Lure him out
"Hey," Justin walked inside the cafe with his hands in his pocket and a boyish smile on his face, and Evangeline gazed up from the machine before smiling.
"What are you doing here? I thought I told you my shift would be over at 8, or did I forget?" Evangeline asked awkwardly, and Justin hummed.
"You didn't. I just wanted to check up on you. To see how you are doing. Your shift will be over in five minutes though, no? Mind having some time with me?" Justin asked, and Evangeline looked at him before nodding with a soft smile.
After ten minutes, Evangeline walked out of the changing room, and Justin looked at the t-shirt she was wearing underneath her jacket before narrowing his eyes.
"This t-shirt -"
"It belongs to your brother," she answered before he could ask something, and he hummed, a hundred questions brewing in his head that he didn't know if it would be alright to ask.
"Your brother. He is a dangerous man. Since he thought he was responsible for ruining my top, he took me shopping and also because he wanted a suit for himself too. Guess what?" Evangeline leaned forward, and Justin looked at her enthusiasm before matching it.
"What?"
"We got attacked,"
"Attacked?" He raised his brows.
"I know, right? In broad daylight. I don't know the details, but it was related to some gang who wanted to hurt your brother. Your brother even got shot. Didn't he tell you? That's how we ended up at his home," Evangeline said, and the more she said, the more surprised he became.
"Are you alright? He didn't do something to you, right?" Justin rushed to her side, and Evangeline looked at him with raised brows.
"I just said your brother got shot, and that's what you are worried about?" Evangeline asked, and Justin sighed.
"Of course, I am worried about my brother. That's what I am going to ask him. It's just...if he got shot he must've taken you to the main house. That house isn't the best place for a girl. The men there, they all are hunters," Justin tried his best to cover his words.
"Don't worry. It's nothing. Even your elder brother came to see Mr. Alexander," Evangeline said, and Justin sighed.
"I am sorry,"
"What for?" She asked.
"For everything. You don't deserve this. It feels like my friendship is burdening you now. You got into so much trouble because of me and my group of friends, and I feel so helpless -"
"I don't think anybody is capable of having the authority to make me feel wrong. If I really thought your friendship was a burden, I wouldn't be sitting here paying for your coffee.
You guys are the first friends I made here. I know that I am not exactly your group type of girl, but yeah... I cherish this friendship," Evangeline said, placing her hand on Justin's hand, making him look down at his hand.
A small blush rose to Justin's neck, and his ears turned a bit red, making her smile.
"I...uh... I am sorry. I was a bit too forward. Geez, I need to change my ways of living. It was normal in Italy for friends to hold hands and -"
"Did I complain?" Justin asked, placing his other hand on hers, capturing her hand between his, and Evangeline smiled.
"Thank you, Justin. I really mean it. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there. You might think that I am exaggerating, but the loneliness sometimes makes me feel low. You have become a really important part of my friendship Circle," Evangeline said, blinking her eyes genuinely.
'I am really thankful to you, Justin. Not only because you are such a great friend, but also because you will be my key to finding the real culprit, the one who made my life miserable, and if it turned out to be you, I might exchange my friendship with your happiness,' Evangeline thought inside her mind.
"I guess we should leave already? I really wanted this to be our thing. Maybe get to know each other a bit more?" Justin chuckled, and as he stood from his place, Evangeline held his hand.
"What kind of friends do you have, Justin?" She asked.
"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked.
"Will they get too mad if we ditch them? Probably get to know each other better? I am not hitting on you. Don't take me wrongly, but I am still not comfortable with group things. That's why I couldn't enjoy it in that arcade room. It will take me some time to adjust," she paused before widening her eyes.
"I am sorry. What the hell am I thinking? It sounds so wrong. I am sorry. Let's just go, yeah. Anyway, your brother would be coming too. If he found out that I went solo dining with you, he will haunt my dreams and kill me a hundred times for abducting his baby brother," she said, and Justin smiled awkwardly.
"I don't doubt that. It's still hard to understand what is going on inside his mind. And why the hell is he so uptight about you," Justin walked outside the cafe, and she smiled.
"Well, can't you understand? I am a poor girl, Justin. If people like us come close to rich guys like you, we are naturally tagged as opportunists and gold diggers," She smiled sadly.
"Maybe in his eyes, I am exactly that. Isn't that why he acts so respectfully with all the other girls, but when it comes to me, he can't stop fighting," Evangeline shrugged, and Justin looked at the girl, who was still trying to find happiness in everything even after how his brother treated her.
He suddenly paused, holding Evangeline's hand, making her pause and look at him in confusion.
"What's wrong? Will walking be different? It's only 800m from here. Do you need to get a cab?" She asked, and Justin shook his head.
"You know what? I think you are right. Let's go somewhere else. If you are not comfortable with group things, let's not go there. I have a brilliant place in mind. Would you like to go to the heavens club with me? It's not a pub," Justin asked her, and Evangeline raised her brows.
"But your friends-"
"They'll be fine. Just let's go or we'll be too late. It stays open till 11. We can still enjoy it if we reach in time," he asked, and Evangeline nodded at him.
"Great. Let's go," he said, and Evangeline smiled.
Well, wasn't that what she wanted? To spend some time with him so that she can do her work better? Evangeline smiled at her small victory.
'No matter how much you try to protect your family from me or how suspicious you act of me, I'll mess with you in a way that you guys won't be able to come out of it,' Evangeline thought in her head.