10. Eden
EDEN
“Ithought you gave up dating,” Elliot said as we both sat in front of the women’s dressing room, waiting for Alana and Nova to come back out.
I knew asking Nova for her help meant we’d be here for a while, but I didn’t think it’d take more than two hours. It had been three hours, the fifth shop, and the mall was closing soon.
“I did,” I answered as I checked the time on my phone for the second time in just a minute.
“Then how come I’m currently sitting in a clothing store, deciding which outfits your girlfriend should buy?”
“Nova said we have a collective vote of one, so are we really deciding anything?” At the end of the day, it was Nova who decided. Sure, Alana gave her okay and sometimes hard passes if she really couldn’t see herself wearing something… but it was mostly Nova’s decision.
The outfits she chose were amazing, though, and super flattering on Alana. Nova genuinely had a great sense of fashion.
“Hm…” Elliot looked up from his phone. “How’d you meet?”
“That’s a long story, Dad.” I hated being interrogated about my relationships, which made sense, seeing as all my past girlfriends were using me. They’d probably send me off to a lonely island if they found out Alana and my situation wasn’t genuine either.
He chuckled. “I’m just asking because you’ve never mentioned her before. What’s her name again?”
“Alana,” I replied, a little too loudly.
“Yes?” came from inside the changing room, and a second later, a head popped out. “We’re almost done. Promise.”
“Take your time, Ally-Bear. My mom always says time doesn’t exist when it comes to finding the perfect outfit.”
Alana smiled at me softly, then went back inside the changing room, adjusting the curtain to ensure neither Elliot nor I saw a thing.
As soon as the curtain was perfectly adjusted, Elliot raised an eyebrow at me, a knowing look in his eyes. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, which was weird, because I never blushed.
I cleared my throat, about to change the subject, when Elliot took over.
“Dad hates it when Mom takes forever to get ready. And that’s the only reason why she always says it,” he said, amusement in his voice.
I leaned forward with a deep sigh, resting my elbows on my knees and letting my head hang low, supporting it with my hands. “Either way, she always says it.”
“True.” I felt him leaning back, abandoning his phone altogether. “She’s not like those girls you usually date. Alana seems quieter. I don’t know if I should be worried.”
“You?” I laughed, half-disbelievingly, half-confused. “Why would you be worried?”
“Your record of finding girlfriends who are only using you is worrisome.” That wasn’t wrong, unfortunately. “Besides, Mom asked Nova and me to find out everything we could about your girlfriend so we can prevent another mistake.”
Was this thing between Alana and me going to be a mistake? I wasn’t sure, only time could tell. But as long as we stuck to the deal—baking and confidence lessons only—we would’ve been fine, right?
I looked up and stared at Elliot for a moment, his words lingering in the air between us. The concern in his eyes was unmistakable, which should’ve worried me more than ever.
Elliot was a sweet kid for sure, and somewhat surprisingly, the complete opposite of me. He was a lot more mature at sixteen than I’d been back then. He was concerned about so many things that I hadn’t even once bothered to think about at his age.
At sixteen, I barely gave a fuck about myself. Stupid me was just glad he got laid and could brag about it to his stupid, just as immature, friends. I was still a hopeless romantic, always ending up falling deep, just to get my heart broken, when it turned out that I was the one getting used.
Elliot cared about his image. He didn’t fall for just anyone. He cared about Nova and her fear of driving. He even skipped his painting classes just to drive her. He’d always go to the grocery store with Mom when Dad was at work, only because he refused to let her go by herself.
He’d even take Sage and Ash, our dad’s best friend’s kids, to school when their dads couldn’t because of their work schedules.
Elliot was a great kid. But he was still only sixteen. The last thing to worry about should’ve been his older brother.
To lighten the mood a little, I nudged him in the side and said, “I didn’t know you could be concerned for me.”
“I shouldn’t be. You’re only twenty-one, Eden. You shouldn’t have been in about six relationships in three years, all of which turned out to be using you. And that’s not even including your high school girlfriends.” A long exhale drew from his lungs. “I’m only sixtee—”
“Seventeen in like two weeks.”
