Chapter 127

7-We Meet Again (Book 2)

I quickly got down and looked for a cab. I needed to leave the place. He knew where my car was parked. I gave the instructions to the cab driver and reached the parking lot. Though it was hardest at the moment to drive right now but I needed to do that.

Once I reached my apartment, I took a sigh of relief. Aniya wasn’t home yet. I straight away got to my room and fell on the bed.

And just then I realized, my cheeks were wet. I was crying.

Aniya’s pov:

The man whom I spent the night with was courteous enough to treat me to a lavish breakfast at his place. A day out with friends and a nice evening with a gorgeous man. What more can one ask for?

Humming to myself I entered the apartment and got off my sandals, tossing them carelessly.

It was good that Eve was still sleeping otherwise she would have strangled my neck. I went to my room and changed into something comfortable.

Yesterday I offered Eve to bring her friend to the apartment. We were not allowed to bring random men just for s3x purposes. But this man was someone, Eve couldn’t stop talk about.

He seemed to be someone quite special, and I just could not wait to meet this Adonis. Eve deserved happiness.

After a leisurely bath, I came to the living room and then realized that it was afternoon and Eve never slept this late. On one hand, I was happy that this Adonis made her so tired that she needed to make it up by sleeping extra hours.

Frowning to myself, I knocked her door lightly and opened it. The room was shrouded with darkness with the curtains still untouched.

Why was she still sleeping? Just like Ashley, she hated sleeping late.

As I tiptoed closer to her bed, I could see that she was still sound asleep, her peaceful expression causing me to hesitate before waking her.

But something felt off. The air in the room was heavy, almost suffocating. I tried to brush it off and reached out to shake her gently, but she didn’t stir. Gosh.

Her skin was burning in fever.

My heart racing, I shook her more urgently, calling out her name. Still, no response. Panic set in as I ducked for my phone to dial for help, my hand shaking so badly that I fumbled with the buttons. Should I call for emergency help or call Ashley?

In panic mode, I went back to her room. She was still lying there.

Ashley!

I needed to call her first.

Suddenly, Eve gasped and sat upright, her eyes wide and unseeing. I grabbed her by the shoulders, trying to steady her as she looked around frantically, her breathing erratic.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice trembling. But Eve just stared at me, her eyes blank and uncomprehending.

They were red. Either due to excessive crying or staying awake for longer hours.

As Eve looked at me with fear and confusion, I couldn’t help but wonder what was really going on inside that pretty head. She seemed to be hiding something, and the more I thought about it, the more certain I became that it had to do with the mysterious Adonis she had mentioned earlier.

“Eve,” I called her gently, “Are you alright? Is there something you’re not telling me? Something about this Adonis guy?”

Eve’s eyes widened in surprise, and for a moment, she seemed caught off guard. But then she shook her head, her gaze dropping to her lap.

“No,” she said softly in a hoarse whisper, “it’s nothing. Just a silly crush.” She tried to laugh it off, “Elijah is always there in my dreams. He was just there trying to tell me something when you woke me up.”

Ashley and I knew that Elijah used to visit her in her dreams, but we never tried to be judgmental about it.

She had once confided in us that every time she used to close her eyes, his face would pop up in her mind.

But I knew there was more to it than that. I could sense it in the way she just spoke, the way she avoided my gaze. And as I looked at her, still pale and feverish, I knew that I couldn’t just let it go.

“Eve,” I said firmly, “you know you can tell me anything, right? Whatever it is, I promise to be there for you.”

This fever was not making sense. Till yesterday she was quite happy about her meet-up with this unknown guy.

For a moment, Eve looked at me with tears in her eyes, as if she was about to say something. But then she shook her head again, her shoulders slumping.

“It’s too late,” she whispered. “I can’t go back now.’

I didn’t know what she meant by that, but I knew I had to find out. I made a mental note to keep a closer eye on her, to try to figure out what was really going on. Because whatever it was, I had a feeling that it was going to be a lot more serious than just a silly crush.

