Chapter 39
Evelyn
“What’re you doing for the break?”
Sebastian's text comes seemingly out of nowhere. He’s been spending a lot of time around me and Olivia, which I find…different.
I’ve pondered the idea that maybe he’s trying to help fill the void without Ava—who I still haven’t heard from. Or does he want me to make a final decision about what happens to us?
In fairness, it’s been months now that we’ve been in this back-and-forth dance. I know I last said I wouldn’t tell him we can’t be together, but there’s still this huge weight that only we seem to notice.
“Sleeping, hopefully.”
I type the response and wait, biting my thumbnail as I let the message whoosh away.
“And what if you wanted to escape?”
I feel a compelling urge to call him, but Olivia’s already fast asleep in her bed, her notes spread out around her, and her phone screen now black from inactivity. We’re so close to the end of the semester, so I don’t want to wake her.
Since I can’t call him, I type out my thoughts.
“Escape? To where? It’s not like I could get away with that. Besides, I don’t know enough about New York to know where to begin.”
The truth is, he’s seemingly reading my mind. I haven’t said a thing to him or anyone about wanting to go home to Hawaii during break. I can’t afford my own ticket, so I was planning on asking my mom for help.
But does Sebastian know this secret by chance?
“It doesn’t matter where we go, so long as we let the wind take us on whatever wild ride it has in store.”
Wait, what?
“We?” I type, raising my brows. “Don’t you have to race during break?”
“Princess, if you really think I haven’t debated kidnapping you and running to safety, you’re going to be sorely disappointed.”
I had no idea. I haven’t really thought what Sebastian’s thought outside of making me laugh and spending time with us. But a trip, just the two of us?
That could be a damn game-changer.
“Say that it’s true. I don’t have the money to go anywhere but my bed.”
He sends back laughter in the form of his favorite emojis. I can just hear his cocky little laugh, and it pulls on my heart to think like this.
“Who said you need money? Say we’ll go somewhere together. Money is no object. The limit of how far we can go does not exist.”
“Cady Heron?” I tease.
“If that’s supposed to be an insult, it’s backfired because I would be the best Cady, thank you.”
I have to bite my lip to keep myself from snorting.
“Princess. What do you want?”
It’s still strange to hear him call me that—or, in this case, have him write it. The name continues to send me to higher planes, and I don’t know if he’s aware of this.
“What do I want?” I reply dumbly.
“Yes.”
“Home.”
“That’s boring. We’ll be there this week.”
“No. Home. Hawaii.”
That’s where Sebastian doesn’t respond back immediately. His triple bubble comes up on the screen before disappearing again. This happens three times, and I lay there anxiously, scared for what he needs all this time to type.
Then, a picture comes in showing flights.
From JFK to Hawaii.
“Merry Christmas, Princess.”
I sit up. It’s so fast that I nearly fall out of my bed.
“What the hell?”
“Pick our exit date and when we’ll be back. I’ll pick up the bill. All you need to do is plan.”
Is he really serious? I haven’t even asked Madelyn if I can go yet! I’ve only concocted this half-baked idea for a second. I hadn’t known if it was possible.
But here’s Sebastian, showing me, he can make it so.
“You better bring me along with you, Princess. How am I supposed to get to know Evelyn Walters without really learning her story?”
After hugging Olivia goodbye, Sebastian and I head back home to Madelyn and Gregory’s for the break.
That night, they have a celebration dinner to welcome us home for the next six weeks.
Halfway through the meal, however, Gregory puts down his utensils and clears his throat.
“Son? Eve? Madelyn and I have discussed it, and we’re going to be throwing a winter ball at one of the downtown convention centers for Christmas. It’s already in the early phases of development, so we knew now was when to tell you.”
My eyes widen because a fucking ball sounds like such an extravagant ordeal, and I start to smile as I gasp.
“Think of it like Cinderella, honey,” my mom insists, smiling again. “Like when Cinderella meets her Prince Charming.”
“It will be black tie as well,” Gregory interjects.
