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  “I can't believe he did it.” Cole said, slamming his empty beer down on the counter, and selecting another.

  “You'll be next if you aren't careful brother.” I said, grinning.

  “Shit.” He snort laughed, taking a swig from his bottle. “Harper and I are only friends. Besides, she has a lot of skeletons in her closet, and I'm definitely not the man to help her get rid of them.”

  “You don't think we've noticed the way you talk about her? You've got it bad.”

  “She's a sweet girl.”

  “Woman. She's a sweet woman, who has you wrapped around her pretty little finger.”

  “It doesn't matter, does it? She's stuck in some God forsaken institution, what if she never gets out?”

  Harper Blue, was Vanessa's younger sister. She had been through a traumatic ordeal as a child, and Vanessa tried to shield her as best as she could, but something inside of Harper broke. She was institutionalized when she just thirteen, and now she was twenty three, same as Cole. When we found out about her, he began to visit her, and they became fast friends. We all knew Cole had a thing for her, but he was right, she was in there, and he was out here. With Vanessa being her only living relative, and locked up in prison, there wasn't much Cole could do.

  “She will. You said it yourself, she's getting better every day, and that's because of you.”

  “Maybe.” He said, polishing off his second beer, and reaching for a third.

  “You might wanna slow down.” I said, cocking my head in Wes' direction.

  “Fuck him.” He said bringing his bottle to his lips, and slamming it on the counter. “I've got a bride to dance with.” He winked, before patting me on the back, and heading towards Zoe.

  I laughed, shaking my head. Cole was always the kid to push the limits, especially with Wes. I kind of liked that about him, someone had to keep my best friend on his toes after all. Not that Zoe wasn't doing a damn fine job of it already. In the year and a half that they had been together, Wes had become a completely different man. He was still the same cocky bastard I'd served with, but he was less of a hot head.

  Zoe's laughter, caught my attention and I laughed with her when I witnessed Cole attempting to dip her the way the elderly couple had done earlier. He was much less graceful, and nearly fell on top of her. Lucky for him, my sister had a sense of humor, and with a kiss on the cheek, she sent him on his way before gliding back into Wes' arms. I finished my third beer, and reached around the bar for another. I was definitely calling an Uber tonight.

  I was home for three weeks. Three solid weeks of sitting by myself in a big empty house, that no longer felt like home. Zoe and Wes would be gone on their honeymoon, and the friends that I did have, I don't any more. It's funny how friendships fade. One day you're talking about the future, and how you want houses next door to each other, and the next you're left all alone, with nothing but the memories to keep you company. At least that's what happened with Evie. The more I drank, the more I thought about her, but for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to stop.

  I lost count after seven, and the people around me were all beginning to blend together. I knew my limit, but I hadn't passed it yet. A quick dip in the water would sober me right up, I thought loosening my tie, and shrugging my jacket off. I was already barefoot, so slipping my pants off seemed like the next logical move. I manged to make it a few feet from the water, before Wes ran out in front of me.

  “What are you doing man?” He asked, with humor in his eyes.

  “Just need to sober up a bit.” I said, in a voice that didn't sound like my own.

  “So you can drink some more? I don't think so man, let me call you an Uber alright?”

  “No! It's early, and it's your wedding.” I slurred, leaning heavily against him. “You made a beautiful bride – groom!” I corrected myself.

  “Buddy, you're at my wedding reception, in your underwear.” He said, quietly.

  I looked down at my bare feet and smiled. He was right. Reaching for the band of my boxers I said “I should of thought about that sooner.” And before he had the chance to stop me, I was running bare ass naked into the cool water. The last thing I heard before plunging in were hoops and hollers from the women of the party, and I smiled inwardly, enjoying every second.

  I swam out a ways, and when I spun around it was to see Wes. He'd jumped in after me, clothes and all, and when he reached me, he looked like he was ready to kill me. I couldn't help it. I started laughing uncontrollably. “When did you become such a stick in the mud Wes Granger?” I asked, splashing water at him.

