If I spilled my guts, the world would never look at you the same way
And now I'm here to give you all my love
So I can watch your face as I take it all away.
-------------------
"Nico can I talk to you for a second?"
The look on his face said that it was the last thing he had expected. She guessed that maybe ignoring every type of communication he had attempted in the last week sent a signal. Good.
Eden placed the graduation robes she was still carrying on a seat in the auditorium and took Nico by the hand, leading him into a side aisle. Away from all of the scattered students chattering excitedly about the end of high school. It nauseated her, their excitement. Like this wasn't just the beginning of worse things to come. Being an adult, university. The drama might end to a degree, but it would never be over completely.
Eden tilted her head to the side, catching Nico's gaze with her own. She released her grip on his hand and he looked apprehensive, watching every move she made. Like he expected her to hit him.
"Calm down. I just have a few things to say."
The doubt on his face increased, which made the grin on Eden's just a little wider.
"Okay..."
"I have decided I don't care what you did anymore. It doesn't matter. That if I hold onto this, it's just going to make me have multiple emotions I don't want. And we both know, those aren't my thing."
She laughed quietly, which he did not echo.
"I thought you might want to know that I figured out that I love you."
His eyes brightened briefly, but he didn't say a word, just stood there. Listening a little more intently. Eden was about to continue when Nico cut her off, confusion in his eyes, his brow furrowing.
"You're in love with me?"
Eden shook her head, an amused scoff issuing from her throat.
"Well, I was. But not anymore.
This conversation is for one reason, really. To let you know that I'm through with you. For good. Don't call me, don't text me. Forget I'm alive, alright?
I erased you from my life. In every way that I could. So now it's your turn."
No response.
"I made a mistake. This was a mistake. We were.
You know what happens when you put two liars together?
Chaos. That's all we had and all we ever would."
She dropped her phone to her side and shrugged, still smiling.
"Have a nice life, Nico."
She pressed onto her toes and placed a kiss on his lips, softly. Just one last time, leaving her goodbye behind in every way that she could. He tasted like finality, like poison. She was driving this knife straight where it needed to go. Right into his heart.
She turned away, walking over to her group of friends gathered around one of the rows. Every part of her hoped that he was in pain. That maybe the message she had tried to send went straight through his chest.
Their story had been written, and it was time for the book to be closed.
But Eden was who she was, and she couldn't do that without making sure they went out with a bang.
"Over?"
Kiara asked, looking over at where Nico still stood.
"Over."
Eden didn't even bother looking over her shoulder for a final glance. As far she was concerned, Nico Holmes didn't exist.
-------------
Eden drew in another drag of her cigarette. The third one in a row. She had ditched her robes in a dumpster behind the school, not caring about how much ever her parents had paid for them. It was a surprise they had, it wasn't like her graduation had been guaranteed. Nico... He just... He had blinded sided her. After Sarah.. After everything...
She shook her head, grounding the cigarette out with the heel of her shoe. She wasn't going to think about it. She wasn't going to think about him. Not anymore. Not ever again. It was time to move on from him. That chapter of her life was officially over. High school was behind her, and so was he. It was time to resign that to herself. That's why she had ended everything with him before they even handed her her diploma.
So this could be over. They could be. For good.
She would push any type of feelings she might have ever had for him to the back of her mind.
She was good at that after all. Extremely.
"You're not really going to do it, are you?"
Eden scowled, recognizing the voice a lot easier than she should. She turned to face Xavier, pulling a new cigarette out and lighting it, blowing smoke in his direction.
"First of all, I don't know what the hell you're referring to.
And second, are you following me? Or do you usually come and hang out by dumpsters and giant air conditioning units?"
He was friends with her little brother, so she already knew he associated with trash, but that would be just a little extensive.
"Kyle."
Eden's expression quickly grew amused.
"What? Really? Why would that even matter to you?"
She took another smoke filled breath and watched his face, trying to find something there. As usual, he was like a statue. Nothing displayed there at all. He was probably the most contained guy she'd ever come into contact with.
"Well... It doesn't matter to me, actually. But he's a bad guy."
Eden rolled her eyes, incredulous.
"Okay, have you met me? Kind of a bad girl, if you haven't noticed."
Xavier shook his head slowly, leaning a hand against the brick wall.
"Nah. Not really. I've watched you grow up, seen how people have changed you."
Eden tossed her half finished cigarette to the ground and crossed her arms over her chest.
"That's really creepy. Just so you know.
