E I G H T Y - T W O


    EVA.


    "Hey, why did you want me toe meet you here?" I call out to Aliya as I stroll toward her and she


    smiles when our eyes meet. "Hey, you. Why are you dressed that way?" She asks when I stop in front


    of her.


    "Because it''s cold, Lia. Why didn''t you want toe in?" I ask her my previous question and she


    throws me a wink before she steps to the side, revealing a new presence to me. My furrowed brows


    drop when my eyes catch Josh''s gaze, along with Sage by his side.


    "Um... Hi, guys. What are you two doing here?" I ask awkwardly as they move forward and Sage is the


    first to speak, "We were worried about you. Since you and your boyfriend decided to disappear without


    notice, we thought we''de to you, if you wouldn''te to us. This guy here especially refused to


    stop disturbing me about you. "


    I let out a smallugh. "Sorry about that. Thest time we saw, you— " Sage doesn''t let me finish my


    words before she closes the gap between us and wraps her arms around me, her head resting on my


    shoulder. "I know. It was wrong to have ignored you, but I had a little bit of something going on too. "


    "I understand. You don''t have to apologize for that. " I assure her, giving her back a caress before she


    withdraws from the hug with a small smile on her face. Her hands move to my face and she cups my


    cheeks, "How are you doing?"


    "Fine. I''m good. " I tell her and she narrows her eyes, "Are you sure about that?"


    "A hundred percent. " I beam and she nods, giving my shoulder a rub before she steps back for me to


    His eyes roam across my body before they settle on mine and he sighs as he steps before me. "The


    Eva Carson. " He jokes and I respond with, "The Josh... Oh wait, I just realized I never got yourst


    name. "


    "You''re still as funny as ever, angel. " He throws me a smile before he engulfs me in a hug and I return


    his embrace, my voice muffled against his chest as I say, "When have I ever not?"


    He pulls back but keeps his hands around me as he speaks, "When I got back here, I thought I''d be


    seeing a bit of this face around, and then I got worried when I saw none. "


    "I didn''t think you care about me enough to be worried about my absence. " I tease him and he shakes


    his head, letting his hands fall off me. "I care about you enough to check in. "


    "Thank you. Truly, the both of you. This means a lot. " I say, looking between Sage and him and they


    both hum before Josh opens his mouth, "You don''t look like you''ve been enjoying your stay at home. "


    "I can honestly tell you that it isn''t as fun as I thought. " I answer and heughs, the sound swimming


    around us before I excuse myself to take Aliya to the side.


    "Are you guys fine now?" I mumble silently, and she shakes her head. "She''s only here because of you;


    not me. "


    "Are you sure about that?" I raise a brow and she nods, a sad smile covering her face as she says,


    "There''s someone new. "


    "Oh, " I let out, having no other immediate words to the information. "I don''t know what to say, Aliya. "


    "Say nothing, " she says as she meets my eyes. "I''m d she''s moving on like I want her to. "


    "Are you truly happy about that?" I question, lifting one hand to her shoulder and she stares at the hand


    before she speaks again, "I am, babe. Trust me. There''s no better way than this. By the way, I almost


    forgot this with me. " She takes her hand to her pocket and brings out a small piece of paper.


    Is that— is that what I think it is?


    N?velDrama.Org ? 2024.


    Aliya confirms my thoughts when she says, "I saw this at the apartment, and thought it was important


    so I took it with me, but I forgot to give you earlier. "


    "This–" my voicees out small as I lift my head to her. "Was with you?"


    "Yes. It seems important, so I—"


    "And you didn''t think to give me this immediately you found it, Aliya?" I raise a brow, my voice turning


    harsh and she slowly drops her hand. "I couldn''t. You weren''t in the right state of mind. "


    "And you couldn''t leave it with me? Back at my ce? My room? Those skipped your mind too?"


    "No, I—" she starts to say, then pauses. Angling her head to the side, she says, "Wait, are you mad at


    me for this?"


