That Summer

When Bryan walked in the house that evening, the sun was just starting to set and a bike he didn't recognize was next to the front step. Evangeline was nowhere to be seen on the bottom floor and Bryan hadn't heard from her all day. He tried to pretend that didn't worry him.

"Evangeline?" Bryan called up the stairs.
"Coming!" her voice responded almost instantly. He figured that was a good sign and took a seat on the couch, flipping on the evening news.

The news anchor was in the middle of talking about a car crash that was holding up the evening commute when the thumping of feet on stairs made him aware someone was approaching. He wrote it off as Evangeline at first, until he realized he heard two sets of feet, and then he turned around. Bryan almost choked when he saw who was there.

"H-hey, Bailey," he stuttered and fought off a blush, jumping to his feet.
"Hi, Bryan. I just came by to see how Evangeline was and we ended up hanging out," the girl replied happily and then turned to the blonde in question. "Right?"
"Whatever," Evangeline answered sourly. But Bryan noticed that the scowl on her face didn't look as real as it probably should, and that her eyes seemed unusually warm towards the girl besides her.
He raised his eyebrows, "Oh? What'd you guys do?"
"Well I was catching up on some work and Evangeline," Bailey began, but when she saw the look that the girl beside her was shooting at her, she quickly changed her story, "was reading. That's all, really."
"Oh," Bryan shrugged.
"Yeah," Evangeline responded and glanced between her brother and the gorgeous brunette beside her.
"I should get going," Bailey said suddenly.

She made a move for the door and at the same time Bryan jumped from around the couch, causing her to pause and look back at him in a mixture of confusion and interest.

"I was going to figure out dinner, so if you wanted to stay..." he trailed off.

Bryan didn't miss the urgent look Evangeline shot him. He felt bad instantly, knowing that he'd just made his sister very uncomfortable and possibly outed her situation to someone she didn't necessarily want knowing. Although he was well aware Bailey probably already had her suspicions. But just as Bryan didn't miss the urgent look his sister sent her, Bailey didn't miss the pleading eyes begging her to say no either.

"No, that's alright. I've really got to get home," she declined politely. "See you guys around."
"Bye," Bryan answered while Evangeline just waved in lackluster, ever the one to be angry and sullen when she had no need.

Bryan watched Evangeline wander into the kitchen, her jeans pooling at her bare feet and her shoulders making odd protrusions in the long sleeved shirt hanging on her body. He followed her, not bothering to turn off the TV and wondering if she really was comfortable in such an unfitting outfit for the heat.

"What were you planning for dinner?" Evangeline asked suddenly from her perch on the island.
"I wasn't sure. I wanted to see if you wanted to try eating something again," he responded softly and leaned his shoulder on the wall. He chewed on his lip as he watched his sister shrug.
"I don't think so," she murmured, her face crinkling in memory of that morning.
"Have you eaten today?"

Bryan tried to ask it nonchalantly, but his voice was barely above a whisper and his blue eyes were trained on the floor below him. As if the design on the linoleum was suddenly captivating.

"I had apple sauce a few hours ago."
He looked up in surprise and suddenly seemed interested and, with a pang, Evangeline realized he also looked somewhat happy. "Really?"
"I had to. Bailey would have found it odd that I wasn't hungry all day," she sneered off her brother's barely hidden enthusiasm. But he would not be deterred from finding a bright side somewhere.
"Did you keep it down?" he questioned.
"Yeah," she shrugged. "I only had half a cup."
"But, still, that's something?" He said it more like a question but his face looked so hopeful that Evangeline figured she'd give him the illusion of a victory.
"Yeah. It's something," she replied, face blank.

_______________________________________________________________________

Evangeline was watching television when she heard knocking on the back door. She heard Bryan stand after a moment and answer it, greeting whoever stood there. Paul's voice floated through the kitchen and into the living room where Evangeline sat.

She experienced a surprising feeling of happiness at the thought of Paul being there. Evangeline cursed herself at that reaction just as fast as she'd registered it in her mind. Evangeline Donahue did not miss Paul DiGiovanni. Oh no. No, no, no, no, no.

It's just that she'd gotten so used to him being around and that he had, after all, promised her brother he wouldn't be staying away. He'd also promised Evangeline he'd be there until she was happy again. And that wouldn't be for a very long time.

"Hey, Evan," she heard from the doorway and turned to see Paul there, a tight purple tee shirt on his torso and loose shorts reaching under his knees. His flip flops snapped against the bottoms of his feet as he drew closer.
"Hi, Paul," she glanced at him and then looked back to the TV. Attempting to ignore the smile that wanted to appear when she heard the nickname Evan was harder than she'd though.
"How was your day?" he questioned and dug his hands into the pockets of his shorts.
"Fine."
"Bryan said you had a friend over," he prodded.

Evangeline looked up to Paul's deep brown eyes, a sour expression coming to her face. She didn't appreciate the way he was talking to her. Like she was a child.

"Yeah, a girl from dance," she answered slowly.
"What's her name?" Paul asked conversationally but Evangeline took it in a completely different way.
"Why are you so interested?" the blonde sneered.
"I just wanted to know about your day," he murmured softly.

Paul was drawing back now. Evangeline's coldness was pushing him away just like it pushed everyone else and he was falling into himself, turning back into that wounded puppy that made Evangeline angry; partly with him for being that way and partly with herself for making him be that way. She hadn't liked it when Bailey was undeterred by her coolness, but for some reason Paul not being able to stand up to it bothered her more.

The two remained in a harsh silence until Paul spoke again, in his soft and unsure voice, in an attempt to change the subject. "So, uhm," he cleared his throat and looked at the testy girl on the couch. "So how are you? Have you tried eating today?"

Apparently, Paul realized a moment too late, that was the wrong thing to bring up with Evangeline. As soon as the words left his mouth she jumped from the cushions and turned on him.

"What do you care?" she snapped.
"Why are you being like this?" Paul murmured softly.
"I don't see how any of this is your business. You weren't even here anyway," she accused.
"Is that what this is about? Because I wasn't here? Evan, I can't be here all the time-" he tried but she cut him off. For some reason the softness she felt when he addressed her like that only served to anger her more.
"Stop calling me that!"
"But, you said-"
"Forget what I said," Evangeline snarled and before Paul knew what happened she had stormed upstairs.

Paul put a hand to his head and turned to see Bryan leaning in the entrance from the kitchen.

"What the hell just happened?" Paul asked the older boy.
"I couldn't tell you," he sighed.