And you can make excuses for my behavior all you want, but I am who I am because I want to be."
Xavier straightened his tie and smiled, just barely, reaching out with his shoe and putting her cigarette out.
"Whatever you say, Eden. It makes no difference to me. Just thought I would let you know that while it may be your choice to sleep with Kyle, it's a bad idea."
Eden let out a long breath and brushed past Xavier, pushing him aside slightly, towards the parking lot. She turned around when she was a few feet away, anger bubbling to the surface for a reason she didn't really know.
"I don't need your warnings. You might have 'watched me grow up' or whatever, but you don't actually know me. Anything about me."
She threw the words at him, her voice cold.
"It's not your job to protect me. So, you can go and hang out with my perfect baby brother now and stop stalking me."
Xavier sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand and bringing his dark blue eyes up to meet her bright green ones.
"You're never going to see it, so I guess this was just a waste of my time."
For the very first time, Eden thought she detected emotion in his eyes. Some type of unannounced sadness, something...
"See what? What the fuck are you on about?"
Xavier shook his head and walked passed her, toward the front of the school.
"It doesn't matter remember?"
Eden narrowed her eyes, and she almost stopped him. Almost demanded to know exactly what the hell he was talking about. She was usually far too stubborn to let anything like this just go by. But it was getting later, and she had other matters to attend to. She had an internal battle as he walked away.
Whether to call out and make him explain himself, or to get in her car and head to this stupid graduation party. To alcohol. To Kyle. To the rest of her friends. One demon won over the other and she groaned.
"Fuck you, Xavier Nile."
She grumbled the words and made the way to her car, the slam of the door when she shut it turning every head in the parking lot in her direction.
-------------------
"Nico can I talk to you for a second?"
The look on his face said that it was the last thing he had expected. She guessed that maybe ignoring every type of communication he had attempted in the last week sent a signal. Good.
Eden placed the graduation robes she was still carrying on a seat in the auditorium and took Nico by the hand, leading him into a side aisle. Away from all of the scattered students chattering excitedly about the end of high school. It nauseated her, their excitement. Like this wasn't just the beginning of worse things to come. Being an adult, university. The drama might end to a degree, but it would never be over completely.
Eden tilted her head to the side, catching Nico's gaze with her own. She released her grip on his hand and he looked apprehensive, watching every move she made. Like he expected her to hit him.
"Calm down. I just have a few things to say."
The doubt on his face increased, which made the grin on Eden's just a little wider.
"Okay..."
"I have decided I don't care what you did anymore. It doesn't matter. That if I hold onto this, it's just going to make me have multiple emotions I don't want. And we both know, those aren't my thing."
She laughed quietly, which he did not echo.
"I thought you might want to know that I figured out that I love you."
His eyes brightened briefly, but he didn't say a word, just stood there. Listening a little more intently. Eden was about to continue when Nico cut her off, confusion in his eyes, his brow furrowing.
"You're in love with me?"
Eden shook her head, an amused scoff issuing from her throat.
"Well, I was. But not anymore.
This conversation is for one reason, really. To let you know that I'm through with you. For good. Don't call me, don't text me. Forget I'm alive, alright?
I erased you from my life. In every way that I could. So now it's your turn."
No response.
"I made a mistake. This was a mistake. We were.
You know what happens when you put two liars together?
Chaos. That's all we had and all we ever would."
She dropped her phone to her side and shrugged, still smiling.
"Have a nice life, Nico."
She pressed onto her toes and placed a kiss on his lips, softly. Just one last time, leaving her goodbye behind in every way that she could. He tasted like finality, like poison. She was driving this knife straight where it needed to go. Right into his heart.
She turned away, walking over to her group of friends gathered around one of the rows. Every part of her hoped that he was in pain. That maybe the message she had tried to send went straight through his chest.
Their story had been written, and it was time for the book to be closed.
But Eden was who she was, and she couldn't do that without making sure they went out with a bang.
"Over?"
Kiara asked, looking over at where Nico still stood.
"Over."
Eden didn't even bother looking over her shoulder for a final glance. As far she was concerned, Nico Holmes didn't exist.
-------------
Eden drew in another drag of her cigarette. The third one in a row. She had ditched her robes in a dumpster behind the school, not caring about how much ever her parents had paid for them. It was a surprise they had, it wasn't like her graduation had been guaranteed. Nico... He just... He had blinded sided her. After Sarah.. After everything...
