Chapter 30Ronan
30
Ronan
M uch to Ronan's disappointment, they had made it to Lake Tahoe with no further run-ins with any sassy waitresses or foul-mouthed gas station attendants. As they drove up the winding road to Quentin's cabin, Ronan marveled at the sight of the snow-capped summits against the lake's crystal-clear waters. The air was crisp and refreshing, infused with the scent of imposing pine trees.
They approached a massive iron fence with a keypad. Eden punched in the series of numbers, and the fence slowly retracted. Ronan pulled the motorcycle up the long driveway to the cabin. Had Eden called this a cabin? Ronan wouldn't label this estate as a cabin. It was a sprawling mansion with a wood facade. Was the wood facade what labeled it a cabin? Rich people are ridiculous.
"Damn," Ronan said after he took his helmet off, his eyes staring at the impressive residence. Surrounding the estate was a stretch of green pine trees with a beautiful view of the snow-dusted mountain range with the cerulean blue lake.
"Yeah, this is that 'Mr. America' money," she replied as she grabbed their belongings from the motorcycle. They entered through the grand hall, which had colossal vaulted ceilings and a panoramic window that framed the mountainous terrain. Cozy couches with a stone fireplace adorned the living room. The open concept led into the marble kitchen equipped with top-of-the-line appliances. Wow, he could make some killer dinners on that impressive oven range.
"I'll show you the guest rooms," Eden said, and Ronan followed behind her as they navigated the winding hallways.
"This is my room," she said, opening the door to reveal a spacious bedroom. A large, inviting bed took center stage, accompanied by a guitar and a large amplifier.
"I keep a spare guitar here for when I visit, Quentin insisted," she explained. Eden then gestured to a door across the hall. "And that's the room you can stay in."
As Ronan took in the arrangement, he couldn't help but notice how close their rooms were. Twenty feet separated them. How would he sleep knowing he was that close to her?
The sun was setting behind the towering pine trees. Ronan had been editing the documentary footage to send a sample clip to Mr. Lopez. It was far from polished, but Mr. Lopez had been eager for an update to share with the network.
As Ronan went through the clips, he couldn’t ignore the connection between him and Eden staring back at him. The raw footage didn’t lie—it showed just how deep their bond ran. His feelings were written all over his face, every frame catching his eyes following her every move, each sidelong glance filled with quiet adoration.
His phone vibrated on the dark wood of the desk. He quickly looked at the screen and saw the name Sadie displayed over the screen. He picked up the phone and closed his laptop.
"Hey, Sis," Ronan said with a smile.
"Rooooo! Give me an update. I am dying over there. All I do is work, so you have to provide some excitement, and I'll live through you." Sadie had been working like crazy since getting a job as the lead special effects artist on a big-budget horror movie in Los Angeles.
"I don’t even know where to start," Ronan admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Eden, she’s just... I mean, amazing doesn’t even come close." He paused, aware of how easily he could ramble about her for hours. He didn’t want to come off as too far gone—though, let’s face it, he was—but the affection in his voice was impossible to hide. It clung to his smile as he searched for the right words to describe her.
"Wow, Ro. You sound totally smitten! Honestly, I’m not surprised. I haven’t met her, but she sounds like a force."
She was, without a doubt, a force of nature. And he was stuck right in the calm before the storm, knowing full well that if he stepped further into it, he’d never come out the same. He’d turned the idea of being with her over and over in his mind these past weeks, like a stone smoothed by constant handling.
"I am," he said, pausing for a beat, "smitten." The second the word left his mouth, Ronan cringed internally. Smitten ? But he was. He was completely captivated by Eden. She was the quiet magic of a warm summer night when the world held its breath, and everything felt impossibly still. That’s how he felt around her—a sense of peace that didn’t come easy to him. It was as if she were made of moonlight and stardust, casting a spell wherever she went. She could transform the mundane into magic, and turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. She was extraordinary.
Ronan had been feeding his sister partial truths for weeks during their nightly calls. He’d tell her the documentary was going great—which wasn’t a lie—but he’d leave out the part about Eden. About how he couldn’t stop thinking about her or how their connection felt like something he’d never experienced before.
But keeping it bottled up was starting to feel impossible. He needed advice, and there was no one he trusted more than his sister. So, with a deep breath, he decided it was time to come clean.