I am the Queen

Evangeline blinked, the coldness in her eyes disappeared.

"Eric."

She beamed and hurried towards him. She then wrapped her hands around his. "Are you searching for me? Let's go inside, the weather here is cold."

Eric's face couldn't be discerned under the dim lights, but the tone of his voice gave away that he was in no happy mood.

"I'm here to take you home," he said, eyes not leaving Calvin.

Evangeline sensed that something was wrong. But she didn't remember anything that would cause Eric to be this serious. She peeked at him through her lashes. But the only thing she saw was his downturned mouth.

"Who are you?" Calvin asked. The veins on his forehead gradually gorged out at the sight of Evangeline and Eric's intertwining hands.

"Oh, right. Eric, this is Calvin. Calvin, this is Eric, my boyfriend." Evangeline introduced full of innocence. Pretending not to notice the heavy mood.

Calvin laughed. "Boyfriend!? Him?! Evangeline, you don't have to pretend just to spite me. There's no way he's your boyfriend."

". .."

". . ."

The ridiculing smile on Calvin's face gradually disappeared when he saw the serious faces of the two.

There's no way. No way. No way!

A guy like that? Compared to him? He was bested by a guy like that?! He couldn't accept it! He refused to accept it!

"You're joking. What's so good about him? You would rather choose a rock than a gold?! Are you out of your mind?!"

Eric didn't respond. He, too, didn't understand what Evangeline could possibly like about him except his face.

While Evangeline was the epitome of calmness, the grip of her hand around Eric's tightened. "You can never hope to compete with him. Because what he had, you can never have even with all the money in the world."

"What could he possibly have that I don't?!" Calvin asked, his brows in a tight knead forming a deep frown, voice almost shouting.

Evangeline stared at Calvin without any expression on her face.

"Respect."

". . ." Calvin snorted. "Fuck that! I can give you that if you want! I can give you all the respect you want! Even more! I can give you all of it! Him?! What can he give you?! Respect?! Huh! You can't even eat that word! Compared to me, he is nothing!"

". . ."

". . ."

Eric's shoulders dropped. Biting his lips, he had nothing to say. It was the truth.

Nails digging against his palms, he blinked away the moist in his eye as he gazed at Evangeline. If she wished to be with another, he wouldn't hold her back.

But what he heard next wasn't the painful words of breaking up.

"Eric . . . he . . . he made me question every belief I have. He made me open up when I didn't want to barge open my heart again. He helped me see something so incredibly simple is enough to make me happy. He made me feel so special in his own clumsy and awkward ways. And he made me realized what a wonderful feeling love is."

She gazed up. Amethyst eyes met silver ones. Both were soft, almost melting, mirroring each other's feelings.

"He found me when I was alone. He doesn't hurt me, he protects me. He doesn't blame me, he listens to me. He doesn't disregard me, he respects me. He doesn't treat me any less, he takes care of me. He doesn't try to change me, he guides me. He didn't demand my submission, but he has it . . . completely."

Looking at Calvin, her soft voice change into one with an edge, a finality in her tone.

"It can't be just any other man. It must be him. In this lifetime, I will serve only one man. I will serve only him. My one and only King."

". . ."

". . ."

Eric's head slightly shifted as he blinked away the tears in his eyes. All doubt and hesitation vanished just like that. The only thing that remained was the absolute feeling of love for her –– never wanting to let her go again.

At that moment, he wanted to consume her. Fill her to mark her as his. Damn everyone's feelings!

Tugging Eric's hand, Evangeline smiled. The haughtiness on her face returned, but the softness in her eyes remained.

"Let's go home."

"Mmm . . ." Eric nodded. He briefly glanced at Calvin, who remained stationary on his spot, unmoving, face pale.

He then intertwined his fingers with Evangeline and returned her smiled.

"Let's go . . ."

----

Inside the Maybach limo, Eric and Evangeline were sitting so close together in silence. Their legs were touching, fingers intertwined.

Evangeline was facing the car's window. Her expression was cadaver like. Not just white, it lacks her usual arrogance. She was unusually quiet. Her mind elsewhere.

On the other hand, Eric was also facing away from Evangeline, repressing his joyful smile. But no matter what he did, a smile always crept on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked after the eerie silence. The lifelessness on her face and the lack of response from her bothered him.

". . . Nothing . . ." Evangeline sighed. Not looking at Eric, she leaned against the car's window.

"You know," she started, eyes gazing at the snow outside. "I have trust issues, and I'm not exactly nice nor friendly, but I think you already know that."

She chuckled, though her eyes were not laughing.

"In elementary, I was bullied, and a girl I thought was my best friend was gossiping behind my back, and my only support was my mother's embraced . . . but even she was taken from me." She choked at the last words.

Eric tightened his lips, but he gave her the space she needed. He remained quiet, waiting for her to continue.

"What was left now? Father, I supposed. Father, who didn't care about her daughter, only using her to further his career. Father, who wasn't there when his daughter cried and bullied to tears. Father who built a mansion for his mistress and cast his daughter to live on her own . . ." She smirked, blinking away the tears brimming in her eyes. "God took the wrong parent."

She then stared at Eric, face smiling.

And Eric never saw Evangeline so weak and vulnerable, and sadness gripped him that he wanted nothing but to protect her from the world.

But as of now, all he wanted was to hear her out and share her pain.

"And I thought that reunion is a way for me to get revenge. You know. Being petty. Wanting to show them I was not the same Evangeline in the past. But instead . . ." She smiled bitterly at herself.

"I . . . I realized that I'm hallow. I never thought about my future. I don't have anything I am passionate about. I'm not passionate about perfumes. Not interested in cosmetics except if they make me look pretty. Not a care about wine as long as it tastes good. I'm not even interested in what I like. I mean, you're passionate about stars and all that while I . . . I don't have anything like that. I don't even have a hobby."

Most of her life, getting something was easy. People approached her first, and all she had to do was point a finger on who to interact with. Was there anything she longed so much or put any effort into earning anything?

Eric was silent for a time. He then took her cheeks on his palms and wiped the tears under her eyes with his thumbs.

"I know I can never change the past as much as I want to. I feel that I'm holding you back when there's nothing I can do for you. But I still want to be with you. So when there is a time when someone accuses you of lying. Hurt you with their heartless words and judging eyes. When everyone turned against you. Wouldn't believe your words. I will stand by your side and protect you. I will be the one to wipe away your tears and say words of love to you."

Evangeline sniffled, her heart was feeling big and warm. The feeling was returning to her bit by bit –– the feeling of pure happiness. She laughed a little to clear the lump in her throat. Her tears never stopped streaming on her eyes, gently flowing on Eric's fingers. She closed her eyes when he brought his lips on her forehead.

He then pulled away, wiping her tears while a soft smile appeared on his face. Her big eyes, all water and soft like it was about to melt any moment soon.

Rubbing her chin softly with his thumb, his gentle voice resonated inside the car.

"And . . . do you know the average life span of a human being is eighty years? One hundred if you keep a healthy diet. You're still young. You have more than double your age to search for something you wanted to do."

He leaned, and their forehead touch. "Every step of the way, I'll be by your side. We will search together. I will never leave you."

Evangeline's eyes heated, there was no stopping her tears. Her expression was soft and full of affection, but her pride weighed down her words.

"Of course, you will never leave me. You're my servant. My boyfriend. You are mine."

Eric chuckled. He tilted his head and kissed her, murmuring softly.

"Yes. I am yours . . ."