She shook her head, grounding the cigarette out with the heel of her shoe. She wasn't going to think about it. She wasn't going to think about him. Not anymore. Not ever again. It was time to move on from him. That chapter of her life was officially over. High school was behind her, and so was he. It was time to resign that to herself. That's why she had ended everything with him before they even handed her her diploma.
So this could be over. They could be. For good.
She would push any type of feelings she might have ever had for him to the back of her mind.
She was good at that after all. Extremely.
"You're not really going to do it, are you?"
Eden scowled, recognizing the voice a lot easier than she should. She turned to face Xavier, pulling a new cigarette out and lighting it, blowing smoke in his direction.
"First of all, I don't know what the hell you're referring to.
And second, are you following me? Or do you usually come and hang out by dumpsters and giant air conditioning units?"
He was friends with her little brother, so she already knew he associated with trash, but that would be just a little extensive.
"Kyle."
Eden's expression quickly grew amused.
"What? Really? Why would that even matter to you?"
She took another smoke filled breath and watched his face, trying to find something there. As usual, he was like a statue. Nothing displayed there at all. He was probably the most contained guy she'd ever come into contact with.
"Well... It doesn't matter to me, actually. But he's a bad guy."
Eden rolled her eyes, incredulous.
"Okay, have you met me? Kind of a bad girl, if you haven't noticed."
Xavier shook his head slowly, leaning a hand against the brick wall.
"Nah. Not really. I've watched you grow up, seen how people have changed you."
Eden tossed her half finished cigarette to the ground and crossed her arms over her chest.
"That's really creepy. Just so you know.
And you can make excuses for my behavior all you want, but I am who I am because I want to be."
Xavier straightened his tie and smiled, just barely, reaching out with his shoe and putting her cigarette out.
"Whatever you say, Eden. It makes no difference to me. Just thought I would let you know that while it may be your choice to sleep with Kyle, it's a bad idea."
Eden let out a long breath and brushed past Xavier, pushing him aside slightly, towards the parking lot. She turned around when she was a few feet away, anger bubbling to the surface for a reason she didn't really know.
"I don't need your warnings. You might have 'watched me grow up' or whatever, but you don't actually know me. Anything about me."
She threw the words at him, her voice cold.
"It's not your job to protect me. So, you can go and hang out with my perfect baby brother now and stop stalking me."
Xavier sighed, rubbing his forehead with his hand and bringing his dark blue eyes up to meet her bright green ones.
"You're never going to see it, so I guess this was just a waste of my time."
For the very first time, Eden thought she detected emotion in his eyes. Some type of unannounced sadness, something...
"See what? What the fuck are you on about?"
Xavier shook his head and walked passed her, toward the front of the school.
"It doesn't matter remember?"
Eden narrowed her eyes, and she almost stopped him. Almost demanded to know exactly what the hell he was talking about. She was usually far too stubborn to let anything like this just go by. But it was getting later, and she had other matters to attend to. She had an internal battle as he walked away.
Whether to call out and make him explain himself, or to get in her car and head to this stupid graduation party. To alcohol. To Kyle. To the rest of her friends. One demon won over the other and she groaned.
"Fuck you, Xavier Nile."
She grumbled the words and made the way to her car, the slam of the door when she shut it turning every head in the parking lot in her direction.
----------------
"Wait, are we really all going to Saint Claire University? I figured at least some of us would transfer into out of state colleges."
Kiara grinned, shoving a pillow out from behind her off of the couch.
"All of us but Sarah, Nico and Kyle."
Eden bristled at the two names, but just for a moment.
"I'm sorry. I only know who one of those people are."
Zach's face was full of mixed emotions as he took a drink of the beer in his hand.
"I can actually get you guys an apartment if you want. My parents are friends with these people who are bakers and they rent out a 3 bedroom place above their bakery. It's a block from the school. I can probably get you a deal too."
Eden and Kiara exchanged a glance and Eden quickly nodded at her, which she returned.
"I'm definitely okay with this. Kiara and I were made to be roommates after all."
Zach nodded, taking another long drink before responding.
"Alright. I'll talk to my dad. I know their daughter rents one of the rooms in there, but she's really nice. Too nice, actually."
Atticus made an overly dramatic noise, his mouth dropping open in mock offense.
"Wait... What about me? And you, Zach? Xav is coming too. You're just gonna give the girls this place and leave us fucked. I see your priorities."
Atticus tossed an empty beer can at Zach's head and it made contact, leaving a red mark behind. Eden groaned loudly at the mention of Xavier's name, but everyone ignored it, continuing the conversation. Eden groaned way too much lately...
