Searching for Eve

The Final Chords

The Final Chords

Eve

"Thank you for being such an amazing audience." I said, looking around the room. "Makes me think maybe I should come back sometime." The crowd cheered, and I laughed. "We'll see what we can do about that. In the mean time, maybe you'll find something good on your radio to listen to."

My nerves had died down after the first song, and I found myself truly enjoying the time spent on stage. But now, I was nervous for an entirely different reason--I had to face my brother and best friend.

"Babe," Joshua said, pulling me into a hug. "You did absolutely amazing up there."

"Thank you." I said. "Thank you for making me do it."

He kissed my cheek before whispering in my ear, "Your brother and Kay are coming this way. Are you still sure you can do this alone?"

Pulling away from his embrace, I shook my head. "No, I'm not. But for right now, I need you away from Drew until I can explain a few things."

He nodded. "I'm going to be at that table right there, pretending to go through emails. If you need me, let me know."

"Thank you." I said as he walked away. I already missed the comfort he had brought within the past few days.

Days. I had been only gone from home for days. Hadn't it seemed like years? Hadn't it felt like I had lived with Joshua for months, if not longer? We had quickly fallen into routine--I showered in the morning while he cooked breakfast, he showered just before bed. He knew I liked my toast slightly crunchy but never burnt, and I knew he ate cereal without milk and read the morning paper before he even checked his phone. We knew the whats and whens, the hows and the whys.

"Well, well, well." A familiar voice said. "You were actually hard to find."

I turned around to see the face of my brother. His eyes had become slightly sunken in, and I could see the lines forming on his forehead. He had slept little and eaten even less. I wondered if he had been at home for them to assess his appearance or if they even cared.

"Are you just going to stare, or what? It hasn't been that long, E."

E. He had called me E. He wasn't mad.

I threw my arms around his neck, crying. "I missed you, D."

He chuckled. "We all missed you, Shortstack."

"How did you--"

Shaking his head, he replied with a brief, "I didn't."

"Do they know?"

He scratched the back of his neck. "Listen, um, can we...talk?"

I looked over to where Joshua sat and nodded. "Of course."

Thirty minutes later, I grabbed Joshua's hand as we sat in the kitchen of his--our--apartment with Drew and Kay, who had yet to speak to me. The air was thick with tension as the boys stared each other down questioningly.

"Drew." I said, ending the silence. "I'm sorry."

He looked over at me, his face a mixture of emotions. "Do you know, E, what you put us through?"

I was mad. "No, D, but do you know what I've been put through? Do you know that Mother Dearest monitors my meals? Did she ever tell you that's why I have migraines? My body almost shut down on me at one point, and all she did was hand me a pain pill and a glass of water and told me to get over it, that we had a press release to do. Do you know that our father believes I'm not even his child? Or that he's told me multiple times I'm a disgrace because I'm an athlete? Apparently it's not feminine and if I keep it up, he'll never be able to find me a suitable partner. Do you know that my team, the people I have broken bones and bled for, see me as a joke? All I am is their ticket to the championship. You left me when I needed you, D, and you never looked back. You had your life--you got to apply to art school under the condition that you'd take a position in the company. You got sucked into his stupid mind games, and you turned into a mini him. You poured out your problems to me, but never once did you ask me how I was. You missed my birthday for crying out loud. I got one birthday text and that came from Joshua. One. Do you know how that felt? Do you?"

Tears streamed down my face, but I didn't care. He needed to hear that, and I needed to say it.

Drew looked at me. "How long?"

I looked over at Joshua as he spoke up for the first time that night. "If you must know, two years. About eight months ago, when I knew I had fallen for her, I--we--decided we needed to take a break, not talk 24/7, all that. Two months ago, I called her, so drunk I could barely dial the phone. I poured my heart out to her, and she hung up, demanding to know why I suddenly loved her, that it was all because I was drunk. I waited a week and called her again, this time completely sober. We had a rational discussion, and she said she wanted to meet up for coffee. However, this never happened, because she suddenly showed up at my door crying, telling me she was no longer wanted where she was and that she needed a place to stay until she could get on her feet."

Drew looked over at me. "Is this true?"

I nodded. "Yes, it is. We met at a conference held for class officers."

"He knows." Kay whispered.

We all turned to face her.

"He what?!" I demanded.

"He knows how you met, okay?" She said, her voice louder. "He knows that you guys were inseperable, that you talked 24/7. He knows that the song is about him."

I stood up, pinching the bridge of my nose. "What else did you tell him?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"Get out. Both of you." I yelled. "If I decide to talk to either of you, I will call in the morning."

That night, as I laid in bed, I mentally slapped myself for getting so angry. Kay was at a level eight, and I didn't even ask her why. Drew was right--I had put them through a lot. And I acted like I didn't care.

I got dressed and grabbed my phone. This couldn't wait until morning.

"You have reached the phone of..." Drew's voicemail greeted. Crap.

I sent him a text. Sorry, but I can't go back. Not now, not ever. You'll hear about me soon, and you'll be proud of what I've done. I know this will cause you a lot of heartache, but this doesn't mean you will ever stop being my brother. I'll always need you in my life, D. You and Kay and Shaun. You're my rocks, and I hope that someday you three can hang out with Joshua and I. I love him, D, and he loves me. It isn't a practical kind of love or a sappy chick flick love. It's our own love, one that's made me realize I deserve it, just like you and Kay do. Treat her right, D. She's broken, and only you can fix her. Remind her that she's beautiful. If it's tempting for her, take it away. Realize that sometimes, even your best intentions will wind up being the worst thing to do. But whatever she says, never let go. E.

I went back into the apartment, where Joshua was sleeping on the fold-out couch. I smiled.