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Once bitten, twice shy (you still catch my eye)
Last Updated:
2023-01-01 04:42:57Related chapters
To Duet With You A little brave, it's the very first kiss
He is cleaning up his closet when he finds the blue scarf burning between the piles of clothes. It has survived the many moving-days in the past year because it is one of the few woolen pieces that do not make his neck itch. Now he remembers this was a present from Claire. She handed it to him with her chin up, a self-righteous expression on her face, and then walked towards Kat and Hannah to hand them their gifts with a smile on her face, which makes him think Claire believed this was the lesser present. Evan thinks he gave her a mug for Christmas once, so maybe she was crossed with him. Claire used to go all out with very personalized Christmas’ gifts, in their junior year she gave him an album with photos of him and Hannah, because, in her own words, he was a ‘hopeless romantic’ who liked corny things. It was true, of course. He wanted to have those things his parents did not have. A good family, a perfect life, no matter how his own childhood taught him those things were impossib
Last Updated : 2023-01-12To Duet With You The broken might start healing
“Evan, you’re home!”“And you must be Claire. We are so glad you could join us. Come in!”When Claire meets Evan’s mom and his little sister, she learns he looks a lot like her. He’s got her heir and her eyes.“I have a trundle bed in my room, so you can sleep with me and we can have a pajama party. But mom says you probably want to stay in Evan’s bedroom.”Claire feels her ears burning hot at Julie’s very direct words.“Don’t worry.” Evan leans in to whisper. “There is a couch I can use as a bed there as well.”“Don’t mind Julie. She is just very excited to have her big brother back home.”“I am sure we can have a pajama party.” Claire tells the girl. “I haven’t had one in years. It will be fun.”But for the moment, her bag ends up in the guest room that was reformed into Evan’s room for whenever he wants to stay with them, Mr. Fogel tells her when they sit to have lunch together.This place reminds her of the house where she grew up with her parents when they were still married or t
Last Updated : 2023-01-13To Duet With You From love to lust, from lust to trust
On Christmas, Claire prepares her lemon pie, and the five of them spend time at the table and playing cards afterwards, but then they are back to rehearsing for the next song cover.“So, we are preparing the next song for you, and Claire had this crazy idea that I should sing with her. But I think she changed her mind after rehearsing today and listening to me for the first time.”“Seriously, Evan?” “I am just documenting. Say hi.”Okay then. She smiles and waves her hand at the camera.“Hi everyone! Thank you for your support with the first cover. We hope you enjoy what we are preparing for you next.”Evan is satisfied with this, because he sets his phone aside and sits on the couch, facing her. “You have not opened my gift yet.”That morning she immediately wore the cardigan Halley and Henry gave her, and she quickly saved Julie’s handmade card saying it had to go to a new scrapbook, without doubts. The small box Evan gave her is on the night table, untouched, maybe because she i
Last Updated : 2023-01-16To Duet With You This is why we can't have nice things.
At some point the conversation at their table goes from how awesome it is that she is doing an internship in the best fashion magazine of the country, to wondering about Claire's whereabouts.“Why didn’t she come home? Kat, what did you hear from Claire?”“She, uhm, I do not know. She told me she already had plans, probably with her father’s side of the family.”Kat looks at her, of course, because she blames her for Claire’s absence.“Bet if she was here then those waiters would not take so long to bring us the food.” One of the guys jokes.Of course, now they all have only nice things to say about Claire. How she threw the best parties, how much of a talented singer she was, and oh so pretty. Maybe she was a bit demanding and a perfectionist, but that was also why she made such a good president of the student council.They pretend they were all friends in their senior year. As if Claire did not throw mud on Erick and ruined Hannah’s relationship with Evan in the process.It is absur
Last Updated : 2023-01-17To Duet With You Remember those walls I built?
