#47 A new beginning

Evelyn's Point of View
Three whole years passed by since the moment I last saw Sebastian. Time went by so quick that it seemed only like a month to me…
I'd have lied if I told anyone that leaving Sebastian didn't hurt me. It did, and it does. He's in my thoughts every single day, and my soul still burns for him. But I loved my daughter more, and I had to make the right choices for her future, not mine.
It was better for Lily to grow up without a father than having one who didn't know what love means.
Lily was the best thing that happened to me after the transplant. My daughter brightened up my life once again. I made sure my baby girl had all the love and care she deserved. My heart was mending little by little every time her eyes looked at me with so much unconditional love. I was blissful with every grin I saw forming on her lips.
I didn't stop loving Sebastian. It's just I loved my daughter more than him, and that made my life away from him so much more sufferable.
After Sebastian left, Nickolas arranged for me to be transported into another clinic and continue the necessary therapy there under a different name. Owen took care of the medical details, relieving us from a huge burden.
Complications with my pregnancy happened until the last minute. My heart wasn't functioning properly during the late months of my gestation. So, we had to medically induce labor two weeks earlier.
I wanted to give birth to my daughter naturally, and the doctors agreed as long as they monitored me closely. After all, I might have reconsidered my decision because it was painful like Hell. But it was all worth it since my little angel came to life healthily. Liliana, my beautiful daughter, was born, and my life transformed into Heaven…
Thankfully, my heart function was back to normal after I gave birth to Lily. We had a series of tests to make sure she was also healthy and didn't have any problem with her heart. I wasn't sure whether I could go through all that anxiousness and worry all over again. I couldn't stand losing her. My whole world was now spinning around her. Finally, to our relief, the doctors informed us that Lily was perfectly healthy.
I stayed in New York close to my parents' house for the next three months. That way, I had my loved ones around me to help me get used to my new role. My parents took care of Lily while I was working and planning our next move.
My boss was satisfied with my efficiency, even though I never actually stepped foot in the office. I managed to adjust my schedule around Lily's needs and keep doing a job I loved. I was lucky to have such understanding superiors. They didn't even fire me when I announced to them I was leaving the States.
It wasn't that easy to travel around the world with a baby. However, Nickolas helped me take care of every little detail, just like he had promised. He made it clear that money shouldn't be a problem for me. Truth be told, my savings weren't enough to allow me to leave. I was planning to repay him every single dollar he had lent me, though.
The only thing that changed my initial plan was Owen's decision to come with us. The red-haired doctor wanted to travel and seek new adventures. We all knew that I would need help, and Owen was the least suspicious person who could accompany me.
So, I left the States with my baby and Owen…
Ironically, I ended up traveling around the world with my daughter and a man who wasn't Sebastian. I'm sure the billionaire would be outraged if he ever found out about this. Although, I doubt he had any reason to get mad about my choices and decisions since he was the one responsible for what happened to us. Yet, that stupid heart inside me couldn't stop beating for him, and my stubborn brain couldn't forgive him. At least not yet…
Our plan was simple and divided into different stages. Firstly, I'd have to stay for a few months in England, then move to France, and at last to Greece. Ever since I decided to break up with Sebastian and start a new life somewhere else, Greece was the first country that popped into my mind. The intermediate destinations were necessary so that the ruthless billionaire would lose our tracks.
During our stay in London, we also traveled to Edinburg to see Owen's parents. They were excited to meet me, and they loved Lily. I could tell the two of them were shipping for a romantic relationship between their son and me, but that was out of question.
Owen and I were clear since the beginning that our relationship was going to be based only on our friendship. This was our agreement, and I didn't regret making it. My soul would always burn for Sebastian and solely for him… I couldn't love another man, and Owen deserved to be loved truly and wholeheartedly.
When we finally arrived in Greece, we settled in Mykonos to spend the rest of the summer. And then, in late September, we moved into Athens. The same pattern repeated every year; we enjoyed the sun and the sea each summer in Mykonos and went back to Athens during the winter months.
Lily loved the sea, the sand, and the sun. Our house was a few meters away from a private beach, so we literally spent most of our time there. It was the best environment for a child to grow up in.
The locals quickly learned our names and saluted us whenever we met. The people were always smiling and willing to help us with everything we needed.
