piece by piece | a. adams²

one last hurrah

"I'm sorry⎼"

"Don't apologize," Evelyn cut him off. "Actually, there was something I wanted to tell you." She sighed, breathing in the salty air. "Or more so, clarify. These past few months or weeks, there have been these little moments between us. Moments that maybe aren't appropriate for two people who are in relationships with other people."

Jordan nodded uneasily. She wasn't wrong. From their private conversations on the beach to the dance in the hallway on the night of prom...those were things people in relationships should not do.

"And I guess, some part of me thought there was something between us. But, that's not true." Part of her felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. "I love Asher. Even if we're broken up, I love him. I hate that the thought of you and I even crossed my mind especially when what Asher and I had was so...amazing."

"So, you just wanted to clarify that you're madly in love with Asher?" Jordan scoffed.

"No, Jordan, I wanted you to know that you and I as anything more than friends can never happen. Not again."

"Understood," Jordan nodded.

Evelyn stood up and brushed the sand off of her bottom before she headed back inside the beach house in search of her twin brother. When she finally found him, he was sucking Layla's face off, but they managed to pull away for air when she cleared her throat.

"What's up, Evie?" Enrique huffed.

"Your favorite sister leaves for New York tomorrow and would really love to spend her last night in LA with her twin."

"Stop reminding me that you're leaving," Enrique wrapped his arm around her shoulder, squeezing her tight. "You're not allowed to leave."

"Remind me what time you're flight leaves tomorrow?" Layla curiously questioned.

"Noon," Evelyn hummed. "But since I just saw you and Ricky sucking each other's faces off, I assume I'll be seeing you around, Layla."

"I'm also your best friend, Evie," Layla rolled her eyes and brought her in for a brief hug. "You can't get rid of me that easy."

Evelyn blew her an air kiss before following Enrique as they exited the beach house. She turned around and took one last glance around the room at all of her friends while a soft smile danced along her lips...she was going to miss them.

☆☆☆

Evelyn thanked Olivia as she helped transport her bags into the airport. Layla clearly had ulterior motives when she asked about her flight time because when she arrived at LAX, it appeared that everyone had gotten the message and arrived to see her off.

"You guys do know I'll be back," Evelyn eyed the group before her eyes. "My brother still lives out here."

"Oh, so if it wasn't for your brother then we'd all be chopped liver?" JJ scoffed. "And we let you live rent-free in our beach house."

"Did I forget the part where you're all my best friends and I love you?" She placed a hand on the left side of her chest and smiled. "Because it's true!"

"I can't believe you're leaving me!" Olivia pulled her in for a hug. "We've never been apart. Do you understand what you're doing to me?"

Evelyn rolled her eyes and snuggled closer to her best friend while they embraced. "I love you, Liv. You're my best friend. I'm gonna miss you the most." Her voice was merely but a whisper, so only Liv could hear which was good since their friends were surrounding them.

"I love you more."

JJ wiggled his way in between the two and replaced Liv, embracing Evelyn as a hearty chuckle escaped his mouth. "My turn. I'm gonna miss you so much, Evie!"

"I'm going to miss you too, JJ."

After JJ, everyone else began to give Evelyn hugs and wish her good luck on her adventures in New York or wherever her heart desired. She had been doing great keeping her emotions intact until Enrique decided to give her the longest hug and give her a speech about how she was destined for great things even if she was a little lost right now.

"I think Asher wants to say bye to you," Enrique whispered into his sister's ear.

Evelyn nodded as she pulled her sleeve over her fist and wiped a few fallen tears away before heading over to him. Asher lightly smiled and instinctively wiped away her tears as she approached him.

"I'm sure you've heard this a million times already but I'm really going to miss you," Asher admitted.

"I have heard that a lot," she giggled. "I don't mind hearing it, though. Especially, from you."

"Sucks that this is the way things ended."

Evelyn cupped his face in her hands, bringing his eyes up to meet hers. "I don't believe this is the end. We might be broken up now. But that doesn't mean somewhere down the line we won't meet up and fall back in love with each other."

"I love you, Evelyn." Asher pulled her into an embrace, holding her in his arms as if it were the last time he would ever hold her again.

It was obvious to their friends and to anyone else who walked by that their breakup wasn't for a lack of love but for issues that were above them.

"I love you so much, Asher." She pulled away from his chest and stared into his chocolate brown eyes. "I'm sorry we couldn't work things out."

"Don't apologize."

"Last call for flight 204 to JFK! Last call for flight 204 to JFK!"

"That's me," Evelyn whispered. "I have to get going."

"Promise me something?"

"What is it?"

"Don't look back," Asher said. "If you look back, you'll be reminded of what you've left behind instead of focusing on what's in front of you. I mean that literally and figuratively."

Evelyn nodded as she lunged forward for one last kiss. She pulled away and reached for her carry-on before sending all of her friends one last wave and then heading up the escalator to head to her gate. The entire time she wanted to look back and take one last glance at everything she was leaving behind but she kept her promise.

Evelyn Hernandez was focusing on her future.

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That's the end!!!! I know it took me literally years to finish this story but I had absolutely no motivation to continue with it however, I kept seeing people adding these books and felt a little bad that it was unfinished so I finally decided to write the last two chapters😭

I know the ending was a little rushed but I wanted to finish this story as quickly as possible. I do have an epilogue in my drafts that is unfinished and will try to finish it up as soon as I can!!!!

Thank you all for reading and continuing to stay interested in this book even when I wasn't🫶🏽🫶🏽