A Twist of Fate (Complete)

Ch. 61 - Going Back Home

Everly walked through the doorway of her bedroom, dropping her bags and suitcases to the floor and flopping over onto her bed with an exhale. She couldn't believe she was really back here in Illinois, alone and single. She was moving back in with her parents into her old bedroom, instead of moving into the luxury apartment in downtown Manhattan overlooking Central Park that Keaton had bought for them to start their lives together in. Everything felt so wrong. She should be in Fiji right now making love to her hot new husband, not here.

She just hoped Keaton would be able to move on and be okay. She knew he would be heartbroken for a long time and so would she, but this was the right thing to do. In the long run it would be better for him. She turned on her side and looked out her window and saw Amber across the street, swinging on her porch swing.

Seeing her over there, Everly was suddenly hit with the urge to talk to her. She was finally ready. What's the worst that could happen? She had nothing else to lose. It's not like it could get any worse than losing Keaton. 

She dragged herself up out of bed with a groan and made her way down the stairs and out the front door, stuffing her hands in her jean pockets as she walked down the sidewalk towards Amber's house.

Amber had her head turned to the side, her short blond hair covering most of her face but when she looked straight ahead and noticed Everly standing a few feet away her green eyes widened. She sat there in shock for a second and neither of them spoke for what seemed like an eternity. She hadn't seen her in ten months so being this close to her again after all this time made her feel like a stranger.

"Hi," Amber finally said quietly, slowly standing up off of the porch swing and walking towards the sidewalk, until she was a couple feet in front of her.

"Hi," Everly said quietly, looking down at the ground.

Amber fidgeted with her hands and looked down and said, "You know I've picked up the phone to call you about a million times but I always lost my nerve and hung up. I missed you, but I didn't know what to say," she sniffled as her eyes filled with tears.

"I'm sorry might have been a good place to start," Everly said, lifting her head and looking at her. letting out a deep exhale, and kicking some of the pebbles off the sidewalk with her shoe.

Amber's eyes were red and puffy and tears were running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she choked out. "I wasn't even thinking. I just," she said, running her hands up through her hair shaking her head.

"Why Amber?" Everly asked, cutting her off. "Why did you do that to me? You stole his first time from me even though you knew more than anybody how much I loved Brad and how much I wanted our first times to be together on our wedding night."

"I know," she cried. "but I loved him too Ev. I've always loved him. I just didn't know how to tell you because I knew you had a crush on him too and then you two started to date and you looked so happy so I decided to keep my feelings to myself. When I found out you guys had broken up I felt like that might be the only chance I'd ever have to finally be with him. All I was thinking about was how bad I wanted him but I didn't stop and think about how much that would hurt you and I'm really sorry about that."

"So you've liked Brad this whole time?" Everly asked, scrunching her eyebrows. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. How could she not have known?

Amber took in a deep breath and let it out, looking down and nodding her head. "Yeah, since before you even moved in. I think I've been in love with him since Kindergarten."

"Seriously? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry Ev. I know I should've and I tried to SO many times through the years, but I always chickened out. I was so scared that you would hate me. Eventually I just gave up and that made me feel miserable inside and I was so heartbroken, but I couldn't talk to you about it. I couldn't talk to anybody. I felt like I was all alone and I got really depressed there for a few years, but you never noticed because you were too focused on yourself and your art and Brad."