"We could always take one of the bedrooms. I love sharing rooms with other dudes after all."
Zach's sarcastic tone didn't deter Eden's response though.
"Uh, no. I don't care if my best friend is fucking my brother, I am not going to live with him during college and high school. Fuck that."
Atticus made a kissy face at Eden and she punched his arm, shaking her head.
"Don't give me that. You know you don't want to live with me either."
Atticus nodded, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth, speaking as he chewed. Kiara grimaced at his manners, but didn't say anything.
"You're right. Hearing you screw random guys a floor below kind of gets to me sometimes."
Eden punched him again, harder.
"Shut the fuck up, Simon. You're such a liar."
Atticus choked on his beer, laughing.
"I'm playing. I wouldn't mind, but if you're against it, I'll respect that too."
Eden narrowed her eyes and looked over at Kiara, who seemed like she could actually work with this whole 'my brother living with me longer than I want him to' plan.
"Ugh. I'll think about it."
Eden felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and glanced down at the text. It was Kyle. Pretty much perfect timing.
-Are you busy. I think you mentioned something about later tonight?-
Eden hesitated, but just for a minute. She knew she had told him he could never touch her. That he would never get anywhere near her. Especially not in a situation where she was naked. But it seemed like, lately, Eden was doing a lot of things she said she'd never do.
Why not add one more thing to her list?
Xavier had said that Kyle was a bad guy, but Eden was just as bad. She was a hurricane. Destroying everyone and everything in her path. It was who she was meant to be, so why stop making mistakes? She pushed the thought of her blue eyed stalker out of her head and sent her response.
-Where are you?-
---------------
"Hawaii? Why?"
Carter raised an eyebrow at his oldest son, scratching his head and looking over at his wife.
"You would think as a teenage boy, you'd be excited about a trip to a tropical island?"
Atticus shook his head, glancing around at his siblings. None of them seemed to be in protest at all. This was their first 'family meeting' in months. Usually he was not the only one complaining.
"It's two weeks. I'm not getting the issue, A."
Eden said the words slowly, taking a drink from her soda.
"Well, unlike the three of you, I have a reason to want to be in Bridgeport? Red hair, fangs, bad temper?"
Aria laughed from her place on the couch, nodding.
"You can bring Kiara. You can all bring someone. My editor gave me 10 tickets, so I assumed you'd all want to."
She looked at Eden and smiled, trying to exude some warmth towards her eldest daughter.
"Maybe you can bring Nico?"
Both of the boys let out loud sighs, and Eden groaned, again.
"I wouldn't say his name. Eden is currently pretending he doesn't exist. He fucked her ex-best friend."
Cassius said it casually and Eden kicked him in the shin, grinning as he bent over slightly in pain.
"I'm sorry. It was an accident."
Carter sighed, clearing his throat.
"Alright, kids. You're all going. And I don't care who the hell you bring, but you're not getting out of it, so you might as well go pack.
When your mom and I get back from Seattle Thursday, we're leaving."
Eden exchanged a look with Lyric and groaned again, turning for the stairs.
She was halfway to her room when Cassius stopped her and she faced him, bitterness on her face.
"What do you want?"
Cassius looked down the stairs, making sure no one else could hear the exchange.
"I was thinking that since they're gonna be gone... Party. Here. For once."
Eden shifted her weight, considering. She could work with this plan. One last party in Bridgeport before they all had to relocate to Saint Claire for four years...
"Alright. But no people I don't know. Kay?"
She said it pointedly, and Cassius nodded. For once, he would actually listen. He had other people in mind to invite anyway...
---------------
I want to teach you a lesson, in the worst kind of way.
Still, I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday.
"Wait, are we really all going to Saint Claire University? I figured at least some of us would transfer into out of state colleges."
Kiara grinned, shoving a pillow out from behind her off of the couch.
"All of us but Sarah, Nico and Kyle."
Eden bristled at the two names, but just for a moment.
"I'm sorry. I only know who one of those people are."
Zach's face was full of mixed emotions as he took a drink of the beer in his hand.
"I can actually get you guys an apartment if you want. My parents are friends with these people who are bakers and they rent out a 3 bedroom place above their bakery. It's a block from the school. I can probably get you a deal too."
Eden and Kiara exchanged a glance and Eden quickly nodded at her, which she returned.
"I'm definitely okay with this. Kiara and I were made to be roommates after all."
Zach nodded, taking another long drink before responding.
