Chapter Seven
Eden failed to win a fish, and when Razor offered to win one, she immediately panicked and started to move him in the opposite direction.
When she was a kid, she and Maeve had won a whole load of fish.
It resulted in their parents buying a fish tank, and they had to spend a day every so many weeks cleaning it out. She hated it. Fish were not her thing.
However, throwing basketballs into a hoop in the hope of winning a giant teddy bear was so her thing. The problem was, she couldn’t throw. She sucked at it.
Razor was completely different. He knew exactly how to throw, and Eden laughed as he handed her a giant-ass teddy bear.
She held onto it as they moved from game to game.
It was a lot of fun, and she didn’t know how long they had been playing for, but she knew she needed to get back to holding down the fort at one or more of the booths.
He escorted her back to her sister’s car, where she secured the teddy bears they had just won, and then it was a walk back to the booths.
The fair was still full, and the fun hadn’t stopped.
“I’ve got to head back to my spot. Keep an eye on things. You know how it goes.”
She smiled. “I do.”
“How about I pick you up after? We have a little fun exploring the fair, perhaps we go on a couple of rides, then I take you to dinner.”
“To dinner?” she asked.
“You’d like that?”
Eden was tempted to say no, but this was different. Razor was asking her. She was not going to compare him to Mac. They were completely different people, and she’d never been the kind of person to compare anyone.
“I’d like that.”
He pulled her in close and didn’t try to kiss her, but his lips did land on her forehead. It was a sweet gesture, and it made her stomach knot up, but not in a bad way. She might even have butterflies.
“See you in a few hours.”
He didn’t just leave her, though. Razor took her hand and led her straight to Martha’s booth, and she watched him go.
Martha let out a little excited noise, and Eden laughed. “Stop it.”
“Girl, if I was twenty years younger, I would be competing with you for that man’s affection.”
Eden couldn’t help but feel her cheeks heat. “Don’t you think it’s a little soon for me to be dating?”
“Honey, you broke up with that cheating scoundrel over a year ago. Trust me, you’ve gotten over his ass by now.” Martha waved her hand in the air. “He is not worth wasting another moment over.”
“How do you know he cheated?” Eden asked.
“Sweetheart, the whole town knew he cheated. It wasn’t like Hilary and he kept it a secret. Everywhere you turned he had his tongue down another woman’s throat.” Martha winced. “Does that hurt?”
Eden shook her head. “Surprisingly, no. Is that bad?”
“No, it means Mac wasn’t the one, honey. You might have had a crush on him. You might have thought you liked him and were falling in love with him, but the way you’re reacting, that’s not how a woman reacts to a man she loves. That is how a woman reacts to a man she has no feelings for.”
Eden sighed. “So, I could have been the problem?”
Martha shook her head. “Why does anyone have to be the problem? Be thankful, honey. Do you think every man and woman can get over a cheating person so easily?”
Eden shrugged.
“You dodged a bullet with that one.”
“Razor’s still part of the same club, though.”
“But he’s not the same man. You are going to have to trust me with this one.” Martha patted her on the shoulder, and there was no time to talk about it further.
Razor was a different man. In the few times they had been together, he gave her butterflies. She was never nervous about him, and he always looked at her like he truly saw her. She loved looking into his deep blue eyes, and it was strange, but it was like he wasn’t lying to her.
Shaking her head to try and stay focused on the job at hand, she served customers. She moved from the bookstore to a food truck, and then back to the handmade goods.
It took several hours before the crowds started to thin. There were parents and kids, full extended families, and then it felt like there were only adults.
The shopping ended, and more people were interested in the food and the fair than the gift shops, and it was time to close and pack up.
She helped Martha get everything loaded into the back of her car.
There was not a lot to take back. This event was a three-day affair. They would be back tomorrow with more.
Once she had finished helping with the handmade goods, she made her way over to where her sister was talking with another man in a leather jacket. Eden recognized him as Doc, the leader of the Chaos Monsters MC. The moment Maeve saw her, she waved and made her way over.
“This is my sister,” Maeve said.
“I know who she is. How are you doing, Eden?” he asked.
“I’m good. You?”
He nodded his head. Doc had never been a man of many words, and she turned toward her sister, offering her a smile.
