9. Alana
ALANA
All day long, I was sure fellow students had been staring at me, judging me, and calling me names behind my back. While nobody made direct eye contact with me or tried to speak to me, I was convinced that each person who I caught glancing even slightly my way was laughing at me.
The outfit Eden chose was pretty… on everybody that wasn’t my own.
It had been one of the most draining days in so long that I was seconds away from sending Eden a text that there was no way we’d be going shopping today. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t have his number, and I wasn’t sure he was going to see my message on his social media.
As I waited for Eden right in front of the hockey arena, I made a mental note to ask for his number. If he was serious about me teaching him how to bake, I should’ve been able to reach him so we could discuss his availability.
Baking wasn’t done in just ten minutes, so he’d probably have to clear up some space in his calendar for it. I couldn’t imagine his hockey training barely took up any of his time. In fact, I was convinced he had little to no time at all because of it.
After another ten minutes of waiting, the first handful of guys came outside, joking around without paying any attention to me whatsoever. And yet… their laughter made my stomach drop.
What if they’d seen me through the glass doors and made fun of how I looked in this too-tight shirt? It wouldn’t have been the first time this happened.
I closed my jacket, hoping it was going to hide my body just a tiny bit more. It felt right, even if I knew it barely hid anything, as even my jacket wasn’t the usual two sizes too big on me.
Perhaps this was a bad idea. I should’ve waited by his car or… across the parking lot since I had no idea what Eden’s car looked like.
Just as I was about to walk away, feeling the weight of embarrassment settling deep in my stomach, the doors behind me opened one more time and a familiar voice spoke. “Hey there, Ally-Bear. I’m sorry I’m late. Coach was a bit bloodthirsty today.”
I turned back around and met Eden’s captivating gaze for only a second before my eyes moved to his blond hair. It was wet, but not wet enough to still be dripping with water. At least he attempted to dry his hair, I suppose. And it was good to know he actually took showers after hours of practice.
Once again, Eden looked so well put together.
He wore something elegant, something that screamed wealth. Suit pants and a white dress shirt, paired with some kind of loafers, I assumed. I didn’t know much about shoes or fashion, but they definitely weren’t tuxedo-kind-of shoes or sneakers.
The only thing out of place was his wet hair.
“Aren’t you cold?” I asked, noting that he didn’t wear a jacket in the middle of December.
“I left my jacket in the car.”
I smiled at him softly. “So you are cold?”
“I’d like to think of myself as pretty hot.” A playful grin tugged at the corners of his lips just before he winked at me.
“Smooth,” I teased, feeling a sense of relief rush through my veins as Eden’s light-hearted banter lifted my spirit. It was a very welcome change from the self-conscious thoughts that had occupied my mind all day.
“It’s just how I roll.”
“You ruined it.” I laughed. “It’s how I roll? Who even says that anymore?”
Eden chuckled at my comment, his green eyes lighting up with amusement. “I’m a trendsetter, Alana. In a few weeks, everyone’s going to say it again, just you wait,” he replied, flashing me a cheeky grin.
My eyes rolled. “Sure, sure.”
Despite the lingering uneasiness in my stomach, I found myself relaxing in his presence. There was something oddly comforting about Eden that made my worries melt away, if only for a short moment. It was strange.
“Should we go?” he asked, gesturing toward the parking lot. “My siblings are waiting at the Palisades Center for us.”
“Siblings? Plural?” I thought it was just going to be his younger sister and us.
“Right, I didn’t tell you. Nova doesn’t like driving for longer than twenty minutes all by herself, so Elliot’s driving her. Since it takes about an hour from Staten Island to West Nyack, he’ll wait for her to take her back home.”
I guess I could survive meeting his younger siblings at once. Maybe. Though perhaps not as I was sure whoever saw all four of us together would seriously question why I was with them.
As we began to walk toward Eden’s car, I couldn’t help but steal glances at him when he wasn’t looking. The way his dress shirt clung to his broad shoulders, and the easy confidence in his stride, made my heart flutter in a way I hadn’t expected.
I could barely stand the guy, so these flutters must’ve been a very bad sign for whatever was to come.
“While we’re shopping for new clothes, Elliot’s gonna take a few pictures of you so you can post them online,” he said as we approached his sleek black car.
It was a fairly odd car for someone of his wealth. I expected something fancy, like an expensive sports car, but instead, he drove a pretty normal one.
Eden unlocked the doors and opened the passenger side for me.
“Post them online?” I swallowed thickly at the thought of it. “Already?”
I knew I was supposed to post pictures of myself while he was teaching me how to be more confident, but this felt a little rushed. I thought I had at least another month to prepare.
A feeling of panic rose inside of me. The idea of having a picture of me posted online for anyone to see made me want to retreat back into the safety of my home and never leave ever again. What if people started commenting on my appearance, tearing me down with their cruel words?
The thought alone was suffocating.
But as Eden held the door open and waited for me to get in, I caught a glimpse of his smile, and it was as if his genuine excitement about helping me get out of my comfort zone enveloped me like a protective shield.
In that moment, I made a silent promise to myself to trust him, no matter how terrifying his ideas appeared to me.
He was a confident guy. Surely Eden knew what he was doing.
I slid into the passenger seat, the leather feeling cool against my almost bare skin. These tights really didn’t do anything to warm me.
Eden got in on his side and started the car, the engine purring to life. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I couldn’t help but ask about his choice of car.
“So, why this car?” I gestured around us.
Eden chuckled, glancing at me before focusing back on the road. “I prefer something low-key. Plus, it’s reliable and gets me around without any fuss. No need for anything flashy when all I need is a smooth ride.”
I nodded. “I thought it was because you’re secretly a romantic at heart and you hope to find a girlfriend who’s not superficial.
So when you drive around with a car like this and she sticks around without a complaint, you know you can show her the fancy stuff without worrying she’s just here for the fame. ”
His grin widened, but he remained silent, which I did not mind at all.