42. Thirty Nine #3
“Did you two need something?” The exasperation in my voice is the one thing I don’t have to fake.
Richie and AJ laugh like I’ve told a joke.
“Come on, Cecil. Don’t be so selfish. Didn’t your mother ever teach you to share?” AJ croons, bouncing on his heels.
A scathing remark sits on my tongue, but I swallow it down. More faces in the crowd have turned towards us, and I can’t allow any room for doubt on where my allegiance lies.
Reluctantly, I step to the side and grip Eden’s stool, spinning her around. The movement startles her, but she doesn’t budge.
Dumb and Dumber look like kids on Christmas, splotchy faces alight with wonder.
“Damn, Curran was right. She is tempting,” AJ remarks. “You should’ve put her in a dress or something.”
I don’t conceal the narrowing of my eyes.
Richie inches nearer, leering over Eden. His breath is nauseatingly sour from various liquors.
“You got a name? Or is it Reaper?”
“She doesn’t speak,” I interject, pressing my palm to his chest until he takes a step back.
Both men look perplexed, eyeing her up and down.
“Why not?” AJ asks, shooting me a look of disbelief.
I scoff and shake my head incredulously.
“Because it’ll fucking kill you, that’s why.”
Technically not true, but they don’t need to know that. Their lack of intimidation is grating on my nerves.
There’s a moment of contemplation, and I can feel Eden scoot a hair across her seat until her shoulder brushes my bicep. The men track the movement, and though innocent enough, I really wish she hadn’t done that.
“No fucking way,” Richie bursts out, releasing a piggish snort. “She likes you!”
AJ laughs too, throwing his head back. It draws more unwanted attention from those around us, and I grind my molars together.
I have to remedy the situation. Fast.
Looking to Eden, I lift my lips into a cruel smirk. Her brows pinch together for only a moment.
“I found a way to make her behave. Isn’t that right?” My voice is cold, and even though I warned Eden, I can tell from the twitch of her lips that it’s struck a chord.
More laughter ensues, and I force out an amused huff of my own.
AJ quiets first, taking yet another step into Eden’s personal space. She presses closer to me.
“You’re always silent, huh?” He leans in until his face is level with hers. There’s a grin on his lips, but his hatred spoils it. “I’m not sure I believe that. I’ll bet you make some pretty noises while he’s fucking you.”
An anger like I’ve never known burns through me. Eden’s cheeks burn a vibrant red, and she averts her gaze.
Gripping him by the shoulder, I shove him back so hard that Richie has to steady him.
“If I wanted to stick my cock in a monster, I would call your mother,” I snarl, relishing in AJ’s stunned silence. Richie, on the other hand, lets out a startled guffaw.
I don’t want to know what Eden’s reaction to my words might be, so I pointedly look anywhere but toward her.
With a promise that they’ll see Eden soon, the men finally disappear into the sea of people.
Another hour passes, and the party reaches its climax. The music has doubled in volume, and the LED lights have begun pulsing to the rhythm. Most everyone is inebriated, and those who aren’t have disappeared to do God knows what. It’s the perfect time to make our escape.
“C’mon,” I mumble, taking the last swig from my glass.
The liquid burns its way down, and I suck at my teeth.
Eden slides from the stool, following close as I lead the two of us through the crowd.
No one even looks in our direction, too wrapped up in their own guilty pleasures.
The tension in my shoulders has eased minutely from the whiskey, but I’m not ignorant enough to let my guard down.
We make it to my truck without a hitch. Both of us breathe a little easier than we did on the way here.
It went about as good as it could, all things considered.
I try not to think too much about AJ and Richie’s words, or the way the men leered at Eden.
I’m not blind, I know she’s beautiful. But they don’t just view her as a beautiful woman.
They view her as something to conquer. And I’ll be damned if I let that happen.
Eden is so still in her seat that I assume she’s sleeping, so I don’t bother filling the silence.
The only sound is the patter of spring rain and the repetitive slide of windshield wipers.
It's almost peaceful. So peaceful that my mind wanders to a different reality. One where the world is different–where we’re different.
I’d be driving us home after a night on the town. Maybe we went to a nice restaurant and gorged ourselves on expensive wine and free bread. Maybe we laughed at something our waiter said. Maybe she did get to wear a pretty dress, and men would look, but only for a second.