“Is everything okay? You need help packing up?”
“I’m pretty much done. Hopefully, tomorrow is not as busy.” Maeve stretched her neck from side to side.
“The kids were eating out of the palm of your hand,” Doc said.
Maeve beamed. “Well, I aim to please.” She gave a little bow, then stood. “I am beat. Are you ready to head home?”
Eden opened her mouth and then closed it, because Mac made his way over, silencing any response.
“Can I talk to you?” Mac asked.
Maeve’s eyes had gone deadly. She looked like she wanted to kick him in the balls and not stop.
“It’s fine,” Eden said. “Razor’s coming to get me, and we’re going to stick around the fair a little longer.”
“Let me help you with your bags,” Doc said.
Maeve smiled at him, but her sister’s glare was directed at Mac. She held two fingers to her own eyes and then pointed them out at Mac before moving on with her bags.
Eden licked her dry lips, turned to look at Mac, and she felt absolutely nothing. There was no sadness, no anger, just a blank feeling. Did this truly mean he meant nothing to her all this time? She didn’t know if that was a good thing.
She’d been upset on Valentine’s Day, but unlike her sister who would have jumped out and started beating down on the two, she stayed silent in the bathroom, hoping they would leave or give her some way to make her escape. Razor had been the one to help her.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“What’s up? That’s all you’ve got to say to me?”
He sounded hurt and Eden looked him in the eye. “What do you want me to say?”
“Look, I know I fucked up, and I know you seem to be seeing Razor now.”
“That’s none of your business.”
“I just ... it meant nothing.”
She frowned. “Okay.”
“Damn it, Eden, you’re not even listening to me.”
“I am listening to you, Mac, but here’s the thing, I don’t care.
I had to learn today that yours and Hilary’s little sexcapade, or whatever it was, was known by most of the town, if not all of it.
I know she wasn’t the only woman you’ve slept with.
I also know you don’t care. Why did you even date me? ” she asked.
Mac stared at her. There was no answer.
She couldn’t help laughing.
“You don’t even have a clue why you dated me?” she asked.
“You’re a lot of fun, and you’re cute, and you’re funny—”
“Name one thing I like,” she said.
“Come on, that’s easy.”
“If it’s so easy, name one. Come on, we dated for a year and a half. You must have remembered something I like.” For their one and only Christmas together, he’d given her a tea collection. She hated tea.
“Tea, you like tea,” he said.
“I hate tea,” Eden said. “Maeve enjoyed it.”
“You love hot dogs.”
“Hate ’em,” she said. “I prefer a burger.”
“Look, this is all bullshit,” Mac said.
“No, one and a half years of thinking you had feelings for me was bullshit.” She hated to curse. “I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but stop.”
“Hey, babe,” Razor said. “Is everything okay?” He wrapped his arm around her waist, and the feel of him touching her set her on fire.
“Yeah, it’s fine. We were done,” Eden said.
Mac didn’t look happy, but she was not about to go down that rabbit hole with him. They had a chance, and now that was over. Eden felt glad about that. She was happy, and it was a good feeling.
With Razor’s hand at her back, they made their way through the fairgrounds, and she didn’t look back.
****
“Do you like roller coasters?” he asked.
“Yeah, yeah, I ride them all the time,” Eden said.
Razor turned to look at her and laughed. “You know we don’t have to do this.” He was more than happy to do something else.
“No, it’s fine. I can do this. It’s not like I’ve seen multiple horror movies where something bad happens at a fair, or on a fairground ride.”
He wrapped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her in close, kissing her forehead. “Nothing bad is going to happen.”
“That’s what everyone says right before something bad happens.” She squared her shoulders. “But it’s fine. We all have to learn to try new things, and this is exactly what I’m doing. I’m learning to try new things.” She took a deep breath and let it out.
Razor thought she looked cute, and it was their turn to be loaded onto the roller coaster.
It was the kind with carts, and they took their seats behind a couple who struggled to tear themselves apart as they were making out.
There was just one smooch after another as they kissed.
It was cute. Eden glanced at the couple and then looked away.
He took hold of her hand and felt how shaken she was. “I don’t want to be on this roller coaster if you don’t want to be on it.”