  “One of us has to make sure your drunk ass doesn't drown in the damn ocean!” He said, splashing me back with anger.

  A crowd had formed at the edge of the beach, Zoe being dead in the center, but it wasn't her who caught my attention. Ignoring Wes all together, I started for the shore, my eyes locked on the woman to my sister's right. When I was close enough to see her face, my eyes widened in disbelief. “Evie?” I asked, the wonder in my voice evident.

  “Hi Jake.” She said quietly.

  Chapter 4 Then

  Zoe turned eighteen three weeks ago, and true to my word, I went down to our local recruiting office, and enlisted. Evie, had been avoiding me. She knew how much the army meant to me, and even though she started college, and had her own path ahead of her she was worried about me. I understood her worry, and if I was being honest, I was a bit worried myself. Joining the army was a big deal, it wasn't a typical nine to five job. It was a literal life and death kind of job, and as much as I hated to admit it, there may be a day that I don't get to come home. That's what scared Zoe too, and she and Evie had a united front.

  I listened to their concerns, and tried to assure them in every way that I could. Eventually, Zoe gave up. She knew my mind was made up, and she promised to support me. I was meeting Evie later for dinner, and I hoped I could convince her to do the same. I made reservations at a restaurant neither of us could afford, but I wanted our last night together to be a happy memory. I wanted something to hold onto when I left, and I imagine Evie would too.

  I planned the whole evening, and since it was my last night in California, I wanted to make it memorable. I dressed, in a suit, and tie, but decided against the tie later, and left it on the kitchen table. I was picking Evie up from her apartment, and when I pulled into the complex my nerves started to get the better of me. This wasn't even a date, this was just dinner with my best friend, but for whatever reason, it felt like more than that.

  I knocked on her door, and waited, glancing around the parking lot nervously until she answered. “Wow.” She said, with a blush creeping up on her face. “Should I change?” She asked, smoothing her dress over her hips.

  “You look beautiful.” I said, offering her my arm.

  She laughed, before accepting it, and allowing me to walk her to my car. I opened her door for her, and shut her securely inside, before I made my way back to the driver's seat.

  “Where are we going?” She asked, as I pulled out onto the road.

  “Bestia.” I said with a wide grin.

  “That trendy Italian restaurant owned by that adorable couple? It's been all over the news recently! But it's sooo expensive. Jake, we can just go somewhere else.” She said, the excitement fading from her voice.

  “Reservations have been made for a month Evie, we're going.” I said with a wink. “I know how much you love Italian. This is my treat, alright. My way of saying thank you for being in my corner all these years.”

  “Well, when you put it like that.” She said turning to look out the window, in an attempt to hide her growing smile.

  I knew she would love the surprise, just like I knew this dinner was going to change things between us. We had been a constant in each other's lives for the past six years, and now I was breaking that up. I was Evie's shoulder, and the more I thought about it, the worse I felt for leaving her.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” She asked, sensing my sudden shift in mood.


  “Just thinking about how much I'll miss you.” I said, with a sly wink.

  “I'll miss you too Jake.” She said, reaching for my hand and grasping it hard.

  “Enough of that.” I said, plastering a smile back on my face. “We're here.”

  I took her hand in mine, and together we walked into the restaurant. The place was huge, and overly lavish. It definitely wasn't my scene, but it seemed fitting for a send off.

  “I still can't believe you brought me here. This place costs a fortune!” She half whispered, as she looked over her menu.

  “Order whatever you want.” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

  “Jake. Even the salad is twenty dollars!” She said, with exasperation.

  When the waiter stopped in front of our table, I gave him a wide smile. “We'll take two porter house steaks please. I'll take mine medium rare, and she'll have hers well done. Oh, and we'd also like the appetizer sampler tray, the one with the shrimp.”

  “Of course sir.” The waiter replied. “And to drink?”

