Eva’s decision

Eva must make a decision now, she can either choose to open the door which will lead to her dreams or the one that will lead her to love.

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Eva Perkins is a beautiful, smart woman in her early twenties, she is the middle child and an obedient daughter. She always chose to listen to her mind over her heart. She never went against anyone, she was always the sweet daughter, considerate sister, and a therapist to her best friend Sam Harris.

Eva and Sam have been best friends since childhood. During all their ups and downs they have always had each other. Both of them have been there for each other for a long time, they shared almost everything… sleepovers, drunk nights, and they both shared one same interest - talking to the stars, no matter how old they were, the roof was their getaway place. Their parents always thought that they were inseparable. Until a few weeks ago when Sam introduced his parents and Eva to his girlfriend Augustina Price.

Sam turned 21 last month and his girlfriend Augustina planned everything. Watching them made Eva sick to her stomach she started to avoid them, but Sam always found a way to talk to her. Eva knew, she could not take seeing Sam with someone else anymore, so she decided to hide her feelings because she was not sure about how Sam felt, so she decided to keep her friendship over feelings. Her birthday was tomorrow, she was turning 20 and also… moving out.

It was a cold and windy day Eva and Sam sat on the roof of Eva’s house.

“Why are you leaving?” Sam asked for the hundredth time now.

Eva did not respond. She thought she was doing the right thing.

“Why New West? You do know langley has beautiful apartments too,” Sam said.

After a minute Eva decided to answer, “I got hired as a photography assistant. This a huge opportunity, if I do well at this job, they can offer me a full-time position, I can even get bigger jobs and work for bigger companies and you know how much I care about my career…right?”

“Yeah, but you can still live here and travel to New West. Why are you moving Eva?... God, this is stupid” Sam tried to stay calm about this, but now he was getting frustrated.

“The company offered me the job because they loved my work, but they said it will be more convenient for them to hire someone who lives close by and I didn’t want to lose such a great opportunity, so I told them that… I am willing to move. Please try and understand Sam.” Eva did not make eye contact, but she gave her best to convince him.

Eva looked at Sam and realized how genuinely sad he was and said “Hey, you can visit anytime you know that right?”

 Sam looked at her and smiled.

It has been a whole year since Eva moved out and Sam has been supporting her all along. They were in the kitchen discussing about how Sam had a fight with his girlfriend.

“I feel like she hates you,” Sam said while massaging his head.

“Hey, you can’t blame her. I mean, you are always here,” Eva remarked.

“I know, even at family dinner last week my parents kept talking about us. I think she was more upset because of that” Sam remembered the fight he had last week after dinner.

Eva was about to speak up when she heard the buzzer. She exclaimed with joy “I think Jose is here!” She jumped up from the sofa and ran towards the door. Sam felt a little twist in his inside his chest. He walked over to the sofa and plopped down facing the TV.

Eva worked at a café before getting the job opportunity to work as a photographer, she had almost all her shifts with Jose, he was always there to protect her from all the drunk or creeps that came inside their shop. Jose was a genuine person, he was also a tall and attractive guy but after quitting, she did not have much contact with him.

But a few months ago she bumped into him at a birthday party, they talked the whole night and she found out Jose lived only two blocks away from her apartment and now they meet almost every day, which did upset Sam a lot.

“Hey man,” Jose said while looking at Sam.

Sam just nodded and turned on the TV. He could hear Jose talking to Eva and laughing. He even noticed how Jose playfully tried to get close to Eva. He could feel the anger rising but tried not to create a scene.

It was 2 am they were watching a movie; Jose left an hour ago.

“Do you like him?” Sam’s voice came out of the blue.

Eva looked at him for a second and smiled… then shook her head.

“Hey are you up?” Sam’s face lit up when he saw the text from Eva.

He was sure that he couldn’t hide the feelings he has for her anymore. He was hiding them since the beginning because he once heard someone say, “if two best friends date it means their friendship has ended.” But now when he saw Eva talking and laughing with Jose, he felt like somebody was stabbing his heart and twisting it.

“Yeah?” Sam responded.

“I got something important to tell you” Eva was scared to share the news because she knew how Sam was going to react.

“Is it about you… liking Jose?” Sam felt his breathing getting fast as he waited for her response.

“Ugh god get over it! We are just friends but yeah he did ask me out today” Eva smiled and hit send.

“What did you say?” Sam asked while sitting up straight with a concerned face.

“It doesn’t matter, I didn’t text you at 2 freaking am to talk about Jose!” Eva wanted to tell Sam the good and the bad news.

“Okay, but we’ll discuss that later alright?” Sam was not going to let go of this topic and decided that the first thing in morning he is going to do, is to tell Eva that he had feelings for her since she first shared her KitKat with him. He knew she had feelings for him too, he knew it from the day they first kissed but never talked about it after, they never even mentioned it to anybody. They were both afraid of losing each other.

“Sure. Yeah.” Eva responded not caring much.

“So… my company has offered me a job as a Permanent Photographer, I got a raise! and I also get my own office! Lol, I feel like Rachel getting her first office” Eva attached a Friends TV show Gif.

