Chapter 4: Eva
2030 Words
A week had passed since the concert. Life seemed to have settled back into its usual rhythm: classes, assignments, and chats with Sam, who sent me excited pictures of beaches and his new friends in Australia. But that week brought something I hadn’t expected.
Amber and I were sitting in the university lounge, killing time between lectures. She was scrolling through her phone, occasionally scoffing or laughing at whatever she was reading, while I pretended to review my notes but couldn’t help eavesdropping on her commentary.
Suddenly, she let out a sarcastic chuckle that caught my attention.
“What?”
“You won’t believe who just messaged me,” she said, handing me her phone.
On the screen was a message from someone named Oliver Green.
Hi, Amber. This might sound strange, but I’m the keyboardist from The Hollow Lights. I saw you at our concert last week and couldn’t help but write to you. You looked incredible, and I can’t get you out of my head. Hope you don’t mind that I found you here. It would be great to get to know you better.
I read the message twice, feeling both a thrill and a pang of guilt at how quickly my mind began plotting.
“Well, that’s... sweet,” I said, handing the phone back.
“It’s weird. What the hell?” she muttered, rolling her eyes and locking the screen.
“Did you reply?”
‘Hi, I’m the keyboardist of a band! You’re so beautiful, I just had to write!, she mimicked sarcastically. “Eva, seriously?”
“Why are you so annoyed?”
“Because I’m sick of women always having to be polite in response. If I ignore him, I’m a b***h. If I reply, he thinks I’m interested.”
“But he made an effort... Maybe you should answer? What if he turns out to be great?”
She looked at me with suspicion.
“Eva, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not interested.”
She went back to scrolling on her phone, while I sat there, realizing how badly I wanted—no, needed—this opportunity. More than she ever could.
The message lingered in my mind all day. Amber seemed utterly indifferent, but I couldn’t let it go. When we were at a café later, I decided to bring it up again.
“Are you really not going to reply to him?”
Amber raised an eyebrow.
“Why does this bother you so much?”
“I just think it’s sweet. Maybe he’s a nice guy.”
She shrugged.
“I’m not interested in guys like him. Too soft, too boring, too predictable. They see the world in clichés and don’t look past their own noses.”
“But you don’t even know him.”
“The problem is, I don’t want to know him.”
I fell silent, realizing this wasn’t the moment to push further. But the thought of Oliver and his connection to the band—and Jayden—kept circling in my head.
A few days later, I tried a different approach as we walked across campus after class.
“Just think about it. You meet him for coffee, see how it goes, and that’s it.”
“Eva, I think you’re making way too big a deal out of this.”
“No, really... What if he’s decent? You said yourself you’ve been missing a relationship.”
She stopped and gave me a slightly irritated look.
“Do you honestly believe this guy is the right one for me?”
“Yes. What if he is?”
She rolled her eyes, but I caught a flicker of doubt in her expression.
“Fine. One time. Everyone deserves a chance.”
When Amber came over after the date, her face said it all: annoyance, boredom, and sheer disappointment.
“Well?” I asked, not even waiting for her to take off her jacket.
“It was like going on a date with my dad’s friend—except younger. Absolute nightmare,” she said, collapsing onto the couch.
“What happened?” I tried to keep my curiosity from showing too much.
She narrowed her eyes at me, bracing to unleash her frustration.
“First, he scolded me for being seven minutes late, like I was a naughty child.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I just nodded.
“Okay, that’s minor. But then he wouldn’t stop talking. And talking. And talking.”
“About what?”
“His life. ‘I work at a factory, but music is my escape.’ Fine, fair enough. But then he started raving about his mom’s lasagna and how she taught him that a woman should be the homemaker. And that’s exactly what he’s looking for.”
“Seriously?”
“Dead serious. Do you know what he said? That his dream is to find a girl who can cook lasagna like his mom and have at least three kids.”
I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“Sorry.”
“Oh, it gets better,” she continued. “He said it with such enthusiasm, like he didn’t realize that women are people with their own opinions and lives.”
“But he was trying to be sweet?”
“Sweet? Eva, he sounded like he was stuck in the 1950s! I was waiting for him to ask if I could knit and darn socks.”
She flopped onto my bed, staring at the ceiling, while I studied her face. She was clearly annoyed, but her exasperation was almost entertaining.
“So, what did you say to him?”
“I smiled and nodded. What else could I do? Tell him, ‘Hey, buddy, that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard’?”
“Why not?”
“Because I was too tired to argue about why his dreams aren’t mine.”
She turned to me.
“Eva, it was the worst date of my life. And the worst part? I think he liked it.”
I tried to change the subject to ease her irritation, but her mood lingered.
