𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘀 | 𝐁𝗼𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐝𝐲/𝗥𝗙𝗞

XXXI: "The Lost Eden"

CW:
This chapter contains sexual theme that
might not be suitable for younger audiences.

The two friends made a beeline for the beach, it was becoming their second home again — just when they thought their childhood was ending, they relived it. "So... I didn't see Ethel today," Evelyn muttered, she began to worry if Bobby picked her over his fiancée. But her fear quickly died down when Bobby absentmindedly replied that Ethel was in town with his sisters. "Mm, they probably need a break from all the wedding planning," Evelyn replied with a sense of relief. "Exactly, you have nothing to worry about," Bobby quipped with a sly grin on his face; his nonchalant manner made it difficult for the woman not to think she was in a déjà vu.

As they arrived at the hole where they dug the sacred bottle out, Evelyn felt utterly anxious; old memories re-emerged inside her head like a moving picture. "Well, here we go." She sighed softly, her hand gripping the glass object. They kneeled down on the sand, like two children building a sandcastle. "Should we make a wish each time we add a new letter?" Evelyn's idea grasped Bobby's attention; he immediately nodded his head with twinkles in his eyes. "One wish will come true every ten years." The man smiled as he added his own twist to it. Evelyn scoffed, "I believe you." She uncorked the bottle with Joe's Swiss knife — it never ceased to amaze Bobby how the tool was in such a mint condition, almost like Evelyn rarely used it.

The woman took her letter out of the envelope before rolling it tightly. "I wish—" "Don't say it out loud!" Bobby was rather strict with the tradition; he halted Evelyn from uttering her wish audibly. "You're right." Evelyn held her laughter back. There was a moment of silence as she shut her chartreuse eyes together, her wish was only one thing; to never lose Bobby — no matter what.

There was a shivery feeling waving over Evelyn when the letter in her grips was now inside the bottle. "Your turn." She passed the bottle — Bobby was in a trance; it was almost like he knew what she wished for just by the melancholy painted on her face. "What'd you wish for?" He jokingly remarked before continuing with the ritual. Each second passed with a sense of anticipation for Evelyn, she truly wished she had wished for mind-reading power at that moment. Bobby successfully executed the ritual, he slammed the cork back into the bottle's mouth.

The bottle was shoved right back to where it belonged, he carefully buried it underneath the sand. Evelyn helped here and there; patting the sand to make sure it was fully covered and couldn't be seen by any passer-by. "There. I guess we'll come back in a decade." Bobby brushed his hands against his jeans, dusting some stubborn sands off. "I sure hope so," said Evelyn. She pressed her lips together, somehow the thought of having to rely on time so they could the ritual again was scary to her. "Well... should we go sailing?" Bobby squinted an eye, the ray coming from the sky was approaching them rapidly. Evelyn nodded, "We did promise Jack and Ted." As they walk to return to the house, Evelyn turned once in a while like a watchman over the bottle.

"Jack, where's Ted?" Bobby asked as he wiped dripping sweat off his chin. "I don't know— oh, Mike came over earlier. Maybe they've gone into town," Jack replied dismissively, his eyes glued to the television. Evelyn stepped into the living room anxiously upon hearing the Kraut's name, she sat down on the couch next to the older man. "Mike came?" She hadn't seen Mike in a while, guilt started to accumulate in her chest. "Yeah, he was looking for you, but ended up taking Ted!" Jack let out a deep belly laugh, clearly to tease Evelyn. "Oh, well," The woman began. "We're going to sail, you joining?" She finished her sentences. Jack immediately shook his head, "Nah, I'm feeling a little under the weather today. You two should go," He reassuringly said. Bobby crossed his arms, he leaned down to whisper something in his brother's ear.

"What's going on?" Evelyn furrowed her eyebrows as she asked the question. "No, I'm serious! I have a headache, Bobby!" Jack responded and shoved Bobby away from him. "So, it's just gonna be Eve and me?" The younger man questioned. "I'm pretty sure my headache won't be going away anytime soon," Jack replied cheekily. Bobby fell silent, the still air in the room only intensified the tension between him and Evelyn. He looked over Evelyn and gestured to her, "Let's go, then." The woman rose from her seat and breathed in deeply; she was feeling nervous yet again to spend some alone time with her ex-lover. "Right. See you at dinner, Jack." Evelyn laid a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Ta-ta," The man responded, waving to her absentmindedly.