about him for a long time."
From the look on Connery's face, I could tell he was having a hard time talking about it so even though I wanted to know, I wouldn't mind talking about it some other time. "You don't have to talk about it now, we can talk when you're ready."
"I do, I have been holding all of this inside for so long and it hasn't been helpful in the slightest." Connery pauses. "It wasn't that bad growing at least in the beginning, we were the average American family. My mom was a middle school teacher and my dad was in the military. We didn't have much but it was enough. It all changed when my dad got back from his fourth tour."
"Did something happen to him while he was over there?" I ask.
"He got shot while he was over there, it was bad. I was around ten when it happened, he almost didn't make it back. Sometimes I wish he hadn't." Connery says looking down. "The doctor told him that his days serving our country were over. He treated it like it was the end of the world for him, his family died that day along with his military career. After that, the whiskey bottle became his best friend. Every time he went out with his friends, he couldn't even stand on his own two feet when he made it back."
"That must've been very hard for you guys, especially your mom." I frown.
"It was, she took it the hardest." Connery pauses. "But it wasn't because of the money, she gave us everything she could with her small paycheck while our dad wasted his pension money on alcohol. They started to argue almost every day and then the arguing turned physical. Emma and I had to lock ourselves in her room while we heard mom screaming downstairs."
I didn't even know what to say. I could've never imagined that it was this bad. "It took her two years after the first time he hit her to have the courage to finally leave him."
"I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that, I had no idea," I say grabbing Connery's hand. "Did you ever see your dad again?"
"Once," Connery sighs. "I was with O'Connor in Boston visiting his family when we were in freshman year. I saw him at the restaurant with a woman and a little girl. He didn't recognize me, how could he? I was twelve when mom left him. I was so pissed and hurt, he didn't look like the piece of shit we left behind. I looked him up when we got back, turns out that he got his shit straight and he started working for a company."
Seeing his dad with a completely new family must've hurt him in ways I can't possibly describe. He couldn't get his shit straight for his wife and kids yet he did for a new one? "It's stupid, but he's part of the motivation I have to get to the Olympics. I want to show him everything I could accomplish without him being present. He couldn't get his shit together for his family but we did okay, turns out we didn't need him in the first place."
"Did you ever tell your mom or Emma?" I ask.
"No," Connery sighs. "I couldn't do that to her, besides she had already moved on with Conrad and I wasn't going to tell her that wasn't worth telling. I did tell Emma, it hurt her to hear what I had to say but she moved on just like I did. He wasn't worth it anyway. We had our lives and he had his."
"How does Conrad fit into the picture?" I ask.
"My mom met Conrad at the school she worked at the time when we moved here," Connery pauses. "Three years after we left our old life behind to be exact, he was picking up his niece the day they crossed paths. She was hesitant at first, but she deserved a second chance. It's the happiest I've ever seen her."
"She deserves to be happy and so do you guys after everything you went through." I pause. "And I think you turned out just fine, your dad is the one missing out on the incredible young man you grew up to be. Not the other way around." Connery smiles and plants a kiss on my forehead.
"Hey love birds, I love to see that but these s' mores aren't going to cook themselves," Emma shouts from the fireplace where they were all gathered.
Connery and I laugh. We both stood up from the edge of the pool and walked towards where they were all sitting around the fireplace. Once we walked over there we sat back down and began to cook the delicious s' mores. I got lost in the conversation Emma and Connery were having when my phone buzzed. It was a message from Peyton.
I just finished the article, Callie is going over it as we speak before she sends it to printing. I hope you're ready for the tornado that's about to hit BGU on Monday.
Reading that message changed my entire mood and I couldn't help but feel guilty about it. That article was going to destroy this family and I was the one to blame.
A/N
Hi everyone! I hope you enjoyed reading today's update, poor Ev. What do you think will happen once the article comes out? I wanted to thank you guys for all of your unconditional support, it means so much to me. We've reached 1k and I couldn't have done it with all the love you guys have for this story, thank you â¨
Before I leave, I wanted to share some news with you guys. I think we can all agree that 2020 hasn't been a great year and it definitely hasn't been for me. My great grandma passed away this week and while I consider writing my escape I'm going to take a little break from writing to spend time with my family during this heartbreaking time. On Monday we won't have an update but I promise to be back with you guys on Friday. I hope you can understand, I will be back, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere.
Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart for everything guys, the girl from a little island in the Caribbean sends you a lot of love. I will see you guys on the next one.