The Dissolution of Unrequited (The Science of Unrequited Book 4)

by Len Webster

  “It’s okay if you don’t want to be part of our baby’s life. It might not be for you right now. I can do this on my own. I will never stop you from wanting to meet or be a part of his or her life later on.” She paused to take a breath. “You can pursue your dreams in LA. It’s about your dreams now. You came to Zürich to be with me, and you weren’t happy, but I won’t stop you from going to California. We’ll make it work if that’s what you want.”

  He knew that whatever he said right now, she would not believe. She wanted him to think it over, but he didn’t need time. She did. Evan knew what he wanted. It was his baby and the love of his life. But he would have to prove to her how true he was to his dreams of them being a family. A dream he had always wanted but never voiced out loud.

  “Okay. I’ll think about it. Good night, AJ.”

  “Good night, Evan,” she said as she turned to open the front door.

  Once she opened the door, Evan made his way down the steps and toward his car. He slipped into the driver’s seat and started the ignition. Evan peeked back at her house to find that she was staring at him. She must have expected him to go to his house next door, but he didn’t. He had gone straight into his car, ready to drive to Cambridge to meet someone who would change his life.

  Throughout the ride into Cambridge, he thought about Alexandra. Of her stomach swelling as their baby grew. The thought of her giving birth and cradling their child. He thought of the life he’d live with her as his partner and not just his best friend. Thoughts of her and their future with their child consumed him during the ten-minute drive. Evan wanted it all, and he was determined to have it all. He just had to work harder than ever before.

  He needed to prove to AJ that he was in it forever.

  For more than promised words.

  He wanted a life with her and their baby.

  A happy one, no less.

  As he pulled into the short driveway, he smiled at himself. He was going to be a father. He should be scared, but he wasn’t. It felt right. It was what he had always wanted with AJ someday.

  And that someday had come.

  It might not have been the way he had planned, but he wouldn’t change it for the world. As Evan turned off the engine, he stared at the house. That sense of rightness glowed in his chest because he now knew the choices he’d made since he got back from Zürich were the right ones.

  Pulling on the handle, Evan got out of the car, closed the door, and made his way to the red painted wooden front door. He inhaled a deep breath, grasped the doorknob, and twisted it, knowing that it would be unlocked. He let himself into the warm house and set his keys on the hallway table. He went down the hall and into the kitchen as he combed his hair back before he stepped into the living room.

  “What do you think of our home?” he asked, desperately wanting approval.

  “It’s perfect, Evan.”

  “You think so?”

  He smiled, pride filling his chest as he watched Mr. Parker, AJ’s father, turn around to face him. “I do, and I think she will, too.”

  Evan sighed in relief. “She always did want to live on a street like this one.”

  “You kept all the original features. It has three bedrooms, and it’s close to MIT. My daughter will love this house,” Mr. Parker said.

  Evan headed over to the kitchen and pulled on the stainless steel fridge door. Retrieving two bottles of beer, he closed the door and headed over to AJ’s father. “Thanks for looking at what’s been done so far. I know with your house being full that this was the only time you could come over without raising suspicion.”

  Mr. Parker took the beer from him with a smile. “I left the spare key on the hallway table. I also sent Clara some pictures, and she agrees that Alexandra will love it. When you bought this house four weeks ago, we weren’t sure, but after seeing what you’ve done, it’s amazing.”

  “I still have a lot of painting to do. The room I picked out for Alexandra’s office still needs the carpenters to come in and build her bookcases,” he said as he led Mr. Parker toward the dark gray couch he had picked out a week ago. It was comfortable and large enough for several people to sit on. When he lived with AJ in Zürich, he learned early on that she was a woman of comfort rather than design when it came to furnishings.

  “Can you still afford the rest of the renovations? I know you wanted to replace the floorboards. Clara and I can add to your funds,” Mr. Parker offered.