And Eden and I are… friends. Or something.
The inside of my cheek is raw from the slice of my teeth, and I scowl. Carding my fingers through my hair, I blow out a harsh breath. This is the reality of our situation, and there’s not a thing I can do to change that.
The windows of the house are dark, which must mean Creed is—fortunately—in bed. I’m not in the mood for an interrogation.
After pulling the keys from the ignition, I reach over to rouse Eden from sleep. Before my fingers brush her arm, her door swings open.
“Oh, I thought you were–”
The door slams shut. I blink, slightly taken aback.
I’m quick to follow her, squinting into the darkness. “Eden?”
She’s a blur in front of me, hasty footsteps carrying her to the front door. Jogging to catch up, I call her name three more times to no avail. She’s halfway to the porch before I’m able to grip her elbow and turn her to face me. She won’t meet my eyes.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” I raise my hand to cup her cheek, but she jerks her head back.
“Don’t.”
The crease in my forehead deepens, raindrops following the length of it.
“What’s wrong?” I repeat. My eyes adjust to the darkness slowly, and I see hurt staring back at me.
“I want to go inside.” She attempts to turn, but I snag her hand. With a huff, she yanks her fingers through mine. I can’t remember ever seeing her this way. Fear and apprehension, yes. Anger? Never.
It would be wise to relent and get out of the rain, but her sour mood gnaws at my nerves.
“I’m not letting you go in until you tell me what I did,” I insist, keeping my voice level.
Finally, she steps forward, her eyes meeting mine. And they’re piercing.
“You think I’m a monster.”
Confused, I wrack my mind. All too soon, the memory of what I said slams into me. Well, fuck.
Rolling my head back, I groan and close my eyes.
“Eden,” I begin, tossing my arms up into the air helplessly. “I didn’t mean that. I wanted them to shut their fucking mouths”
She shakes her head vehemently.
“I saw you. You were disgusted.”
“Only because of what they were saying!”
Her face falters, and the moonlight begins to shimmer in her eyes as the tears roll in. My stomach sinks.
“About…” She hesitates, her hands trembling. “Being with me?”
I open my mouth to speak, but words fail me.
I don’t know how to explain to her that yes, they were being disgusting but, no, I’m not disgusted by her.
Nor the idea of being with her. Matter of fact, I’ve tried incredibly hard to not think about it at all because of how little the thought disgusts me.
“It’s not like that. You don’t understand the–”
“I do understand! I’m not a child.”
A lone tear intermingles with the rain until its trail is lost.
The more I’ve gotten to know Eden, the more carefully I tread when it comes to her feelings. She’s right, she’s not a child, but sometimes I think it might be easier if she were.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m just trying to protect you.”
More tears fall, and she sucks in sharp breaths as she looks away from me.
A light breeze whisps her hair into her face and it gets caught in the moisture, clinging to her cheek.
I inch closer until we’re nearly chest to chest. Slowly, I reach my hand up, giving her the opportunity to swat it away.
When she doesn’t, I detach the dark tresses from her skin.
Selfishly, I let my fingers linger on the soft patch below her jaw.
A shiver rolls over her, and I wish I knew whether or not it was from the rain.
“I don’t think you’re disgusting in the slightest.” I swallow, mulling over my words before I speak them. In the end, honesty wins over. “I think you’re beautiful.” The admission comes out like a prayer—a hushed secret, just between the two of us.
Water droplets cling to the end of her eyelashes, and pool in her cupid's bow. And it’s in this moment, that the truth suckerpunches me. I would do anything to protect her heart. And it’s not only because she’s beautiful.
If we lived in the Maybe, she would be mine. More than that, I would be hers.
But we don’t live in the Maybe.
“You do?” She asks.
I grunt, nodding my head. “I do.”
She eyes me in speculation, and my lips quirk.
“Prove it.”
That wipes the smile right off my face.
Big eyes blink up at me, completely oblivious to my inner turmoil.
“Prove it?”
She nods.
“How?”
My shirt has been completely soaked through, but this conversation has both my body and mind on fire. The rain is the only thing that stops my combustion.
“Kiss me.”