{~Evelyn~}
I caught Arsinoe's eyes as Ezra and I walked through the hallways to our class. Her eyes shone with regret and I bet mine only flared with dislike.
Hate isn't exactly the right word. I didn't have a place in my heart for any more of that. I believed there must've been a reason why she pushed me. It felt so out of character of her.
She just changed so much. It hurt to think that it was the girl who played dolls with me back then in first grade, the girl who would drive me to get fast food during midnight. Now, she wore full face of foundation, a LV backpack and a whole new thing of fashioned clothes.
How did she get the money to afford such things?
During class, I kept catching Ezra sneakily texting away on his phone and I couldn't refrain myself from asking. "So..." I whispered, "Who is it?" He kept smiling like a teenager and giggling like a child.
The screen went black the second I spoke. "What's what? Who's what?" He murmured. He should really work on that poker face.
"Who's the girl?" I asked, and glanced at him. His face fell a fraction and it's like a did something wrong. Or maybe said something wrong. I grimaced at myself before apologising. "I shouldn't have assumed, sorry. Or guy." I clarified, wiggling my eyebrows.
He scowled at me, but there wasn't any bad intention behind it. He nodded to confirm. "It's okay."
"You like-like him?" I asked, prodding his side with my elbow.
"Yeah. I really do." He said dreamily, almost getting lost daydreaming about who-knows-what.
I nearly squeal with excitement. "Aw," I cooed. "Ezra all hung up on him. Speaking of which, who is he?" I sat on the edge of my seat, impatient.
"I'll tell you if you keep it a secret and don't tell anyone. Even Grayson."
I rolled my eyes. "You really had to add him in there, huh?"
"You guys are all over each other, who knows what you discuss."
I wanted to strangle him. "We're not-" I paused and I realised he was baiting me. "Fine. I promise I won't tell. I wasn't going to anyway."
"It's Noah." He let out in a breath.
I blinked and it all clicked into place. It made sense, actually, they spent all their time together, the times I caught them staring at each other, how they used any excuse to see one another. "Holy shit!" I beamed, grinning, any foul mood from earlier was erased.
He shushed me by smothering my mouth with his hand. "Shhhh! Not so loud, will you?" The teacher cast a concerned glance at us.
I took deep breaths as my smile never wavered. "I knew it. Well, I didn't know, but I'm so fucking blind it's literally clear as day now that you told me."
His lips twitched.
"You and him are perfect for each other." I gasped. "Will I be invited to the wedding? I'll even pay you to let me go."
Ezra slapped my shoulder repeatedly. "Shut up." He's smiling too and didn't object on anything I said. I zipped my lips with my finger and tossed the key away.
"Are you guys a thing?" I asked, dropping into a hush.
He bit his lip and shook his head, almost sadly. "He's bisexual, but he doesn't know that I'm gay too. But thing is... we kissed that day after the sleepover we had at my place."
I tried to keep my excitement in check. "And?" I frowned. "What's wrong? That's good, right?" He nodded and the crease in between my eyebrows deepened. "What happened after?"
"He's been acting like it hasn't happened at all. At first, I thought it was because he didn't want to make it awkward. But now I think it's just that he doesn't like me at all and that he thinks that I think it was an accident."
I snorted. "You're kidding."
"All it does is complicate things, Eve."
𑁍 • 𑁍 • 𑁍
Before I could unlock the door, I felt two light taps on my shoulder. It didn't feel like his touch, but who else would it be? "Hey, Gra—Arsinoe?" I stepped away from her.
She looked down at her shoes and shifted uncomfortably. "I had to run to catch up to you. I'm so sorry, Eve. About that night. I didn't mean to—"
"To what? Push me into a pool when you know I couldn't swim?" I crossed my arms and glared at her.
"They forced me to! They told me I had to prove I was good enough to be part of their group."
"'They'?" I questioned, raising my eyebrow when I knew very well what she was talking about.
"Like—Vivian and them." She still wouldn't meet my eyes.
I scoffed. I'm not tolerating this. "Look, you did what you did, alright? I'm not forgiving you because peer pressure isn't something to be easily forgiven."
"I already said that I was sorry." Somehow, this only infuriated me more.
"And you think that's enough?" I kept my voice low so I don't make a scene for people living nearby. "Let me see what I have to forgive. You betrayed my trust, called me a slut, nearly drowned me and threw away our friendship like it was nothing." I listed, daring her to talk back.
"But, please, listen for a moment." I gave her the benefit of the doubt and let her continue. "At least I made friends, isn't that what you wanted? I made my point clear that I was sorry and I don't ever want to do that again. I'm in a group so I'm not lonely, like you wanted."
Five, four, three, two, one.
My eyes softened, but I kept my voice even. "That's the thing, Arsinoe. If you made friends, they wouldn't have made you do that."
"I don't get it!" She bursted out, throwing her arms in the air in distress. "How can you make friends so easily? I have friends now that I can depend on, so you should be proud of me."
I shook my head. "You used to be my best friend, Arsinoe. Real friends means they'd be with you no matter what, no matter the situation. It's not something you have to pay your way into. You don't change for people unless it's for yourself."
