Chapter 19 Eden #2
This must be Jason then. Harmless. That’s what Charlie called him. What Charlie neglected to mention was that Jason is the size of a fucking semi-truck. Harmless Eden’s fucking ass.
“In your dreams you’re prettier than me,” Charlie says, putting his body between Eden and Jason.
“I said more handsome, not prettier. Besides, we can all see the pretty one is Eden.” Jason smiles at him, his pearly white teeth on full display. “Well, and you, Mabel.”
“Flatterer,” Mabel giggles like a schoolgirl.
Unable to shake his unease, Eden tries to smile but feels pretty certain it must come out as a grimace.
“Can’t believe someone is finally putting up with Charlie. We should give you a medal.” The last part is directed at Eden.
“Fuck you.” Charlie flips him off. “Go back to your couch cocoon with Emerson.”
Emerson’s eyes widen at being brought into the conversation, seemingly shrinking in on himself.
Despite knowing that they’re dating, Eden is still surprised to see Emerson’s entire body relax when Jason settles himself on his free side.
It’s not just Emerson either, the dog’s whining lessens as it crawls into Jason’s lap and licks his face.
“I know, we’re meeting so many new people today,” Jason tells the dog. “But you’re a brave boy, aren’t you, Freddie? Such a good boy.”
Freddie barks while Emerson leans into Jason, both of them curling into the larger man as if he is their safe space. Though his size still makes Eden uncomfortable, it’s impossible to miss the way those around him relax in his presence. Maybe Charlie was right. Maybe he is harmless.
“Come on, everyone else is outside. They’ll want to meet you.”
Eden finds this hard to believe, but there’s no time to point that out because Charlie is talking about a mile a minute and leading him to the backyard.
There are several tables set up in one long line, pretty white tablecloths and floral arrangements in tiny pumpkins set on each one.
At the far end of the yard, a group of guys are kicking around a soccer ball.
Not far from them, a couple of kids are playing some kind of game of chase with another dog.
There’s a seating area set up around a fire pit, neither of which was there last week, where several men and women Eden doesn’t know sit.
They all turn when Charlie brings Eden over, their eyes roaming over him.
“Hey guys, this is Eden.”
Again with introducing Eden like everyone should know him. What the hell?
“It’s nice to meet you,” one of the men says. He’s got dark blond hair, sky blue eyes and thick framed glasses. “I’m Theo.”
“Theo is Jason’s best friend and Alec’s fiancé,” Charlie reminds him. Eden doesn’t know much about him except that Charlie apparently had a big problem with him dating his baby brother.
“I’m Amanda, Charlie’s agent. It's nice to finally see you not on a canvas now that my papers are signed,” a gorgeous woman with dark hair and equally dark eyes supplies.
She’s dressed in a form-fitting floral dress that matches the suit of the older woman sitting beside her. “This is my girlfriend, Denise.”
Denise smiles, offering Eden a half wave. “Hey, doll.”
Something loosens in Eden’s chest. Eden’s never been around so many queer people. Never imagined it might feel easier to breathe if he was.
“I’m Eddie, I coach football with Jason,” the other man says, “and this is my wife Amy.”
“It’s nice to meet you Eden, I love your skirt.” Her expression wobbles, almost like she’s trying not to cry. Eden doesn’t have to wonder why the hell she looks so emotional for long because then she turns towards the small kids chasing the dog. “Those are our boys back there, twins.”
“Archer, Sawyer,” she yells, “come here.”
Immediately, two little boys run across the yard. They’re not identical like Charlie and Andrew but they’re clearly close, holding hands as they hurry towards their mom. They stop in front of her, turning their wide eyes on Eden who begins to understand what has Amy so emotional.
“Boys, this is Eden, Charlie’s boyfriend.”
“Hi,” one of them says quietly, shuffling towards his dad and crawling in his lap shyly. The other one though—the one dressed in a unicorn shirt and a bright pink tutu, turns his big blue eyes on Eden and inches forward, touching his skirt.
“Sawyer, don’t touch people without asking.”
“It’s okay,” Eden croaks.
“I like your tutu,” he says.
“Thanks.” Eden crouches down, sitting on the grass. The little boy copies, almost sitting in Eden’s lap. “I like yours too.”
“It’s pink!” He says, tugging on the bright material. “And it sparkles.”
“Mine sparkles too,” Eden says, looking up when he hears a quiet sob.
It’s not Amy but her husband who is looking at Eden like, well, like he’s never been happier.
