CAPTURED BY THE CEO'S CHARM

-Homecoming-

-Homecoming-

“Your mom has been in the hospital for the past five days. I don't know... I didn't get to hear the cause of her sickness, but Evelyn, she isn't recovering. She wants to see you urgently!” Ava broke the news, tears streaming down her face.

“What!?" Evelyn exclaimed. “My mother is sick!?"

It wasn’t possible. She had spoken to her mom yesterday, and she sounded as fit as a horse, even fitter if you added her attempts to bring her home.

“Wait a minute, I don't understand what you're telling me, Ava. You mean, my mother?! Sick?! Of what?! I spoke to her yesterday. She wa-was fine”. She stuttered, finding it hard to believe Ava or her sister, Emily.

“Your sister has been trying to reach you. She slumped this morning." Ava sniffled as she cleaned up her tears. Evelyn looked down at her. She was already little, but the news shrank her, making her feel smaller than she was.

“What are you going to do?” Ava asked, her eyes red.

"First, I'm going to confirm this. Perhaps it wasn’t as serious as it sounded.” Evelyn knew it was probably serious, but she couldn’t resist the fate that she might lose her mother. Again.

Ava nodded in response as she handed Evelyn her handbag, stepping aside. As her phone rang, Evelyn paced around the little dressing room.

“Emily—" Evelyn called out the second her sister picked up.

Emily sneezed loudly and then croaked out a little "hello" between sniffles. Her voice was thick, probably from the tears she had been crying. “Mom is sick. You need to come home, Evelyn. Please. She needs you."

Evelyn's heart sank, and she dropped to the couch behind her, rubbing her temple. She needed to get home fast.

”Call me a cab.” Evelyn said as she grabbed her bag and darted for the door.

“It's already outside, waiting."

Evelyn gave Ava a sad smile. She was such a wonderful and best friend.

“Thank you,” she said, giving Ava a tight hug and running to the door, leaving London for a place she never thought she would return to: America.

********

Evelyn emerged from the New York airport with only her purse and an overnight bag, walking next to Damon Lincoln, her ex-boyfriend turned very good friend. She broke up with him after a year of dating. Evelyn told him the reason she left America, which was the same reason she had to leave him. He hadn’t taken it well, but after a month, he was back by her side, not as a boyfriend but as a very good friend.

As she rode to the airport, she called him and broke down on the phone. Coincidentally, he had business in New York and offered to go with her. She hesitated at first; it wasn’t a good idea to travel with an ex, but she needed all the support she could get. He had held her together through the flight.

Damon hailed two taxis, one for her and the other for him. It wouldn’t look good for her to arrive with a man.

He pulled her into a tight hug and said, “Don’t worry, it is going to be okay.” Evelyn let herself get lost in his scent. She knew he wasn’t just talking about her mother but everything she would face. Alex. His name rang so softly in her head.

“Alright," Damon said, pulling her away with a smile on his face. “You’re a big girl; you can take care of yourself.”

He reached out and touched her chin. “However, if you need anything, just anything, I'm just a call away. I'll be in New York City for a long time."

“Thank you, Damon. You’re the best." She beamed as she touched his arm softly. Then she turned around and opened the passenger door.

As the car sped off, Damon stood there staring until she was out of sight. When he picked up her call earlier that night and heard the tears in her voice, he knew he had to be by her side no matter what. After she had broken up with him, he had been at the lowest point of his life. He wanted her back. No, he needed her back in his life. He had told himself that he didn’t need to date her, just be by her side, but after tonight, he knew that would never be enough. And now she was going back home to the man who caused their breakup, Alexander Lewenstein, the man whom she had been betrothed to since they were kids. The man who had hurt her.

******

Evelyn pulled her bag into the hall, taking a mental note to inform Ava of her arrival once she checked in. She gracefully carried the overnight back in her right hand while holding her handbag in her left hand as she approached the reception desk. The receptionist, a good-looking young man in his late twenties, looked up, smiling politely, as she approached the counter before him.

