26. CHAPTER 26 #3
Is he freaking serious? I have no control over my body anymore. Staying still is a literal impossibility.
I hear him hiss, almost in pain. “Tell me when you’re there.”
“I can’t… I can’t stop shaking.”
“Then you’re there.”
He beats against me, never giving up, never losing contact.
I lift my head only to bang it on the table.
I burst into tears, wailing; my mind almost dislocating from my body as the cabin spins around me.
There's a loud, primal groan, then searing wetness is splashing against me.
Heaviness blankets my back. His breath is like thunder in my ear; his chest pounding at my shoulder blades.
An arm scoops beneath me and I’m held tight, like a prize. Like something he never wants to let go of.
“Thank you… I’m sorry I made you wait so long.”
I try to speak but I’m a shell of a man.
I want to worship at his feet, but he holds me like a baby.
I’m never going to get over this.
There is no way I can move on without him.
It’s us , or it’s nothing.
Eden van der Hart is my brave new world.
E den’s standing by the stove when I leave the bathroom. He’s put some—until today elusive—underwear on, and is stirring something. The only light on is the one over the sofa, and as I step into it, he turns to me. Looking me over, his face softens from concentration to infatuation.
“Here.” Moving to the dining table, he picks up the pair of light grey sweatpants he lent me the morning after the storm. “Put these on.”
With a bashful smile, I gently shake my head and walk towards the closet under the stairs. “I’ve got clean ones.”
“Jin.” His tone is stern enough for me to turn around. He’s closer now. “Put these on,” he repeats, pushing the sweats against my chest with one hand and tugging the towel from around my waist with the other.
No longer phased by being naked in front of him, I leave my hands by my side and look up with an emotionless stare.
“Take them,” he insists, pushing them harder against me. I blink slowly and open my eyes up to the stove top, but Eden steps in front of me. “Just put them on.”
“I have my own.”
“Can you just wear these?”
“Why should I when mine don’t fall off?”
“For fuck’s sake, Jin…” His voice fades to unintelligible babble when I see his cell phone light up. Once the screen fades to black, I look at him momentarily only for it to light up again.
With a roll of my eyes, I push his arm away, forcing him to take back his sweats as I walk around him.
'Merry Christmas. Did you like that, Baby?' The most recent message from Shawn flashes back onto the screen when I pick up the phone.
“Well, did you like it, baby? ” I tease.
“It’s nothing—”
“I thought she'd stopped messaging you.”
“She had, for a while. But it doesn’t matter how many times I shut her down, she won’t leave me alone.”
I hold out Eden’s phone towards him. “Unlock it.”
“I’ve got nothing to hide from you,” he says, taking the phone and unlocking it. “Read back as far as you want, I don’t give a shit. But just remember, you asked for this.”
When I look at the screen my eyes gape before my face falls emotionless again. “Is this the kind of stuff she always sent you?” I ask, still staring at the picture like a car wreck I can't look away from.
“Yeah. When we were together. But if you look above it you’ll see that I deleted the last picture she sent me, and that I told her not to send anymore.”
I hand his phone over and bite back a smile. “So, did you like her Christmas present?”
He tosses it onto the couch with his sweats.
“I couldn’t give a damn about anything from her.
” Eden runs his hand up the side of my neck to hold my head in place.
“All I wanted was to spend the day with you. And what we just did… That blew everything she ever did for me out of the water. So if you'll let me, I’ll send her a picture of your pretty dick in my mouth in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not bisexual, Eden.”
His brow creases and he holds my face with both hands. “What are you… Ha?”
“Her picture, it did nothing for me. I don’t think I’ve ever looked at a naked picture of a woman and enjoyed it.”
“Okay, but, why are you telling me—”
“Because I’m gay. Like, all the way, gay.”
“So?”
“So I… Don’t worry about it.” I try to push him away but he holds strong.
“I am gonna worry about it.”
“Don’t.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“I’m gay!” I shout up at him, all spite and inadequacy.
“And I don’t give a fuck!” he yells down at me even louder. “I’ll call Tek right now and tell him exactly where you are, and that I’m not letting you leave, because…”
“Because what, Eden?”
“Because I’m fucking falling for you, Jintae. Jesus christ. Tek means the world to me, and the shop is everything. But right now… Shit… Right now, figuring out what this is, is way more important to me than a damn tattoo shop. I can work from anywhere…”
He lifts me up, and I take my place with my legs wrapped around his waist. “I can tell you wanna say something else.”
“There's only one Jeon Jintae.”
“There’s got to be more.”
“But you’re the only one who’s mine.”
“Yours?”
“Yeah. You’re mine. Now can you put my damn sweat pants on?”
“Are you trying to prove to the birds who I belong to?”
“Maybe. And maybe I think you look sexy as fuck when you walk around with them sitting so low on your hips that your hairs stick out.”
I bury my face against his neck, and he taps me on the butt. “There’s no point in getting shy now.”
I wiggle in his arms. “You can put me down.”
“I don't think so. Not when you’ve still got one more gift to give me.”
I grip his shoulders and lean back. “Is it a kiss? Cause I can give you that right now.”
“It’s not, but I’ll take one.” The way he puckers his lips is way too cute. It’s sweet, and simple, with just a little tongue. The kind of kiss that’s acceptable to give in public, even if there are kids around. But it still makes my heart flutter.
“Do you plan on telling me what your last gift is, or am I supposed to just guess?”
“Well, we could play that game, but there’s chocolate waiting.”
“Chocolate?” I perk up and start looking around the cabin. “Where?”
“There’s half a block melted in each of those mugs, with milk.”
“Are you telling me you’ve had chocolate this entire time?”
“Maybe?”
“Maybe?” My voice cracks. “And where have you been hiding it?”
“My loft.”
“You sneaky prick.”
“I was saving it.”
“For what? Today?”
“It being Christmas is more of a happy coincidence.”
"But that's still not a gift just for you."
"Isn't it?"
“My god, Eden, just spit it out.”
“Fine. I want you to sleep with me… In my bed.”
“In the loft?”
“In the loft. With me. In my arms.”
“Just for tonight?”
His jaw goes slack and he stares off over my shoulder into nothingness.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” I giggle, peppering kisses all over his face.
After spinning his head to catch a cheeky peck on the lips, he puts me down. “Put the pants on before I change my mind.”