I close my eyes and let that live in my chest for a minute. I don’t have words for what I’m feeling, at least not yet, so I just kiss her again, soft and sure.
Hours pass like this. Sometimes we’re asleep, sometimes awake, sometimes both at once. Eden gets up only to fetch cold pizza and haul back a handful of cookies she’s been hiding from Bella, the resident truffle pig—Eden’s descriptor, not mine. We eat in bed, naked and gross, and it’s the most content I’ve been in a year.
When the night turns into day again, we finally decide to shower. We do it together, because of course we do, and even though Eden jokes about the water bill, we stand under the hot spray for what feels like forever, alternating between washing each other and kissing.
At one point, Eden lathers my hair with both hands, then holds my head still, looks deep into my eyes and asks me not to leave her again.
I nod and promise her I’m not going anywhere. I’m expecting her to say something more, but she just grins andsmacks my ass, and that’s how we end up nearly breaking the shower curtain, twice.
We wrap ourselves in towels and go back to bed, content to put off reality for a few more hours.
She lies with her head on my stomach and traces my ribs, her eyes serious now. “I don’t want you to freak out, but…” she starts.
“But?”
“I want this. Full-on. Making up for the time we lost. You as my girlfriend.” Her hand shakes a little, but she steadies it on my side. “Are you ready for that?”
I want to tell her yes, a million times yes, but my throat is tight, so I just stroke her head and nod, and she beams at me.
Eventually, we fall asleep wrapped up, her arms and legs wound around me like she’s worried I’ll disappear if she lets go.
But I don’t. I stay put.
23
Eden
It’s been several manic days since Sloane and I spent over twenty-four hours in my bed reacquainting ourselves with each other’s bodies. I’d like to say we’ve done nothing but fuck ever since, but that would be a tragic lie.
First, Bella and Becca happened, and by that, I mean they caught Slone coming out of the bathroom in one of my band tees and lost their shit. They hijacked her, leaving me in bed alone and waiting while they interrogated her for information. Eventually, I joined them and confirmed that, yes, Sloane and I were officially back together and staying that way.
Bella tried to get us to throw a party, but with the news about my gran still lingering in the periphery of my brain, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Of course, the decision got taken out of my hands when Bella texted my gran. When the bloody hell they exchanged numbers is beyond me. I gave Jenna strict instructions never to let it happen. Bella and my Gran are not a good combination…for me.
After our sex bubble was thoroughly popped, we decided to visit my parents’ house and check in on everyone. Big mistake. Pia was throwing an almighty fit over something I never actually got to the bottom of. Let’s just say Todd looked as if his balls retracted into his body. Poor bloke.
After Mum calmed Pia down, we all took it in turns to rotate between looking after Meena and Pia. I tried to spend as much time with my gran as possible, but she got pissy at me “mollycoddling” her and buggered off with Becca to the Mall.
In between all that, my mum and dad got far too excited about me and Sloane. The interrogation lasted for a whole hour until I finally made my escape, totally throwing my girlfriend under the bus.
She got her own back though, because when I finally came out of hiding I found her parents sitting in myparents’ living room. Sloane had no qualms about feeding me to the metaphorical lions. It was bloody pandemonium! God, what happened to my dream of living in silence by the sea?
We cycled through several days like that until Mum finally had enough of a crowded house and told us in no uncertain terms to sod off for a few days. Pia needed rest, and it was impossible with half of Colorado traipsing through the house. Her words, not mine.
To be fair, she was right, and I absolutely needed to get back to some sort of routine. I’d not painted in days. So last night, Sloane and I had our first night in. I thought we’d get sexy, but Sloane swatted away my wandering hands and shoved me into the spare room to paint. God, I love her.
I spent hours finishing off a piece before falling into bed, where Sloane was already sleeping. Ideally, I should have gotten an early night. Currently, I’m sat at the breakfast table, barely able to keep my eyes open, and expected to run a charity race in just under two hours.
Oh, not forgetting today is the day I get to see Alex again. Can’t wait for that.
“Eden, you look terrible,” Becca says, sitting opposite me. She looks fresh as a daisy, and I hate her.
“Painting,” I mumble through a trap full of jam on toast.
“Did you at least finish it?”
I nod and pick up my bucket of coffee. Sloane waltzes in smelling of my shower gel and, even though I’m dead on my feet, my lady bits are standing to attention, hoping I’ll sweep her up and steal her away to my bed.
“Easy, tiger.” Becca laughs, clocking my wandering eyes.
