Eve opened the door to the club and was greeted by Grace Bennett. “Where have you been?” she asked impatiently.
“Talking to Julian and Rebecca, why?” Eve couldn’t understand why Grace was so anxious.
“Liz just came in and dragged TC off to the back room. I don’t know what is going on, but I don’t trust her,” Grace said nervously.
“That’s it!” Eve fumed. “I have had it with her.” She stormed off in the direction that Grace pointed, with Grace close behind.
Julian entered the club a few minutes after Eve. He looked around briefly, and then headed over to his table. Rebecca sat sipping her drink, staring at a cute, muscular man dancing with his young lover. “Must you be so obvious, Rebecca?” Julian said, annoyed.
Rebecca laughed. “Says the Crane obsessed with a former lover.”
Julian saw her point and waved a hand in truce. “So, what are we drinking?” He picked up his drink and took a sip.
“Double vodka on the rocks. I figured you could use it,” Rebecca smirked.
“Thanks, you’re right!” he said as he drained the drink.
Rebecca stared at him in surprise. “My, my, she must have been some catch.”
“She is perfect!” Julian waved the waiter over.
Rebecca shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “You really have it bad. I wish it was me you were pining after.”
Julian looked up in surprise. “I am sure there is someone out there for you, Rebecca. All I know is, that someone is not me. I could never give you the love you deserve.” He touched her arm tenderly.
“I don’t believe in love. There is no such thing.” Rebecca dismissed the idea.
“You are so wrong, Becky; love is the most wonderful gift that God has to offer the human race. Without love, we are nothing.”
“Oh my, now you’re getting preachy, Julian. What next, a pulpit?”
“I am serious, Rebecca. You’ll understand when it happens to you.” He resigned the conversation. “Until then, it is almost pointless to discuss it with you.”
“Give me a hot, muscular male any day over love. At least that way I won’t be as miserable as ‘love’ seems to have made you.” Rebecca drained the rest of her drink.
‘Not for long,’ Julian thought with a smile. ‘Not if I have it my way.’
At the back of the club, Grace and Eve walked quietly along the corridor, looking for TC and Liz. They walked past a closed door, and would have kept on going had TC not spoken up through the door and startled them.
Eve threw open the door. She glared at Liz, and then turned to TC. “What is going on here?”
Startled, TC backed away from Liz. “I was just telling Liz that I have reconsidered getting a divorce.” He walked up to Eve and took her hands in his. “I was a fool, sweetheart. I acted out of anger. I want us to try to work this out. I don’t want to lose you,” TC pleaded.
Eve stared at him; she wasn’t sure what to think. On one hand, she was thrilled that he seemed to be on the road to forgiveness. While on the other hand, her feelings for Julian were causing her to falter when it came to knowing what she wanted.
Grace smiled uncomfortably, understanding Eve’s dilemma. She turned to leave, and then paused when she noticed Liz wasn’t going to follow her. “I think we should give them some space.” Grace motioned to Liz.
Liz glared at her. “I don’t think…”
“Please, Liz. I’d like to speak to Eve in private, please,” TC said.
Shrugging her shoulders, Liz followed Grace out of the room. She turned to TC. “This is not over,” she promised as she closed the door.
“What was that all about?” Eve asked.
“Nothing. You know Liz. She probably wants to make sure we straighten this out.” He shifted nervously.
“I’ll bet!” Eve said sarcastically.
“Enough about Liz, I want to talk about us, Eve.” TC took her hands in his. “I want us to try and get past this thing with…” TC paused, unable to bring himself to say Julian’s name.
“Julian Crane?” Eve asked. “Are you willing to forgive me for keeping my past with him from you?”
TC opened his mouth, and then closed it.
“You can’t, can you?” Eve asked.
“All I am saying is that I am willing to try if you will give us another chance.” TC tried to look as convincing as possible. The thought of Julian with Eve made him cringe with hate. ‘I’ll be damned if I’ll just hand her over to that pig,’ TC thought as he took Eve in his arms and hugged her. “I’ll try my best to forget about it, Eve.”
Eve pulled from his arms. “Forget about it? Is that what you call dealing with it? Pretending it didn’t happen?” Eve was astonished. “That is no way to deal with something. All you will be doing is making things worse. I’ll constantly have to worry about mentioning Julian’s name. Or worse yet, every time we see him, I am sure you will remember. No, TC, forgetting about it is not the solution.”
TC brushed his hand across his face in frustration. “Why don’t we discuss this later? We have Sam and Grace waiting for us. We will pick this up at home.” TC opened the door.
“I think it would be better if I stayed away from home till we work this out,” Eve suggested.