“Still. I’m not supposed to worry about my older brother getting played by every girl he’s dating. And by the way, your experience makes me dread finding someone for myself.”
I laughed despite knowing that I shouldn’t. “I mean, you could always do what Brooke did. Find someone in the family.”
Reece wasn’t family before he married my sister, but my parents’ best friends were basically family. I grew up with all of them.
I had more sleepovers with their kids growing up than with my actual cousins.
Well, to be fair, we either lived in the same building or on the same street our entire lives.
Plus, I wasn’t really in touch with my parents’ siblings’ kids.
Or my aunts and uncles, for that matter. It was a complicated story.
“Like who? Jamie and Kieran would be the only options, but I’m not into guys.”
My shoulder pulled up into a shrug. “Guess you’ll have to wait until Maisie or Sage are older.” They were only three years younger than Elliot anyway. Now it sounded strange, but in a few years, when they were all over the age of eighteen, nobody would give a flying fuck about it.
It wasn’t going to happen anyway. Maisie was way too sweet a girl for someone like my brother. Besides, if Jamie ever found out Elliot had a thing for his sister, he’d make my brother’s life a living hell.
Sage would simply eat him alive.
Elliot turned away from me, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you girls ready sometime soon?”
Nova giggled loudly before replying, “Just a second!”
“Did you decide on the blue dress or the black one?” I asked, being sure they wouldn’t come out of the changing room anymore. Not once did Alana take more than two minutes to change an outfit and show it to us, but I could swear they’d been inside that room for ten minutes now.
Before either of them responded, Nova emerged from the dressing room with a triumphant grin on her face. “Neither.” She held up a red satin dress. “This one looked the best on her.”
“And why exactly didn’t I get to see it on her?” I inquired, narrowing my eyes at my sister.
“You will. This one’s just a size too big.” Nova ripped open the curtain to reveal Alana, and she stepped out looking breathtaking.
I could feel the thrumming of my heart in my chest as my eyes followed down her figure. The need to get up and run a hand over her soft-looking skin was so strong, I had to tell myself to stay seated.
The dress glimmered under the bright store lights, hugging her body tightly and complementing her curves in all the right places. It accentuated her wider hips, slightly smaller waist, and belly, and she looked absolutely radiant in this stupid dress.
I was sure Alana wasn’t going to like that her stomach was fairly exposed instead of hidden under baggy clothing, but fuck did she look hot like this.
In that dress, Austin had no other choice but to notice her.
As Alana’s gaze met mine, her cheeks flushed, and she tugged self-consciously at the hem of her dress in an attempt to stretch the fabric. How was I supposed to make her understand that she was breathtaking? She’d never believe me.
Elliot let out a low whistle, clearly impressed, but he regretted it the moment I pushed my elbow into his side.
“You should definitely get that dress, Ally-Bear. It suits you perfectly,” I said, a pinch of hope that she trusted my words forming in my chest. She wasn’t going to. Alana barely even knew my name.
Nova squealed eagerly. “Just imagine it with some strappy heels and silver jewelry!” She turned toward Alana, grinning widely. “You’ll look like a movie star, Alana.”
“I’m more of a gold jewelry girl,” she admitted, something cautious in her tone as if she feared upsetting my sister by rejecting silver. It was good to know she preferred gold, though.
“That’s fine! Gold and red look amazing, too.
” Nova pulled out her phone, but I couldn’t possibly imagine why she needed it.
“My mom gets her jewelry from this amazing jeweler close to the Rockefeller Center. It’s very pretty and super high quality, so it’ll last you a while.
I’ll check it out tomorrow, then send Eden some pictures so he can forward them to you.
Then you’ll just let me know which ones you like, and we’ll go buy them, okay? ”
“Uhm…” Alana’s eyes snapped to mine for a second as if to ask me to make my sister stop talking. “N-No, that’s… alright. Thanks, though.”
Oh, she was stuttering again. That wasn’t good.