I needed to call Ashley. Instead of doing it alone, I should seek her help.Topof Form Just then her phone started ringing. My poor friend jumped up in terror. I went ahead to get her phone.

“It’s Mrs. Margret, Eve,” I told her softly and waited for her response. I needed to give her medicine with some light food.

She held her forehead as if it would explode, “C…can you please let her know that I won’t be available tomorrow? Ask her to make the necessary purchases for the salon. I will pay, of course.”

Hmm. Something was definitely fishy. My friend taking an off was rare.

“Sure, I’ll take care of it,” I replied, feeling relieved that Eve’s focus had shifted momentarily to something else. “But Eve, please promise me you’ll take care of yourself. You need rest and you should see a doctor about your fever. Right now, I am bringing you some over-the-counter medicine and a bowl of oats.”

Eve nodded, looking grateful for the concern. “Thank you for being with me, Aniya.” She said weakly.

As I left her room, I couldn’t shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my stomach. Eve was my closest friend, and I hated seeing her in pain. But I also knew that there was only so much I could do to help her.

After too much insistence, I managed to give her one or two spoons of oatmeal and tucked her in bed.

As I walked towards the living room, I pulled out my phone and dialed Ashley’s number. When she left the apartment so that she could restart her life with Justin, she had specifically asked us to let her know if we were in trouble.

She picked it up on the third ring and spoke in a busy tone.

“Aniya, I am in the middle of an official lunch. What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Ashley, something’s wrong with Eve,” I said, my voice shaking. “I think, she’s been running away from something and it’s taking a toll on her. She needs help.” I paused for a moment, “Can you call me back after getting done with this lunch?”

Ashley didn’t hesitate, “F*ck this lunch. You two are my friends and I’ll be there in an hour,” she said, her voice determined. “We’ll figure this out, Eve. Don’t worry.’

Feeling a little lighter, I made my way back to Eve’s room to check on her. She was asleep, her breathing shallow and labored. I sat down next to her bed, holding her hand and hoping that she would find some peace in her dreams.

With Elijah.

***

Evelyne’s pov:

I was kind of slipping in and out of consciousness. What I only remembered was Aniya or Ashley shoving medicines down my throat or trying to force-feed me. And after that every time they would try to make me sleep.

I also remember a handsome doctor who happened to be Ashley’s friend and was visiting me daily to keep a check on me.

Thanks to Mrs. Margret and June who were taking care of the salon.

Ashley used to visit it daily on my behalf.

She asked Mrs. Margret to send her the daily reports by email.

Almost one week must had passed. I had gotten sick and tired of staying in the bed. I badly needed a shower.

Upon my insistence, Ashley, at last, ran a warm bath for me. After throwing my clothes in a hamper, with the help of Ashley, I sat in the tub and sighed with relief.

I stayed in there for a longer time, letting the warm water ease my sore muscles and wash away my fatigue. When I finally got out, Ashley had prepared a fresh set of clothes for me.

“You should rest now, Eve,” she said, leading me to my bed. “You’re still recovering.” The girl had changed the bed linens while I was in the bathroom.

“I know, but I just cant stay in bed anymore,” I replied, settling down on the bed.

Ashley sat down next to me, looking concerned. “Eve, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” “What is it?” I asked, suddenly feeling uneasy.

“I know you’ve been going through a tough time lately,” Ashley said softly.” And I’m worried about you. I think you need to talk to someone about it, maybe see a therapist.”

I felt a lump forming in my throat. Ashley was right, I had been struggling with a lot of things, and I had been bottling it all up. But the thought of talking to a stranger about my problems scared me. I went through all of it after Elijah’s death.

Though Ashley didn’t show it, but my guess was, Aniya must have told her about Adonis. Thinking about him made my heart go sink. What he must be thinking about leaving his apartment just like that?

Thankfully the man didn’t know my name, address, or phone number.