Like his hot pink tutu-wearing little boy, meeting another man in a skirt is the best day of his life.
Eden can’t fucking imagine having parents who encouraged his love of pretty things, who might’ve been overjoyed at him meeting a man who dressed like him.
Is this what it’s like to have supportive parents?
“Mama, it has a bow,” Sawyer exclaims, crawling closer to Eden. “I want a bow!”
“I’ll get you a bow,” she tells him, her smile so wide it breaks something in Eden.
What would it be like to be a child and be so loved? To be accepted?
Everyone looks so fucking happy he’s here.
It should make Eden happy, too. Instead, there’s an ache deep in his chest. Something deep and buried that hurts.
All these years he’s told himself no one would want a kid like him, but that’s not true.
Sawyer is wanted, loved. It was just Eden. Why was Eden so hard to love?
Charlie’s hand settles on his shoulder, the touch light but his presence at Eden’s back solid. It steadies something in Eden, making it easier to offer a smile he hopes doesn’t look as forced as it feels.
“If Charlie gives you any trouble, you come to me,” Denise tells him, winking.
“What the fuck, Denise? I’m on my best fucking behavior.”
“Today,” she says. “It won’t last.”
“She loves me, really,” Charlie laughs, squatting down beside Eden to press a cheek to his cheek. “You wanna meet Alec and his friends?”
Personally, Eden has met enough new people to last a lifetime, but even he has enough manners not to say that out loud. That, and he knows exactly how important Alec is to Charlie, who has shared more than one fond memory of his baby brother.
Holding out a hand to Eden as he rises at the same time, Charlie smiles.
“It was lovely meeting you, Eden,” Amanda says, “come back and chat with us. We’d love to get to know the man who can put up with Charlie.”
“You’re all bullying me,” Charlie gasps, but his wide smile makes it clear he’s enjoying it.
“Yeah, yeah,” Amanda scoffs. “Where’s Andrew anyway?”
“Oh, he went to the store to buy some more sweet potatoes because, well—we don’t need to talk about why. He should’ve been back by now though.”
As if summoned, Andrew steps into the backyard in his typical khakis and polo, his usual pastel ensemble replaced by a deep maroon polo and a pair of dark loafers. He smiles at Eden, waving.
“You came.”
“Hi,” Eden mumbles, surprised when Andrew walks over and envelops him in a hug.
Eden sinks into the embrace, pressing his face into Andrew’s shoulder.
“Breathe, Eden.” Andrew squeezes him a little bit tighter. “You got this.”
Eden exhales a shuddering breath, embarrassed by how much he needed to hear those words.
Andrew is the only person beside Addy who knows how nervous he was about today.
He hadn’t meant to tell Andrew, but somehow, as is oft to happen when texting Andrew, he’d let all his fears slip out the night before.
Andrew has a way of dragging things out of Eden without even trying.
“Excuse me, you’re stealing my boyfriend.”
“Fuck off,” Andrew says, rubbing Eden’s back. His words are intended for Eden, but loud enough for Charlie to hear as he teases, “you want me to get rid of him?”
A half-snort of a laugh erupts from Eden, making his chest feel lighter than it has since he got here. “I think I’ll keep him around.”
“Ha,” Charlie crows. “See, he likes me better.”
“Don’t push your luck,” Eden grumbles, stepping out of the embrace and relieved to see that Charlie’s friends have gone back to their conversation and are no longer staring at him. The attention was too much.
“So did you meet everyone?” Andrew asks.
“Charlie was about to introduce me to Alec and his friends,” Eden says, noting the pinch between Andrew’s eyebrows when he says it.
Before he can question Andrew’s expression, Charlie takes his hand and guides him across the yard. He spots Agnes sleeping in the shade beside Birdie, who is watching the other dog run around the yard in circles.
“Alec,” Charlie yells.
One of the guys—the shortest, a head full of gorgeous curls and the same warm brown eyes as Charlie—turns when his name is called.
He looks so different from the twins or Jason, yet their relation seems obvious if you know where to look.
They have the same brown eyes, the same chin, and at least in Alec’s case, the same warm skin tone.
Though unlike his brothers, his bare arms are covered in freckles, as is the rest of him.
Alec’s expression is unreadable as he approaches, something unexpectedly tight in his jaw as he turns to look at Charlie. Eden tries to make sense of it, unsure about what’s going on. He thought Charlie and Alec were close.
The other two guys follow behind Alec. One of them is wearing a backwards cap and a fraternity t-shirt along with a shit-eating grin as he playfully shoves the other guy who flips him off.