She was absolutely gone, not a thought behind those beautiful eyes. She had no clue what had just happened or what she was doing. As she grabbed my arm, she said, "Hey, Izzy."
"Yes, Eve?" I replied, admiring her and how lucky I was that I made it in time, even though I was still shaking and tears were streaming down my face.
"I'm glad you are here with me," Eve said. "You know, I really like you."
I sat silent, puzzled, until I said, "Wait... WHAT?"
"Haha... oooouuu, what's this?" Eve said as she touched my face, caressing it and grabbing a piece of lint out of my hair. Her touch was gentle, sending shivers down my spine.
She continued to look into my eyes, and I could tell she had no control over what she was saying or doing.
"Hey, Eve, I think it's time you get some sleep. You've had a..." I began, but Eve interrupted me.
"You know, I'm happy you made me stay in your room... I like laying next to you," she said softly. "You're so warm and never fail to bring me comfort... Izzy, I think I like you a lot, but I don't know what my mom would say."
"Oooouuu I want a drink... what about some vodka. I'm gonna go down stairs..." she tried to stand up and walk away, she stumbled, and I caught her, gently placing her back on the bed.
"Wait, what do you mean you like me? Like, like me how?" I asked, my heart pounding. Knowing I shouldn't ask because she isn't right in the mind right now but I couldn't help it.
"Ouuu, haha, I think I'm falling in love with you... just a little bit," she said, picking up her hand while lying on her back and making a gap between her pointer finger and thumb.
"No, not a little bit, a lot," Eve said, turning her head to face me. As she grabs my hair and starts playing with it, while twisting the blond pieces with the brown. "You know you're really beautiful. Every time I see you, I start to dream about the things we could do, the things you could do to me." She confessed, her eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that took my breath away.
Suddenly, loud voices and the unmistakable sound of sirens broke through our moment.
The tension in the room shifted from romantic to panic as the reality of the situation crashed down on us.
"What's going on?" Eve asked, her voice laced with confusion and fear.
"It sounds like the cops," I said, quickly grabbing her shirt and helping her put it back on.
"Stay here, okay? I'll go see what's happening."
I hurried out of the room and down the stairs, weaving through the throngs of people who were now in various states of disarray and panic.
The music had stopped, replaced by shouts and the flashing lights of police cars outside.
I reached the living room just as the front door burst open, and officers began filing in, shouting commands for everyone to calm down and exit the premises.
Jenna, looking frantic and a little dazed, was arguing with one of the officers. "This is my house! You can't just barge in here like this!"
"Ma'am, we've received noise complaints and reports of underage drinking," the officer replied sternly. "Everyone needs to leave now."
I pushed through the crowd, trying to find Caleigh, Aliyah, and Vic. "We need to get Eve out of here," I said urgently when I found them.
"Where is she?" Caleigh asked, her face pale with worry.
"Upstairs. I need your help to get her out without causing a scene," I explained. They nodded, and we quickly made our way back up the stairs.
"Eve, we need to go," I said as I entered the room. She was sitting on the bed, looking even more confused and scared.
"What's happening?" she asked.
"The cops showed up. We need to get you out of here before things get worse," I said, helping her to her feet. Caleigh, Aliyah, and Vic formed a protective circle around us as we made our way back downstairs and out the back door.
As we slipped out into the cool night air, the sounds of the party being broken up continued behind us. We moved quickly and quietly down the beach, putting as much distance between us and the house as possible.
Finally, we reached a safe spot, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. "Is everyone okay?" I asked, looking around at my friends.
"Yeah, we're fine," Aliyah said, glancing at Eve.
"How are you doing, Eve?"
"I'm... okay," she replied, leaning heavily on me for support. "Thanks for getting me out of there."
"Always," I said, my voice firm with determination. "I won't let anything happen to you."
As we stood there in the quiet night, the adrenaline slowly fading, I realized just how much I cared for Eve. The night had been chaotic and terrifying, but in the midst of it all, our connection had only grown stronger. And I knew that whatever came next, we would face it together.
