Chapter Four
1516 Words
DAN.
I stepped out of the bathroom after taking a nice bath and making sure I was well-shaved and cleaned. I smiled as I brushed my hair in front of the mirror and at times let out a low laugh. I danced around my room as I dressed up and made myself look handsome.
I dressed up in my white shirt and blue trousers, paired with a blue jacket and white Converse, I took the Rolex wristwatch I got on my eighteenth birthday from my dearest father and wore it. I checked myself in the mirror again and smiled.
“You always look so handsome, Dan.” I praised myself.
Knock. Knock.
I rolled my eyes and sighed, praying to whatever god for the person outside my door not to be my stepmother.
“Come in,” I said, still praying.
Luckily it wasn’t her but her daughter, but I would rather not see any of them. Not even this one that I like.
“I heard singing, so I decided to come check it out. You were the one singing, right?” She asked.
I rolled my eyes and then faced the mirror, if she came here because of some ‘music’ that she heard, then she wasn’t serious.
“Where are you going, Dan?” She asked, walking in fully.
I glanced at her but didn’t say anything, I don’t know what they want from me in this house, but whatever thing they were looking for I won’t give it to them.
“I didn’t know you were dumb, Dan.” There she is, the little devil with an angelic face. Evelyn is the prettiest of my stepmother's children, and she was the only girl, she was smart, beautiful, and also evil.
I called her the devil's reincarnation while I was young and until now, that name still sticks with her, though she was just sixteen she has a mouth sharper than any adult I have come across with. Her mouth was even sharper than mine.
“Oh come on, Dan, don’t tell me you are giving me the silent treatment?” She asked in a duh tone. Obviously getting bored with her monotone conversation.
I didn’t hear her speak again and the next thing I heard was the door closing, and I smiled when I didn’t hear her annoying voice once more. At least she had the common sense to know that she wasn’t needed.
“Why are you smiling like a clown, Dan?” I jumped when she appeared before me like a ghost.
I looked at her with a glare, and she was smiling evilly, see the reason I call her the devil's reincarnation.
“You look so funny, Dan.” She said and burst into laughter. Even her laugh sounds evil.
I don’t mean any harm to her in fact, Evelyn is the only person I like among my stepmother’s children. She was an angel the day she was born, and truthfully, I swore to protect her as soon as my eyes laid on her in her crib.
The most beautiful part of it was that she gave me a long toothless smile when she saw me…. I was the first person she smiled to, and I’m the only person who she disturbs and plans evil things for.
“What do you want now, Eve?” I asked, moving to my bed. I picked up my wallet, car key, and the little box in my hand.
I quickly picked that up, so Evelyn wouldn’t see it but trust her to see even the tiniest thing.
“What is that?” She was by my side the next minute.
“Nothing.” I tucked the box in my pants pocket.
She scoffed and folded her hand across her chest, “You can’t tell me that is nothing when you’re practically hiding it.” She questioned, her eyes moving from my face to the box in my pocket.
I moved back as her hand stretched out, of course, I knew she was going to do that.
“You can’t get me this time, Eve.” I winked at her, but all she did was smile wildly at me.
“We will see about that.” With that, she was out of my room.
I sighed in relief, then stayed there for a minute, and when I was sure that she wasn’t coming back. I dipped my hand in my pants pocket and brought the little red box out, I opened it and smiled at the sparkling ring in it.
This is it, I told myself.
‘I can do this, no backing out, Dan.’ I closed the box, placed it back in my pocket, and walked out of my room.
I climbed down the stairs but stopped when I saw my stepmother, father, and one of her sons, the youngest sitting in the living room watching some TV and leaving some comments here and there.
Father was the first to see me, he raised his head and smiled.
“Where are you going, Dan? You’re looking good.” He complimented me, and a little blush stained my cheeks.
“Thanks, Dad, I will be heading out for some time,” I said, without intending to disclose where I was going.
He looked at me and then smiled, “Alright but come back quickly before dinner, we have something to talk about.” He said, turning his head back to the TV.
“Actually, Dad, that wouldn’t be possible. I might have dinner out.” His head snapped to my side.
“Tell me, are you perhaps going to meet Erica?” He asked, catching my many excuses. He could guess anything, that’s my dad, and he was the exact copy of me.
I looked at my stepmother who’d been busy watching TV as she glanced at me before facing it.
“Yes, Dad. I’m having dinner with Erica.” He smiled and waved his hand.
“Then I won’t keep you any longer but make sure to see me the first thing tomorrow morning.” I nodded, then jogged out of the house.
I walked towards the parking lot and pressed my key car, my car lit up, and I walked towards it.
I intended to open the door but noticed that something was wrong, I looked closely and saw that I had a flat tire.
‘What the f**k!’
I had this car checked this morning and everything was intact, so how the hell am I having a flat tire all of a sudden?
“We will see about that.” Those words came to mind and I cursed.
Of course, this has to do with that little Devil. I sighed and ruffled my hair, I need to get another car key, and to get that I have to go back inside, and I don’t have that much time.
I felt a hand creeping up behind me, and before I could ask who that was, the person was already in front of me.
I saw Evelyn staring at something and that’s when I noticed that the box in my pants was missing.
“So this was what you’re hiding.” She scoffed as she closed the little box.
“Give me that little mons…” I sighed and took the box from her.
“You are going to propose?” She asked.
“Yes, So?” I growled, folding my hand as I glared at her. Was this what she was supposed to say? I mean isn’t she supposed to be apologizing for bursting my tire and making me late?
“Are you sure you truly love Erica?” She asked.
Her sudden question threw me off guard and for a minute, I was speechless.
“Of course I do. Erica is my world and I want to spend the rest of my life with her.” I said after getting my tongue back.
Evelyn sighed, and her usual happy face was dull, something was wrong.
“What’s wrong Eve?” She shook her head.
“It’s nothing, but I hope the truth won’t hurt you, Dan. You are a nice brother, and I’m sorry if I kept this from you.” I frowned, wondering where all this talk was coming from.
Why was she saying this to me?
“What aren’t you telling me, Eve?” She shook her head again and then brought a shiny object out.
I looked at it closely and saw that it was a car key, she opened my palm and placed the key in it.
“You can leave now Dan but don’t say that I did not warn you.” After saying that, she left me in the car garage confused.
I don’t know what she meant by saying all that, but I’m sure that it wasn’t that bad right….right?
I looked at the key in my hand and then sighed before entering the car.
Regardless of what happens today, I’m proposing to Erica and I knew she was going to say yes.
- Writer