Jumping off my seat, I took about two steps until I stood in front of Nova and Alana.
While I wanted to pay attention to my fake girlfriend first, I figured getting rid of my sister was better for now.
“Why don’t you go check out some jewelry here?
” I laid my hands on Nova’s shoulders, turning her around. “I’m sure you’ll find something good.”
“But the one Mom goes to is—”
“Expensive,” Elliot finished for Nova, though I was sure she had something entirely different to say. “Didn’t Mom just pay like a grand for earrings?”
“Yeah, but they’re high quality. Wouldn’t you rather spend a good amount of money on something that lasts for years than pay ten dollars for a pair of earrings that won’t survive the rain?”
Elliot sighed and wrapped an arm around Nova’s shoulder to probably lead her toward the less expensive jewelry store in this mall. As they walked away, I could faintly hear him say, “We might want to have a chat about this with Mom and Dad.”
As soon as my siblings exited the store, I turned to Alana. “I’m sorry about that.”
Alana took a deep breath, shaking her head. “Your siblings seem nice.”
“Look, Nova’s never really had people in her life that couldn’t just…
” How was I going to put this nicely? “She’s gone to private schools all her life.
If she wanted something, she got it. It’s not that she doesn’t know other social classes exist or that she looks down on them, she just… forgets sometimes.”
It still sounded super wrong. It wasn’t even a good excuse, either. Rich kids could still be down to earth. Nova had her problems with that.
A faint smile pulled on Alana’s lips. “It’s okay. I’d probably forget too if I were surrounded by only rich people all the time.”
“It’s not just rich people, I don’t think.”
“Are you kidding me?” She laughed once. “Eden, your family is rich-rich. Doesn’t your dad own like ten restaurants? And your mom? She used to model, didn’t she? And now she has like three super successful TV shows of her books or comics or something?”
It was like a punch right to the gut. I bit the inside of my cheek, trying to swallow the unease her words stirred up inside me. Alana hadn’t once been one to hold back with me, and that was something I both admired and feared about her.
“Yeah, we’re well off,” I replied, raking a hand through my hair. I was often reduced to my family’s money, so it shouldn’t have stung as much anymore, but it did. I couldn’t show Alana, though. “But that doesn’t mean things have always been easy for us, you know? Money doesn’t solve everything.”
If money solved everything, people wouldn’t have used me as much as they did anymore.
Alana studied me for a moment. “I didn’t mean to offend you, Eden. Your siblings seem lovely, really.”
“You didn’t,” I said quickly. Taking a deep breath, I decided to change the subject before she could attack me any more.
“Back to that dress… we’re getting it. And don’t worry, you don’t have to pay for it.
After all, I invited you to go shopping, so it’s only fair I pay for everything.
” Besides, if Alana found out that the price tag read six hundred dollars, I was sure she’d fall into a coma or something. And it was only one of many pieces.
Alana’s eyes widened in surprise, her lips parted slightly as she processed my words. She seemed to struggle with accepting my offer, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of the dress. “I can’t possibly let you pay for everything. That’s just too much.”
I shook my head, a small smile playing on my lips. “Consider it a gift. You look stunning in that dress, and I want you to have it.” I reached out to gently tilt her chin up so she met my gaze. “Please, Alana. Let me do this for you.”
Her cheeks flushed a delicate shade of pink and she finally gave in with a soft sigh.
“Thank you, Eden. That’s really kind of you.
” The gratitude in her eyes made my heart swell with warmth, and I knew at that moment, I would do anything to see her smile like that again, which was fairly odd.
“Your sister picked quite a few things though… including a bathing suit.”
I hadn’t seen her try on a bathing suit, so that was news to me.
I chuckled, relieved the conversation had taken a lighter turn.
“Well, you’ll look amazing in whatever Nova picked out.
And hey, if you need a second opinion on that bathing suit, I have some more time to spare.
” The teasing tone in my voice earned me a playful swat on my arm from Alana, and I grinned at her.
She went back into the dressing room to change out of the dress and back into her own clothes before we could make it to the register and buy what felt like a hundred items.