Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75015 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 375(@200wpm)___ 300(@250wpm)___ 250(@300wpm)
“Rose?”
I lifted my head when Zoey called me. She smiled as she held a bouquet of purple and pink flowers in one hand, Eve’s favorite colors. Daddy and Diana were walking in our direction too.
We made a promise to ourselves to visit her and Mom’s grave every week and to not take these moments or our lives for granted anymore.
“You okay?” Zoey asked.
I smiled at her.
Zoey would always know Eve was a good person and that she loved her. I made sure to delete all the journal entries and then the app so Zoey would never find it. Of course, all of it was still on the laptop Eve had in Sage Hill, and some bigger truths would leak when it came to the trials for Victor, Alex, and James, but that laptop was still in evidence. And when the trial came, I’d deal with those truths in that moment.
Zoey deserved to remember the best of her sister.
I smiled. “I’m okay, Zo.”
She hooked an arm through mine. Tears accumulated in her eyes, but she blinked them away, allowing a smile to take their place. When Daddy and Diana met beside us, we stared at Eve’s tombstone for a while. No one said a word. Honestly, there weren’t any words powerful enough to say.
Despite Eve’s mistakes and her past, she was family, and we loved her. It would always feel like something was missing now that she was gone, just like it felt with Mom. A gentle breeze caressed my skin, and I closed my eyes, thinking about my friend. Our childhood. Our laughs. Our fights. Our goofy moments. Our sleepovers. Our pinky promises. Our late-night Oreos and milk. Movie nights with wine. Hugs and tears. Whispered secrets and promises.
I was going to miss her. But I was also going to make sure that I lived the rest of my life like she did.
Carefree.
Unapologetically.
Because no matter how wild Eve was, she only wanted to love and be loved. The least I could do was continue carrying her love with me.