That Summer

Evangeline thought that she'd never felt more complete than when her hand was clasped in Paul's. There was just something about his touch that she loved. His hands engulfed hers in a warm embrace, holding her skin against his firmly. His fingers were calloused from playing guitar but it felt nice, a bit of roughness that clashed beautifully with her soft skin.

She'd never imagined that she would fall in love with Paul DiGiovanni - the guitarist from her brother's good for nothing band with too tight pants and too tight shirts and a lip ring that just ruined any good looks he may or may not have. But Evangeline knew better now. She knew that she didn't mind his tight pants or shirts because they hugged his body; his body that she found she was a lot fonder of than she thought. And she knew she didn't mind his lip ring because it didn't take away from his good looks, or his big puppy dog eyes and she loved the way it sent chills down her spine when he kissed her.

Evangeline had spent her life hating someone who loved her and now, she couldn't figure out why. And as she entered John Keefe's house, getting ready to spend an entire day with her brother and his band - the people she'd hated for so long and who hated her - she was more than grateful that she had Paul's fingers laced securely with hers.

When John opened the front door, he hadn't registered Evangeline at first. He greeted Paul as if it were any other day but when his eyes shifted over to the girl with his friend he did a disbelieving double take for more than one reason. For one thing, Evangeline Donahue was standing on his doorstep and she didn't look pissed. And then there was the fact that she was holding Paul DiGiovanni's hand like her life depended on it; and then, of course, there was her basic appearance.

Had John seen Evangeline over the summer like Bryan and Paul had or at least seen her one day like Martin had, he wouldn't have been so surprised. In fact, he probably would have commented on how much better she was looking now that she had color back in her face and she was probably back up to a size zero though she was still uncomfortably underweight.

"Hey, Evangeline," John greeted somewhat awkwardly. He looked unsure, not like he wanted to spit an unfair remark at her. Evangeline remembered that John had never been particularly mean to her. He was loud and funny and awfully caring; he'd never joined in with Martin's snide remarks and when she insulted him he'd only taken it. It made her guilty now to think of hurting him.
"Hi, John." She was nervous. Evangeline was out of her element now and she knew none of them were expecting her; not even Bryan.

Paul glanced down to Evangeline, squeezing her hand as he pulled her gently through the doorway. John just stared dumbfounded at their linked hands and followed them through the house as if he were the guest.

The closer they got to the back of the house, the louder bodiless voices became, until Paul steered Evangeline into a room in the very back of the house, furnished with comfortable looking couches, a coffee table and a huge television. The voices weren't just loud now, they were outright screaming as a preseason football played on the TV. Martin and Bryan were yelling at it; apparently someone on the Patriots had just done something bad and Evangeline didn't even know who the other team was.

"Hey, guys," Paul greeted over the game. Martin and Bryan turned and greeted him with the characteristic nods before turning back to the glowing screen in front of them. Until their heads snapped back towards the doorway.
"Dude," Martin said slowly. "Did you know Evangeline is standing next to you?"
"Yeah I think I noticed at some point," he smirked which made Evangeline glance up to him and smile back in amusement.
"Why are you touching my sister?" Bryan questioned, not so much overprotective as stunned. Just yesterday Paul had been abruptly leaving the Donahue's house, and now, today, Evangeline goes out for a few hours and ends up at his drummer's home; clinging to his guitarist like she needed him to breathe.
"Well, Evangeline and I are..." Paul trailed off and turned to look at the girl beside him. Now that he thought about it, he didn't really know what they were.
"Dating?" John supplied. Paul kept his eyes on Evangeline but now the look in them was questioning.
"Yeah," she smiled. "We're dating."
"Well," Martin murmured, looking from Evangeline to Paul and back again. He was, for one of the few times in his life, at a loss for words. "This was unexpected."

Evangeline's body tensed and her chin raised. Her face began to harden in preparation for the boys to give her any backlash for their current situation.

"Evan, they're not going to get mad." As if Paul could read her mind.
"You know you guys can sit down," John offered, gesturing to one of the couches. "We're not going to be practicing for a couple of hours or anything."