“What? No! I don’t want you taking handouts from Julian Crane,” he said loudly.
“Keep your voice down,” Eve said in annoyance. “Julian was a part of my past, and as long as we share a son, he will be in my life, TC. There is nothing you can do about that. Now, I am accepting his generous offer to let me stay at the Crane Hotel as a friend, and because I think we need some space to work out our feelings.”
TC stared at the floor for a moment. “Well, I know I can’t talk you out of it, so let’s just go.” He placed a stiff hand on Eve’s back and walked her back to their table.
“You’re just in time,” Sam said.
“In time for what?” TC asked.
“Alistair Crane just showed up. Looks like he is about to make a speech,” Sam said, motioning to the stage.
Alistair Crane stood arrogantly on the stage and grabbed the microphone. He surveyed the crowd and smiled widely when he noticed that everyone was watching him intently. “I am sure that you are all wondering what I am doing here. Well, I won’t waste your time; I’ll get right to the point,” he said, fixing his gaze on TC.
TC shifted nervously. “What the hell does he want?” he whispered to Sam.
“I’ll tell you what I want, TC,” Alistair said.
Shocked, TC sat down. “He couldn’t possibly have heard me,” he whispered quietly.
“I hear everything. I see everything,” Alistair said arrogantly. “Well, I may as well start with you, TC. Do you know that your wife has been unfaithful with my lousy excuse for a son?”
Julian spat out his drink in horror. “What the hell…”
Eve paled two shades and almost choked on a pretzel. “I have not!” she squeaked weakly.
Rebecca dropped her martini in shock. “You…you and Eve?” She stared at Julian in disbelief.
Sam and Grace stared with their mouths hanging open.
TC slammed his fist into the table as his eyes turned a murderous shade of black. “I’m going to kill that bastard.” He started to get up.
“Don’t worry, TC,” Alistair laughed wickedly. “She didn’t sleep with him, just heavy petting. But I am sure it won’t be long until she does.”
TC struggled to get away from Sam. “I’ll kill you!!” he screamed at Alistair. Sam restrained him and tried to calm him down.
“You should talk, TC,” Alistair smirked. “What about you? Hmm? Have you told Eve that you have been sleeping with her sister? Not just the one time either.” He shifted his menacing stare to Eve, who was clutching her heart in shock.
“Is it true?” Eve cried.
TC stared at her helplessly. “We were separated.” He closed his eyes when she slapped him. His face stung with pain.
“As far as I am concerned, it will stay that way,” Eve spat in disgust.
Julian got up from his table, leaving a dumbstruck Rebecca to chew the news of his and Eve’s relationship. “Good Lord, it was right under my nose and I didn’t even see it.” She drained another drink, trying to calm her rattled senses.
Approaching the stage, Julian tried to grab the mike away from Alistair. His bodyguards restrained him and forced him to step back. “Why are you doing this, Father?” he yelled.
“I am doing it for the betterment of Harmony. You would be surprised how full of lies and deceit this town is. Everyone has something to hide.” He fixed his gaze on Sam and Grace. “You may want to give John another paternity test, Grace. This time make sure you trust your doctor.”
Confused, Grace and Sam looked at each other and at Eve.
Eve burst into tears and turned away from them.
“Oh my God, tell me it isn’t true, Eve,” Grace cried. “Tell me that the tests were real.”
Eve sobbed louder.
Tears formed in Grace’s eyes. She bent down to get her coat and ran out of the club, with Sam close at her heels.
“You bastard!” Julian glared angrily at his father. “How could you hurt people like this?”
“I didn’t hurt them; I told them the truth. They hurt each other,” Alistair said, smiling. “Now let me see…what else is there to tell you? Ahhhhh yes, Whitney Russell.” He grinned when TC and Eve stared at him in shock.
“You leave my little girl alone.” TC tried to claw his way toward Alistair. Two large men grabbed him and held him still.
“You are going to listen to this, TC, if it is the last thing you do,” Alistair snarled. “First off, she is no longer a little girl, and second, she is not your little girl.”
“She is my daughter!” TC yelled.
“You may have raised her, but she is not yours. I told you, I know everything.” He smiled when TC continued to struggle to get loose. “You didn’t think that I would know that Whitney is adopted, did you? Well, TC, I do know. In fact, I know the whole story and I am just dying to tell you all about it,” Alistair laughed in delight.
Julian walked around Eve and TC’s table and sat down beside Eve. He was sure that TC would not notice while he struggled with the security guards. “My darling, I am so sorry.” He took her in his arms.
Eve leaned on him and cried into his shoulder. “Make it go away, Julian,” she pleaded. “Make this nightmare go away.”