  Evan shook his head. “Nah. I’m good. Kyle gave me more than enough for the family house so he and Angie can settle down. Plus, I still have money from my parents that I never used. This house will be done. You know she’s been looking for apartments in Cambridge.”

  “Has she found any she likes?”

  “No. She couldn’t afford the ones with more than one room. Plus, I made sure I pointed out all the faults of each apartment so she didn’t fall in love with them. The moment I drove past this a month after she went back to Zürich, I knew it was perfect for her … Perfect for us.”

  “And what if she doesn’t want this house?” Mr. Parker asked, his brow raised.

  Evan took in all the renovations he had done in the past month—all his hard work that she might not have wanted done in the first place—but he remembered when they were kids and she pointed at the houses in Cambridge from her parents’ car. She used to point and say, “I want a house like that one.” She had even asked him to buy her one similar to the one he had purchased for them.

  “Then she doesn’t want a house together. I won’t force her to stay,” Evan said. “But if she’s ready for a life together in this house, then she knows I was committed from the start.”

  Mr. Parker took a pull of his beer and set it to rest on his thigh. He stared at him as if he were trying to find the answers on Evan’s face. “You still want to be with my daughter?” There was no hiccup in his voice. His question was serious.

  “You and I both know she wanted to stay in Zürich for those three extra years. You should have seen her, Mr. Parker. She was amazing at that institute. I was just the boyfriend she’d come home to and go out of her way to give attention to even though she was tired.” Evan reached out and set his beer on the coffee table he had assembled two days ago. “She wanted to stay. I saw it in her eyes, but I was holding her back. Even though I vowed never to do that to her, I was. So when I came home, I prepared for her eventual return.”

  “So you bought her a house.”

  Evan nodded. “MIT is still her dream, so I knew someday she’d come home.”

  Mr. Parker nodded and then stared at his beer on his thigh. “You didn’t answer my previous question, Evan.”

  He took a deep breath. “Yes. I long to be with your daughter. I long to make her happy. To make her smile. To be a part of her life. To have a life with her here. But I couldn’t live with myself if she didn’t stay in Zürich and achieve her dreams. She had never been happier than when she worked at the Rodahawe Institute, and I was just getting in the way.” Evan stared at Alexandra’s father. His baby’s grandfather. Mr. Parker didn’t know it yet, but in eight months’ time, he would have a grandchild.

  In eight months’ time, Evan would have a son or daughter.

  In eight months’ time, he’d be a father.

  And two months ago, Evan had asked Mr. Parker a simple question.

  It was time they spoke about that talk they had after they said goodbye to AJ before she returned to Switzerland when Seb was born.

  Digging his hand in his pants pocket, he grasped the velvet object that felt as if it had been burning a hole in his pocket all night. When Alexandra had revealed that she was pregnant, all he wanted to do was ask.

  “Mr. Parker?”

  Alexandra’s father lifted his chin. “Yes, Evan.”

  As much as Evan would love to tell him that he and AJ were expecting a child together, he could
n’t. He couldn’t take that away from Alexandra. And right now, he had no idea how Mr. Parker would react. All Evan knew was that he had to assure Mr. Parker how committed he was to Alexandra and their baby.

  Evan pulled out the box, stared at it for a moment, and then opened it. The green diamond and rose gold engagement ring twinkled in the light. Sixteen small diamonds surrounded the circular green diamond.

  Eight protons.

  Eight neutrons.

  Just as he had designed.

  It wasn’t the largest diamond engagement ring, but Evan thought it was perfect for her. She hated to wear flashy jewelry and wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a large diamond on her finger.

  “Can I see it?” Mr. Parker asked.

  He handed it over, hoping for Alexandra’s father’s approval. “I’m sorry it’s not bigger, but I couldn’t get them to find a larger green diamond in time. And although it isn’t as green as her eyes, it matches her eye color when they soften and she’s lost in thought or she tells me she loves me. It’s this rare moment when instead of her green eyes darkening, they actually soften. And that’s the color of that green diamond.”

