first book in the Evelyn Black series
• • sequal: BACK TO LOVE
[ i promise the second book is better lol ]
• slow slow-burn (like years) friends to lovers •
• soft burn romance •
[ all books listed in prologue via chronological order ]
"As ador...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A crisp smell of citrus-cider and fall air blows in through the crack of the window. The cool breeze that causes the sheer curtains to billow and the leaves outside to audibly rustle passes over my skin and raises goosebumps.
"You can't just go!"
"I'll be back by tomorrow night."
My hands are sticky, the skin around my mouth feels to be that way too. Like dried sugar water.
"You promised—"
"I promised James as well."
There's a long moment of quiet. The faces are far, blurs of a blonde haired head and a dark haired head. The dark haired figure is taller, the voice is deeper.
"Well if you're going to leave, at least tell your daughter goodbye."
The figure comes closer into view: features shadow, hair curls, clothes layer... he kneels right in front of me. His face is somewhat of a pale blob, another stripe of dark just below the middle of his face.
But his voice is clear as a bell.
"Goodbye, dearest Evelyn..." he whispers. "I'll see you soon, bug."
And he continues to look at me, almost in wonderment.
"Evelyn..."
"Evelyn..."
His mouth doesn't move this time.
"Evelyn..."
His face blurs out completely.
"Ev..."
It darkens—
"Ev, c'mon now," the familiar voice coos. "Get up—"
+++
"Evie—"
Her eyes flick open and her body jolts up straight, gasping lightly through her nose.
Nell kneels at her bedside. She reaches up and rests her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"
Evelyn's brows furrowed and her body aches from shifting so suddenly. The remnants of the dream solidifies into her memory, but not without leaving a bad taste in my mouth.
Her father (or lack there of) usually does that.
Unsure, she nods. "Yeah... I'm— sorry, just a weird dream..."
"What about?" Julia asks from across the room.
Evelyn turns her head to Julia, reaching for the small pendant around her neck and playing with it. "Um... nothing," she shakes her head and takes her free hand to her braid to comb it over her shoulder. "Nothing."