    "Damn right I''m mad at you!" I snap, mumbling curses under my breath as I pace back and forth before


    her. "You had the fucking paper, and you had the fucking time to show me, or leave it with me but you


    didn''t. "


    "Babe, I had it in my pocket and forgot all about it because I was worried about you. I didn''t think it was


    needed this much. "


    "It isn''t about the fact that it was needed. It''s the fact that you forgot about it. You said you thought it


    was important, and yet it skipped your mind?" I stop pacing across and Aliya lets out a sigh, "Please,


    Eva. It''s just a fucking piece of paper, and if it were that important to you; you would have kept it by


    your side. I thought you''d be grateful that I found it for you, but you''re being this way?"


    "Did you read it?" I ask her, ignoring her words and when she keeps mute for a while, I take another


    step forward till our faces are only inches away. "Open your damn mouth, Lia! Did you read it?"


    "Only by the first line. " She finally answers, and everything suddenly makes me angry; Emerson


    showing up again after days, his exnation that only makes me hurt the more, the words I said to him


    and Aliya showing up with the damn paper only now.


    "So you knew what''s in it?" Once again, my best friend decides to remain mute. "Answer my fucking


    question, Aliya!"


    "Stop raising your fucking voice at me, Eva! I found the fucking paper and how else was I supposed to


    know it''s important if I didn''t read it? Yes, I know what''s in it and you honestly can''t fucking me me


    for forgetting all about it just because I was stuck with taking care of you!"


    She drops her head, pping her forehead before she says. "I''m so sorry, Evie. I didn''t mean to say


    those words. I just—"


    "I gave you a choice, Aliya. You didn''t have to be stuck with taking care of me; you chose to be stuck. "


    I cut her off and she nods, "I know that, Eva and I did that because I care about you and I— I''m so


    fucking sorry I said that. I was never stuck. I just..."


    I don''t let her finish her words before I shift my gaze to Josh and Sage, who stands a few steps away


    from us with bewildered eyes.


    "Thank you for checking up on me, guys but I''m afraid I''ll have to leave now. I''ll see you guyster. " I


    tell them then move away from Aliya.


    "Eva, please. I didn''t mean them. " She calls out to me, but I don''t stop walking as I focus on the path


    that''s before me.


    I''m only a few steps further when a bike circles around me before it stops by my side, and the helmet is


    removed to reveal the familiar face.


    "You look like you need a peaceful ride. Do you want to hop on?" He jerks his head to the space behind


    him, and I look at the space before I avert my gaze to him.


    Turning my head to the direction in front of me, I know I''ll head directly to my room if I go home, and


    spending another night in my bed with a pounding headache because of another yet uncontroble


    tears sound like something I don''t want to do tonight, and that''s why I turn back to Josh.


    A nod is the only gesture I give him for him to understand and he gives me another helmet before he


    helps me up the bike.


    "You''ll fall that way. " He tells me as he moves my hands on his shoulder to wrap them around his


    waist. "Take a breath and forget about everything. Try to feel the air, wee it and let it flow through


    you, and trust me; you''ll have a smile on your face by the end of it. "


    I hum and do as he said. I keep my eyes shut while he drives off, and I wee the air, my hair


    blowing to the back from the wind. Slowly, I lift my body from the seat and spread my arms, relishing in


    thefort thates with the breeze and ignoring my worries for this moment.


    ~


    "Are you okay?" Josh asks as I climb off his bike and I smile at him as I smooth one hand down my hair


    while the other holds the helmet.


    Extending the helmet to him, I say, "Perfectly. Thank you for the ride. "


    "We always need one or two in our lives, don''t we?" He returns my smile as he takes the helmet from


    me and I let out a chuckle before I step back, turning my head to look at my house before I look back at


    him.


    "I hope you settle things with Aliya. " He mutters as he leans forward and I hum, removing my gaze


    from his, "Absolutely. " I might have let my emotions get the better of me over such a trivial matter and


    there''s no doubt that I hurt her.


    "What happened to you, Eva?" Josh''s voice makes me lift my head to him, and when I arch my brow,


    he proceeds to say, "You''ve lost your glow, and I just can''t help but to ask. "


    My chest drops before I answer him, my heart aching at the words that slip through, "I found out that


    sometimes love isn''t always enough. Sometimes, love isn''t always worth it and sometimes, we fall for


    the wrong people. "


    "It isn''t always great, is it?" He says and I agree with a nod, "It isn''t. "


    He''s about to speak again, when the sound of his phone beeping interrupts him, and I gesture for him


    to take it. He lifts the phone, and I watch his face slowly stretch into a grin as he stares at the screen.