  “It’s perfect, Evan,” Mr. Parker said with a gentle smile.

  Evan cleared his throat. “Mr. Parker, two months ago I asked you for your blessing to ask your daughter to marry me. You told me I had to wait three years to ask her. She’s home now. And I know I never deserved your daughter, but I believe in the depths of my heart that I am the only person who will ever love her right or die trying. I’d like to ask you again.”

  Mr. Parker’s eyes widened before he nodded. “Okay, son.”

  Son.

  He had no idea how much hearing him call Evan son meant. All his life, he wished for a father like Nolan Parker, and he had raised Evan with more love than Evan’s actual father.

  “Mr. Parker, for over three years, I was your daughter’s boyfriend. After we graduated, I followed her to Switzerland where I loved her more and discovered just how in love I was with her. Six months ago, I made the horrible—but right—decision to leave her in Zürich so she could continue with her career and make a name for herself. I shouldn’t have left her, but I wanted her to experience those three years at the Rodahawe Institute. I wanted her to concentrate on her research, and she did. She finished her formula that will help Dr. Rodahawe’s research. Two months ago, I asked your daughter to stay with me. To my horror, she made me proud by saying no and taking the job in Zürich. She stopped making sure I was all right to chase her dreams after I had hindered her for so long.

  “A month ago, I drove and drove after she didn’t come home for Christmas and New Year’s after a snowstorm in Zürich canceled all flights. We used to go on long drives, and I drove all the way to Watch Hill in the snow so I could feel closer to her. I sat on that beach for hours. Instead of going straight home after I drove back, I drove to MIT for her and came across this house, knowing instantly it was perfect. The next morning, I bought it for her. It needed work, but as you can see, I’ve spent the past month updating all the old features of this house.”

  “And you’ve done a great job,” Mr. Parker praised.

  Evan smiled. “Thank you. When Alexandra and I were young, she used to tell me about her perfect house. It would be old. It would have scars that needed fixing. It would have a wooden staircase. It would have windows that had stained-glass features so that when the light shined through, it’d paint the floorboards with beautiful colors from the sun. The kitchen had to be the heart of the house because she was raised in one that was just the same. And her bedroom had to be facing the morning sun so she could feel it on her skin when she woke up. When I saw this house, I knew it was hers. It had it all. Scars and all. I want the rest of my life with your daughter.

  “I’m not him. I’m not her ex-boyfriend. I’m not a famous NBA player who makes millions a year. I gave up my baseball career because Alexandra’s happiness was more important to me. Baseball never made me as happy as being with her. I’m not going anywhere. I go where she goes. I’m not going to LA. I was offered the job but never wanted it. The Red Sox offered me a permanent position in their operations department, so I can provide for your daughter. I want to stay here in Massachusetts and love and support her. I want to come home to her after she spends her day at MIT as she earns her Ph.D. I want her to tell me about her day and every day for the rest of our lives. I love your daughter, Mr. Parker. I will always love Alexandra, and I want to spend my life by her side as her husband.”

  “Well,” Alexandra’s father said as he shut the ring box and handed it back to him, “I’ve always considered you a son. For over three years, you made my daughter happy. No one understands her the way you have and do. As I said two months ago, I’m honored to give you my blessing to ask my daughter to marry you, Evan.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Parker,” Evan uttered with so much joy that his voice almost cracked. Then he returned the ring box in his pocket, wrapped his arms around his maybe future father-in-law and held him tight before Mr. Parker let out a soft laugh and broke them apart. Mr. Parker set his beer on the coffee table and stood from the couch, Evan doing the same.

  “It’s up to my daughter, you know. I may have given you my blessing, but it’s up to her to give you an answer.” Mr. Parker held out his hand. “And I think it’s time you called me Noel, Evan.”

  Evan firmly shook Alexandra’s father’s hand. “Thank you, Noel.”