Paul thanked his friend, pulling Evangeline down to a cushioned seat by her waist. She settled next to him and allowed her body to relax in realization that no one was going to verbally attack her and she wouldn't have to spit snide remarks at them in defense. Everything remained awkwardly quiet in the room for a bit as Evangeline sat with Paul's arm wrapped around her until screams erupted from the TV and Martin turned around.

"No! Moss what the fuck are you doing?" he thundered at the screen and with that, the guys were wrapped up in their game and Evangeline allowed herself to snuggle into Paul's side and watch in amusement.

--

Mr. and Mrs. Donahue had been home for a week and they'd barely seen Evangeline. They thought she was constantly at dance and then off with her friends. In reality, their daughter hadn't attended any dance classes for a very long time and she simply spent all of her time with Paul, Bailey and sometimes the rest of Boys Like Girls.

She stayed out of the house and out of her parents' way because she was afraid that they would see how thin she still was. Though Evangeline had gained weight, she was still uncomfortably thin and she didn't seem to be gaining more weight. But, then again, she wasn't really trying.

She ate a bowl of cereal for breakfast and one salad a day. It was better than nothing, but it still wasn't enough and everyone was still worried about her - all of Boys Like Girls since they'd told John and Bailey.

But, at some point, Evangeline knew she'd have to be home when at least one of her parents were. So on that fateful day, she made sure Paul was securely by her side to help her curb questions. She was determined to not have her parents know - she didn't want to go to a doctor or a clinic. She couldn't; she wouldn't.

"Evangeline!" Mrs. Donahue exclaimed when she saw her daughter enter through the back door. And then she saw the boy holding onto Evangeline's hand and she started. "Oh, Paul. Well hello," she greeted but the surprise didn't leave her face.
"Hey, Mrs. Donahue," he smiled to the woman whose eyes just couldn't leave the teenagers' clasped hands.
"Wow a lot must have changed those two weeks we were gone," she mentioned and then turned expressly to her daughter as if something had just entered her mind. "Evangeline, where have you been? I haven't seen you since we got back. And you don't look so well, sweetie," her mother began to fuss. Evangeline began to panic a little and, in response to feeling her tense, Paul dropped her hand and instead wrapped an arm around her miniscule waist. "Do you want to eat something? You just look so thin. Were you sick while we were gone?"

Mrs. Donahue kept rambling as she moved about the kitchen, getting out a pot and a can of Campbell's Tomato Rice soup.

"Mom, really, I'm fine," Evangeline tried to speak over her mother. "I was just sick. I'm better now."
"Are you sure? Honey, you just look so thin," the middle aged woman said worriedly.
"I'm fine. Paul and I are going to go upstairs for a while, okay?"
"Well alright. I have to go to a meeting soon but call me if you need to." She still looked concerned and that made Evangeline more anxious.
"Alright. Bye."

Evangeline took a hold of Paul's arm and all but dragged him up the stairs and to her room. Once they were inside the white and pink confines and the door was closed behind them, she turned to Paul urgently; blue-grey eyes wide with worry.

"She knows," Evangeline claimed.
"She doesn't know. She's just worried," Paul assured her.
"No, she knows. Did you see that look? She knows and she's going to call a doctor and put me in some rehab place. I won't go, Paul," she said in a firm whisper. "I won't."
"Evan," he sighed, cupping her face in his palms and staring into her teary eyes. "She's not going to do anything. You're getting better. You're beautiful and you can see that now. There's no reason to keep hurting yourself and you're not. It's okay," he promised.

Evangeline looked into his big, chocolate irises; searching for a lie but she found only Paul. Just sweet, pure, honest Paul. The Paul who'd never done her harm in her entire life.

"Okay," she lamented, sinking to her bed, laying amongst her pillows and pulling her boyfriend down with her. Paul wrapped his arm around her, nuzzling his nose into her neck.
"Hey," he murmured and Evangeline turned her head to give him her full attention. "I love you."

Evangeline smiled softly before leaning in and kissing Paul for all she was worth. She didn't know what she would do if he ever left her.