For Evangeline, going back to Llandview is like returning to an old crime scene where she had given her heart to an ex boyfriend but he had stomped on it and handed it right back to her “it’s all in the past, it’s all in the past,” she reminded herself.

As they got off the plane, they immediately went into the Limo, they were heading straight to a charity event. John just got a promotion, he was transferred to Llandview, being a police commissioner means they wont be going for honeymoon anytime soon.

John leaned over and stared into her tired eyes he thought he knew what she was thinking and he wanted to put her mind at ease, “ Evangeline,” he called out while she looked at him and gave a weak smile.

“Yes baby.” she answered.

“ Thanks for letting me take this job, if it doesn’t work out, if you don’t like being back in Llandview just say the word and we’ll move to back to New York.”

She nodded her head at him, she always knew that John had a hero complex, he has the need to save someone at all times, it makes him happy and she couldn’t take that away from him.

He has always tried to make her happy, well he always did for the most part of it but there’s a little problem. He has a great package and all but he was always at work, he always came home , too tired and too lazy to use his tools on her. He would rather be humping the criminal files at work, she figured she couldn’t have it all so she always faked the funk when it came to sex.

she wasn’t going to complain, she secretly bought herself the best shaft money can buy with some amazing everlasting Duracell batteries to go with it.

Since they met, she knew he was addicted to work, there was no point trying to change him, John Mc Bain is allergic to change.

Todd owns record label called LINN, and he was throwing a charity event for awareness for cancer, all the big shots of the music industry were there. By the way, all he knew was that his estranged brother was coming with is wife Evangeline Mc Bain and he has to be on his best behavior because she’s Blair’s friend and Blair had convinced her friend to sing for the occasion.

The name Evangeline made him remember his high school sweet heart, her name was Linn Williamson, he named his company after her.

As the event started, he was so lost in thoughts but the loud sound of the standing ovation around him brought him back to life.

He looked up the stage and saw one sizzling hot woman walking to the center, he realized he could not take his eyes off her, there was something about her take took him to the past.

she smiled and grabbed the microphone then said “ladies and gentle men please give a warm welcome to TJ. Prize.” As the crowd clapped, a handsome young mixed race boy in his late teens walked up the stage and kissed her on both cheeks, she motioned the audience to sit down then turned to the boy, “ Take it away darling.”

The young boy began to sing ……..

TJ: "Reaching out, looking for some way to escape the crowd

You whispered words that I’ve being searching for

Somehow you answered my call

Reaching out I feel I’m rising up."

Eva: "You give me grace

In a world that doesn’t sleep at all

You give me grace

It’s a place I’ve never being before

You give me grace

And in all these confusion, you’re the peace in my soul

That’s why, I will never really be alone."

TJ: "Suddenly, I’m up on a surface now where I can see

And picture the person who I need to be

And I know yes I know I can make it

See me now, I’m slowly rising up"

They held each other’s hands, looked into each other’s eyes and sang together,

"Well yeah, these are difficult times

These are difficult days

But I know we can face it

Ours are difficult lives in a difficult place

Oh you give me grace to say when I got it wrong

The grace and the will to carry on

Reaching out I feel I’m rising up."

The young boy embraced her tightly and she whispered in his ears “ Have a safe flight back to school baby.” The boy replied “ Thanks ma.” as he walked away, the crowd continued to cheer while Evangeline carried on with her singing.

Eva: "You give me grace

Now there’s nothing I don’t fear at all

You give me grace

When I’m on the edge just watch me fall

You give me grace

In all the confusion, you’re the peace in my soul

That’s why I will never really be alone."

She smiled then took a bow “ Thank you, thank you.” the audience cheered louder as she glided off the stage.

Blair pinched her husband’s hand “ isn’t she wonderful?”

Todd replied “ She’s amazing, she’s just what the label needs, we have to offer her an irresistible deal before one of the hungry producers get their hands on her.”

“ Well she’s your brother’s wife and my girl so it should be pretty easy, it can wait till next week.”

“ My brother and I are not best of friends,” he scratched his head then said half loud “ she has a lot of soul.”

She hit him in the ribs with her elbow “ Todd, don’t flirt with her like you do other girls, she’s my best friend, I don’t want her running away.”

“ Ouch,” he groaned form the pain, “all I ever do is flirt, at least I don’t bag and bed them all unlike someone.”

When the event was over, Blair saw a bunch of people trying to pass their cards to Evangeline so she pulled Todd’s hand “ You’re right, the water is shark infested, we need to get her before anyone else gets the chance, let me introduce you two.”

When they finally reached her, Blair pulled her by the hand “ Helloooooo gorgeous.”

She screamed with delight “ Oh Blair,” they embraced each other. “ sorry I didn’t have a chance to talk to you before I got on stage, good to see you.”

“ I’m so happy you made it, I want to introduce you to my husband.”

