Sterling felt Eden tense beside him, and he glanced over at her. He blinked and raised an eyebrow at her curiously. What was going on? It was just a new guy…
“E? You okay, babe?” he murmured softly, keeping one eye on the new student.
He was just as she’d remembered him. Cool blue eyes, warm as their first few months together. As friends. Fluffy hair, dyed blue. Just the way she’d once adored on him. One hand stuffed in his jeans pocket, shirt ruffled and untucked; that same mischievous glint in his eyes that had once sent warmth souring through her—made her toes curl. There was no hint of cruelty on his face. Then again, he only showed that to her. That was why it was so easy for others to turn their heads away from her misery. From the wounds he used to give her, both mental and physical.
“I’ll come back for you. I promise.”
Eden felt like she couldn’t breathe.
“Why transfer in the middle of the year?” the teacher mused, quirking an eyebrow. Adrien shot her a grin, the untainted glow vibrating from him. Eden’s fists clenched, hard enough for her knuckles to turn white. It was easy to remember why she’d once been madly in love with him. Until that love had turned to blinding terror, the only thing keeping her to him.
“Well, I used to go here two years ago. And my mother’s job changed, so we moved back here,” he shrugged, and his words didn’t fail to ring in Eden’s head. His mother. Then his eyes shifted, landing on her, and Eden never wanted to run away as much as she did in that moment. “Plus, I left something of mine. I came back for that, too.”
“I need to get out of here,” Eden whispered, more to herself than anyone. She needed to, before she lost her mind. She needed to escape those snake’s eyes. Before her composure cracked—before he addressed her, before he—
“All right, take your seat.”
Every inch of Eden’s body was aware as Adrien began to walk, his eyes not on her but on the seat at the end of the row. The closer he got, the lower she sank in the unforgiving water. And right before he brushed past her, he stopped, looked right at her, and smiled.
“Hello, E,” he said softly, but Eden refused to look at him. Refused to let him see the vulnerability in her eyes. “Good to see you again.”
Then he continued walking.
Sterling’s gaze never left the new young man who had suddenly joined their class. He didn’t like the way Eden was reacting to him, and he certainly didn’t like he way he was looking at his girlfriend. He looked, to most, like he was just being friendly to her. To him, though… He knew that hungry look. He had worn it before meeting Eden.
“I need to get out of here.”
Sterling looked down at Eden when she whispered, taking her hand under the desk. He gave it a squeeze before his eyes once more found Adrien, and then his grip on her tightened when he greeted her.
Eden couldn’t pay attention to the rest of the lecture. Her mind was completely on the man behind her, her ex-boyfriend, the man who had ruined her life. When Sterling squeezed her hand, it was an instinct that made her slip her hand out of his to clasp both of hers together. Just to keep herself from trembling. Just to keep herself from fleeing. She could not, and would not give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Then the lesson ended, painfully slow, and she wanted nothing more than to grab her bag and escape. From him, from this class, from everything. But though students began to pile out of the class, her way was blocked.
She looked up to meet eyes that had haunted her dreams for the past two years.
“What, no greeting?” he tilted his head to the side, a soft smile on his features. Her breathing turned heavy, her heart racing. “It’s been two years, E. I expected a hug at most.”
“Get out of my way,” the McArthur whispered, her fists clenched. “And don’t call me that. You don’t get to call me that.”
Adrien winced, but if only that was real. If only her words had affected him the way he pretended they did.
“You grew out your hair,” he noted before his eyes fell on Sterling behind her. Her blood chilled. You’re mine. Do not let another man touch you while I’m gone. “And I don’t think I recognize you. I’m Adrien, but I suppose you already know that by now.”
Sterling stepped up beside Eden and offered the other guy a smile, though his expression stayed guarded. “Sterling. Sterling Ainsley. I transferred a couple of months ago. How do you two know each other?”
Adrien gave Sterling the same look, though Eden could very well know what was running through his mind. “I’m E’s—“
“Nothing,” Eden cut in sharply, and his gaze slid to her. “You’re nothing to me.”
“You don’t mean that, do you?” he quirked an eyebrow, looking hurt. “Well, what is he to you?”
The words got caught in her throat.
Sterling glanced down at Eden and wrapped an arm around her waist loosely. He didn’t know what was going through her mind at that moment, but what he was seeing was worrying him. This man who suddenly showed up rendered her speechless and near shaking… And he did not like that he did that to her.
“I’m her boyfriend,” he answered slowly, drawing his gaze back to Adrien.
At the feeling of the arm around her waist, Eden stiffened. Her discomfort and fear worsened at the words Sterling spoke next. Not at what he said, no. But at the way Adrien looked at her after he did.
“Oh? Is that so…” he murmured, his eyes never leaving Eden’s. To anyone else, it was a look of understanding. To her… she could easily recognize the iciness in his eyes. “Well, I suppose two years make that big of a difference. You moved on so quickly. Thought you’d be happy to see me, but…”
He trailed off, giving Eden enough time to grab Sterling’s wrist.
