chapter 11

Ava…?" Samantha's eyes narrowed at her. “Oh my God I feel so hurt. How could you?”

Eva took a deep breath before replying "Relax Sam, I would never forget about it," she said with a strained smile. "But actually, it has been vague for a while. The job has been. overwhelming.”

Samantha folded her arms, her eyes glittering with curiosity. "Overwhelming enough to forget our friendship anniversary?"

Eva let out a sigh, carefully keeping her expression neutral. "I'm so sorry Sam, I'll make it up to you. I promise.”

“Oh, you will.” Samantha said with a devilish smile spreading on her lips.

“Uhm…excuse me?”

“We are having dinner together tomorrow night to celebrate. And it's on you.” Samantha purred.

Eva froze. “Dinner? Tomorrow? Uhm…

“Don't you dare try to make up an excuse. Samantha narrowed her eyes.

Eva laughed softly. “Chill, I was just thinking of the best venue.”

Samantha smiled. “leave that to me. You just have to be there with your credit card. I'll text you the address.” She said with excitement and walked away.

Eva stood still as she watched Samantha go "This is going to be a disaster." She echoed.

*********

"Darling, is everything okay?" Shawn said, his hand lightly brushing Eva's shoulder as she sat at the desk in their room. She hadn’t realized he was watching her. The weight of Samantha's invitation loomed over her like a dark cloud.

Eva blinked, startled out of her thoughts. She quickly masked her nerves with a faint smile. "No, I mean, yeah, I’m fine. Just a bit tired."

Shawn cocked his head to one side, observing her. "Tired? Not like you. What's wrong?"

He's much too perceptive, she thought. "It's nothing, really," she tried to say lightly. "Just some things on my mind. You know, the usual. Work."

He didn't seem convinced. Instead of insisting, he leaned in, his tone teasing. "Well, if it's the usual, maybe I can help take your mind off things."

Eva laughed softly, relieved by his change in tone. "You think you're that good, huh?"

"Absolutely," he replied, the grin spreading across his face as he pulled her into his arms.

For one moment, Eva let herself collapse into his arms, but her brain was still racing. All those hours that she sat and tried piecing together all that Ava ever told her about Samantha, night's discussions, the stories of wild outings, the photos Ava had sent them of their trips, were a jumble now, nothing more. No matter how hard she tried, there were glaring omissions in Ava's accounts.

The hours fled in a haze of preparation and apprehension. She had gone through her and Ava's chat, gathering whatever knowledge was needed to withstand dinner bruises.

Samantha's invitation felt more like a test than a cause for celebration.

Shawn's arms had tightened around her, pulling her from her train of thought. His lips brushed the nape of her neck; his voice was low. "You're still somewhere else, Mrs Darlington. Should I be jealous of what's keeping you so distracted?"

She turned to him, steely determination not to show her nerves. "You? Jealous? Now that's a first."

"Don't dodge the question," he teased, his fingers tracing lazy circles on her waist.

Eva smiled, shelving the thoughts to the back of her mind. If Samantha suspected something, the last thing she needed was to let Shawn see through her too. "Fine," she said, leaning into him. "Distract me, then."

That was all the encouragement he needed. The rest of the night dissolved into a haze of shared laughter, stolen kisses, and whispered promises. For those few hours, Eva managed to shove Samantha and everything she represented out of her mind.

**********

The next evening came way too soon.

It had started out at a chic, posh restaurant-sort Samantha had always liked: the soft clinking of cutlery, the hum of chatter, all so deceptively low-key, created a tranquil background for the tension crackling between them.

"To us," Samantha said, raising her glass in a toast.

"To us," Eva repeated, the words falling heavy on her tongue as she clinked her glass against Samantha's.

The restaurant was just as over-the-top as Ava would have loved; Both Ava and Samantha always had a knack for opulence. Dimmed lighting provided them with a pleasant, intimate glow over their table, and yet the tension between them was palpable.

Samantha smiled, but her eyes were sharp, boring into Eva's. "It's so nice to finally catch up; you've been the mystery lately."

"Work's been crazy," Eva said smoothly, lying.

"Oh, really?" Samantha's tone was light, yet there was a decided edge on the words.

Eva forced a laugh. "Of course. You know how much I value our friendship."

Samantha tipped her head. Her smile grew wider. "Good. Because I've been feeling a little neglected since your wedding.” She rolled her eyes at the last word.

Conversation slid into reminiscences of times Samantha said they'd shared-but things like outings, parties, and trips that Eva couldn't relate with.

"Do you remember that weekend in the Hamptons?" Samantha asked out of the blue, her expression expectant.

Eva hesitated, then nodded. "How could I forget?

"You were livid when I spilled wine on your dress," Samantha continued, her tone dripping with mirth.

Eva laughed weakly, playing along. "Well, it was new."

"New? Eva, it was vintage," Samantha corrected, an eyebrow cocked. "You were fuming because you'd spent weeks tracking the thing down."

Eva fumbled but recovered with a smile. "Right, vintage. It was a big deal, then."

Samantha didn't say another word for a moment. She sipped her drink slowly, her eyes never off Eva.

The main courses arrived, and Eva merely pecked at hers. Samantha seemed to be feeling totally at ease, taking the conversation to another so-called memory.

"Then there was that awful hike in Colorado," she said, laughing. "You swore you'd never forgive me for dragging you up that mountain."

Eva's stomach twisted. She didn't recall Ava ever telling her about a hike in Colorado. "Well, it wasn't exactly my idea of fun," she hedged.

Samantha's smile turned predatory as she leaned forward. "You called it torture, Eva. Then you got your revenge when you threw my favorite boots into the river."

Eva froze, her chest clutched in panic. She had no idea how to respond to that. She just laughed it off.

Dessert arrived, and Eva was clinging to the frayed edges of her composure. Samantha’s questions had grown more pointed, her stories more elaborate. It felt less like reminiscing and more like an interrogation.

"You know," Samantha began, her tone almost casual, "I’ve been thinking about our trip to Santorini. Maybe we should revisit"

Eva's pulse quickened; Ava had mentioned something about the santorini trip but the details were vague.

"You loved it there," Samantha kept going, her eyes shining. "Especially that tiny café we found with the most incredible baklava. What was it called again?"

‘Oh shit,’ Eva thought silently. Her heart sank into her stomach. Ava hadn't said a word about any café. She stuttered, trying to buy some time while she figured out what to say. "Uh… the Blue Olive?" She blurted out one random Cafes she thought Ava had mentioned.

Samantha's smile broadened, but was anything but amiable. "The Blue Olive?" she said, her voice drawing out. "Interesting, because it actually wasn't called that. It was Yannis' Corner. You even joked about naming your future dog Yannis."

Eva felt the blood bleed from her face. She opened her mouth to respond, words not coming.

Samantha leaned forward, dropping her voice to a whisper and a warning. "Eva," she said, cold and deliberate. "Cut the act. You can't fool me."