"Hi, I'm here to check in. I booked a suite over the phone. Evelyn Heartfield?"

The receptionist took a glance at his computer and looked up, giving her a warm smile. "Welcome, Ms. Heartfield. I have your reservation right here. Let me just get you checked in, and I'll have your room ready in no time."

As he began typing away at the computer, her mind couldn't help drifting back to her Mother’s illness. She was still contemplating driving down to the hospital or doing that in the morning. But it was late in the night—almost four in the morning. She wasn’t sure the hospital would allow her in this late, and her anxiety medication had already left her in an intoxicated state.

She would see her mother in the morning. She wasn’t in the right state of mind; she was exhausted from her show, and then the news drained all her strength, leaving her with a splitting headache and a hunger she hadn't felt until now.

She cleared her throat, attracting the attention of the receptionist.

"I apologize; I didn't catch that, Ms. Heartfield," the receptionist said, looking up from the computer screen with a smile. He stared back at her his eyes filled with hope and dreams of the future. He probably had a girlfriend, someone he could go back to after his night shift. Their future would probably be boring and small, but at least it would be theirs. Evelyn knew deep down this visit to home was going to bring lots of things to the surface. She cleared her head, her focus back on the receptionist.

"I was just wondering if you could tell me what time the restaurant closes for dinner. I would like to order some food," she said, at this point, it took all the strength in her to stand.

"Oh, of course! The restaurant opens at 6 p.m. and closes at midnight, available for clients like you with need of a late dinner." He smiled again, his eyes crinkling at the corners. He would make a beautiful young lady happy someday.

She turned and headed for the restaurant. Would she even be able to make it to the restaurant in her current state?

The receptionist- God bless his soul-saw through her thoughts and offered to deliver the food to her room. She gave him a tired smile and thanked him. Evelyn gave him her order and generously tipped him before heading to her room.

Her room was 1123 on the seventh floor. With her bags in her left hand, she walked up to her door, inserted the key, and turned the lock. As she pushed open the door and walked in, her phone rang. Ava.

"Hey, I just checked in.” She strolled in, dropping her overnight bag on one of the chairs in the room. This was a short visit and she intended it to be that way. Any clothing she needed could be gotten from Emily.

“How's the headache? Did you take your medication?" Ava fired her questions, concerned, as always, about Evelyn's health.

“Yeah, I did, and I feel a bit better now. Thanks. So sorry, I couldn't call earlier."

" No problem. I understand. You need to rest up. You know what happens when you take those drugs."

“Yeah, I know. I am going to bed now.” She said, taking off her black stilettos, with a hand placed against the wall for support.

"Okay. That’s good.” She said, almost to herself, then she added in a soft tone, “Evelyn, your mom is going-"

She was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door: “Room service here."

"Oh, you ordered something.”

"Yes. But I doubt I will be able to eat much," Evelyn said as she headed for the door.

"Evelyn,” Ava implored, "you didn't have lunch, you know? So try eating a little.”

“Yes, Ma'am." Evelyn teased. She opened the door and stepped aside. A beautiful young girl in her mid-twenties, dressed in a red uniform, walked into the room with a tray of food in hand.

“Good evening, Miss; your order is here.”

Nodding, Evelyn pointed to the table and said, “Thank You. Leave it on the table, please.” She pulled out her purse and tipped the woman.

"Enjoy your meal, Miss." The attendant chirped before leaving.

“I'll call you in the morning, Ava." She said, closing the door and bolting it from within.

“Alright. Get some sleep. Bye." Ava said, hanging up.

After her dinner, Evelyn stepped into the bathroom for a quick shower before heading to bed. Sleep escaped her. Images of her mother filled her head. She shouldn’t have left her all those years. But she knew it was non-negotiable. It had been to protect herself. She'd been told her mother was in a critical condition, and there was little hope for her recovery. Evelyn made a silent prayer in her heart as she pulled the quilt over her, falling into a deep slumber.