Evangeline shook her head in surprise and amusement, “ Blair Cramer, married!!!! I thought I’d never see the day, who is the lucky bastard?”

Blair turned around and pointed to Todd “ Baby, meet my friend. Evangeline, this is my husband Todd.”

Todd stepped in front of Blair “ That would be me.” He looked at her again and clenched his jaws instantly, she’s the grown up version of the girl he use to date.

As she saw him, her heart dropped to the floor, it hurt so bad she thought it would explode out of her chest.

She pulled herself together then put her hand out to shake him but he grabbed her and hugged her instead. He buried his head into her neck and inhaled her scent, he then said “ I can’t believe it’s you, Linn.” she flinched and pulled away, pretending not to hear him, she turned to Blair “ Wow! He’s a hugger.”

Blair replied “ What can I say, welcome to the family.”

He looked at her and attempted to push her buttons, “ So Linn, we met before?”

She smiled and kept her cool, “ The name is Evangeline and no we have never met before.”

The sound of John’s voice woke them up “ How are you doing Blair? By the way, thanks for inviting us. Hey Todd, I see you’ve met my beautiful wife.”

Before Blair could speak, Todd cuts he with mischief “ Ha, yes,” he laughed out, “ I’m surprised someone of her caliber is willing to have you bro.”

“ How would you know about class Todd?” intentionally referring to Blair he smirked and said “You are surrounded by free loaders and leaches.”

Evangeline just stood back in disbelieve and Todd caught the look just in time “ Oh please don’t tell me your wife doesn’t know you have a brother?”

John’s face turned pale because he knew he had some explaining to do when they get home “ Our parents were married for two minutes and your father got an annulment because he wanted to get back with your mother so, I won’t consider you a brother.”

Evangeline quickly took charge and shook it off “ I know all about you Todd, he just left out the part that says you’re a jerk ass, I‘ll show myself around.” she stomped off, just the way she always did in high school, especially when mad at him.

Todd and John were just about to slit each other’s throat when Blair got in the middle “ okay guys relax, why don’t I show John around?” she began pulling John away then she yelled “ As for you husband, keep your eyes on prize, go and look for Evangeline and apologize to her.”

As Blair and John walked away, Todd said to himself “ I’m totally f*cked, I’ve a lot of groveling to do.”

He followed her scent through the halls then stopped where her aroma stopped. He entered the board room, she was sitting on one of the rotating chairs but her back was turn against the door.

He closed the door with his foot then leaned against it as a start. “ I’ve always dreamt that I would see you again and you would be sitting beside me in one of those chairs.”

Without looking at him she replied “ I think your conscience is after the wrong person, I’m not her, I am not Linn, the name is Evangeline Mc Bain.”

He walked toward her then stopped just behind her seat, “ I thought my eyes were deceiving me too but I looked at your ankle and even though the scar is hardly noticeable, I still remember everything. We were in elementary school, playing tag, you fell while chasing me, you were bleeding and you couldn’t walk so I carried you on my back to the nurse’s station.”

She turned around and looked at him the let out a sigh and a smile filled with disappointment, “ Funny how dreams change hun? Meeting someone like you would definitely scar a girl for life. Do you know how much damage you caused in your absence?”

“Linn…” he began,

She slammed her hand on the table and turned red with anger , “ Shut up and wait your turn, I earned the right to speak without being interrupted by you,” he kept quiet then she continued, “ You were suppose to come back for me, I waited and waited till I finally realized you weren’t worth waiting for.”

He turned his face away from her, “ Things didn’t go as planned Linn and I’m sorry.”

she got up and stood face to face with him “ Do you have any idea how much sh*t I went through?”

He looked at her teary eyes, he reached out and touched her face, it felt just like old times “ Linn, I think about you every single day, I never stopped loving you. You must have being through a lot, I kn…………”

She brushed his hand away with her right hand while her left palm connected with his cheek like a flash of lightening, she slapped him so hard, so fast, he didn’t see it coming.

By now, the tears were pouring freely from both their eyes. “ You don’t get a second chance to mess with my life, you don’t get to torture me with your charms, you don’t get to bring back memories of what use to be and things that could have been because you messed it up.

And you have no idea what kind of pain I had to deal with alone.”

“ I was young and stupid and clueless,” he grabbed her and embraced her, she tried to pull away but he held on tight “ I was in love with you, I never meant to hur…….”

She forcefully pushed him away and gave him another thunderous slap then she screamed “ You left.”

He slowly sat down on the chair wondering how to undo the damage he cause, she picked up her purse and walked out. She leaned against the closed door as if she wanted to feel the spark that was lost between them but the truth is, it never went away.

As she went to look for two week old her husband, she thought to herself, “ What was I suppose to do? Was I suppose to hold and kiss him like hold times and say hi Todd, by the way we made a baby together seventeen years ago?”