Chapter 30 Two Soulmates
Two Soulmates
Hayvin
“Everleigh,” I cry, digging through my closet frantically.
My closet overflows, yet nothing feels right to wear. I stand there, indecisive, drowning in fabric but starved for inspiration.
I snatch a dress from its hanger, give it a hopeful glance, then toss it aside to join the growing pile of rejects.
Why am I even stressing? It’s not technically a date with Alek. We’ve just been on these so-called ‘friend’ outings for months. Nothing official, nothing serious.
We’ve picnicked among wildflowers at the city’s edge, sipped coffee on park benches while people-watching, wandered the city streets lost in conversation.
We’ve never classified them as actual romantic dates, though.
Neither of us was ready to cross that line. A real date would mean opening the door to something more, and I’ve been teetering on the edge of wanting that.
Alek stayed true to his word. We’ve been taking it day by day, minute by minute. We’ve spent the time getting to know each other on a deeper level.
I thought I had Alek all figured out. But each day, he surprises me with something new. When he shared about his toxic, absent parents, so many pieces of his past finally clicked into place.
How do you learn to love when no one ever showed you how? If all you’ve known is betrayal, abuse, neglect, it’s no wonder love feels like a loaded word.
I still blame him for how he acted during our three years together. No one is ever responsible for another person’s actions. There can always be catalysts—things that lead up to the way we act. But only one person controls what you do, what you say, and how you act.
Yourself.
Alek is the reason we unraveled, and I’m relieved he finally sees it. Now, he’s working to mend what’s broken in himself and between us.
That doesn’t let his best friends off the hook. They played their part. No matter how hard I tried, they always kept me at arm’s length. Looking back, that should have screamed red flag.
One day, I’ll have my say with them. For now, they’re background noise, barely worth my attention.
So when Alek finally called and asked me out for real, I was ready.
Nervous, scared, excited. I was all of it, but damn, I was ready.
I’d wondered how I’d feel when the moment came. I wasn’t sure I’d say yes. But every day, Alek reveals a better version of himself, and I keep falling deeper into us.
As much as it’s scary, it’s also exhilarating.
He kept the destination a secret, just told me to dress casually.
Flirty, but fuckable, as Everleigh says.
“What the hell are you hollering about?” Everleigh grumps as she stomps into my bedroom and plops onto my bed.
Everleigh’s been a damn firecracker since Grimm’s betrayal. He keeps trying to worm his way back, but he clearly never met her stubborn, petty side before.
She barely talks about what happened, bottling it all up. I worry about the day it bursts. Until then, I’ll keep reminding her I’m here, no matter what.
“I don’t know what to wear,” I moan, tossing another shirt over my shoulder.
“Clothes,” she mutters.
“Helpful.”
She nods when I peek my head out of the closet. “I know.” Then she sighs. “Wear that smokey colored blouse that has the lace on the chest. It makes your eyes and tits pop. Also, your pair of tight jeans with the holes in them that make your ass look good.”
I snatch them up, feeling my panic finally start to fade. “Shoes?”
“Your Converse.” She nods at the blouse in my right hand. “Flirty.” Then points at the jeans and shoes in my left. “But fuckable.”
With my outfit in hand, I settle beside her on the bed, rest my head on her shoulder, and together we watch the world outside in comfortable silence.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” she says while she shakes her head, contradicting her answer.
I slide my hand next to hers and offer my pinky. In our friendship, pinky promises are sacred. Unbreakable vows that mean you’re about to bare your soul.
“Pinky promise?” I whisper.
“No,” she croaks.
I wait, hoping she’ll open up. When her breath brushes my cheek, I know she’s about to let me in.
“I saw them today,” she admits. “Grimm and his wife.”
“Seriously?” I growl. “I thought he told you they were finally getting a divorce?”
Everleigh shrugs. “So he said, but he lied the entire time we were together.”
“Maybe they were meeting about the divorce?”
“Maybe. It looked pretty damn intimate, though.”
“Do you need me to grab the tarp and shovel from my shed? Gasoline and a torch? Cinderblocks and chains? I’ll cancel my date. Better yet, I’ll make it my date. Alek can carry whatever supplies we need to take them out.”
Everleigh lets out a blubbery laugh. “I fucking love you.”
“Of course you do. I’m lovable. I love you too, babe. I’m for real, though. You know I’d totally wear orange for you.”
“As much as I adore you for the gesture, that man is not worth the energy you’d expend grabbing the supplies, let alone spending time in prison for knocking him off.”
I scoff. “I’m sure I know people who know people.”
Everleigh snickers. “I’m sure we both do.”
“So, what did you do?” I ask, knowing my bestie.
She smirks, inspecting her nails. “Introduced myself, of course.”
“Mmhmm. How did you introduce yourself?”
“He looked hot, so I figured I’d cool him off with his drink. Can’t have him looking like he’s not a rat’s ass nugget.”
“And?” Already knowing.
“Well, I may have accidentally tripped in my bid to get away when his wife looked at me with triumph.”
“Annddd…”
Everleigh huffs. “Really? You assume I stirred more chaos.”
I lift a brow.
“I knocked her plate with cocktail sauce off the table, and it landed on her shirt. Then I tried to be a good person and help her clean it off with the napkins, only to smear it into the expensive fabric. Wouldn’t you know, my elbow just happened to catch her glass of red wine in the process?
Who the hell wears white pants anymore, anyway? ”
“Evie.”
“Okay. Fine. I also stabbed his bike tire with the steak knife I borrowed in my haste to get away from them.”
“Is that all?” I laugh.
“For now,” she preens.
“I don’t think he was ready for what he unleashed when he betrayed you, babe.”
At my support, she seems to deflate. Her humor fades, and sadness creeps in. “He wasn’t ready, period,” she replies quietly.
I toss my outfit and Converse onto the bed.
Hearing the ache in her voice, I wrap her in my arms. "That’s his loss, Everleigh.
You’re one of the most genuine people I know.
You’re a blessing to anyone in your life.
He’s missing out on a love that would cradle him to his grave.
" I kiss her temple, hoping comfort finds her. "He hurt you more than anyone, but Everleigh, he did not fucking break you. Look at you. Still sitting here, still giving him hell despite the pain. You refuse to let him win. We all have rough days, but every morning you get back up and own the day. You make the day your bitch. You’re my bestie. The peanut to my jelly. The breading to my pickles. The cheese to my pizza. My motherfucking ride or die bitch. So, I’m here for all your petty.
Need a partner in crime? Just say when and where. "
Everleigh straightens and glares at me. “Great. Now I’m hungry, bitch.”
I throw my head back, laughing, and hop up. “We’ve got a few hours. Let’s see what we can cook up.”
Everleigh takes my hand and stares at me. “I love you, Vinnie. I honestly don’t know how I’d ever survive without you. You make the pain easier.”
“I wish I could do more.”
“You’re here. That’s all I need right now.”
No matter where life leads us, how many heartbreaks or fights we weather, one thing always stays true.
We have each other.
Our bond is unbreakable, a love that never wavers. When life knocks us down, we’re always there to pull each other back up.
I was born into this life with two soulmates.
Very few people are this fortunate.