“I don’t know, Ash,” I said hesitantly. “Talking about it just feels so… personal.” “But sometimes we need to open up and let others in, especially when we’re going through a tough patch,” Ashley said gently. “And I’ll be here for you. Aniya will be here, I promise.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes.

“Okay,” I said finally, taking a deep breath. “I’ll give it a try.”

Ashley smiled, her eyes shining with relief. “That’s all I will ask for, Eve.

Just know that I love you and I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.

***

I stayed home for one week and unexpectedly had the best time of my life with Ashley and Aniya. Both of them didn’t go to work and were glued to my a*ss like a gum.

We played board games, had movie nights, and ordered food like crazy. It helped me a lot in diminishing the pain. However, when Justin used to visit Ashley, it used to pin me a lot.

Though I was happy for my friend and the bond she shared with her husband was to die for. They looked so cute together.

Justin used to remind me of Adonis, a lot. He used to take care of me like a big brother and was kind enough to not throw tantrums for getting ignored by his beloved wife.

I enjoyed it when they used to pass meaningful remarks thinking that nobody understood them. Or the way they used to make out in the kitchen thinking that we were fast asleep in our rooms and couldn’t hear them.

All of it used to remind me of him. The passionate night I shared with him. The friendship we developed in no time.

No matter how close my friends were to me, I couldn’t show them this vulnerable side of mine.

I was busy in my thoughts when my ringing phone made me startle.

Smiling to myself I attended the call of Mrs. Margret, “Hey, love.” I said still smiling to her, “I know I have put a lot of burden on you people.” “Oh, shut up.” She said sternly, “We are good without you.

Ok? Just take more rest and don’t you dare set your foot here.” I couldn’t stop the laughter from escaping my lips.

The elderly woman was asking me confidently to not enter my own salon. Ha-ha.

“Listen, Eve. I need to tell you something.” The hair at the back of my neck stood up when her voice dropped to a low whisper.

“What is it, Mrs. Margret?” “He… he came.” She said in a low voice, “He was asking about you.”

My heart skipped a beat. I had forgotten that Adonis might not know about my whereabouts, but he did know about my salon and car.

“What did he say?” I swallowed hard, “Is he coming daily?”

Was it hope in my voice?

“He was here initially for two or three days but after that, he didn’t show up.” This brought relief and disappointment at the same time.

Disappointment because he stopped coming after three days. Relief because he was not a creep forcing my employees to extract my whereabouts.

“I see,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Well, thank you for letting me know, Mrs. Margret. I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for him.”

After hanging up the phone, I sat on the edge of my bed and took a deep breath. Adonis had been asking about me. Part of me wanted to run to my salon and see if he was there, but another part of me was hesitant.

I knew that I needed to be careful. I didn’t want to go through that pain again. But at the same time, I couldn’t deny the feeling of excitement that was bubbling up inside of me.

For the next few days, I couldn’t shake the thought of Adonis out of my head. Yes. He was still an Adonis to me. I couldn’t remember him with that forbidden name. I found myself constantly checking my phone for any missed calls or messages from Mrs. Margret if he was still looming there, even though I knew deep down that it was unlikely.

Being a gentleman, he could be anything but not a stalker. Maybe he had gotten the silent message that I didn’t want to see him anymore. I wasn’t interested in taking it any further.

***

Ashley had invited us to dinner because Justin’s business partner was coming to discuss a new venture. We didn’t have anything to do with this business meeting but Ashley thought meeting new people could take my mind off my pain. I arrived at their residential place that was allotted to Justin by Arguli University. I walked to the table set on their lawn to find Aniya and Ashley already seated there. I greeted them and took my seat, feeling grateful for their company.

I had been feeling much better lately, thanks to the support of my friends. I was still hesitant to return to my salon but was slowly regaining my confidence.

As we chatted and enjoyed the chatting before dinner, I suddenly heard a familiar s3xy voice behind me, “So, we meet again, long legs.”

My heart skipped a beat, and my hands began to sweat as I recognized the voice. I grew stiff and couldn’t bring myself to turn around, knowing full well, who it was.