    "It''s my girl. She''s waiting for me. "


    "She''s here?" I ask him and his fingers move across the screen before he throws the phone back


    inside his pocket. Then he meets my eyes and says, "No. We always facetime before going to bed. "


    "Aww, that sounds like such a cute thing to do. " I tell him and he smiles again, "I know. She''s worried


    because we''re a few minutes past the normal time. "


    "Then you should get back to her. You don''t want to keep her waiting for long. " I say and he drums his


    fingers against the handle of the bike, just staring at me. After a while, he voices out, "I don''t know what


    happened with you, Eva but I hope you''ll be fine soon. "


    "Thank you. " I throw him an appreciative smile and he lifts his hand to ruffle my hair over my head.


    "Take care of yourself, kid. "


    "Fuck off. " I groan, pping his hand away and heughs before he fixes the helmet over his head. He


    slides back and revs his engine, and just before he starts his ride, he opens the helmet and says, "But I


    do want you to know it isn''t always the people who are wrong. Sometimes, it''s the world we live in and


    the challenges thates with it. You should remember that when making your decisions, Eva. " He


    winks, and closes his helmet before he drives off.


    I stand there and watch his frame disappear out of sight with his words echoing around me, and my


    eyes unconsciously move to the house opposite mine.


    EMERSON.


    Walking inside the house, the warmness of the familiar space greets me; except a certain gorgeous


    face is missing.


    I shut the door behind me and walk further inside. I stroll to the couch and trail my fingers over the


    edge, the sound of herughs fading into the distance before I move away from there and turn the


    corner that leads to the rooms.


    I stop at hers and push inside the room, my heart dropping when there''s no Eva Carson sitting on the


    bed with a book in hand and sses on her face, waiting to wee me into her arms. Only when I


    walk across the room, my eyes running through every corner and opening her closet, do I realize most


    of her things are gone.


    She took them. She truly left.


    Her clothes. Her books. Her girls stuff by the other side of the room. Everything is gone, and I don''t


    think there can be any bigger pain than the one I feel right now, knowing she didn''t just end things with


    me but she''s also trying to erase herself.


    I grab the board by the side of the closet and slowly back away till I drop on her bed. It''s another one of


    my many drawings of her, and she said this one is her favourite out of all; the one she promised to


    always have with her.


    "I''ll fix this, baby. I promise you; I''ll fix us. "


    I''ve known some types of love. I''ve known a brother''s love and I''ve known one from a sister. I''ve known


    a friend''s love and unrequited love. And then there''s this type of love. The special kind. It''s the type that


    engraves itself into the depth of your soul and you just can''t run away from it, because you feel it


    everywhere. It''s the kind thates to be your home because no matter where you go or how long it


    takes, you''ll always want to return to your home. It''s the kind of love that have you weak in the knees


    and strong in the heart. That type... That''s the love I have for Eva Carson, and I might have made a


    mistake that cut her deeply and have her pull away, enough to want to take a step back, but I''ll never


    stop reminding her of the love that exists between us and why she was willing to tear the entire world


    down just to keep the mes of that love burning. I''ll never stop reminding her of how beautiful we were


    together, and how beautiful we''ll be again. I''ll never stop reminding her of why she gave her heart to me


    in the first ce.


    "You''re truly stunning, Carson. " I mumble as I caress her face. With a smile, I drop the board and


    move from the bed, slipping my hands into my pocket as I stride out of my room and down the path that


    leads to the living room.


    I''m pacing in the direction of the kitchen, only to stop at the sound of the knocks at the door and I halt


    my steps, wondering who it could be.


    "Eva. " The name falls from my mouth and my heart speeds in my chest as I hurry to the door.


    Opening the door, I''m weed with the sight of a big smile. "Missed me?"


    ~


    A big, giant thanks to you all for the kind and encouraging words from yesterday''s chapter. They truly


    warm my heart>.<