Chapter 20
Evelyn took her first-ever sip of booze at the bar, and when the thrill of it settled down, the room started to spin. Dancing among a sea of bodies, she swore she could see Caleb. Blame it on the tipsy courage, she nearly bulldozed through the crowd to check. But a couple of wrong turns later, the cool night air slapped some sense into her-the buzzing tunes now a mu***d backdrop. Evelyn squinted into the dark, heart racing, thinking, ‘Had it just been my imagination? What were the odds of Caleb being here? And when will my mind stop churning up thoughts of him? Her heart ached, and nausea waved hello in return.
She trudged back to her hotel, ready to crash, but her phone had different plans-a message from Aron. Fighting the fatigue, she peeked at the text. Aron was throwing a business shindig and wanted her to be his guest.
Evelyn almost texted a ‘no thanks, but then Aron called. “Evelyn? You see my text?”
His voice was a cozy blanket, and she nodded, forgetting he couldn’t see her. She laughed at her own goof and coughed to find her voice again. “Yeah, Aron… I’m not sure I should.”
Aron’s worry practically came through the phone line. “You alright? You sound off.”
The awkwardness hit her again, and Evelyn cleared her throat. Must be the alcohol, or maybe the night air. Her voice, sounding less like sandpaper, dodged his concern. “Nah, I’m all good. Just had some hot sauce earlier. About the mixer, think
I’ll sit it out.”
“Evelyn, you’re like a sister to me, and I don’t have a date yet. You wouldn’t really let me go solo to this big party, would you?” Aron’s voice was teasing as he glanced over the guest list. He frowned just a bit seeing Caleb’s name on there. “Imagine me there, all by my lonesome while everyone else is paired up. Pretty sad, right?”
Evelyn let out a sigh she couldn’t hide. Aron’s guilt-trip was coming in loud and clear. She remembered all the cool things Aron did for her, like showing her around Romaine for weeks and keeping her company. Saying no to him after everything felt pretty crummy.
Evelyn hesitated and then agreed to his request. Aron had been super kind to her; going to one party was no big deal. “So, alright. What kinda party is this? Anything special I should do?”
Aron chuckled over the phone. “No sweat. I’ll pick you up. Just be ready.”
When they hung up, Evelyn was still groggy from the alcohol. Her head was pounding, and she plopped back onto the bed, out like a light. The next thing she knew, she woke up not in her room, but in a hospital bed.
There was someone dozing off in the chair opposite her. At the sound of her stirring, the man jerked awake and touched ber forehead, worried. Even with a mix of tenderness and a little scolding in his eyes, he asked, “You know booze isn’t your friend. Why’d you drink? You feeling any better?”
Her mind was a blur, trying to make sense of it all. She thought, must’ve blacked out from the booze. But why am I in the hospital? And why is Aron here?
11:34 Thu, Oct 24