Liar, Liar

Time stood still the longer Evangeline gazed down in fixed horror at the necklace dangling from her fingers. Her heart seemed to be working over-drive throbbing against her ribcage, and yet she felt dead inside, as though someone had pierced a splintered stake through her heart, her skin wilting like a delicate daisy petal. Truly, it was a nightmare, wasn't it? She'd merely fallen asleep on the couch in Ian's loft and she'd soon wake to kisses caressing her neck and jaw line. If only, if only.

"Isn't it a little early in the relationship to be raiding my medicine cabinet?" a voice suddenly sounded like an alarming trumpet behind her, causing Eve to spin, stifling a small gasp of surprise. She held the locked behind her back and leaned against the sink. Her teeth clenched as she looked up at him, chin jutted out defensively.

"I wasn't snooping…" she said in a slow, careful voice. Ian wouldn't try and hurt her, would he?

"Hm…" Ian crossed his arms and bit his lower lip eyeing her "If that's true why are you so startled, and furthermore, what is it you're hiding behind your back?"

Swallowing the lump that had formed in the back of her throat, Eve slowly took her arm out from behind her and extended it to him "It was on the counter," she said in a soft voice, "It isn't mine… who's is it?" Fear of the truth entered her eyes and she knew she did not want to hear the answer he had to give. What would she do when he spoke the words that would crush her spirit? Cry out in a fit or walk away head held high with dignity? Eve really wasn't sure now, her emotions spiraling in several different directions.

Ian let out a low sigh as he studied the silver heart-shaped necklace in her clenched fist "I do have an explanation if you'd like to hear it."

"I would."

With a nod, Ian offered her arm to her. She hesitated, but then took him by the crook of his elbow and let him lead her away to the sitting room again. If this was the end of their relationship, at least it wouldn't be next to a toilet.

Sitting on the couch he took her hand in his, she wanted to withdraw, but she didn't. He did, after all, deserve to give his explanation. "That necklace," he began, "Belonged to my ex-girlfriend. We broke up about a year ago, well she broke up with me. Having been together for almost three years we were rather serious, even spoke about the future. Marriage; children. Then one day she broke it off, without explanation. Said she couldn't be in the city anymore and left. She left that necklace behind and I… kept it," Eve frowned when he refused to meet her eyes, "I suppose it's silly, but I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

Evangeline understood, oh how she understood. He was waiting for her to come back for him, to want him in the way that he wanted her. With a nod, she squeezed his hand "I understand. In case she came back."

He shook his head and smiled softly as he looked over at her, his eyes locking with hers, causing those dastardly butterflies to erupt in her stomach yet again. "No, not in case she came back. For memory…" he trailed off and smiled crookedly "I never meant to upset you by it, Eve. I don't have to keep it if it bothers you."

She had thought the worst about the situation and she felt awful, but there was still one question unanswered. Why was the necklace laced with vervain? Evangeline shook her head and leaned up, pressing a soft and tender kiss to his lips "I don't want something like this to ruin what we have. I understand your reasoning for keeping the necklace. It's just… the necklace contains an herb called vervain. Why is that?"

Ian's eyebrows knitted together and frowned, shaking his head in puzzlement "I have no idea what that is, Eve. Let alone why it would be in Sarah's necklace. I don't see how it's really relevant anyways."

Maybe it was just by coincidence, or maybe this Sarah wasn't who she said she was. "What was Sarah like?" she asked curiously "Was she born in New Orleans?" What was her last name? She added in her mind, the answer she truly wanted from him. A sudden sickening feeling entered her stomach as she realized she was snooping for information like some manipulative little… oh she really couldn't think that word either. The point was, she was using her own innocence to gather intel on someone from Ian's past. What an awful thing to do. "I'm sorry, that really isn't any of my business, is it?"

Ian let out a boisterous laugh and shook his head "You are the first girlfriend I've had who wants to know more about my past relationships. You really are a funny girl, but not in a bad way, I swear" he smirked and leaned forward. His hands resting on her thighs, a playful grin on his lips.

She let out a giggle and leaned away "I am not a funny girl, Ian. I'm simply… different. I quite like being different. It means I don't blend in with the crowd and who should want that?"