“A creamy latte for you.” This semester Claire settles for Tuesday and Thursday mornings as her fixed study hours in the library. The first Tuesday Evan is at the door of her dorm, two cups of coffee in his hand. “Thank you.” She kisses him and grabs her latte. “You did not have to do this, don’t you have classes at eight?” “Actually, I am not good at waking up early.” He smirks. “This is a good incentive.” “Smooth talker.” The year started on a positive note because they won the first place in the radio contest. Some are surprised she can sing, the coordinator of the choir invited her to join them if she is interested. This time, Claire actually signed in for the Wednesday practices. The prize also helped her to buy a condenser microphone. It seems like a good idea, if she and Evan are going to continue doing the covers. People really liked that their version of Everything Has Changed, and she is already thinking about the next one, dragging him to learn a new song. Actually, s
Last Updated : 2023-01-23To Duet With You What we hold on to, what we let go
He does not understand what she is doing here, but he doesn’t have time to process it either because the next second Hannah is greeting him with a tone that is clearly set to upset Claire, and his girlfriend is taking her backpack from the car and kissing his cheek to say goodbye.“I am tired, so I am going to change and take a nap. I’ll let you two talk.”“Okay. Let me know when I can call you later.”Evan feels something heavy settling in his chest when she walks away, so he can’t help but glare at Hannah, who stands with her luggage behind her, and the innocent smile on her face.So she chose today to see him, of all the time that has passed since they broke up, and she is waiting at Claire’s doorsteps, not his. His understanding of the type of person his ex-girlfriend was changed over the course of the last year, with time giving him the perspective he lacked before.“Why are you really here?”“I missed you. Can’t I even visit you anymore?”He sighs. “Hannah, we broke up a long ti
Last Updated : 2023-01-24To Duet With You That's how it used to be, now this is us
Claire is so obvious that five seconds after she enters her room, Tessa sees right through her.“I thought you went to spend some sweet time with your boyfriend, why do you look like you swallowed a lemon?”“She is outside.”“Who?”“His ex-girlfriend. That narcissistic, double faced woman that pretended to be my friend.”“What? Why?”“Probably to try and prove she can have him back at her beck and call.”By now it is clear Tessa loves gossip, because she jolts out of bed and goes to the window trying to see Evan and Hannah. Claire does, too. But they are no longer there.“Well, if Evan is as smart as he seems to be, he won’t be cheating with that bitch. Didn’t you just spend the last twenty four hours having amazing, wild sex?”Claire glares at her, but then gives up and sighs. “He would not cheat on me with her anyway. But I still hate that she is here.”She knows she should not feel like this. She knows it is not like Evan is suddenly going back with Hannah. After all, they broke up
Last Updated : 2023-01-25To Duet With You Before Valentine comes...
“Ok, ok. I got it.”“Why does it feel like you want to get over the boring practicing bit of this?”“It’s not like that and you know it.”Teaching her how to play a part of this song is an excuse to tease her. He’s touched her in ways that make every dream fall short in comparison, it is even a bit funny that her cheeks get flushed and her heartbeat gets louder when his hands are on hers. But she also gets over too fast for his liking, and then she learns fast. Evan cannot get over her magic in the same way. She looks at him as she sings, it’s distracting because every time Claire does it, it feels as if she means every word.She does, and maybe that is why she captivates her audience. The comment sections of their videos are filled with more positive than negative comments.I love watching and hearing you guys. Every cover you do feels like you are telling your own story.Watching you makes me believe in love again.He also agrees with them, in that Claire makes him believe in the p
Last Updated : 2023-01-27
Latest chapter
To Duet With You Throw out our cloaks and daggers, it is morning now
“How could it go like this? You were here just three hours earlier than me…” She complains while pressing the bag of ice to his lips, “and now you have bruises here and there.”“He got it worse.”This is no comfort for her. Claire decided to come because she worried Evan would be alone at a time like this, but she did not imagine he would get into a fight with Rick as soon as they saw each other. That horrible, hideous bastard.She only had to see him for a couple of minutes, but it took all of her strength to remain calm in his presence. Unexpectedly, Evan could not do the same. How did Rick provoke him so?“You did not need to come, Claire.”“I know you wanted to protect me, but I didn't want you to be alone.”“I have to go back to the house tomorrow, after that I’ll pick you up and we can go back home.”He wants to spare her from having to face Rick again, and frankly, she is grateful for it. Since she chose to love Evan, it was inevitable that some encounters would happen even if
To Duet With You Back in town
Mr. Brown died in a car crash. He was driving drunk, apparently. Evan still doesn’t know much besides the few words his stepmother told him on the phone, and a text message with the details of the funeral.In this kind of situation, Claire doesn't know what to do or what to say except help him pack,“Do you want me to go with you?”She has not been back to Green Valley for so long, and the prospect of doing it now fills her with dread. Evan must know that, too, because he shakes his head and mutters that it is not necessary.“It won't take long. I’ll just be away for a couple of days and you have classes.”Perhaps he just can’t handle that, too, at a moment like this. There is no doubt that going with him means encountering Rick face to face, and she isn't ready for that.“Okay. I’ll take you to the bus station, then.”“I can drive, we’re just a few hours from the town.” He cups her face and kisses her forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.”He barely slept a couple of hours, but even
To Duet With You You can run, but you cannot hide from the family line
Life is like this. She doesn't have a perfect family, with two parents who have been negligent (to put it nicely), a stepmother who could have been her sister, and two young kids who are her actual siblings and have no idea of the messed up world of the adults. Contrary to her expectations, the week goes by without incidents. She suspects her father might have said something mean to Evan again, but he is tight-lipped about it and anyway it appears to have been resolved, so she doesn’t ask any further.Perhaps the only detail that made her feel uncomfortable is that, in such a big house, she still gets woken up by Jossie crying at 2 a.m. Rushed footsteps from Helen always follow and Claire thinks babies are indeed cute, but they suck all of their parents’ energy, there's no doubt about it. They are leaving after breakfast, and she doesn’t get much sleep afterwards. Her gaze falls on her boyfriend, who doesn’t seem to have the same problem.“How unfair…”In the silent hours before the
To Duet With You Let's get a family portrait that looks pretty normal.