“We’re leaving,” she said flatly. “You know your way around school. Leave us alone.”
She dragged Sterling away before he could do anything, but even as she walked away, she could still feel Adrien’s stare at the back of her head.
Eden wanted to throw up. She wanted a shower. She wanted to get away as fast as humanely possible.
Sterling raised an eyebrow at her tone and looked down at her. With a nod toward Adrien, polite even when he was suspicious, he followed his girlfriend away. Once they were far enough from the other man, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her.
“Eden. Who was that? How did you two know each other?” he asked, his eyes searching her face.
Eden shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. Take deep breaths, she told herself, but it wasn’t working. Adrien was here. He was back. For her. He wouldn’t stop until he had her again, she knew it.
“Adrien Cortland,” she whispered shakily, memory of his cruelty running through her mind. She let out a bitter laugh, too lost to think of anything else to do. “Fun way for the boyfriend to meet the ex.”
The ex…
She was hurt by someone, and, judging by her reactions, it very well could have been him. If he hurt her… I’ll kill hurt him.
“Oh, Eden, what did he do to you?” Sterling sighed, rubbing his forehead. He reached over to cup her cheek gently. “Are you all right if I hug you right now? Or would you rather I don’t touch you?”
Eden flinched away from his touch, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn’t handle that right now. “Not right now. Please,” she whispered, running a hand through her hair. I just need to gather my bearings. I’m sorry.”
Sterling shook his head and let his hand fall back at his side. “That’s okay. Take your time. Maybe… Maybe take a break from school for the rest of the day,” he suggested softly. “Or just your next couple of classes, at least.”
“Two years,” she whispered, ignoring what he said. His words weren’t even registering in her mind. “No sign of him, no nothing. I thought I was rid of him. I thought he’d never come back. I thought he’d forgotten and now he’s—now he’s back and I can’t—“
“Eden. Eden, hey, it’ll be okay. It’ll be fine. I’ll help you through this. I won’t let him get to you again,” Sterling promised, wanting to reach out and hold her but knowing that she wouldn’t want him to. “Whatever I can do, I will.”
“You can’t,” she shook her head frantically, her fingers gripping her hair. “That unfinished business? He was talking about me. He came back for me. When he wants something, he’ll get it and there’s nothing that’ll stop him.”
Sterling’s nostrils flared, and he looked in the direction they had left the other man. “I will do my best to keep him away from you. I don’t want him to hurt you again. I don’t know exactly what he did to you, but I don’t want him doing it again. I promise you that I will do whatever I can to keep him from you,” he declared, turning his eyes to her again and meeting them with an intense affection.
Eden breathed shakily, shaking her head again as a ‘no.’
“You don’t understand,” she swallowed thickly. “You don’t know him like I do. You don’t know what he’s capable of. You don’t understand what he did to me, and he’ll do it again—“
“Eden… Eden, hey… No. No, I won’t let him do that again. I will do whatever it takes to keep him away from you, as long as it’s in my power to do so,” Sterling assured her, shaking his head a bit. “I can’t just let him hurt you.”
“You should get to class,” Eden dismissed his words, shaking her head. “I’ll be fine. I handled this before. I’ll do it again.”
And how, exactly, will you do that? By submitting to him again?
Sterling blinked, raising his eyebrows at her. “And how, exactly, do you plan on dealing with it? Because from what I have seen… You don’t deal with it very well.”
Eden sucked in a deep breath, a spark of anger surging through her. He had no right to say that to her without having any idea what she went through. He had no idea how difficult it was to get through this even though all she wanted to do was give up.
“And what do you suggest I do?” she breathed, trying to calm her racing thoughts. “Leave everything to you to protect me? Like I’m some sort of a damsel in distress that needs her knight shining in armor to save her from her abusive ex-boyfriend? I have my own ways to deal with these overwhelming feelings. And they may not be the best of methods, Sterling, but at least they keep me—“ Eden froze, finally realizing what she’d said. Her eyes widened, fists clenched, regret on her features. She hadn’t meant to say that.
“That’s not what I meant. You’re not a damsel in distress, but you are my girlfriend, and I care about you a lot,” Sterling sighed, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to just leave you to your own defenses. I’m here to help you, but you have to let me… I just don’t know what to do otherwise.”
Eden breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t paid attention to what she’d slipped out. Abusive ex-boyfriend. That part hand flown straight through his head.
“I don’t know how to let you… help me,” she breathed out shakily. He’ll hurt me. Again. For even being near you, he’ll hurt me. “I don’t know if you can do that. I can’t even help myself.”
“Just… don’t object to my helping you. I’ll figure something out, but you have to let me try things,” Sterling said softly, taking a small step towards her. “And let me know when I can and can’t touch you. I don’t want to accidentally make you uncomfortable.”