Damsel in Distress

"Have you lost it, you were going to tell her about it" David's voice increased as he whispered yelling at his wife.

"For god's sake just shut up" Amelia's frustration joined their voices, her son crying louder.

"Both your niece's are just too much" Alia's complaints were the next in line. "One of them just never returns to her own house and one just never tones down her arrogance" she scoffed at her ignorant husband.

"I can't believe they didn't even greet me properly" Stephanie's accent changed to local. "Just wait until I fix Evelyn's marriage in my best friend's house. They'll all bow down to me including her" the neverending scheme's were just another disappointment to Evelyn.

She was once again all alone in a castle full of people with never ending silently loud corridors.

"What do I do Will?" The tears joined the stream of rain water washing her face. "I don't understand where I belong anymore?" her murmurs faded into the crashing of the storms. The rattling of the windows, the pitter patter of the rain. "The light gives way to their whisperings and the darkness turns your blood on my hands freshly warm" She looked down at her wet hands blinking against the night rain, checking for any traces of blood. She rubbed them together and washed them with the rainwater. Until it stopped, the rain stopped falling over her.

Once again so lost in her daze she hadn't heard him come. She didn't hear his footsteps dredging in the puddles, his increased heartbeat as he walked towards her, the click of the umbrella opening as he brought it over her, sheltering her from the rain, letting it soak him instead. But she did hear him as he called out to her in surprised concern. The name smoothly rolled out of his mouth. "Evelyn"

Evelyn squinted, turning around at the familiar sound of her name. Removing the rain and stray tears from her eyes she looked up at Ethan holding the umbrella over her head. He was drenched from head to toe in just a few seconds. He blended into the background with his black jacket over the turtleneck. His already overgrown black hair sticking to his face. She hadn't expected to see him here or face him again.

"What are you doing here?" her voice came out hoarse as she tried speaking over the noise of the rain.

He leaned slightly to her height before speaking, she could smell his familiar wood scented cologne mixed with the fresh mud smell of rain. "There was an accident nearby. We are collecting the evidence before rain washes it away." he answered honestly. "What are you doing here?" it was his turn to question. He was still drenching in the rain while shielding her from it. "Do you have another death wish? This time trying to get sick" his voice was soft though he was scolding her. Evelyn pushed the umbrella in his hand a little higher, taking a step closer in process, bringing them both under the canopy of the umbrella. She could hear the soft rhythm of his heart coming to her mixed with the sound of the rain falling on top of them, beating against the umbrella.

"I was trying to remember what happened that night" she looked at the cafe longingly that was now almost hidden with the curtain of the rain.

"You don't remember it at all?" surprised laced his question.

"It's all a blur" she responded, automatically pushing away her wet hair.

"You should give yourself some time" he followed her line of sight at the cafe washed away of all its brightness and liveliness.

She shook her head looking down at his response. "I thought if I didn't let myself think about it I would feel better. Now I can't remember anything and the void.. The void left by the memory disturbs me more." why was it so, that it was easier to talk to strangers than to explain to the people who knew you best.

"We all think it will get better with time. But it never really permanently goes away. Cry it out princess" she smiled at his obnoxious nickname. He talked as if he too had lost someone and was yet to heal from it.

"You don't get it" the small smile stayed as she talked, this time facing him again. "I have too much hatred filled inside of me" she exhaled loudly, exhausted. Her lips had turned white her skin was dangerously close to colorless. "It's to the point where I feel nothing at all. I haven't really cried ever since that night." the smile that played on her lips remained but the sadness of her eyes was too loud, it displayed the real emotions behind that smile. Ethan had nothing to respond to her. He stayed silent, observing her. He had dove straight into the twisted mess her family was and the girl was no less.

"You are going to get sick" he couldn't look more into her eyes and he gradually drew them away from hers.

"The damage is already done" she hugged herself closer. She looked up again at him with scrunched eyebrows. "Weren't you going to get sick too? What are you some macho man"

A laugh slipped out of Ethan's lips at her statement. "Never thought I'd ever hear Evelyn Dawson being considerate towards me"

"You forgot the coffee this morning" she retorted, biting down on her teeth to stop them from clattering. Now that she felt better she felt the cold creeping onto her brutally.

"Let's get out of here" he motioned for her to follow him as he held the umbrella over them while they walked across the flooded street. His teeth clattered as the seconds passed longer. She didn't know where they were going but followed him nonetheless.

"How does it feel finally taking over my bodyguard's job" she blew out hot breath on her hands rubbing them together, ignoring the glowering pair of eyes overhead.

"Oh I pity the man for having to guard such a damsel in distress" his voice came out half broken as his entire body shivered with the cold.

"You look like one yourself" she let out a scoff mocking him instead. Offended at being called the damsel in distress.

"And whose fault is it" he chuckled loudly without a trace of humor, the cold was really getting to him. She didn't know how far they had to go but she did know one thing if even a minute more the guy beside her would pass out from the cold.

"Who told you to be a macho man and come help me?" She defended herself, pulling the umbrella from his hand and putting it over both of them as he hugged his body tighter.

He gasped aloud, stopping to look at her causing her to come to a jerking stop in her position, the rain drumming against the parachute of the umbrella brutally. "So now it's my…" he began and then sealed his lips breathing in. "Why am I arguing with you?" he whispered to himself, an internal battle storming inside of him. "You know what, let's just get under the shelter first" he walked ahead and she followed along with the umbrella.

A white light coming from the front blinded them, causing them to squint at the cruel driver of the car, until he made it out of the car and Evelyn spoke in pure joy. "I never thought I'd say things but I truly love my bodyguard"