Her face fell and tears formed in her eyes. They weren't frustrated tears, just... miserable. "You don't have the right to say that—"
I made a noise in between a scoff and a laugh. "Like you had 'the right' to call me a slut? No, I don't think so. We do things that we don't mean to sometimes and that's okay. But it's like I don't even know you anymore. I don't think I ever knew you in the first place." My voice cracked, but I didn't let my emotions get the best of me. This was on her.
She made her bed, now it was time for her to lie in it.
"Eve—"
"Am I interrupting?" The familiar grumble of a deep voice sounded behind me and covered me like a weighed blanket. Warm and comforting.
"No." I said sternly, not breaking eye contact with Arsinoe. "Not at all." I held my chin high, staring her down.
Keys jingled and the door unlocked with a click. I knew Grayson was standing there without even looking at him.
Arsinoe frowned. "What's he doing here? Wait. He lives―" So, she finally figured it out. Gee, she deserves a round of applause.
I cut her off for the millionth time. "I'm blocking your number and everything. If you need to say something, say to my face tomorrow 'cause I'm not dealing with your bullshit anymore." It burned. My heart. Another piece broke off and it's unable to be repaired.
I'm pissed and I couldn't even handle her. I walked calmly into the apartment and the door shut with Grayson hot on my heels. "It was her, wasn't it?"
"I don't know what you mean." I dropped my bag on my room floor and Grayson leaned on the door frame.
"You didn't fall at all. I knew you were lying. She pushed you, didn't she? I overheard you guys when I came up the elevator."
I was mad. But I don't know what to do. I wish he would just yell at me for being such a bad family member. I wanted him to be... anything, other than sounding understanding and shit.
"Congratulations, Peralta. You solved the case." I muttered, sarcastically. "By the way, it's from-"
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Yeah, I know. Why didn't you tell me?" He said, getting straight to the point.
I frowned, like I genuinely considered this. I kept eyes on the blank screen of my phone. "Because I didn't want you to think any differently of me. As if I'm a girl with family problems now. Or a person unable to keep a friendship." I raised my eyebrows to myself and turned my back to him, pacing my room. "You can come in, you know."
I sense his steps near, each footstep matching my rapid heart rate. "I would have never thought of you any different." My breaths shallowed and I pretended like I didn't hear him or mind his presence.
I'm a woman of my word, I went on each social media app and blocked her account, spam, back up, everything. I lingered on her number and saw our last encounter. It occurred to me that I haven't reached out sooner. Idiot.
"Can't wait to go to Canada with you. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't there." Arsinoe texted a few months ago and I replied a minute later.
"I wouldn't have done it with anyone else." My naive self said.
She responded at the same minute, like she was waiting for me to reply. "I love you, Evelyn."
"I love you too."
A tear dripped down my cheek and Grayson wiped it away with his thumb. I haven't noticed when he got so close. His hot breath fanned my face and his scent enveloped me.
Before overthinking it too much, I threw up my arms around his torso, burying my face in his chest. "Why do people have to change, Grayson?" My voice was hoarse, but I ran out of tears to give. Like she ever deserve any.
I felt him stiffen and for a second, I wondered if I made the wrong choice, until his own hand slid down the length of my back. "I don't know, mi alma." As if he weren't rigid enough, his shoulders straightened.
I squeezed the pure brick of muscle and he gradually sighed, giving in. "No idea what you just called me," I laughed into his shirt and a hand ran through my hair. "But it better not have been 'douchebag'." Lightning the mood didn't work.
He didn't reply other than the occasional deep breath.
"She pushed me away for strangers. She hurt me. I loved her. I loved her so much." I whispered and he sighed.
"I loved him too."
"Who?" Who hurt you?
"My dad."
Then we left it at that. We stayed where we were and I focused on him to keep me grounded. The way his body fitted right into mine, how our heartbeats were in sync, the coconut-laundry smell—which is pretty much the signature Grayson scent―and his even breaths.
"Razbliuto. The feeling you have of someone you loved, but no longer do."
"And you call me the smart-ass." I murmured. I inhaled his smell like a drug because I'm afraid I'll never get this moment again.
"Random page for dinner?" He questioned. "I said I would."
I nodded into his chest, melting into him. "Yeah."
"Okay?"
"Okay."
"Okay." He finalised and gave me a second before I unwrapped my arms. I blocked and deleted her number, feeling no remorse. I stare at the device for a moment, before sliding it onto my desk.
I faced the window, not wanting to look into those green eyes that I couldn't resist. "Thank you." I more so mouthed it, meaning he didn't hear me.
"Nothing to thank me for." The door shut behind him and I whirled around, my brows pinching together when I knew he couldn't possibly hear me when I didn't even say the words aloud.
In the group chat, I left a voice message for Alaina, Josie and Val. "This isn't a big deal, but I have to come clean with you guys..." I spilled everything that happened at the party until now with Arsinoe and I sent it without hesitation because I trusted them whole-heartedly.
I pried the door a smidge to spy on Grayson cooking. If I hadn't found a man hot in the kitchen, I sure did now.
Get a hold on your feelings, girl. Not him. Never him.
He peeked over his shoulder at my room like he could feel me staring and I backed down, shutting it quietly.