Eden’s POV:
His smirk irritated me. I didn’t know what he was thinking, but I didn’t want to know, either. I disregarded the hand he had held out. Instead, I stepped back, increasing the distance between us, all the while maintaining eye contact. Finally, I broke off the contact, turning my head to walk away.
(Luke, Ash, what are you both doing at this point? 🤣)
(Hm… Either grinning as they watch this whole encounter or making out somewhere, I’d guess. Lol. Shall we see?)
Sterling’s POV:
My smirk fell as she walked away. This was definitely going to be hard, but it would be well worth it, I was sure.
“See you later, Eden,” I called after her as I watched her move farther and farther away.
(I think it’s the second one. XD)
Eden’s POV:
I didn’t respond to Sterling. Once he sees it’s not worth it, and that it’s a waste of time, he’ll quit on his own. There wasn’t anything I else could do.
If Lucas and Ashley saw the whole exchange, they’d want answers I couldn’t provide. They would, for sure, scold me for letting such a good opportunity pass by like that.They wouldn’t understand why I pushed this away. As much as I wanted to admit otherwise, they didn’t know how much it hurts being abandoned like that.
When I finally found Lucas and Ashley, instead of watching the animals like they were supposed to, they were instead making out. Right here’s in public.
I grimaced. I wish I didn’t know them, but we don’t always get what we want.
(dies of laughter Lol. Yes. That was my thought, too. XD
Ashley: Give me a break! I just got him back!)
Ashley’s POV:
I barely heard someone approaching Lucas and me, but I didn’t really care at the moment. Can’t a girl enjoy kissing her boy every once in a while? Or every few times in a while, as it were…
In my defense, Lucas and I were finally together, and we could finally do this. Before the whole fiasco, we had never kissed, and now that we had made up, it seemed like we just couldn’t get enough of each other. It was great to be with him. Perfect.
Lucas’s POV:
Sometimes I really hate my sister, you know? She can be so… I can’t even describe it. Ashley and I had just gotten each other back, and we weren’t even getting enough time to have fun.
“Next time, if you want to make me the third wheel, please don’t invite me at all,” Eden piped up, disrupting the mood we had set up.
Ashley’s POV:
I blushed as I heard Eden’s words, reluctantly pulling away from Lucas.
“Sorry, E… We didn’t mean to make you feel like the third wheel,” I apologized, giving her a small, sheepish smile.
Lucas’s POV:
“You did seem pretty busy with that guy over there,” I shot back. I should have been protective, but I knew I didn’t have to be. Eden could take care of herself. She knew what she’d get herself into.
Eden’s eyes narrowed at my comment, an obvious shift in her behavior.
“There’s still time for them to let out the hedgehogs, so I’m going for the hippos,” she said crossly. “I’ll meet you there.”
Eden’s POV:
It wasn’t Lucas I was angry at. I wasn’t angry at all, just unsettled. I wanted to take back the deal I made with Sterling, but I didn’t want to be a coward. I just didn’t want anyone seeing different parts of me.
As I walked over to the hippos, I caught Sterling’s eyes. I immediately looked away. I couldn’t afford to falter. I didn’t do anything without the prospect of me winning.
All I had to do was push him away and he’d give up eventually.
Ashley’s POV:
I frowned as I watched her walk away. I hadn’t even noticed the guy…
“I’m a terrible best friend,” I sighed, turning my gaze back to Lucas. “What happened with her and a guy?”
Lucas’s POV:
“Don’t feel bad about it,” I patted Ashley on the head. “She wasn’t angry at us. You should’ve seen her with him. We can meet her over at the hedgehogs and you’ll see her in a happy mood.”
Ashley’s POV:
“All right. Should we go look at other animals, then?” I asked, giving him a small smile. “Or… We could continue what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted…”
Lucas’s POV:
“I like the second idea better,” I grinned, dipping down to kiss her again.
(ships it aggressively)
(Lolll. Same, tho.)
Ashley’s POV:
I giggled a bit before reconnecting our lips, lifting a hand to cup his cheek. My eyes fell closed as we kissed, and I tried to fight my smile so I could just enjoy this. The feeling of his lips on mine, moving gently together.
(ships it aggressively)
(Cash or Steed? Because whichever it is, same.)
(Want to Skip?)
(Sure. To when Sterling and Eden run into each other next?)
(Let’s discuss in the PM XD)
(Lol. Alright.)
Eden’s POV:
The next day went by without much trouble. I didn’t see Sterling, and that made me relieved. I couldn’t understand why I wanted to avoid him. I just knew he made me anxious, and I disliked feeling that way. I liked being in control of my life and my feelings.
I adjusted my glasses, sighing to myself. The bell rang, signaling the end of class.
I walked across the hallway, blending into the crowd to get to my destination quickly. When I noticed the brown-haired person I was trying to avoid, I turned around immediately, deciding to head to the library. If I got late, I would have an excuse, and a pass.
(I just thought of something great~! But I can’t use it quite yet…)
Sterling’s POV:
I hadn’t talked to Eden since the zoo. I had seen her plenty of times in between then and now, but she had avoided me and walked the other way. This time, I wasn’t going to let that happen. I only had a month to convince her that I actually liked her and wanted to her to know her for reasons that weren’t selfish.
So, when I saw her hurrying away from me, I said goodbye to my friends and quickly went after her. It was hard to follow her because she seemed to be trying to blend in with the crowd, and she was almost accomplishing it. But I kept a careful eye on her and pushed through until I was right behind her.
“Hey, Eden. Long time, no see,” I greeted her with a grin as I fell into step beside her.
Eden’s POV:
I sucked in a deep breath, eyes closed. I finally looked up, meeting the person I’d been trying to avoid.
“Don’t you have class?” I muttered, looking ahead of me, making sure that there was some distance between us. There wasn’t any point in going to the library anymore. The reason for going there was right next to me.
Sterling’s POV:
Why did she dislike me so much? All I had ever done was ask her out and try to be her friend. So why did she act like I did some unpardonable thing?
“Sure I do. Just like you do, as well,” I answered, smiling over at her even though I knew she wouldn’t look. But a guy had to try, right? “Where are you headed next?”
Eden’s POV:
“What, want to drop me off?” I asked sarcastically, looking up at him. He wore a smile on his face which made my look waver. I immediately hardened my expression.
It wasn’t safe. He might look nice and sweet on the outside, but he was just as bad as all the other guys. A smile can always make someone look trustworthy.
Sterling’s POV:
“That actually sounds like a good idea. I’ll walk you to your class,” I said, trying to keep a smirk from my lips. She would just get suspicious if I let myself look cocky around her. I’d seen it at the zoo, and I didn’t want her to shut me out.
Eden's POV:
I glared at him, turning my head to look in front of me, forcing myself to keep the disappointed look off of my face.
It was then that I saw him. Black hair, a wrinkle over his eyes every time he smiled. A dimple on the left cheek but not on the right. It hurt seeing him like this, laughing and being happy in his life when he trampled all over mine. I froze in my tracks, unable to look away. Why was it that even after that long, seeing him still made me feel like this? I should have been over it, but I wasn't. It had been a year, but it still hurt like it was yesterday.
Without knowing, I stepped closer to Sterling, reaching out to take his sleeve in my fist, desperate to hide from his eyes. It was pathetic, but I couldn't help myself. I wanted to disappear. Why was it so hard to do so?