EDEN

A FEW DAYS LATER

“Isla, come on, should we go?” I groaned, rolling for the fifth time on the bed.

“Eden, we are adults, but for some reason we are here hiding out in your room while a party is happening downstairs,” she said.

“You don’t have to be up here with me. Xavier is down there you should probably go be with him,” I said.

“I could, but it wouldn’t be fun without my best friend,” she said, pouting her lips softly at me.

How will I tell her that I wouldn’t know just how to function if I stepped foot in the party and Jaxon had warned me to never attend any party.

“I think I am going to sleep early,” I lied.

“No you won’t, you are just going to get lost in some novel like that and pretend that you aren’t curious about what is going on downstairs,” she said.

She was right. I was an adult and yet here I was locked away in my room like some convict.

“You are right, let’s go!” I said, suddenly feeling excited.

Isla blinked, surprise written on her face as she stared at me like she wasn’t expecting me to give in so easily.

“You are…”

I was charged up, “Yes, I am tired of playing by the rules. I need to have the college experience,”

Isla looked proud, If she could run a mile, she would have done exactly that, “Eden, this new you is just so wholesome. I love it!”

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, hoping to use the adrenaline that I was feeling before it crashed out.

“Uh, Eden,” she called out, her eyes staring at me like I was something she couldn’t understand. “I support the new motivation and the need to do something. But you seriously don’t think that you can step into the party looking like some homeless…”

I looked down at my attire, frowning slightly at her words, “What is wrong with how I am dressed?”

She laughed, “Eden, you are wearing a joggers twice your size and a sweater that looks like it has seen better days,”

I looked down, hating the way she had scrutinised my attire. They were my mother’s, it was my way of feeling closer to her, “It’s my mum’s,”

She looked instantly guilty, “I am sorry, I didn’t know. I am sorry,”

I smiled, “It's fine. You are right, I can’t exactly wear this to the party,” I said. I could already imagine what the party would look like, rowdy crowds, drinks in hand as they danced.

Wait! That was how they partied in movies, I couldn’t be sure of what Jaxon’s party would look like.

“Look at this gown, it will be perfect,” she said, pulling out a black dress from the closet.

“Isla…”

“Come on, this is going to be very cute trust me,” she said.

I nodded, there wasn’t a need to argue about it. I had agreed to join her I guess there was no need to argue with her.

“Fine,” I muttered.

“Yes, that was easier than I thought,” she cheered, mumbling the last part.

I rolled my eyes at her as I walked into the bathroom, “I heard that,”

She clapped, the second I stepped out of the bathroom, She clapped like she was witnessing a runway show.

“You are dramatic, you know that,” I muttered.

“Oh please, sue me for appreciating my best friend’s beauty,” she said.

“Have you heard from Harper?” I asked, trying to change the topic.

“Eden, you are pretty, very pretty,” she said.

Only in your eyes. I wanted to say that, but I couldn’t open that Pandora’s Box.

“Harper, have you heard from her?” I asked.

Isla sighed, “Not yet, but I am sure she would turn up,” she said.

Something was off, Harper was becoming more difficult to find. Almost as hard as it was to reach Zayn.

“Let’s go, I am a few seconds away from chickening out,” I said.

Tonight, I wanted to be free— free from worry and overthinking.

The minute I opened the door, the sound of loud music swallowed us and for a second, I felt the flicker of doubt grip my heart.

Isla must have felt my hesitation, “You really want to do this?”

“We are already out the door,” I said.

In my nineteen years, this was the first time these four walls, well mostly me would be witnessing a party.

“Well, let’s get to it,” I said.

The walls vibrated with the loud beats, “How do they survive this,” I yelled, hoping that she could hear what I was saying.

“Well, this is just the start,” she yelled back, dragging me towards the kitchen.

The living room was filled with people's faces that I hadn’t seen before, “Woah, this is bigger than I thought,”

“Xavier is over there,” she said, grabbing my hand as she led me towards her boyfriend.

I bit my cheeks trying to hold back the blush that threatened to form on my cheeks. If Xavier were there, that means that Jaxon would also be.

My mind wandered back to the last encounter that we had a few days back, Jaxon hadn’t bothered to check in on me and well, he hadn’t even asked for his price.

I stood by the corner, awkwardly watching them as they made out, completely unbothered about the people around the room.

My eyes looked around, trying to find Jaxon. He should be down here, this was his party and yet he was nowhere to be found.

“Hey, I think that I need some fresh air,” I said, drawing her attention towards me.

“I could come,” she offered.

“It’s fine,” I said, walking out of the room.

The cold breeze slapped my face, easing the raging thoughts that filled my mind.

“Damn it,” I hissed, feeling the goose bumps that formed on my skin. I should have thought about this before stepping out of the house.

“What was that?” a throaty voice that definitely sounded like a woman echoed from the side of the house.

“What?”

Jaxon.

His voice was raspy and he sounded breathless like he had been running a mile. It was quiet for a second before a low groan that sounded more like a moan filled the night.

I frowned, my heart slamming hard against my chest.

What would they be doing out here?” I thought to myself.

I had an idea, I should have followed my intuitions and walked back into the house. But I was curious. A sane person would have heard the wet slurping sound and would have taken that as the cue to leave, but I wanted to see him. To see what made Jaxon break.

I crouched low, trying to be inconspicuous as I moved closer to where their voices came from. I inhaled one last breath of courage as I peeped, my eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness.

Then I saw them.

Chloe was on her knees, her head bobbing as she pleasured Jaxon.

“Fuck!” he groaned, his head thrown back as he wrapped her hair in his hand guiding her movement.

My blood rushed down to the apex of my thighs. The sight was primal—raw.

But at the same time, I felt angry. He had ignored me for days, and here he was, being pleasured by her.

I gasped, the sound soft but had definitely caught her attention. Chloe’s eyes met mine, and I could see the proud glint in her eyes. And just like she was trying to let me know, her pace fastened.

I couldn’t stand. I couldn’t watch it. Not like this.

Not when I wanted it to be me, kneeling at his feet giving him the pleasure that he wanted.

“You like that baby?” she moaned, her eyes still fixed on me.

Jaxon groaned, saying nothing, his grip tightening around her hair as he increased his pace.

I turned away, unable to watch the sight anymore.

I will always be nothing to him.

It was the truth, and that broke me harder than I thought it would.