I tried to learn a few simple Greek words that I could use when needed. It wasn't that easy, and Owen laughed at my funny accent. He won't ever admit it, but I caught him sometimes to try and speak in Greek, too. And I'm delighted to say that he was even worse than me…
My daughter was the perfect combination of her father and me. Lily had blonde curly hair like mine, while her eyes were a mix of blue and grey. Her eye color changed along with her emotions. When she was upset, her eyes turned grey, just like her father's. But when she was happy, they had the same color like the morning sky and the endless blue sea surrounding us.
We watched Lily grow up every day. I couldn't be prouder and happier for my daughter. My life's aim was to make her smile all the time and hear her giggle constantly.
At times, I felt a bit guilty for Sebastian's absence. He missed all the first achievements his daughter made. He wasn't there when she called me "mommy" for the first time. He was absent when Lily started to walk, and he was missing from her first birthday party. He wasn't there all the nights we stayed awake because Lily's tummy hurt, and she was crying inconsolably. Sebastian wasn't there to play with her or show her how to ride her bicycle.
Sebastian wasn't part of our lives, but I doubted whether Lily could feel his absence. My daughter never met her father, so how could she miss him?
I thought my love for Sebastian would fade away gradually, but I was wrong. That blazing fire inside my chest only grew stronger. I couldn't forget him, and I didn't want to.
Yet, I wasn't sure whether I could forgive him. He hurt me a lot and more times than I cared to count. He might have been broken, but this wasn't an excuse to justify his actions. He shouldn't have reacted the way he did when he learned the truth about Olivia and me...
"Mommy, I want ice cream!" Lily's sweet voice put an end to my reverie.
I looked down to see her adorable face forming a cute pout. "But you already ate ice cream today, sweetie. Your tummy will hurt if you eat more," I told her as I ran my hand through her curly hair.
"I'll ask uncle. He is a doctor," she exclaimed and ran to the living room to bombard Owen with her questions.
A small smile formed on my lips, and I followed her.
"Your mommy is right, Lily. You can have more ice cream tomorrow, okay?" I heard the red-haired man saying.
Lily shrieked happily and clapped her hands. The homemade ice cream I made with yogurt and fresh fruits was her favorite snack. I'm sure she could survive while eating only that.
"Will you come with us to the beach tomorrow, uncle O?" my beautiful daughter asked again.
She couldn't say Owen's full name when she was younger, so we were all calling him "Uncle O"…
"I will after I finish my job," Owen replied, pecking her hair softly.
"Are you ready to go to bed, Lily?" I joined the conversation and strolled towards the large sofa.
Lily pouted and looked towards her uncle's side since she didn't want to sleep yet...
I grabbed her and let her sit on my lap before I started tickling her. Her melodic laugh filled our living room and made me smile brightly.
"Mommy… Please… Stop…" the young girl begged me between her laughs while she tried to fight me off her.
I stopped teasing her and showered her face with many kisses. Lily wrapped her little arms around me and nuzzled her head on the crook of my neck.
"I guess you're tired after all," I muttered, glancing towards the red-haired man.
"She must brush her teeth first," Owen reminded us, and I heard my daughter sigh.
I chuckled and stood up to carry her up the stairs and towards our bedrooms.
Owen helped Lily brush her teeth while I made her bed for the night. After putting her pajamas on, I read her a fairytale, and she eventually fell asleep. I pecked her forehead softly before I silently left her room and descended the stairs once again.
I found Owen sitting on the sofa with two glasses of wine on the coffee table in front of him. He had cleaned the mess Lily had made while playing earlier and seemed to enjoy the quietness of the night.
"Is she asleep?" Owen asked when he sensed my presence.
I nodded and sat next to him.
"Well, that means we can enjoy a glass of wine," Owen chuckled and handed me one of the drinks.
"Are we celebrating something?" I asked as we clicked our glasses together.
"Do we need to celebrate something so that we can drink a glass of wine?"
"No, I was just a bit surprised…"
"We're raising a child, and we have full-time jobs. We need some time for ourselves, Evelyn," the man shrugged.
Well, that wasn't a lie. Since I became a book editor, my workload had increased a lot.
"You sound like we're married," I chuckled.