  The only downfall of this evening was the fact that Evie and I were only twenty. If I had my way, I would have ordered us a bottle of wine. “We'll take your finest bottle of sparkling water please.” The waiter gave me a half smile, before disappearing with his ticket, and returning with a bottle on ice.

  “Sparkling water?” Evie laughed. “You know, we could have just ate dinner at your house, and raided your parents liquor cabinet.”

  “We're paying for the ambiance Evie. Where else in the world could we experience real italian dining?” I teased.

  “I don't know.. Italy maybe.” She dead panned, causing us both to erupt in laughter.

  “I promise to take you one day. To Italy.” I said, when our laughter had died down.

  “Do you think we'll still be friends when that day comes?” She asked, sounding a bit somber now.

  “I have no doubt in my mind.” I said raising my glass to hers.

  “I can't believe we went to the most extravegant Italian restaurant in the state, and we didn't even order Italian!” Evie joked, as I pulled my car into her driveway.

  “There's always next time.”

  “Thanks for tonight Jake.” She said, when we reached her door. “I'm really going to miss having you around.”

  A tear slid from her eye, down her cheek, and I could feel my heart breaking in my chest. Reaching up I brushed it away with my thumb, giving her a small smile. “I promise to write you. And you know, they have this amazing thing called the internet now.” I teased.

  “You want to come in for one more drink?” She asked, as she turned away from me to unlock her door.

  “Definitely. Sparkling water had all the fizz but none of the burn.”

  “You're in luck, I've got a bottle with your name on it.”

  I followed Evie into her small one bedroom apartment. She had a couch, and a small dining room table, but little else, and I had never seen her happier. Her childhood was anything but happy, so to see her finally out of the foster homes, and out on her own made me fill with a sense of pride. Evie Perez was going places, and I was a little sad I wouldn't be here to see where.

  She returned from the kitchen, with two glasses in her hand. I took a sniff when she handed me mine, and I smiled. “Jack Daniels.” I said, before taking a sip.

  “Only the finest for my best friend.” She joked, taking a sip of her own.

  After finishing two glasses each, we decided to sit down on the couch. Rather than side by side, we sat facing each other talking about old times, and walking down memory lane. I made her promise to check in on Zoe from time to time, and she made me promise not to die. Of course, my promise to her was easier said than done, and we both knew that. We laughed so hard that our stomachs hurt, the whiskey loosening us up. Before I knew it, it was almost ten o'clock, and I had a flight to catch in the morning.

  When I stood, Evie stood with me. The laughter all of a sudden drained from her eyes. The reality that this was goodbye, had finally begun to sink in. Not just for her, but for me as well. Her tears came then, stronger, harder, than the lone tear I'd wiped away on her front stoop. I pulled her into me, in an embrace that was meant to comfort, but instead turned into something more. I felt the shift in that embrace almost as soon as her body melted into mine. And when she pulled away, I couldn't help it. I kissed her, and it was both the dumbest, and the best thing that I had done in my entire life.

  Chapter 5 Now

  I don't know what shocked me more. The fact that Evie Perez was standing in front of me, or that I drunk dove into the water at my sister's wedding. I didn't really have time to process though, because Wes was hauling me away, and into the small building we were in earlier. I went willingly, but it didn't stop me from looking over my shoulder. I was smashed, but I'd know that woman any where.

  When Wes and I were safely shut behind the door, I was waiting for him to let me have it. To tell me I'd ruined Zoe's perfect day. And I deserved it, I really did. But I needed to see Evie. I needed answers. “Look Wes-” I started, but he held his hand up stopping me.

  “There's a change of clothes in the closet. I brought them for me, so I didn't have to spend all night in this monkey suit, but it looks like you need em more than me brother.”

  “I- thank you.” I stammered, turning towards the closet.

  “Oh, and buddy before you go out there and make an ass out of yourself with the girl, you might want to swish around a little mouthwash.”

  “It's Evie.” I said, in a way of an explaination. I told Wes all about her when he enlisted, and he was by my side when she disappeared. So having him here now, helping me get my shit together, meant a lot to me. If anyone understood what it was like to love someone whole heartedly it was Wes.

