“That’s amazing,” Eden says and very much means it.
“I thought it would help me get a law degree. Honestly, I thought I was going to be a lawyer after I graduated from Yale, but I decided to give the political track a go. I served as a mayor for several years.”
“I had no idea. That’s actually really cool.”
“More like time-consuming,” Xu Hong says, a hint of something sad ghosting across her eyes.
Eden notices how Shang shifts in his chair, eyes glued to his plate. It appears she’s unknowingly touched a nerve.
“Pass the bok choy,” he says gruffly.
“What about your parents?” Li asks. “They live in Austin? Or are they nearby.”
She freezes. Eden knows he means nothing by it. There’s no way he’d know the truth unless Shang told him already, but Eden doubts Shang would even bring up the issue out of respect.
“I’m not sure, actually. I haven’t seen them in a very long time.”
The back of her neck suddenly feels very warm, not because she’s flushing with embarrassment, but because Shang has placed a tender hand there. She leans into his touch out of pure instinct, drawn to him and the quiet comfort he offers.
“Embarrassing stories!” Li declares, words slicing through the awkward tension like a knife. “I demand embarrassing stories about my son.”
Eden breaks into a grin. “Only if I get to hear embarrassing stories about his childhood in return.”
“You drive a hard bargain, little lady. Consider it done.”
“Oh, let me go get the photo album!” Xu Hong says with a gasp, jumping straight out of her chair. “He was the cutest baby. Had the biggest earsever!”
Shang pinches the bridge of his nose. “Someone please kill me,” he grumbles, but there isn’t any heat behind it.
Eden, for one, has never been more delighted.
* * *
Her stomach hurts from laughing. It’s genuinely painful. She’s curled up in a tight little ball, holding back fits of laughter. It’s much too late to make so much noise, but her newfound wealth of information about Shang’s unfortunate emo phase is still fresh on her mind.
“You’re a little gremlin,” he says affectionately as he climbs into bed. “I should have destroyed these pictures when I had a chance.” He slides up next to her, and Eden wonders how in the world she feels so safe in his arms.
Eden rolls over and buries her face against his chest. “You’re sure you’re comfortable? I can sleep on the floor if—”
“Out of the question. Fourteen-year-old me would be freaking the fuck out right now if he knew he was going to have a girl in his room.”
“Ah, I guess we owe it to fourteen-year-old you, then.”
Shang kisses her forehead. They’re really starting to become Eden’s favorite kind of kisses. Especially when he curls his fingers against the nape of her neck, playing with her hair there.
“Your mom was right, by the way.”
“Hm?”
“You really were the cutest.”
“Yeah, but then puberty hit me, and I was a gangly freak through all of middle school and high school.”
“You weren’t that gangly.”
“I’m pretty sure I was lopsided until I was sixteen. My arms were two different lengths.”
“Do you think we would have been friends if we went to the same school together?”