He remembers Claire’s mother was a beautiful woman, and yet she wore a permanent scowl on her face that made her look older than what she probably was. Now he meets Mr. Gardiner’s current wife, and can see the man definitely had a type (blond, slender, with milky skin and big eyes, she could easily pass as Claire’s older sister). It’s disturbing, actually, and he kind of understands how a person could become bitter and filled with hatred after such a betrayal. Evan would be more willing to sympathize with Claire’s mother if her treatment of her daughter had not been so awful. He keeps this judgment to himself, since this visit is already a challenge for Claire as it is. “Well, then I’ll let you both rest until dinner is ready.” “Thank you, Helen.” At the stairs, the little boy is staring at them with curious eyes, but he keeps his distance, and when Evan waves at him, he runs away. A timid kid, then. The baby, Jossie, is too young to remember Claire later, but her brother, Tom, is
To Duet With You One-year milestone.
Singing from the comfort of home, or sharing her covers through the distance of her channel are very different from being on stage. This is the first time since she was in high school, and how fitting it is that Claire attended this concert in this auditorium exactly a year ago… because that was also the start of her relationship with Evan.“Are you nervous?” He asks.How can she not be? She is drumming her fingers on a desk, thinking of what could go wrong. What if her voice just does not cooperate? If she freezes and humiliates herself in front of the public….You think you are good, but outside of this city you will be just a nobody with mediocre abilities at best.Erick would say something like that. He had said things like that, but she knows there is no value in any of those words trying to bring her down, and there are people outside of Green Valley that genuinely appreciate her.So this is something she must do.“A little bit.” She admits, his thumb stroking the back of her ha
To Duet With You You feel like home
When August comes, Claire thinks she never had a summer as good as this one. They spent a week with the Fogels in July, and although Halley still has to do her check-ups every month, she is doing good, which also translates in Evan worrying a little bit less. Afterward they spent a good part of the summer looking for an apartment, before finally landing on this one.“Where do you want me to assemble the bookshelf?”“Hmm. What about this spot? And we can have your desk over there.”“I think this corner will do for your videos. What do you think?”“Uhmm, the light is better on this side.”It takes a while to unpack and decide where everything will go, fitting everything in the small one-bedroom apartment is not an easy task, but they manage to do it in one afternoon, and then throw themselves on their brand new mattress completely exhausted.“I like how this looks now.”The bedroom walls are mostly naked, but she can see it slowly becoming their home. It’s crazy she is doing this with
To Duet With You Thinking out loud
The night before it was easier to walk away from her father, furious as she was, and most importantly because she did not want Evan to be subjected to his judgment. Conciliations are more difficult than disagreements, which is why Claire is so apprehensive as they walk into the cafe where they are supposed to have breakfast together.She is also grateful that Evan is next to her, he did not have to do this, but his sole presence is encouraging her in ways she can't measure. “I’ll only greet your father before I go, but I am always just one call away, okay?” These words right before they enter the cafe work their magic to reassure her.“Ok, thank you. Evan, it's not the first time I’ve had a disagreement with him, I’ll be fine.”Her father still wears a severe expression on his face when they reach his table, but she is just pulling out a chair when he throws hostile words.“I invited my daughter, and I would like to talk to her without outsiders.”“Dad…”But Evan just smiles.“Of cou
To Duet With You Before Valentine comes...
“Ok, ok. I got it.”“Why does it feel like you want to get over the boring practicing bit of this?”“It’s not like that and you know it.”Teaching her how to play a part of this song is an excuse to tease her. He’s touched her in ways that make every dream fall short in comparison, it is even a bit funny that her cheeks get flushed and her heartbeat gets louder when his hands are on hers. But she also gets over too fast for his liking, and then she learns fast. Evan cannot get over her magic in the same way. She looks at him as she sings, it’s distracting because every time Claire does it, it feels as if she means every word.She does, and maybe that is why she captivates her audience. The comment sections of their videos are filled with more positive than negative comments.I love watching and hearing you guys. Every cover you do feels like you are telling your own story.Watching you makes me believe in love again.He also agrees with them, in that Claire makes him believe in the p
To Duet With You That's how it used to be, now this is us
Claire is so obvious that five seconds after she enters her room, Tessa sees right through her.“I thought you went to spend some sweet time with your boyfriend, why do you look like you swallowed a lemon?”“She is outside.”“Who?”“His ex-girlfriend. That narcissistic, double faced woman that pretended to be my friend.”“What? Why?”“Probably to try and prove she can have him back at her beck and call.”By now it is clear Tessa loves gossip, because she jolts out of bed and goes to the window trying to see Evan and Hannah. Claire does, too. But they are no longer there.“Well, if Evan is as smart as he seems to be, he won’t be cheating with that bitch. Didn’t you just spend the last twenty four hours having amazing, wild sex?”Claire glares at her, but then gives up and sighs. “He would not cheat on me with her anyway. But I still hate that she is here.”She knows she should not feel like this. She knows it is not like Evan is suddenly going back with Hannah. After all, they broke up