  “I know brother.” He said, patting me on the shoulder. “Go get her.”

  And just like that, he was gone. I took a deep breath, and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were red, and I could barely stand straight. The water had woken me up, but it didn't wash away the stench of alcohol that seemed to permeate from me. I peeled my wet clothes off tossing them to the floor, and walked stark naked to the closet. I found a pair of Wes' jeans, and a white tee shirt. I decided to leave the boxers alone, and go it commando. There were some things you just don't share with someone, even your best friend.

  After splashing water on my face, and using the small bar of soap to cover some of the ocean's scent I took a deep breath. It was now, or never, and I hoped like hell that when I walked back out onto that beach that Evie was still there.

  I found her easy enough, she was standing beside Zoe laughing at something Wes had said. I couldn't help but smile at the sound, it had been years since I'd heard it, and I missed it. She looked beautiful in a pink flowy dress, her dark curls hanging down to the middle of her back. It was short, the last time I seen her. I made my way slowly toward the trio, clearing my throat quietly when I reached them.

  Zoe reached for Wes' hand, and mumbled something about needing to talk to the caterer, leaving Evie and I alone, face to face, for the first time in almost three years. “You look good Evie.” I said, awkwardly running my hand through my dampened hair. “ How are you, how have you been?”

  “Do you want to go somewhere and talk?” She asked, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. It was a nervous habit, one that I had come to think was adorable, and I couldn't help but smile.

  “I'd like that.”

  The two of us walked a ways down the beach, away from any prying eyes, or ears, and when Evie sat down in the sand, I sat down beside her. “I imagine you have a lot of questions.” She said, nervously.

  “You could say that.”

  “Look. I'm sorry about the way I left things. I should have left a note, or something. I know you were probably worried. I know I would have been.”

  “So why didn't you? Why did you just run away? What happened?” I asked, the anger rising in my voice with each unanswered questio
n.

  “Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.” She said, standing, and turning away from me.

  I tried to keep a level head. I tried to remember where I was, and to think about how losing my grip on my sister's wedding day wasn't an option, but I couldn't. She ran away. She left without saying one God damned word, and now she's acting like she doesn't owe me some kind of explaination? I couldn't take it anymore. “Maybe you running away from your feelings like a coward wasn't such a good idea!” I said with bite. “Did you ever think about that?” I regretted the harshness, the minute her shoulders slumped, and she began to cry.

  I wanted to reach for her, to turn her around and pull her into my arms like I used to do to comfort her, but too many years had passed. I wasn't even sure if I knew who she was anymore. “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone off like that.” I said on a sigh.

  “No. I'm sorry. You have every right to be angry. I messed everything up Jake, and I've been paying for it ever since.” She sobbed, still facing away from me.

  Placing my hand on her shoulder, I slowly spun her around to face me. Tears were streaming down her face, and she quickly covered her eyes with her hands. I couldn't help it, I reached for her, pulled her into my chest, and let her cry. Her sobs only got louder then, and when she wrapped her arms around my waist, squeezing tightly, I smiled. It had been over two years, and yet I still remembered the way her body fit against mine, like we were made to fit together.

  “Lets get out of here huh? Go grab a cup of coffee at that all night diner you were always so fond of?” I asked, in an attempt to stop her tears.

  Before she had the chance to answer, the sound of a man clearing his throat had her pulling away from me. “Sorry to interrupt..” He started, looking a bit disheveled. “It's just, the sitter called, and uh Gabe's not feeling well.”

  I looked from Evie, to the man now standing directly in front of us, and was suddenly hit with a realization. Not only had Evie moved on, and found love, but she also had a child. I wanted to say something, anything, but instead it felt like I'd just swallowed a glass of sand from the beach. I opened my mouth, but the words just wouldn't form. Instead, I turned and began to walk away. I could hear Evie calling my name faintly from somewhere behind, but I kept walking. I thought I was ready for some kind of explaination, but clearly I wasn't.