Chapter 588

Evelyn shot Brooks a look.
Brooks looked right back at her.
There was just no way Evelyn could say no to him in that moment.
He was definitely being a bit selfish.
But having the marriage certificate made him feel secure-like he finally had something solid to hold on to.
Whatever storms might come, he’d stand in front of Evelyn and shield her from all of it.
He’d never let her get hurt, not even a little.
“Okay, okay, that’s settled,” he said, grinning.
“Eve, Aunt Josephine will start planning your engagement party. When the baby arrives, we’ll throw you a huge wedding you’ll never forget,” Wiona chimed in, absolutely glowing with happiness.
Just talking about the engagement party had her buzzing with excitement-she was already calling people, planning, even sketching dress ideas for Evelyn.
Mr. Robinson, not to be outdone, gifted them jewelry worth a fortune and a gorgeous house.
Evelyn felt a little guilty accepting so much.
On the way home, Brooks wrapped her in his arms. “One day, let’s give Grandpa
a whole soccer team of great-grandkids. He probably still wouldn’t think it was enough!”
“What am I, a baby factory? A whole team?” Evelyn laughed and gave him a playful smack on the back.
“My bad, my bad! However many you want, it’s all up to you,” Brooks surrendered, his face showing just who wore the pants now.
Evelyn leaned into his shoulder, her hand unconsciously drifting to her belly. Honestly, there was a bittersweet ache in her heart.
When Charles heard that Evelyn was pregnant with Brooks’s child and that they were engaged, it was like something snapped inside him. He started working nonstop during the day, and at night, he dragged his friends out to drink with him.
He barely said a word.
He just kept drinking.
Blake had to take a call and stepped out. Brody couldn’t drink anymore these days, so he didn’t come out tonight.
Rory watched Charles, frowning, and finally grabbed his hand to stop him from taking another drink. “Come on, man. If she doesn’t want you anymore, you could drink yourself into the grave and she still wouldn’t care. She wouldn’t even glance your way.”
Brody had done the same thing once.
He’d acted all tough when Allison left, insisting he didn’t care.
Everyone told him to swallow his pride and go win Allison back.
But he was stubborn. He thought Allison loved him too much not to come back, that she’d cave soon enough.
But Allison really left.
l.ne
Brody started drinking himself sick even ended up with a bleeding stomach, thinking if he hurt himself
enough, Allison might feelf
come back.
and
She didn’t.
He didn’t believe it, and kept punishing himself.
He drank himself right into cancer.
And Allison never looked back.
Now Charles was following the same path, drinking like he wanted to become Brody 2.0.
“I know,” Charles murmured, voice barely above a whisper.
He knew Eve was never coming back.
She was having Brooks’s baby; she was really moving on.
Eve was gone for good.
He was the only one still stuck in the past, clinging to the hope of a miracle.
But her pregnancy had snuffed out that last bit of hope.
Rory watched him, feeling a pang in his own chest.
“Come on, let’s get you home,” Rory said, snatching away the glass and hauling Charles up.
Just as they stepped out of the private room, the door across the hall opened.
Aaron staggered out, totally wasted, his friend holding him up. He was mumbling, “I know I shouldn’t have drugged her drink, but Brooks and Eve just weren’t getting anywhere! I figured if I helped things along, maybe they’d finally get together.
How was I supposed to know
Charles would show up and take her
away…”
“Would you shut up already? You’re lucky Brooks didn’t kill you for that!” his friend snapped, rolling his eyes.
Brooks had cut Aaron off after what happened.
Aaron was miserable, so he drank too much and started mumbling all over again.
His friend hurried him away.
Charles stood in the doorway, Aaron’s words echoing in his mind.
There was a hint of something in those drunken confessions.
Was Aaron saying Brooks and Eve had never actually been together before he got involved? That’s why he spiked her drink… Conten