  “I better get back to my beautiful wife and amazing kids. Thanks for the beer and for letting me see this place. I know you’ll take care of my daughter. I’ll let myself out. Good night, Evan.”

  “Good night, Noel,” Evan said, then watched Mr. Parker walk down the hall toward the front door. When the door opened and shut, he let out a heavy breath. A pressure had been lifted from his shoulders. Evan had been worried that Alexandra’s father would change his mind about his blessing to ask for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

  Evan glanced at his beer and decided he needed to do more to the house tonight and not return to the gala. He had made his way upstairs and picked up his toolbox in the hallway before he entered the last room on the left. It was a room he had no idea what to do with. But as he stood inside it, he knew exactly what room it was for.

  It was their baby’s nursery.

  It faced the direction of the rising sun, and he or she would experience exactly what Alexandra wanted in the morning.

  Evan walked over to the windowsill, crouched down, and set his toolbox down. Then he pulled the ring box out of his pocket, opened it, and set it on the wooden ledge. If he ever got distracted or frustrated when it came to fixing up the old Cambridge house, he would just look over at the ring and be reminded of what he was working toward.

  To give Alexandra a home.

  To give his baby a loving home.

  To promise Alexandra a life.

  A life they would share with their child.

  ***

  This morning’s heavy snowfall made it a little difficult to drive. The traffic out of Cambridge to Brookline was clear compared to the traffic coming into the city. Evan had spent last night sanding back the walls and painting them white. He had managed two coats before he picked up AJ’s ring and went back downstairs to sleep on the couch. He should have driven back to his old place, but he was too tired. Once he returned to his childhood home, Evan had showered and changed before he walked across the driveways and up to Mr. and Mrs. Parker’s front door. He had brushed the soles of his shoes on the doormat, shook his hair of the snowflakes, and then knocked on the door.

  Evan glanced down at the bouquet of violets he’d picked up on his way home. Throughout the night, he replayed her words. Over and over again, they gave him comfort and a sense of panic.

  He had to do better.

  Be better for AJ and the baby.

  Proposing to her right away would hav
e looked drastic and completely irresponsible. For now, he’d be there for her and tell how much he wanted to be a part of their baby’s life.

  He was ready to become a father.

  “Oh, good morning, Evan,” AJ’s mother said once she opened the door with that stunning smile of hers.

  “Good morning, Mrs. Parker.”

  Mrs. Parker frowned. “My husband told me that he asked you to call him Noel. I think it’s time you call me Clara, Evan.”

  Evan smiled as she stepped aside. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to continue to call you both Mr. and Mrs. Parker for a little while longer.”

  “That’s more than fine,” she said as she closed the door. “I like the bouquet. Alexandra is upstairs. You can go up and see her. Everyone else is asleep, and I’m making breakfast. Would you like to join us? It’s been a while.”

  “I’d love to join you,” Evan said before he climbed up the stairs and made his way to AJ’s room. As he stood in front of her door, his heart raced in his chest as his palms sweated. He was nervous. He was anxious. He had no idea how she’d take his news. She might have changed her mind about his involvement in their baby’s life.

  Evan hoped and prayed she hadn’t.

  That she wouldn’t use his past mistakes against him.

  Inhaling a deep breath and then slowly exhaling the air, he formed a loose fist and knocked on her door. “AJ, it’s me.”

  “Come in,” she said.

  Evan pushed the door open to find her still in bed, reading a pregnancy book. She glanced over at him and lowered the book with a small smile to her lips as he walked toward her. Once he reached her bed, he sat down on the mattress and handed her the violets.

  “Thank you,” she said as she peeked down at the purple flowers. Then she set them on her nightstand and faced him. “Morning.”

  Unable to help himself, he cupped the side of her face with one hand as he brushed her hair back with the other. Those bright green eyes softened, reminding him of the color of the engagement ring he had designed for her. Evan took a deep breath, released it seconds later, and then cradled her face with his other hand. “Good morning, Alexandra.”