Chapter 36—Playing A Lie
“You think we are close to the game of truth, yet?” Elvin asked.
“Oh, we are,” Eve said, knowing not all truth would be revealed. She would tell him what was on the surface. After all, no one really wanted to know the truth. They just act like they could, and when the truth is revealed, you find them fleeing with the revelation.
“Good.” Elvin touched her breast. “Because I feel like you don’t want me to know you.”
Eve turned sideways to look at Elvin, and she said, “Does what happened yesterday matter?”
“I guess not.”
“And if I’m concealing something from you, don’t you think it’s for your best interest?”
Elvin slightly shook his head. “Are there things in your past you wish for me to never find out?”
“Yes. Actually, they would change how you see me.”
“How so?” Elvin asked as he fondled her nipple.
“You said when you first met me, I looked like a whore. What if I lied to you, and I’m truly a whore?”
Elvin eyed her and smiled. “I’ll say we should try a few things…things your customers liked.”
“But I’m serious, Elvin,” Eve said.
“Okay. Uhm, I guess I may be pissed you lied. Just a little.”
“But would you still want to date me knowing that I am a whore?”
Elvin took two seconds to reply. “Of course.”
Eve read meaning to that delay, and she smiled. “Lies hurt you, don’t they? Your eyes reveal much. I can see it. You know you won’t want to date me, Elvin. And I’m not saying that I’m a whore. But, instead of being eager to know me, let’s just enjoy the present. Isn’t that fair?”
“A relationship built on lies and secrets can barely stand. There should be room for a bit of transparency. Lies lead to more lies.”
“But Elvin, can you handle it? Truly, can you drink from the bitter cup of truth, and not cringe from it? I can’t say I’ve lost friends to this. People barely know me. Even the people I work with don’t know me. It’s why I avoid relationships. It’s why most of my past relationships were based on signed contracts.”
“Are you serious right now?” he asked.
“Yes. We promised each other questions to ask, and not to ask. That way, we can focus on what truly matters. Us, with no complications of the past.” And this was because she always knew the background and history of all the men she dated before she ever met them. Most of the men she dated, she met them single, and the rest, their breakups, she did orchestrate. She wasn’t a saint, and she wasn’t interested in being one.
Eve wanted to be accepted by someone despite her past mistakes, and even the ones she was currently crafting. Controlling people was what she was good at. If all humans were chess pieces to her, Elvin was a very vital piece that she was eager to protect.
This lockdown game which had begun in Eve’s bid to keep Elvin was no longer being played against him, but against Lisa. And if she lost Elvin, Lisa who was as diabolic as she was would play her way back into Elvin’s life. This she didn’t want. She, after all, had been the one to begin all these. She intended to end it. Worth more, and this was the most important, she had sworn a pact with Lisa not to tell anyone about this, except those bound to keep their secrets like Sherri.
“In this game, truth, you know, is also a card,” Elvin said.
Then Eve really thought about it. The mansions, expensive clothes, flashy cars, escorts, and bodyguards. Could she really conceal all these for long from Elvin? Playing truth as a lie would be way too easy. Or maybe, this was a bad idea.
She could leave now, end the lockdown, and have him return to his normal life. Then the upcoming projects, and everything she had done to create greater opportunities for Tan Height would all go to waste. No. She wasn’t playing this card. After all, there were couples that carried certain secrets and lies to the grave without anyone finding out.
“You are right,” Eve said. “The truth could also be a card. And a winning one at that. But if this card took me to the edge of the past, then it’s a card that I’m not willing to play. Let’s face it. It will be a disaster.”
Elvin adjusted, came close to her face, and kissed her on the lips. He lingered the kiss for a minute, then he broke it and gazed down at her. “If it’s so bad,”—he shook his head—“then I don’t need to know. But you can trust me with one thing. No matter how bad it is, and even if you turn out to be a serial killer”—he laughed—“although, I hope not, I won’t flee. I love you.”
Eve smiled, and she did see the sincerity in his eyes. If she married him and she told him the truth, he could divorce her. Dating was a fragile ground. And this, this was just a game, even though he claimed that she was now under his skin. Nothing was strong enough to bind him to her yet. How could she win his loyalty with hopes that the revelation of the truth would not damage what they shared? Nothing was guaranteed. No game. Not even a contract could apply here. She needed his heart, and she needed to be the only one in it if this was to be.
“How much do you love me?” Eve asked.
Again, he delayed to reply. Maybe, he realized he didn’t love her that much, or maybe, he was truly seeing clearly now, thanks to the look on his face. But how could she tell what he was thinking? That look for certain, his squinted gaze, it did tell that he was weighing his response. But then, the answer he blurted out stunned her.
“I could die for you,” he said.