My laugh stopped when I saw Owen's solemn expression, and a frown formed between my brows.
"Owen, what's wrong?"
Instead of answering me, he just took our drinks and placed them back on the table.
"You know that most people think we're married…" he then said cautiously.
The Greeks loved to gossip, and we were obviously a popular topic for them to talk. Most of them indeed believed that we were married and Lily was our child.
I tilted my head to the side and looked at him. "Since when do you care about other people's opinions?"
"I never said I'm completely oblivious to what the others think of me," Owen retorted.
"Well, we certainly have a disagreement here. I stopped caring long ago about such trivial things."
"Do you? Really?" Owen challenged me.
I frowned and looked at him through half-closed eyes. We rarely had a fight, but this was clearly our biggest one until now.
"Then why aren't you back with Sebastian?" he added since I had remained silent.
His question caught me completely off guard. I couldn't understand what Sebastian had to do with this matter…
"How is this related to our previous conversation?" I managed to say at last.
"Isn't it obvious? You're not going to forgive him because you're afraid of what all the others will think of you," Owen replied indifferently.
My brows shot up in awe, and I just stared at him for a few moments without talking. "I haven't forgiven Sebastian because he hurt me like no one else did in this world. That doesn't mean I don't love him anymore, though. Love can't forgive everything, Owen…"
"I think you're afraid to run back to him because of a possible scandal. People will call you a heartless woman who toyed with his emotion without any remorse. They'll claim that you came back only because you ran out of money," Owen hissed.
I blinked a few times and pinched myself to see whether this was just another nightmare. But it was real. I felt my lower lip trembling and my eyes welling up with tears.
"How dare you!" I exclaimed and stood up from the couch.
Owen was quick to mimic me and grab me from my arm. He pulled me closer to him, and our faces were now only a few inches apart.
I tried to push him away, but he pressed his hand against my lower back, trapping me into his embrace.
"Tell me that you still love him, and I'll let you go," he whispered close to my ear, and then I felt his lips brushing against the skin of my neck.
"Owen, what on earth are you doing?" I asked, silently cursing my trembling voice.
"You can move on if you don't love him, Evelyn. There are plenty of decent men out there…" he said and pecked my neck right behind my ear.
"Other men or you?" I asked as my brain started functioning again.
"I thought I made my emotions for you pretty clear," he said and sounded a bit broken.
"But you're seeing other women," I tried to reason with him.
He couldn't be in love with me, could he?
"I fuck other women. There's a huge difference, and you know it."
Oh well, I have felt that difference to my bone...
"What's wrong with you today, Owen? Are you drunk?" I asked as I kept fighting to break free.
"I'm tired of waiting, Evelyn!" he yelled and pulled back so he could gaze at me.
"I've never asked you to wait, Owen…" I breathed out, staring at his brown eyes filled with pain and need.
He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. "I thought you knew my feelings…"
"I thought we were just friends. I never realized you wanted something more," I replied truthfully.
"Tell me that you love him," he demanded while his eyes were now fixated on my lips.
I bit my lower lip and breathed out a quiet sigh. "I still love Sebastian with every living cell inside my body, and I doubt this will ever change. You deserve to find your own happiness and a woman who loves you just as much…" I muttered, boring my eyes into his.
He shook his head as a few stray tears ran down his cheeks.
"Owen, I think it's better if you leave and forget about us," I said in a steady voice.
He then let go of me like I had suddenly burned him.
"Don't you dare ask that from me again! I can't leave you. You know how important I am for Lily…"
"You must take care of yourself and stop worrying for us, Owen."
Owen ran his hands through his hair and looked deeply in thought. He kept pacing back and forth, shaking his head.
"Evelyn, please forgive me. I was completely out of line. Can we just forget about all this?" he asked and headed towards the door.
How can I pretend that this didn't happen?
"Where are you going?" I said, completely perplexed by his attitude.
"For a walk. I promise we'll talk tomorrow…" the man said before exiting our home.
I sat back on the couch, thinking of what had just transpired.
Owen was in love with me all this time.
He'd surely deny it the next day. But it'd only be a lie, and we both knew that.
It seemed like my little Paradise was more messed up than I thought…

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A.N. Thank you all for your lovely comments! I couldn't stop smiling while reading them!