“Fuck—” It’s a whine. It’s a whimper. It’s desperate and choked off and needy.
He grips her waist and fucks her hard against the shower wall. “You sound so fucking hot, Eden. Come on. Take it. Fucking take it.”
Her back arches as she climaxes, drags her nails across his back, waves of pleasure washing over her so hard and fast, she thinks she might collapse.
Shang doesn’t let her, though. He holds her steady through her orgasm, still pumping his cock into her in pursuit of his own pleasure.
“Ah, fuck,” he groans against her lips. “Jesus Christ, Eden, I think I lo—”
They come undone together, riding out the high while clinging together well after the water’s gone cold. This probably wasn’t the most efficient shower they’ve ever taken, but it certainly was the most fun.
“Did you…” Eden pants, licks her lips. “Were you going to say something?”
Her heart is pounding. Not just because of the mind-blowing shower sex, but because she’s pretty sure Shang almost said that he… Maybe she’s dreaming?
“Let’s get out before we get all pruny,” he says, kissing her cheek.
Eden doesn’t press him. She supposes that he’ll get there when he gets there. He’s already made progress in leaps and bounds. If he needs time, she’ll happily give it to him. Right now, she’s exactly where she wants to be. They towel off and share the hair dryer, all the while stealing kisses wherever they can find them.
For two weeks, they’re as happy as can be, falling into a new rhythm together.
And then Eden gets a call from one Maxine Kendo.
They head out to Houston on the first available flight. Eden feels strange, gripping onto the piece of paper that she used to hastily scratch down the address Maxine managed to acquire. Eden’s impressed with the woman’s efficiency.
Eden doesn’t recall her childhood home, but the area is familiar to her. And to think that all this time, her mother never truly left.
Shang parks the rental car next to the curb in front of a small, rundown bungalow. It’s not exactly a rough neighborhood, just a poorer one. The front yard is small and narrow, tall grass and plentiful weeds growing wildly against the waist-high chain link fencing around the perimeter. The blinds are closed, moss covers the roof, and leaves collect in the gutters.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” he asks gently.
Eden swallows. Her heart’s beating so fast, she can’t distinguish the beats. Her palms are cold and clammy. In truth, she desperately wants Shang to come with her, but this is a conversation that she needs to do alone. She nods her head, gives his hand a squeeze, and musters up all the strength in her body to finally step out of the vehicle.
The climb up the front steps of the wrap-around porch that may as well be Eden’s Everest. Her hands tremble, her heart is in her throat, and the air feels too cold and too thin to take in a proper breath. She’s spent almost two decades thinking about this moment, dreaming about the day she finally reunited with the family she lost. Now that the moment’s upon her, Eden’s not sure if she can go through with this.
She raises her hand to knock on the door and pauses to take a deep breath.
“Come on, you can do this,” she mumbles under her breath.
Then she knocks.
One.
Two.
Three.
“What do you want?” a woman’s voice snaps at her from the other side of the door.
“Ms. McAuley?” Eden says uneasily.
The door opens, but only an inch. A pair of old hazel eyes peeks out to greet her. “Who’re you? If you’re trying to sell me something, I’m not interested.”
Eden presses her lips into a thin line. “Ms. McAuley, I’m Eden Monroe. I… I think I’m your daughter.”
The woman doesn’t react the way Eden expects her to when she delivers the news. In fact, she doesn’t reactat all. “What do you want? Money?”
Confusion swirls through her. “N-no, ma’am. I’m just here looking for answers.” Eden’s guts are tied up in impossible knots. This isn’t how she imagined things would go. “I don’t understand,” she mumbles. “I was five when you forgot to pick me up from school. I’ve spent years searching for you.”
