forum Under The Painted Sky (O/O CLOSED)

Started March 18, 2019 by Deleted user

tune

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My queen… Such a different contrast from ‘my pet…’

Eden scrunched her nose when he kissed it. “There’s a book I’ve been meaning to buy,” Eden started quietly. “But I haven’t found the time to check it out.”

“Well, let’s go to the bookstore, then,” Sterling said with a grin. He pulled away and stood, offering her a hand. “Which book do you want?”

“The Burning Maze,” Eden took his hand, lacing their fingers together. “Actually, I might take more than one. Definitely will.”

Sterling tugged her to her feet, kissing her temple when she was at his side. “What’s that one about?”

Eden leaned into his side, tightening her hold on his hand. “It’s part of a series. It came out a while ago, but I couldn’t read it. It’s a series based on mythology. Apollo gets kicked out of Olympus and he has to work with the demigods as a normal human to get Zeus’s favor back. I already got one spoiler.”

“Sounds interesting. Maybe I’ll check it out sometime,” Sterling mused. “Do you want to go get dressed before we leave?”

Eden motioned to her oversized shirt and sweatpants. “I do think I should get dressed, yes,” she nodded. “Wait for me. I’ll be done soon.”

Sterling kissed her nose again. “I’ll wait in the kitchen,” he said softly, picking up the plates and utensils.

“All right,” Eden nodded, turning away to walk into her room. She bit her lip when she was inside, hesitantly locking the door. She knew Sterling wouldn’t come in without her permission, but… guilt clouded her. How could she not trust Sterling with something like this?

Shaking her head, Eden walked to her closet. She settled for a black look. A black t-shirt, light black denim jacket and black tights. She tied her hair in a bun, checking her appearance in the mirror. When she decided she was okay with what she was wearing, Eden snatched her bag from her dresser and walked to her door. She unlocked it and stepped out, eyes searching for her boots.

While Eden was dressing, Sterling had taken it upon himself to clean up after their breakfast. He was nearly done when he heard the door to her room open, and he glanced over at her with a quick smile. His gaze traveled down and back up, his grin widening at the sight.

“You look amazing, Eden,” he called to her before turning back to the dishes.

Eden shivered when she felt his eyes on her, smiling when he complimented her appearance.

“Thanks, Sterling,” she said, walking over to him and wrapping her arms around his middle. She breathed him in.

Sterling twisted just enough to kiss the top of her head. He finished washing the last few dishes in comfortable silent, simply enjoying the feel of his girl’s arms around him. If he had been told a month ago that this would be happening, he would have laughed and maybe flipped the other person off for the lie that had he had so desperately wanted to be true. And now he had it. And he couldn’t be happier… Unless Eden began taking better care of herself, that is. But until then, he was content with what he had.

If someone had told Eden she’d get into a relationship again, Eden would have looked at them like they were crazy. She had never wanted a boyfriend—not after what she had been subjected to. Not after the careful beatings, the abuse, the violation. She thought of herself as free and wild and violent. She wasn’t going to give anyone a chance to abuse her again.

Until this wonderful man happened. And now she was his girlfriend. He was her boyfriend. Things were weirdly pleasant. She finally had a chance to taste happiness, something that had been snatched from her cruelly. She tasted the peace she didn’t think she could ever have. She felt safe. Wanted. It was overwhelming. Eden was surprised she hadn’t turned tail yet. The things she had thought were never meant for her, this wonderful man was giving to her. She could never ask for anything better. There was nothing better than Sterling for her.

“Thank you, Sterling,” she whispered against his back, voice soft and gentle. There were so many things she was thanking him for—most of them she couldn’t say aloud.

Thank you for not going beyond my boundaries. Thank you for not touching me without my permission. Thank you for not abusing me again. Thank you for making me feel worthy. Thank you for pulling me out of the misery I was drowning in. Thank you for teaching me how to breathe.

Sterling has just set the last dish to dry an was drying his hands when he heard his girlfriend’s soft voice whisper against the back of his shirt. He smiled and put the towel down on the counter to twist in her arms and wrap his own around her. With a kiss to the top of her head, he breathed in the scent of her hair.

“Thank you, my beautiful Eden,” he murmured against the soft strands. “You truly are an amazing girl.”

Eden melted in his embrace, lapping at his words like a hungry cat dying for affection. Beautiful Eden. She was beautiful to him. His Eden. His. Once, those words would have made her run to her bathroom and throw up. They would have made her want to tear off her skin. She belonged to no one. Now, she loved those words. His. Sterling’s. Sterling’s Eden. Eden’s Sterling.

“You’re amazing, too,” she murmured. “Also, thank you for cleaning up after us.”

Sterling smiled against her hair. “Well, we were going to walk to the bookstore. Can’t have the books waiting for too long, can we? They’ll get lonely without someone opening their pages and reading their words.”

Eden chuckled, wrapping her arms tighter around him. “Definitely not,” she hummed. “I might not walk out of that store fast enough.”

“I’ll buy you the books. Let me, please,” Sterling requested, pulling away to smile at her.

Eden frowned at him, though she felt warmth flooding through her. He wanted to spend money on her? “It’s all right,” she said to him. “I can pay for myself. It’s fine.”

“Please,” Sterling whined, burying his face in her neck and hugging her tightly. “I want to buy something for my girlfriend.”

Eden shivered involuntarily—she’d been doing that a lot lately—, inhaling through her nose.

“But not the books… they cost a lot,” Eden protested. “You can buy me something else.”

“Books don’t cost that much,” Sterling protested, keeping his mouth away from her neck. She had said no kissing her there, and he would respect that.

“The Burning Maze costs about $15-$19,” Eden breathed. “And that depends on whether it’s hardcover or not. And I like my books hardcover. And I buy a lot of books, and I can’t do that to you.”

“Eden… I have money. I can buy it for you. I want to,” Sterling insisted, kissing her temple softly.

“I have money, too,” Eden protested again. “Sterling, just because we’re dating doesn’t mean I’m going to take you for granted.”