Sam got excited too “Oh My God! I told you… I told you that you will accomplish your dreams. Yes, I am so proud of you. You know what I’m coming over with KitKats” He attaches a happy crying dramatic Gif.

“It’s 2am Sam… and I have one more news too.” Eva could feel tears rolling down her cheeks.

“You can tell me when I reach! I am so excited for you and, I kind of need to tell you something too” Sam knew he could not wait any longer, he was already driving towards her house. He did not want the other news to be of her going out with Jose.

Eva did not respond she just looked at her phone screen.

A knock on the door startled Eva, she wiped her tears away and got up from the living room floor.

She opened the door to a giant hugging machine.

“Hey, big guy… I need air!!” Eva said.

“Sorry, I’m just too proud of you.” Sam kissed her head.

Eva felt her cheeks go red. “So, what did you want to tell me?” she asked while trying to hide her face by not looking at him.

Sam asked her to sit down on the sofa next to him. She obeyed.

Sam looked deep into her eyes and said, “I can’t hide it anymore Eva. I have liked you… you know what scratch that… I have loved you since the day we met, since the day you first fought that bully for me, since the day you shared your KitKat with me, and when I was at my worst you were there for me… holding me tight. You bring out the best in me, you were there at all of my games, supporting me even after we had fights you came just to watch me… and that’s when I was sure that you loved me too. You moved because you couldn’t see me with Augustina, you wanted to scratch her eyeballs out, eh?” 

Eva looked stumped. She did not know what to say. She had so many questions in her mind.

“So why did you go on dates? Why would you stab my heart again and again? Why did you put me through all this?” Eva asked not believing what Sam was saying.

“I don’t know I just couldn’t risk our friendship and you know my parents split up… they were best friends before marriage too and now they cannot even be in the same room together” Sam was now having tears in his eyes.

After a minute of silence Sam said “Eva, I love you… please say something.”

Eva just sat there thinking why he had to tell her all of this now when she had given up all her hopes of having him.

After a few minutes which felt like hours Eva spoke up, “I’m leaving.”

“What? What do you mean?” Sam was totally confused and heartbroken at this point.

“The job offer I got… it is in Paris” Eva looked into Sam’s eyes now and she saw a tear roll down, it broke her heart in millions of pieces.

“But… but you can’t go. Everything is here… your family, friends, and me. Eva, please no… tell me this is a joke!” Sam got up and started shaking his head saying the same thing over and over again.

Eva was crying, but she tried to calm Sam down.

She made him sit and hugged him tightly.

Sam kept saying and shaking his head “Don’t go please… please stay.”

Eva was silent and soon Sam went silent too.

The noise of thunder striking did not startle Eva and Sam, they just sat there holding each other.

It was 6 am now. Sam was leaving the apartment, he had red swollen eyes. They talked, and Eva said, “Okay I’ll think about this one more time.”

“You promise?” asked Sam.

“Yes. I promise,” said Eva.

Sam was almost out of the door when he turned and walked towards Eva, He stopped inches away from her, both of them just staring at each other.

Sam kissed her slow and passionately hoping that it will change Eva’s mind.

Eva could hear her heart beating in her chest as they kissed.

As soon as they broke away Sam asked her one last time to think before leaving the apartment.

Eva sat down on the floor with her legs close to her chest and cried. She had to decide. She wanted to stay but her heart kept asking her why? Why does she want to stay now? Why didn’t she do something earlier or why didn’t Sam say anything before? Why now?

She had to choose between her career or her love.

The next morning Sam woke up early, he could not sleep properly at all. He kept thinking about Eva, what her decision was.

Sam looked at his phone and thought about calling Eva, he did not want to lose her again.

Eva stayed up all night crying, she thought about her dreams, but Sam kept blocking her mind, she remembered all the time they had spent together, every happy memory and how she always dreamed about her and Sam being together. And that is when it hit her, she looked at the clock and checked her phone, she could not wait even a minute because she knew what she wanted.

There was no stopping Eva now, she had made her decision.

She got in her car and called Sam; the bell rang… he did not pick up.

She called again and again, and after few minutes he picked up and said, “Eva… I am outside your door” Eva stopped the car.

Eva got out of her car, held the phone to her ear and said, “I am at the airport Sam…I’m leaving.” She knew she could not see him again, because it will make her weak and she will not be able to leave him.

Sam did not say a word, hearing those words left him numb.

Eva could feel the hurt she was causing Sam, but she had to do this… there was no turning back.

“You put me through so much Sam, but I forgive you for that and I hope you can forgive me… but I have to go now, it is too late for us, you made your decisions and your choices for us, and now I am making mine.” Said Eva.

“Don’t go, please… I love you, Eva” said Sam almost whispering.

“I love you too… goodbye Sam.” Eva hung up with a heavy heart tears kept rolling down her cheek with every step she took. Eva boarded the plane; she could not let herself go back. Eva chose her dreams, and she promised herself that the door which led to love will be closed until she has achieved all the success and conquered all of her dreams.