The creepy sugar daddy :the untold story of my best friend part II

 Eve has left ,my best friend is gone I whispered to myself .

Not really, eve never left.

She was still here—in our dorm, in my classes, sitting beside me on the bus. But it felt like the real Eve had vanished, leaving only a hollow shell behind.

Her laughter used to be loud and reckless, echoing off the walls when we gossiped about cute guys or complained about finals. Now it came out brittle, like it might shatter if she tried too hard.

She started keeping her phone locked and face-down at all times. She flinched at the smallest noises. Sometimes she’d sit by the window, staring out as if she could see things nobody else could.

Even the way she moved changed. She used to walk with this soft confidence, like she belonged wherever she went. Now she seemed to shrink into herself, shoulders hunched, eyes darting around like she expected someone to leap out of the shadows.

The worst was the nights.

Sometimes I’d wake up to find her sitting cross-legged on her bed, rocking back and forth, eyes wide and glassy. She’d breathe so fast I’d think she was about to faint. Her lips would move like she was silently talking to someone who wasn’t there.

One night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I crawled into her bed, sat beside her, and whispered:

She didn’t answer at first. But slowly, her eyes flicked toward me, as if she was deciding whether I deserved the truth. Her lashes were clumped together from silent tears. 

Lala look Damien isn’t just some rich old guy with money he’s involved in lots of illegal stuff drug dealing , robbing ,guns ,human trafficking and stuff and I’m caught up in it I got in lala she said to me as she kept crying.

My mouth went dry. My heart thumped so loudly in my chest I thought she’d hear it..

She hugged her knees tighter, knuckles white. I could see tiny scars on the backs of her hands, places where she’d bitten or picked her skin until it bled.

How did you end up in that crazy stuff without even telling me eve look at me I asked shaking her violently feeling betrayed .lala he threatened me with my life yours and my family he has pictures of me doing all the dirty work he sent me to do since they use innocent looking girls that wouldn’t be suspected .

first it started off as simple tasks I listened as eve continued ,like  picking up and delivering packages I didn’t know what was inside since he always made it clear I shouldn’t open them but later I got curious it scared the hell outta me I told him I couldn’t do it!that I was too fragile for those kinda games .

She shivered, like a cold breeze had passed through the room. 

Did you ever think of leaving forget about the money it’s not worth it eve , we used to live happily before this money even if it wasn’t that good but at least it was peaceful . I told you lala she said staring at me as if wanting to write what she wanted to say in my brain .

 That man would would send me to jail ,he has connections Ana’s evidence I’ve seen him kill people and I’m not special .i don’t care if I died at this point but what about you? My mom dad should I mention my little brother ?he’s in kindergarten lala Damien swore if I take him down he’ll take me down with him.

My stomach twisted so hard I felt like I might throw up. and he…he…he what else eve what did the scumbag do? isn’t that traumatizing enough? he touched me lala .

My jaw dropped I felt like I couldn’t breathe my chest was so tight by force ?I asked almost whispering…yes lala many times now I can’t count she went on tears falling uncontrollably, and he would force me to do drugs saying it would take my fear away “swallow those pill all of them now “he says it in a deep scary voice that I couldn’t  even think of doing 

Her voice got a faraway quality, as if she was reliving every moment..”

My throat felt raw.this was eve we were talking about my childhood best friend.who was okce carefree and lively we had a big bright future waiting for us together.

But now it was fading away from her as I washed selfishly I should have done something right I felt so guilty.

But she kept going, voice trembling like a wire about to snap. It’s over darling I’m stuck in this,I’ll just count as my career is being a mafia woman now as we always watched in movies .she laughed then, but there was no humor in it. It was the sound of someone on the edge of losing their mind..”

She paused, breathing heavily, as if speaking the words made it harder to breathe.Lala Damien would also send me to deliver some packages either guns or drugs and the man I would give them to would force their selves on me too and I had no say .

She rubbed her palms on her sweatpants, eyes unfocused. I didn’t know what do do.i was speechless at this point we just sat and stared at each other blankly .

I felt my insides twist into knots so tight I thought they’d snap. Look eve I told her calmly looking in her eyes.you don’t have to suffer all your life just threaten him too do what he does to you let him taste he’s own poison.. You have to go to th

She shook her head violently.what are you talking about lala? Just find evidence against him too and then when he threatens you do the same and we will find a better way to get rid of him later . 

Eve looked at me like I was talking nonsense.he will get away with men like him always get away he will get away with it too .

I tasted metal in my mouth, like blood.

Her lower lip trembled.

I felt like my skin was crawling.

But then her voice grew softer. so hard I fell 

Her hand drifted to her cheek, fingertips ghosting over invisible bruises.its over now lala forget about me this is my life now .i told you before and I’ll say it again now there’s no turning back .

Her words made me feel like I’d been punched in the chest.

She stared straight ahead, eyes wet but unblinking.you can fulfill both our dreams lala I know I can trust you and I’m counting on you .

She stared out the window again like she was searching for answers in the night sky why her why my eve?

A single tear slid down her cheek.i was already starting to miss the good old days .

She finally looked at me, her voice barely a whisper.

I didn’t even know I was crying until I tasted salt on my lips.

She shook her head weakly.signaling me not to cry but it only made me cry even more.

I wrapped my arms around her, even as my own hands were trembling.

Because sometimes loving your best friend means standing in the middle of her storm, even if it blows your whole life apart.

Because some secrets aren’t secrets at all.

They’re cages.