“Maybe he just didn’t know how to start a conversation?” I suggested.
Amber laughed, but it was the kind of laugh born from exhaustion, not amusement.
“Maybe. But if he’s already talking about his dream homemaker on a first date, what’s next?”
“Okay, that sounds awful.”
“It’s like a one-way ticket to boredom and disappointment.”
She fell silent, and I realized I needed to be smarter if I wanted her to give him another chance.
Later that night, lying in bed, my thoughts wouldn’t stop racing. I knew I was manipulating Amber, and I knew it was wrong. But how could I stop when Jayden felt so close?
I grabbed my phone and called Sam. He answered quickly, as if he’d been expecting me.
“Eva, hey!” His voice was cheerful, though it was early morning on the other side of the world.
“Hey, Sam. Are you already awake?”
“Well, I couldn’t ignore your call. If you’re calling without warning, something’s up. Spill.”
I hesitated for a few seconds, unsure where to begin.
“You know Amber well, right?”
“Of course. Tall, redhead, talks like she’s wielding a knife? Love her. Terrified of her.”
“I... I feel awful.”
“You?!” He laughed, but not unkindly. “What did you do?”
“I’m manipulating her.”
“Manipulating? Wow. This is juicy. Tell me everything!”
“The Hollow Lights’ keyboardist messaged Amber, and I convinced her to go on a date with him.”
“So? Amber’s an adult; she can make her own choices.”
“Yeah, but she doesn’t like him. She said so from the start. And I’m still pushing.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Eva,” he finally said, “you’re trying to use her to get to Jayden, aren’t you?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, exhaling. “It’s dumb, isn’t it?”
“Well... it’s not your best idea, honestly. You know Amber hates being dragged into things like this.”
“I know. But I can’t shake this obsessive thought. You know how much I’ve liked him all these years.”
Sam sighed, his voice softening.
“Look, I get it. But you know Amber. She’s smart. She probably already suspects, but she won’t tolerate dishonesty. If you keep hiding this, she’s going to get mad.”
“What should I do?”
“Just tell her the truth. Explain why you’re doing it. She’s the kind of person who values honesty.”
“And if she gets angry?”
“She might. But you know she cares about you. She’ll listen, and at least you won’t feel guilty anymore.”
I stayed quiet, mulling over his words.
I realized he was right. Amber deserved better than my schemes, but I was too afraid of losing this one chance.
“Have you memorized those stupid economic terms yet?” I asked the next day as Amber settled next to me before class.
“Of course. Want me to recite them as a lullaby?” she replied without looking up from her notes.
“Amber,” I began.
“What?” she asked, still focused on her notebook.
“We need to talk.”
She glanced at me over the top of her glasses—the ones she only wore for studying.
“This usually precedes a confession about accidentally running over someone’s dog.”
“No, it’s not that serious, but it is important.”
She closed her notebook and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Alright. Surprise me.”
I exhaled and started.
“Remember when you asked why I kept insisting you meet up with that keyboardist?”
“Yeah. And?”
“It’s because of Jayden.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Well, of course. I was just waiting for you to admit it,” she said, as if she’d just won some unspoken bet. “And here I thought you’d suddenly developed a fondness for sexist mama’s boys from factories.”
“I feel incredibly stupid,” I continued, ignoring her sarcasm. “I can’t stop thinking about him. It’s been years. You know that.”
“Great. You’re obsessed. Congrats, Eva.”
“Amber, seriously. I just... I don’t know how to explain it.”
“This sounds like the setup for a bad romance novel. What’s next? You want me to be your Cupid?”
I hesitated but nodded anyway.
“Oh, my God. You’re serious?”
“Yes. I know it’s weird, but...”
She raised a hand, cutting me off.
“Weird? No, it’s idiotic. A million-dollar idea.”
“I know,” I sighed. “But could you help? Just this once?”
She stared at me for a long moment, then sighed and said, “Fine. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything this ridiculous. Consider it my gift to you. Have fun.”
“Really?”
“Really. But only if I get to remind you of this stupidity every time you try to act like a life coach or brag about how many books you’ve read.”
“I just don’t want you to crash into these illusions someday,” she added. “You feel everything so intensely, Eva. It’s both your strength and your weakness.”
I laughed, relief and joy bubbling up inside me.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t thank me just yet,” she smirked. “I’m sure your Jayden will turn out to be an awful person, and I’ll be the first to revel in your disappointment.”
I threw a crumpled sticky note at her, but she just laughed.
When Amber agreed to help me, I felt a strange euphoria. But it was quickly followed by something else: a bitter realization. I’d let her down. She deserved better. Yet I kept putting my wants above her boundaries. How long would she tolerate that?
- Writer