“That’s so cool!” I say, unable to contain myself. “But, wait, I don’t have anything that’s good enough for this?”
“Don’t worry, honey, we can go shopping together this weekend. I need to get something as well. I’ll need a beautiful dress to wear to host my first party with Gregory post wedding.”
I let my eyes drift from Madelyn to Gregory, looking at him with eyes that seem to ask, “Is this okay?”
Gregory, shocking me, actually lets a smile spread across his face. “Evelyn, you’re allowed to ask for things in this household. I’m not a dictator. Your happiness is just as important to me as your mother’s.”
If that’s the case, then maybe there is a chance I can go home to Hawaii.
“So, will either of you be bringing a date?” Madelyn questions, taking a sip of her wine.
I don’t bother to hide it, and Sebastian must have the same thought. We both laugh at the absurdity, shaking our heads as we claim we’ll be bringing no one.
But that doesn’t stop us from making very brief and subtle eye contact.
“Well, there’s still time, of course,” Gregory states.
“Oh, of course.”
That seems to be the end of the conversation, but I tell myself that if I’m going to take advantage of Gregory's kindness and go home, then now’s the time.
“Mom?” I ask, my voice coming out mousey and small.
She lifts her head from her meal, smiling. “Eve?”
I take a deep breath. “I was wondering if…during these weeks off, I could…visit Hawaii? Is that okay?”
Surprisingly, Mom’s eyes widen, and she puts her napkin on the table. She stands up, and I start worrying that she’s going to leave the room because she’s offended by my asking.
Instead, she holds me in a hug, kissing the top of my head. “Eve, my love. Your whole life was back in Hawaii. Of course, you can go visit.”
Relief floods through me so quickly that I become somewhat dizzy at the idea of stepping back into the city where I have roots.
“But I’ve got too much going on here to go with you.”
“That’s okay!” I insist. “I’ll go by myself.”
“Nonsense!” She shakes her head before looking toward her stepson. “Sebastian should go with you!”
I actually cannot believe what she’s saying. But then again, Madelyn has no clue about the true relationship between the two of us.
“He only spent a short time in Hawaii, and what a better bonding experience for you both!”
“Oh, Madelyn, I’m sure Sebastian has plenty to do over his break and wouldn’t want to go across the country with his new sister.”
Sebastian shrugs. “I can go. I don’t mind it.”
His father does a double take. “You want to go?”
Sebastian takes a sip of his water before replying, “What kind of brother would I be if I just let Evelyn go to Hawaii alone for several days?”
“Well, that’s wonderful!” Mom claps. “We have the ball soon, but maybe after Christmas or New Year’s!”
My entire world is currently floating in front of me, and I can’t contain the glee within me.
“Well, thank you for the invitation, Madelyn. I’ll watch over Evelyn like a hawk.” Sebastian gives me the faintest of smiles and winks, and I hold myself together so not to laugh.
“I’m not the one who’ll need babysitting,” I taunt Sebastian.
I spend the rest of the night incredibly excited and coming up with different things for us to do. There are so many spots I’ve missed or places I think Sebastian will appreciate. I can also show him the old hotel.
As I walk down the hall to the bathroom, Sebastian opens his bedroom door and whispers my name.
I turn around, seeing his smile as he leans against the door frame.
“Told you we’d be able to go,” he says, cheeky.
“I’m so happy,” I whisper-shout. “I can’t wait to be back there without a single care in the world.”
“So, you’ll just be the unabridged version of Evelyn Walters?”
I nod, knowing he’s joking but not caring.
“Good. I’m looking forward to that.”
I widen my eyes at that.
He then nods and leaves the doorway, and I turn to go back to the bathroom to get ready for bed.
When I get out of the bathroom and back to my room, there’s a note on my pillow with one sentence. I close my door and pick up the piece of paper, written in what’s obviously Sebastian’s chicken scratch.
“Save me a dance at that ball, Princess.”
Oh God.
This is really happening, isn’t it?
I can’t say anything, only feeling my heart doing a massive backflip.
