EDEN

I should have said no, turned the other way and walked away.

But rather, I sat back looking like a puppet trying to make it in the big leagues. The music had pulsed into a low thrum in the background. And I was surrounded by hungry drunk faces who only wanted the next thrill.

Because Jaxon was here, people had gathered, like moths to a flame.

“Eden, you are the first, Pick your poison, truth or dare?” Chloe said.

Jaxon sat quietly, his hand propped behind his head like he wasn’t the reason I was finding it hard to breathe.

“I can go first,” Harper said.

“No, Eden goes first,” Chloe said, cutting her off in a sharp tone.

They stared at me, expecting me to do the usual thing that I always did. Run.

I was no coward. It was a game and I was going to show Chloe that she doesn’t intimidate me, “Dare,” I said in a sharp tone, my eyes fixed on Jaxon.

They had expected me to pick truth, I smirked.

Chloe’s voice cut through the tension like a sharp blade fortified for pain.

“Eden, I dare you to…” She paused, her eyes looking around the room like she was thinking about the next possible thing to hurt me with.

Her gaze locked on Jaxon, and with a cruel smile, “I dare you to kiss Jaxon,”

The world stopped spinning.

The crowd gasped in shock.

“That is bullshit!” Zayn spat.

Jaxon looked unbothered, his eyes fixed on me like he was waiting for my move.

Chloe looked pleased, this was her twisted game, “You can always back out you know. Run to your room and hide away,”

I should have said no. I should have told myself not to fall for her tricks. But I wanted to prove to her that I wasn’t some loser.

Jaxon smirked, It was like he could read my mind.

The crowd had gone quiet, eyes boring into me, patiently waiting to see my next move.

“Time is ticking Eden,” Chloe said in a sing-song voice. “We don’t have all night,”

Jaxon moved, stepping into the circle, his eyes fixed on mine with a smug look in them, “Your move princess,”

“You seriously aren’t considering it,” Zayn hissed in my ear.

His voice sounded muffled, like he was drowned out in a thousand waters. My mind was fixed on Jaxon, he had made his move and now, it is my turn to take a step.

His eyes compelled me, and just like I was on autopilot, I moved to my feet. The air crackled with tension, and each step I took felt slow, like I couldn’t be farther away from him.

I stopped in front of him, my hands by my side as I stared at him in an awkward gaze, wondering what I should do next. It was a kiss I knew that, I had been kissing Zayn for quite some time.

It should be easy.

But it wasn’t, not when Jaxon’s eyes were on me like a huge ball of fire. Sucking every thoughts out of my mind.

Chloe snickered, “Do you need Google to teach you what to do?”

Jaxon stepped closer, so close that I could feel the heat radiating from his body to mine. His hand slowly wrapped around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer to his body, “You can always back out princess,”

I gritted my teeth in anger. I could but that wasn’t what I was scared of. What if I kissed him and he felt it? What if all it took was just one kiss and he would see behind my smiles and tears?

In every Disney story, it only took a kiss for them to realise that they were soulmates.

I answered, well, not in the way he had expected, not with words.

I leaned in, my hands sliding up the sides of his neck as my fingers slowly glided through the stubble there. Jaxon clenched his jaw, his breath rasped like my touch had burned him. But his eyes, they never strayed from mine.

He stared at me like I was a dream that would fade away once the sun came up.

I wanted him to know I was real. I wanted this moment to be real. This would be my only opportunity.

I kissed him.

The crowd gasped.

It wasn’t a peck or a quick brush of the lips against each other.

Jaxon stood unresponsive, like he was waiting for me to pull away and scream murder as I rushed up the stairs.

I was bold, my tongue darting out to swipe across his lips, begging for him to kiss me back. I closed my eyes, letting my lips and tongue trace the outline of his lips like I was trying to pin it in my memory. I wouldn’t get a chance like this.

The dam broke.

Jaxon’s hands tightened around my waist, pulling me closer into his body than it was humanly possible. We were like gasoline and fire, slow to burn but volatile once ignited.

I moaned, a low soft sound that made Jaxon growl as he devoured my lips, It was raw, commanding— possessing even.

I mewled, and he swallowed the sound like he needed it to breathe. My fingers threaded through his hair, pulling gently on it just like I had read from romance novels.

He growled, signalling that he enjoyed the action that I had just done. I tugged more, trying to earn more sounds from him.

