The woman broke out in a relieved sigh. “They’re near the bird section,” she said. “I can take the child.”
“No,” Eden replied curtly. “We’ll take him ourselves.” Was there a reason she was supposed to trust her, aside from the fact that she was an employee?
The woman blinked before nodding. “Let me lead you to them, then.”
Sterling gave Eden a curious look, narrowing his eyes slightly. Why was she being like this? He supposed it didn’t matter, though. It would be good to see the boy reunited with his parents.
The employee lead them to the bird section, where two adults were standing, a frantic look in their features. The woman was crying while her husband tried to comfort her. Eden went under as she remembered her own experience. Had her parents been worried like that when she hadn’t returned home that night? And when she did, she was a mess? How devastated had they been when their daughter changed for the worst? Eden blinked the thought away as Aiden’s cry for his parents broke out.
There was no point in thinking about the past. What happened, happened. There was nothing she could do about it.
Sterling set the little boy down and let him run to his parents, who hugged him tightly amidst their crying. “You okay?” he asked Eden softly, having noticed the look on her face. She looked… distant…
Eden gave Sterling a look, only to feel surprised at the concern on his features. Why was he worried? Why him, of all people? She swallowed thickly before looking away.
“Yeah,” she murmured as Aiden’s parents approached them.
(C… Did you read what I wrote? Lol.)
“All right,” Sterling sighed. He wouldn’t press. Not Eden. She had her secrets, and he was sure she would only share hem with time.
(Yup! I meant they approached them after they hugged Aiden and stuff.)
“Thank you so much for finding our son,” the mother breathed, eyes puffy from crying. Her husband squeezed her shoulder. “Thank you so much…”
(Oh, okay. Lol. Whoops.)
Sterling gave the parents a small smile and a polite nod. “It was our pleasure. We were glad to help.”
Eden merely nodded, offering a small smile to Aiden, who grinned back through his tears.
“We’re sorry again,” the father rubbed his son’s head. “For interrupting you both. Enjoy your date.”
… What?
“Oh, it was no problem. And… we’re actually not on a date. School trip,” Sterling clarified with a chuckle. He glanced over at Eden and nodded in her direction. “She’s too good to date me.”
Eden scowled at his words. Too good for him. Her insides churned uncomfortably. Did that mean he was actually thinking about it? A small part of her thought it wouldn’t be so bad—he’d be good to her. He wouldn’t be a repeat. She immediately threw that thought of away. It was always going to be a repeat.
“Oh, our bad,” the mother apologized. Eden merely turned away. “You would look cute together.”
“We’re merely classmates,” Eden cut in with a shake of her head. “We barely know each other. Have a nice day.” She smiled a small smile, barely noticeable at Aiden before she turned around, seemingly done with the conversation.
You would look cute together.
She’s too good to date me.
Eden scowled again.
“You have a nice day, as well,” Sterling said before turning back to Eden. She was scowling. Was it because of what he’d said? Of course it was. She hated him. Even just the thought of them dating must make her sick. “Let’s go look at those red pandas.”
Eden looked at him with a sigh, taking off her hat and running her fingers through her hair.
“Yeah,” she murmured, setting it back on her head before she took off her glasses, trying to wipe the lenses with a tissue. They weren’t really smudged, but Eden just felt awkward. She wanted something to take her mind off of things. “The red pandas. When do we meet up with the rest of the group?”
“For lunch, I think. Noonish,” Sterling answered, starting back toward the area of his favorite marsupials.
Eden stopped walking and turned to face him, eyes narrowing more so to get a better view of him than from irritation. She should have put on her glasses, but she was still cleaning them, so she merely fixed her expression in a glare.
“Don’t ever say that again,” she finally said, fisting the tissue in her hands. Her eyes raked him from head to toe though all she could see was his blurry figure. She still did it, anyway. “That I’m too good to date you.”
Sterling froze and turned around, his confusion evident on his face as he looked at her. His brows furrowed and lips twisted downwards.
“Why? Isn’t a girl who doesn’t sleep (and hasn’t slept) around better than a guy who did?” he questioned her, taking a step closer. “Because I think she is.”
“I think I make up for that by ruining their lives,” she replied, eyeing him warily when he stepped closer to her. “The battlefield is my home. I’m worse than all of you combined.”
“But you fight because you were wronged. I slept around because I had nothing better to do,” Sterling said, raising his eyebrows.
Because you were wronged. Eden’s eyes flashed. Had she spilled too much earlier?
“And who told you I fight because I was wronged?” Eden tilted her head to the side, finally putting on her glasses.
“Information is easily gathered when girls think you’ll sleep with them for it. Even when they cuss you out when you won’t,” Sterling said with a shrug.
“You asked around about me,” Eden’s eyes narrowed into slits. “And what, may I ask, did you find out?”
Sterling hummed and glanced around before shrugging, his eyes finding hers once more. They held no pity, he knew she wouldn’t want that. They were simply calm and looking straight into hers.
“I found out that you used to be a normal girl. You were best friends with the girl who is now dating your twin brother, and you three used to be very close. And then something happened that affected you in some way, and you became the queen of the school, the only Crystal. And now you don’t let anyone in, not even your brother or former best friend,” he said softly.
Eden never had any trouble maintaining eye contact. This wasn’t any difference, though she wanted to look away for no reason at all. His words brought her back to the memories she dug so deep within herself. The times she laughed. The times she was truly happy, when she never had to stay awake at night because sleep came easily, when she didn’t wake up screaming the times she did fall asleep. The times when things were okay. When she was all right.
When she was normal. But normality was like a pipe dream. So close yet so far away. So out of reach.
Her lips twisted into a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes but hinted at the cruelty brewing within her.
“And did they tell you what I do to people who annoy me?” She tilted her head to the side, “Did they tell you what I do to those who get in my way?”
“Am I in your way? If so, what of? And I know what you do, but I also know you wouldn’t do it here. Especially not here. So please, Eden, hit me,” Sterling said, ever calm.
“I’m merely giving a warning,” Eden replied with the same calmness, silently damning him. He was right. She wouldn’t, not here. “But I suppose you’re still going to bother me. And then you’re going to realize what a monster I truly am and you’re going to lament the waste of your time. But you’re going to deny that, too, until it punches you in the face.”