solitude → sam kerr

twenty eight → swallowed by guilt

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

the plane's journey back to los angeles echoed with the distant hum of engines, carrying zenith through the silent journey. evelyn, seated by the window, stared out into the vast darkness, her thoughts a rough mix of reconciliation and yearning.

maxine, unable to contain her restlessness, nudged alex and whispered, "something's up with ev. she's usually the one joining in on games, not lost in her own world."

alex, always ready with a quip, responded, "yeah, it's like we left her in new york or something. did she forget to pack her sense of humour?"

despite his effort to lighten the mood, evelyn managed only a faint smile. she appreciated his attempt, but the weight of her thoughts kept her anchored in a sea of contemplation.

max sensed the heaviness in the air. she leaned forward from her seat behind evelyn, her piercing gaze meeting alex and carlos's concerned expressions. without a word, the redhead gestured toward the singer, silently urging them to offer support.

carlos spoke with a reassuring tone, "evelyn, we're here for you. you can't keep letting this eat you up."

the buzz of the plane served as a background to the unspoken familiarity among the bandmates. as they travelled the skies, a silent agreement formed—and they stayed to themselves for the rest of the journey, giving the girl some time.

upon their arrival in los angeles, the city of dreams and wary promises, the band stepped onto home ground. evelyn, though physically present, remained emotionally distant. they bid their farewells to each other, heading into separate taxis back home.

evelyn harper's footsteps echoed through the familiar halls of her los angeles home as she reached for her phone. with a deep breath, she dialled caitlin's number, the weight of the recent events heavy on her mind.

the first attempt went unanswered, a sigh coming from the girl. however, her phone buzzed a few minutes later, displaying caitlin's name on the screen. she answered with a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

"hey, ev! what's up?" caitlin's cheerful voice resonated through the line.

evelyn hesitated for a moment, then decided to dive right in. "hey, cait. i need to talk. have you and sam already had a chat about recent things?"

caitlin chuckled on the other end, her tone carrying a mix of amusement and understanding. "girl, you know she just told me everything and more. just got off the phone with her. what's going on?"

as evelyn began recounting the events that occurred in new york, caitlin listened attentively, occasionally interjecting with gasps or words of disbelief. after a while, she apologised for unloading so much drama onto her.

caitlin, however, dismissed the apology with a laugh. "ev, you know i live for this drama. lani and macca are here for it too. i'll put you on speaker, hang on."

a second passed as the sounds of laughter and excitement from the two girls became audible in the background. the singer braced herself for the revelations about her own side of the story, hoping it did not differ too much, but wanting to uncover and understand more.

caitlin, adopting a more peaceful tone, began, "okay, so sam went on for quite a bit. she's really torn up, ev."

the musician leaned against the couch, her mind a whirlwind of curiosity and anticipation. "what? why is she so torn up?"

lani's voice carried a touch of sympathy as she explained, "she's seen the breakup happening for months, but she was never fully prepared for it."

mackenzie added, "and then you left...again. she feels dumped, ev. i know you guys just made up, but..."