Jaxon deepened the kiss, and I could feel the blood rush down to my core. I needed him.

Someone whistled, as the crowd cheered.

I snapped back to reality. We weren’t alone.

Jaxon pulled back slowing, disappointment flashing through his eyes. Did he hate it?

Was I terrible?

“That was hot,” some drunken dude mumbled.

I wasn’t interested in that, all that I cared about was Jaxon, and he looked like he had made a terrible mistake. I felt tears line the walls of my eyes, he hated everything that had just happened.

I had kissed him with my soul and he looked like he was about to vomit.

From behind him, I felt Chloe’s heated glare and if looks could kill, I would have been a thousand feet under.

Zayn’s hand grabbed mine as he pulled me out of Jaxon’s hold. I didn’t miss the rage in his eyes as he dragged me out of the room. Just as we turned the corner, my eyes found Harper, and she looked smug.

“What the fuck did you just do?” Zayn hissed, the second we were away from the crowd.

This didn’t sound like him, Zayn wasn’t rash, nor did he use curse words.

“It was nothing,” I said, lying through my teeth.

“Nothing? You fucking kissed him like you are some…”

“Some what?” I asked.

I was already rejected by Jaxon, so I might as well hear what he has to say about me too.

Jaxon, where did that leave us now?

“You just embarrassed me in there and you are here staring at me like you have done nothing?” he hissed.

I blinked, trying to get my mind out of the fog, “I didn’t mean to, it was a game,”

I hoped that if I said it loud enough, I would believe it. And maybe it wouldn’t hurt so badly.

He chuckled, “A game? You fucking kissed your step brother in a room filled with people like you want to swallow him,”

Shit. This was getting out of hand. I should have returned to my room when I had the chance.

“Zayn…”

I winced, feeling his grip tighten on my wrist, “You are hurting me,”

“Am I? Is this as painful as me watching you kiss him?” he growled.

My heart slammed against my chest, This wasn’t Zayn, and I couldn’t understand why he was being so…

“Zayn, please, you are going to break my wrist,” I whispered in a low tone.

“Maybe you will understand what pain means,” he sneered.

“Is there a problem here?” Jaxon walked out, a smug look plastered on his face.

“Just talking to my girlfriend,” Zayn hissed.

I bit my lips, trying to hold myself back from crying out.

“Let her go,” Jaxon said in a dark tone.

“And if I don’t?” Zayn hissed.

“You look crazy holding her just because of some kiss,”

That tipped Zayn over, “What did you just say?”

Just before Jaxon could respond, Zayn lunged, his fist connecting with Jaxon’s jaw.

I gasped, my eyes wide in horror as I stared at the scene.

“I am going to kill you,” Jaxon hissed, his fist slamming hard against Zayn’s nose.

I could hear the sickening crunch of a bone breaking.

“Stop!” I yelled, tears rolling down my cheeks.

My voice must have attracted the rest of the teammates they rushed out, eyes wide in shock.

“Jaxon! Zayn!” I yelled, rushing towards them to separate the fight.

I shouldn’t have, I should have tried to ask the rest of his teammates to break the fight.

“Get off me,” Zayn hissed, his hand shoving me with great force.

I stumbled, my feet slipping on the wet tile.

Someone screamed, but the crowd had been too hyped to notice. My back slapped against the wall, my head breaking the fall.

“Eden!” Isla yelled, rushing towards my side.

“Tell them to stop please,” I cried, feeling as warm liquid slid down my face.

“Call the ambulance!” someone yelled.

I didn’t get it, Who was injured, Why was the crowd staring at me with fear in their eyes?

“Jaxon! Zayn, would you stop!” Xavier hissed, rushing towards me.

“Eden, babe,” Zayn called out.

“Princess,” Jaxon called out.

My eyes felt blurry, no matter how hard I tried to blink, I could barely see past the fog that had cloaked my eyes.

“What is happening?” I asked, feeling the words sound slurred in my mouth.

I could feel the throbbing pain at the back of my head. I couldn’t breathe no matter how hard I tried.

“Eden! Can you hear me, Help is here, just hold on,”

I was fine, Why were they panicking?

“Eden!” more voices yelled.

I needed to rest, their voices were only making the pain increase.

I just need to close my eyes. Everything will be better when I wake up.

They always do,