Another chuckle escaped Sterling’s lips, and he shook his head. “You still didn’t say please… But I liked that, so I’ll get them for you,” he teased, winking at her. When he stretched up to grab them, a bit of muscled back showed where his shirt lifted up slightly.
Eden’s eyes immediately went to the exposed skin before her cheeks caught on fire. A hiccup escaped her lips before she cleared her throat, turning away. God, why was she like this?
Sterling finished grabbing the books and turned back to Eden to hand them to her. “It sounded like you hiccuped there… Need a good way to get rid of those?”
Eden quickly grabbed the books, cheeks still tainted pink. She hoped he would think she was embarrassed by the hiccup and nothing else.
“No, I’m good,” she grumbled under her breath. “C’mon, one last book to get.”
She didn’t give him an opportunity to respond as she brushed past him to get the last two books. Eden balanced the other six on one arm as she reached over to pluck A Court of Wings and Ruin and A Court of Frost and Starlight from the shelves.
“All right,” she murmured. “I’m officially done. Now I need to pay…”
“Let me carry some of those for you. You look like you’re about to drop them all,” Sterling chuckled as he reached for them. “And I’ll pay for some. I know you won’t want me to pay for all of them, but I want to pay for at least a few.”
Eden let him carry some of the books, peering up at him at his last statement.
“It’ll be much easier for one person to pay, and I have coupons,” she declared, walking up to the front desk. “So it’s all right, Sterling. You don’t have to pay for me.”
“Let me give you some money for them, then,” Sterling insisted as the set the books on the desk, giving the cashier a quick smile. “Please? I like buying things for you.”
Eden looked at Sterling briefly before setting the books she was holding near his pile.
“All right,” she sighed, knowing they couldn’t argue about it in front of the cashier. “Pay away, Sterling.”
Sterling smiled and kissed the side of her head. He pulled out his wallet and set a few bills on the counter, handing them to the cashier. Once the books had been paid for and they had them in bags, Sterling walked outside with Eden.
“Now, to your apartment for snacks and relaxing,” he declared with a slight laugh.
Eden bumped his shoulder with hers, smiling at him as they walked.
“It’s going to be fun,” she murmured. “Reading is nice. Reading with your boyfriend, though…”
“That’s even better,” Sterling chuckled, leaning over to kiss the side of her head. He pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car when they reached it, holding the door open for Eden.
Eden thanked him before sitting, remembering to buckle her seatbelt. Soon, they were driving to her apartment.
When they reached, she walked to unlock the apartment door, leaving it open for Sterling to come in.
“You said Lucas had snacks, right? Where would those be?” Sterling asked as he stepped inside. He closed the door behind himself and handed Eden the bag with her books in it.
Eden gently set her bags near a bookshelf before answering Sterling.
“The cabinet in the far right. It’s filled with snacks,” she explained, pointing to one. “It doesn’t have anything else. Just snacks. Lots of them.”
“Awesome,” Sterling chuckled, kissing her cheek before making his way over to the cupboard. “Anything you want from in here? I’m grabbing the Oreos for myself.”
Eden searched for A Court of Thorns And Roses on her bookshelf, thinking of what she could want.
“Um, salted Lays?” she finally found the book and smiled before reaching into the newly-bought books. “There should be at least two of those, and one unopened.”
“All right. I’ll grab the open one first, then,” Sterling said as he reached for the bag. He pulled it down, then grabbed the Oreos and made his way over to her. “Ready for our ‘reading and chill’ time?”
“Mhm,” Eden hummed as she crossed the distance to get to him. She held A Court of Wings and Ruin in one hand, and the book Sterling needed to read in the other. Before she gave it to him, her cheeks flushed a little. “Er, SJM is a rather… special author. So there are some… explicit scenes.”
Sterling blinked as he set the snacks down on the table and took the book from her. “Explicit? As in…” He paused, then chuckled as he shook his head, sitting down. “Eden McArthur, I would have never guessed you read smut.”
Another hiccup left Eden’s lips and she grumbled under her breath. “SJM’s works are a piece of art, smut or no smut. Maybe you’ll learn a thing or two, Sterling,” she sent a grin his way. “Just—I hope you like it. I… relate myself a lot to these books. In one aspect.”
Sterling raised a brow at her bold words, shaking his head with an amused grin. “Maybe I will learn something. But it won’t be put to any use until you’re ready for it to, which is perfectly fine with me, just so you know.”
Eden’s smile softened as she took a seat on the couch, cold blue eyes flashing through mind. Following that was a trail of ghostly hands, brushing over her skin, lazy strokes—Eden immediately banished those thoughts from her mind before they ruined everything.
Instead of giving him an answer, she plucked her snack from his hands and removed the tape binding it.
“Happy reading,” she murmured. “It’s got a lot of twists and turns.”
“To you as well, beautiful,” Sterling murmured, kissing her cheek. He opened the Oreos and took a bite out of one before opening his book.
Eden curled up on the corner of the couch, flipping her book open. Just as she started reading, her fingers’ grip on the book tightened.
The second book had ended with Feyre returning to the Spring Court, and Eden had never felt so… enraged. And with that rage came a sinking feeling—Tamlin came for her. Adrien could too, couldn’t he? He and Tamlin were different on all levels, though very similar at the same time. It was one of the reasons why Eden hated him. Everything Tamlin did, it was to protect Feyre even if it meant her losing her will to live. Even if it meant accelerating her death. Everything Adrien did… it was to ensure Eden knew she belonged to him, like a trophy. All the hurt, pain, it all was for one reason.
[TIME SKIP: A FEW DAYS]
Things with Sterling were amazing. He was a wonderful boyfriend. Patient, understanding and completely loving. God knows how many times she freaked out over nothing and he had comforted her, never pressed her for answers. ‘Why are you so afraid of the dark?’ ‘Why can’t you sleep without the lights on?’ ‘Why does being pinned frighten you?’ ‘Why do you avoid most skin-to-skin contacts?’ ‘What’s your problem with having your eyes covered?’ He hadn’t asked either of those. Just waited for her to come to him instead.
Currently, they were sitting in their first class. Eden had thrown her head back, her feet on her desk, eyes closed. Before the teacher had come in, she and her boyfriend were flirting. But when the bell rang, she decided to stay silent, pressed up against his side. Then the teacher began to speak, introducing a new student who had just transferred. And though Eden hadn’t opened her eyes or showed interest, she felt confused. Why would a student transfer in the middle of the school year?
Her questions were answered when a familiar voice filled her ears, chilling her to the core.
“Hey, there. My name’s Adrien Cortland,” he introduced himself gently, and Eden’s eyes flew open. “Some of you already know me. Some of you don’t.”
No. Oh, God, no.