She offered him a smile. “It’s not just about you wanting to be on this ride. I want to be on it. I want to prove to myself that I can make this work.” She tightened her hand around his.
“Good.”
Her lips looked so plump and inviting. All he wanted to do was kiss her. It would be so easy to lean in and kiss her, and just as he was about to do that, the ride started to lower the restraints and the moment was lost. There was a whistle, and then the ride started to move.
Eden let go of his hand and held onto the cushions that held her in place.
“Oh, God, I can do this, right?” she asked. “It will be easy. So easy.”
She looked like she was going to throw up.
“I’m here,” he said.
“Okay, I think now is a good time to tell you I do hate heights, and I hate roller coasters, and I haven’t been on one in years, not since I graduated high school and my sister insisted it was a lot of fun.”
“What happened?” he asked.
“I nearly threw up.”
They were out of the cover of the ride, leading up, and Eden kept breathing. “I am here for you, babe,” he said.
There was no way to stop the ride, and he did nothing more than reach out and hold her hand as they made their way to the top, and of course it had to be fucking slow as they built up. They were getting so high, all you could see was the night sky.
This was not a good idea. This had been his idea.
They started to work up, and then they got to the pinnacle and were able to see for miles. It was a beautiful view, which is what he had been hoping to see, but Eden looked white as a ghost.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
“What?” She turned to look at him. Her lips were pinched.
“Do you trust me?”
“Yes,” she answered after just a second.
“Then close your eyes. I’ve got you.” He pressed his hand to hers, locking their fingers together. “I’ll keep you safe.”
She nodded her head, and then he watched as she closed her eyes.
“We’re going to start moving soon, and when we do, just keep your eyes closed and don’t open them until I tell you to.”
“Okay,” she said.
He knew this was going to be hard for her.
Razor felt the cart move, then they were tilting forward, and he looked at Eden. Her eyes were closed, but there was a frown on her face. “Just let it take you.”
And then they descended. She let out a scream, but everyone was screaming as the ride not only fell but picked up speed and started to throw them left and right, up and down. It was a long maze that also spun around.
Eden didn’t open her eyes, and Razor kept his gaze on her, which was difficult as he was swung left to right, but he didn’t let go of her hand, and he didn’t allow it out of the ride either. He held onto her. There was no way he was going to let her go.
And then, after what felt like a freaking lifetime, because he enjoyed the ride but wanted to get Eden to safety, the ride finally came back to where they started. He still hadn’t told her to open her eyes.
The restraints lifted, and he pushed it out of the way, cupped her face, and then told her to open her eyes. As she did, she only had a few seconds before he kissed her. He could not go another moment without kissing her.
At first, Eden was still in his arms. She didn’t touch him, nor did she respond to his kiss, but then, slowly, her hands went to his arms, and he partly expected her to push him away. She didn’t.
Even as there were people waiting to get on the ride, he didn’t budge as she kissed him back, and he felt her lips against his. They felt so good. Sliding his tongue across her lips, he heard the soft subtle moan that escaped, and it made him so aroused to hear that sound.
“Guys, you can make out outside like everyone else,” the guy manning the ride said.
Razor had no choice but to bring himself under control.
He felt the tightness of his dick as it started to swell.
He didn’t want to let go, but he had no choice.
Kissing her lips one final time, he pulled away and helped her out of the ride.
He noticed she was a little unsteady on her feet, and he kept an arm around her waist.
Once they made the clearing, they headed toward one of the snack booths. The diner was closed because there was a food truck at the main fair. Nearly every shop was closed for the next three days for the Easter fair.
They stood in line, and neither of them spoke, but Eden did lean against him. He kept an arm wrapped around her, not wanting to let her go.
Once it was their turn, he ordered them both burgers with lots of cheese and fried onions.
“You got me a burger,” Eden said.
He looked down at her and frowned. “Of course I did, you hate hot dogs,” he said.
He’d seen the way her nose would wrinkle whenever there was a hot dog in sight. They had a barbeque when she was dating Mac and was offered a hot dog by Doc, and she told him no, she hated them. Razor listened.
Eden smiled at him. “You know, Razor, you’re all right.”
This made him laugh.