"You'd be surprise," he said, hands slowly making their way to her waist, "Many would rather go through the motions of life, hardly living at all," he smirked devilishly as he tickled her sides playfully. Evangeline let out a squeal of laughter and immediately tried to squirm away, all thoughts of snooping through his past out the window.

Grabbing hold of a pillow, still giggling, she held it up to try and form a shield against him, though it was to no avail. It seemed she would have to take drastic measures. Her lips suddenly caught his in a tremendous kiss of passion, and just as she expected, her was distracted and he soon had her laid back on the couch unwilling to break their lips apart. Past girlfriends or not, Ian was truly a king among men, and Evangeline would not allow a silly little necklace to get in the way of that. But there was this awful clawing feeling, that something else just might.

As night fell and the streets came alive with lights, music, and festivities. It was a party every night; the city that truly never slept. Evangeline decided it was time to return home. The last thing she needed to come home to was an earful about staying out too late without calling home. As though she were a teenager who needed a curfew because God forbid she have a life of her own.

They drove through the busy streets, and as always, the exotic attractions and people enchanted her. And when they arrived, Ian walked her to the door to kiss her goodnight. A kiss that lasted a little longer than a simple goodbye. Evangeline watched him walk back to his car, not tearing her eyes away until the taillights were gone from sight. A small smile still gracing her lips as she stepped inside and walked across the compound ground floor towards the flight of stairs. Unfortunately, the fantasy night was over and she had to bring herself back down to earth, and face reality. She was dreading it.

The parlor was empty, leaving Evangeline to begin her… dirty work. What had Ian said about Sarah? Oh, that was right, nothing. Somehow, he'd managed to completely dismiss her questions and she'd forgotten to push forward. It would be far too easy to blame her lack of emotional control on his lips or his eyes, but that would be taking the uncomplicated way out.

She picked up Rebekah's laptop from underneath the coffee table and sat down on the couch, legs folded underneath her, the bright screen lighting her facial features as she bit her lip. Now, what had Rebekah taught her about finding the information she needed on the internet? If only they'd had Google centuries back.

To begin, she searched for all the Sarah's born in New Orleans, but she soon grew irritated finding it was utterly pointless without a last name. She knew without that vital information she was simply wasting her time and her patience. Then it occurred to her. She typed in for Ian Young of New Orleans. She was surprised by the numerous news stories associated with him, the articles mainly had to do with his business. An assortment of ribbon cuttings and press releases, but the more she scrolled there was one story unlike the others. He wasn't the center focus in the article, however he was mentioned. The headline read: "Girl Found Dead from Unexplained Housefire".

The further down she read the more goosebumps took their place on her exposed arms, and by the end she had chills clawing up and down her back like fingers of ice. Sarah, the girlfriend of Ian's past. Her name was Sarah Marlowe. She was studying to be a Pediatric Nurse before her sudden death. Her death which occurred, according to the news release, roughly a year ago. Ian's voice coming to mind, "We broke up about a year ago, well she broke up with me." They'd dated for three years, things were getting serious and she broke it off. She broke up with Ian, and not long after she dies in a housefire from unexplained causes. The obvious truth cut deeply into Eve's soul like a rusted hook.

Evangeline's teeth began to chatter, the warm and humid air suddenly freezing. She then placed a hand over her mouth as she was met with a picture of the deceased girl. A beautiful brunette with piercing green eyes and a warm smile. She was gorgeous, no doubt, certainly Ian's type. But was Ian a… killer? Had he become so vengeful after she cut it off that he would murder her in such a barbaric and horrifying manner? Certainly, he could defend himself with some form of alibi just as he had for the public and the police who more than likely questioned him more than once, but how could he now when he's already told her Sarah had moved away from the city? He lied to her. He lied about the necklace. He lied about Sarah. What else was he lying about?

Carefully shutting the laptop, Eve gazed forward into the dimly lit room, listening to the jazz on the street corner outside. She felt so close to vomiting, so close to losing her faith in the world; faith in herself. She didn't notice Rebekah take a seat next to her.

"Is everything alright?" Rebekah's voice broke her concentration, and Eve looked over at her, fighting off tears.

"I will be," she said in a soft voice, "After I take care of something… I will be."