Last week, a sex swing! This week, more arguing. THE STAKES HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER!

Captivated by You Chapter 19: Gideon

Gideon decides that breakfast is the best time to tell Eva that he offered Mark (Eva’s boss) a job in an obvious and shameless bid to get Eva to come work for him as well. Eva is furious both that Gideon did this at all and that it took him two days to tell her.

Gideon’s defence is that his arch nemesis Richard Landon had tried to hire Mark and Eva to work on the marketing for his new game console. Because Landon was only doing this to get to Gideon…somehow…instead of talking to Eva about the conflict of interest…he just offers Mark a job. Nice save, Gideon.

“What are you saying?”

“That Landon’s waited a long time for his pound of Cross flesh. Maybe he doesn’t care that you married into the name. I don’t know what he has in mind. At the very least, he’s forcing us into a place where we’re unable to share information with each other.”

WHO THE FUCK CARES? What information in this scenario would Gideon even be missing? As far as I’m aware, they’ve never discussed anything besides sex and their many enemies anyway.

At one point, Eva is so mad she says this:

“You need to stop talking,” she said hoarsely. “Because every word coming out of your mouth makes me think we’re so far apart on this that we’ve got no business being married.”

It’s so true, but I’m not really sure why this is the straw that broke the camels back when one time Gideon murdered someone. Like why is this where Eva finally takes a step back and is like, “This might be a fucked up situation.”

Eva storms out, saying she needs some time on her own because she was going to end up coming to work for Gideon anyway sometime in the future but she wanted to make that decision on her own. It really pissed me off that Eva said this – she had every right to be mad in this situation, but it had always been a good thing that she didn’t want to go work for Gideon and had stood her ground on that. Why now is she like, “Actually, all along I was telling you definitely not, but I really meant yes.” It sets the worst possible precedent for this already terrible relationship.

She’s also angry that she’ll be out of a job, saying that she’s leaving so she can figure out what she’s going to do next. I’m confused as to why Eva would be out of a job, though, if Mark went to work for Gideon? It’s not his business, and at this point Eva is both valuable both because of her name and because she’s meant to be good at her job. Why would they just be like, “Well if Mark left, we have no use for you!”

The scene ends, and we’re thrown into another one of Gideon’s absolutely dreadful dreams – dreadful both in terms of the actual content of the dream and it’s execution. We learn nothing new from the dream at all, it’s just used as a way to make Eva look horrible for leaving Gideon to fend for himself against the darkness within, or whatever.

Initially, what starts out as a usual gross sex scene in which sacs are massaged and fingers somehow thicken and lengthen during anal fingering (wizardry at its most baffling), becomes another dream in which Gideon is raped by Hugh again, and then he murders him/his sister Anne who he has suddenly morphed into. Also Eva has left him in the dream and he’s like, “RAAAAAAGEEEE.” Guys, I’m worried about Gideon and everyone around him.

The next day at work, Marks shows up to discuss Gideon’s offer. This prompts Gideon to justify to himself what he did yet again – if he didn’t protect Eva, she would face things head on, and we just can’t have that, can we?

Of course, Mark accepts the offer and says that he’s going to try to get Eva to join him, completely unaware of the dramatic drama going on because of this.

The rest of the chapter passes in a sad!Gideon blur. He tries to woo Eva back to him with various texts:

I texted her constantly. Pleas for her to call me. I just need to hear your voice. Notes about nothing. Cooler today, isn’t it? Comments about work. Never realized Scott always wears blue. And most of all, I love you. ”

I didn’t think there were any new ways to make talking about the weather seem more boring, but I guess if there was a man up to the job it would be Gideon Cross. And if making sharp observations about Scott’s work clothing wasn’t enough to get Eva to respond, she has a heart of stone.

The chapter closes with Gideon opening up to his and Eva’s therapist about their fight, the ways he might have to change in order to make the relationship work, and about his past.

Since next chapter is the last for this book, does anyone have any guesses about what the next book is going to be about? Is it going to be about Gideon and Eva getting back together (or will that just happen next chapter)? Reacting to Corinne’s diary entires, er, “book” being published? Finally finding out what Anne Lucas’ revenge is actually supposed to be? The wedding?Cary and his maybe baby? ALL OF THE THINGS?