"Alright. I'll talk to my dad. I know their daughter rents one of the rooms in there, but she's really nice. Too nice, actually."
Atticus made an overly dramatic noise, his mouth dropping open in mock offense.
"Wait... What about me? And you, Zach? Xav is coming too. You're just gonna give the girls this place and leave us fucked. I see your priorities."
Atticus tossed an empty beer can at Zach's head and it made contact, leaving a red mark behind. Eden groaned loudly at the mention of Xavier's name, but everyone ignored it, continuing the conversation. Eden groaned way too much lately...
"We could always take one of the bedrooms. I love sharing rooms with other dudes after all."
Zach's sarcastic tone didn't deter Eden's response though.
"Uh, no. I don't care if my best friend is fucking my brother, I am not going to live with him during college and high school. Fuck that."
Atticus made a kissy face at Eden and she punched his arm, shaking her head.
"Don't give me that. You know you don't want to live with me either."
Atticus nodded, shoving a handful of chips in his mouth, speaking as he chewed. Kiara grimaced at his manners, but didn't say anything.
"You're right. Hearing you screw random guys a floor below kind of gets to me sometimes."
Eden punched him again, harder.
"Shut the fuck up, Simon. You're such a liar."
Atticus choked on his beer, laughing.
"I'm playing. I wouldn't mind, but if you're against it, I'll respect that too."
Eden narrowed her eyes and looked over at Kiara, who seemed like she could actually work with this whole 'my brother living with me longer than I want him to' plan.
"Ugh. I'll think about it."
Eden felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and glanced down at the text. It was Kyle. Pretty much perfect timing.
-Are you busy. I think you mentioned something about later tonight?-
Eden hesitated, but just for a minute. She knew she had told him he could never touch her. That he would never get anywhere near her. Especially not in a situation where she was naked. But it seemed like, lately, Eden was doing a lot of things she said she'd never do.
Why not add one more thing to her list?
Xavier had said that Kyle was a bad guy, but Eden was just as bad. She was a hurricane. Destroying everyone and everything in her path. It was who she was meant to be, so why stop making mistakes? She pushed the thought of her blue eyed stalker out of her head and sent her response.
-Where are you?-
---------------
"Hawaii? Why?"
Carter raised an eyebrow at his oldest son, scratching his head and looking over at his wife.
"You would think as a teenage boy, you'd be excited about a trip to a tropical island?"
Atticus shook his head, glancing around at his siblings. None of them seemed to be in protest at all. This was their first 'family meeting' in months. Usually he was not the only one complaining.
"It's two weeks. I'm not getting the issue, A."
Eden said the words slowly, taking a drink from her soda.
"Well, unlike the three of you, I have a reason to want to be in Bridgeport? Red hair, fangs, bad temper?"
Aria laughed from her place on the couch, nodding.
"You can bring Kiara. You can all bring someone. My editor gave me 10 tickets, so I assumed you'd all want to."
She looked at Eden and smiled, trying to exude some warmth towards her eldest daughter.
"Maybe you can bring Nico?"
Both of the boys let out loud sighs, and Eden groaned, again.
"I wouldn't say his name. Eden is currently pretending he doesn't exist. He fucked her ex-best friend."
Cassius said it casually and Eden kicked him in the shin, grinning as he bent over slightly in pain.
"I'm sorry. It was an accident."
Carter sighed, clearing his throat.
"Alright, kids. You're all going. And I don't care who the hell you bring, but you're not getting out of it, so you might as well go pack.
When your mom and I get back from Seattle Thursday, we're leaving."
Eden exchanged a look with Lyric and groaned again, turning for the stairs.
She was halfway to her room when Cassius stopped her and she faced him, bitterness on her face.
"What do you want?"
Cassius looked down the stairs, making sure no one else could hear the exchange.
"I was thinking that since they're gonna be gone... Party. Here. For once."
Eden shifted her weight, considering. She could work with this plan. One last party in Bridgeport before they all had to relocate to Saint Claire for four years...
"Alright. But no people I don't know. Kay?"
She said it pointedly, and Cassius nodded. For once, he would actually listen. He had other people in mind to invite anyway...
---------------
I want to teach you a lesson, in the worst kind of way.
Still, I'd trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday.
I've been sucked into your writing again, make me wonder how I lived without it! Great job!
ReplyDeleteAWWW APRIL!!!! I miss you so much omg ;-;
DeleteI'm glad you liked it, thank you sweetheart ;-; . <3