Derek lay on his bed, his eyes glued to his phone, his mind preoccupied with Evelyn. After sending her a good morning text, he'd hoped for a call—a scolding, even, would have been preferable to silence. The day was almost over, and still no word. He considered calling her, just to hear her voice, even for a second.

Then, an idea struck him. He could call under the pretense of inquiring about the incident between her friend, Rayan, and Ethan. Without further delay, he dialed Evelyn's number.

Evelyn, alone at home after her stepmother left (Maya and Samantha were still at the park), was thinking of Derek when his call came in. A smile touched her lips as she saw the incoming call, but she rolled her eyes as she answered. "Hello, Mr. Stone," she said, not out of formality, but to tease him.

"Ah! Back to formalities, I see," Derek replied, and she stuck her tongue in her cheek.

"What do you want?" she asked coolly.

"Are you going to give me what I want if I tell you? I want you naked on my bed, writhing under me"

"Stop," she interrupted, closing her eyes to block out the image his words conjured.

Derek chuckled. "You asked what I wanted," he said, rising from his bed and pacing his room. "Did you get my text this morning? I'm sure you did. Why no response?"

Evelyn sighed. "You know why. I've told you before. If it's not work-related, I don't"

"Why are you so damn stubborn, Eve?" Derek asked, feigning frustration.

"I should be asking you that," she retorted.

"Well, that's not why I called," Derek said, changing the subject. Evelyn raised an eyebrow.

"So, why did you call? Is it about the interview?" she asked, her curiosity evident.

"Ethan told me what happened between him and your friend at the club last night. It was a misunderstanding"

"Ethan? The jerk you talked about is your best friend?" Evelyn exclaimed in disbelief.

"Ethan isn't a jerk. He would never touch anyone inappropriately. He was pretty upset"

"And so was Rayan. He could have been a gentleman instead of saying mean things to her," Evelyn said. Derek shook his head.

"You weren't there and you've already picked sides. If your friend had listened to him instead of calling him a pervert, he wouldn't have said anything harsh. Ethan doesn't take kindly to certain words, and 'pervert' is one of them," Derek explained.

"Well, I guess they were both wrong," Evelyn concluded.

"Yeah. So, what are you up to today?" Derek asked. Evelyn pursed her lips, considering her answer.

"Tim" she trailed off, receiving another call. She pulled the phone away to check the caller ID. She smiled; it was Rayan. "I have to go. Another call. Bye," she said, quickly ending the call. "Hey, Ray?" she greeted cheerfully.

"You sound excited to hear from me today," Rayan observed, smiling. Evelyn giggled.

"Of course, Lam. I was just talking about you before you called," Evelyn said. Rayan raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Me too," Rayan said. Evelyn giggled.

"Really? What were you talking about, and with whom?" Evelyn asked curiously.

"Well, you go first," Rayan suggested.

"Remember Derek? From the club last night?" Evelyn asked. Rayan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. The guy you want, and who wants you, but you can't date him because it's complicated," she said dryly. Evelyn giggled.

"What a way to put it! Well, apparently, the guy you accused of being a pervert is his best friend, and he"

"Damn!" Rayan exclaimed. Evelyn laughed.

"Can you imagine how awkward it would be if I ran into him again? I'm hoping things stay complicated between you and Derek so I never have to see him again," Rayan said, making Evelyn laugh harder.

"Relax. It's not that deep," Evelyn said, still laughing.

"Let's hope so. Anyway, guess what happened today?" Rayan asked, changing the subject.

Evelyn chuckled. "You caught the person who touched you at the club?" she asked. Rayan groaned. "Don't remind me, please."

"Okay. You know I'm terrible at guessing. So, shoot."

"Alright, alright. Sandra came to visit me at the bakery today," Rayan revealed.

Evelyn felt a prickle of unease. "Sandra visited you?"

"Yeah," Rayan confirmed. Evelyn swallowed.

"Well, that shouldn't be strange, right? You're both friends, and I'm sure you've been in touch," Evelyn said smoothly.

"Well, it is strange. I think she's trying to poison my mind against you," Rayan said, her voice serious.

"Why would you think that?" Evelyn asked, confused.

"She said a lot of things about you that made me think she came to badmouth you," Rayan said, then recounted Sandra's comments about Evelyn's behavior at the anniversary party.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. Typical of Sandra, she thought. "Well, some of it's true," she admitted. Rayan raised an eyebrow.

"Really? What part?" Rayan asked curiously.

"The part where she said I poured wine on her," Evelyn said. Rayan laughed.

"Wait, what? You actually poured wine on her?" Rayan asked, surprised.

"Yes, I did. Only because she was pretending I pushed her. If she's going to paint me as a bitch, I'll return the favor," Evelyn explained. Rayan hesitated.

"Does that mean it's true that you cheated on Michael?"

"Cheated on Michael? Sandra told you that!" Evelyn asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. She hinted at it," Rayan explained.

"If she told you, why are you asking me?" Evelyn asked. Rayan smiled.

"Because you're my friend. I told her that doesn't sound like you. I want to hear it from you, Evie. I won't believe anything I hear about you without hearing it from you," Rayan said, her voice calm but insistent.

Evelyn's heart raced. Despite Sandra's accusations, Rayan was giving her the benefit of the doubt. She wasn't blindly believing Sandra; she was asking for the truth. Evelyn realized how much Rayan valued their friendship. Rayan was a true friend, and she deserved the truth.

After a long silence, Rayan spoke again. "I won't judge you, Evie. I will never judge you, okay? And if you still want me to wait until you're ready to talk, I will," she promised.

Evelyn swallowed. "Thank you, Ray. But you don't have to wait anymore. I promise to tell you everything when we next see each other," Evelyn said. Rayan smiled.

"Really? Are you sure?" Rayan asked, sensing Evelyn's struggle.

"Yes, I am," Evelyn said firmly. "Why don't you visit me tomorrow?" she asked. Rayan smiled, glad Evelyn was finally ready to open up.

"Tomorrow it is, then," Rayan agreed. "But you really don't have to tell me anything unless you're ready," she added. Evelyn smiled.

"I know, and I also know there's no one else I'd rather confide in," she said. Rayan nodded.

"Alright then. Text me your address, and I'll see you tomorrow."

After they hung up, Evelyn sat back, feeling a strange sense of relief. For the first time since returning to Ludus, she felt she wasn't carrying the burden alone. She had someone she could trust—someone who wasn't entangled in her past like Derek, but who genuinely cared for her as a friend. The weight on her shoulders felt lighter, and for that, Evelyn felt grateful.