Chapter 52: Drink With Me
"I don’t know." Amber shrugged. "It’s just...sometimes you—actually, it’s nothing. Don’t worry about it."
Their conversation went on for a while longer until Amber’s words trailed off, watching Evelyn who was scratching her index finger against the wooden table, absent-mindedly.
"Evelyn...?"
No response.
"Evelyn!"
Evelyn snapped her gaze over to her, a bit startled. "What?" she asked.
Amber creased her brows, now more than apprehensive. "Seriously, Evelyn, are you okay?" She was pleading with her gaze. "You don’t tell me anything, and I know you’re not fine. I can feel it."
"That is funny." Evelyn cackled, playing it off. "Why wouldn’t I be fine? I mean—"
"As much as you may want to deny it, I know your father’s death hurts you," Amber cut her off. "He was all you had after your mother died and now he’s gone too. Why do I feel like you’re blaming yourself for not talking to him a year before his death?"
"Amber—"
"I don’t even know where to begin, because that aside, you’re also dealing with this bullshit. Are you sure you’re fine," she implored, tone begging. "You’re always smiling, making it all seem like it’s fine and at this point, I can’t even tell when you’re really happy. Are you even happy?"