Page 28 of Barron's Second Chance
His eyes roamed over her features, another thing she was used to now. It used to unnerve her when people inspected her, from designers, casting directors, or regular joes on the street. Some complimented her, gushing about how lovely she was. Others, she would overhear loudly declare that they had seen prettier girls on the street. She developed a thick skin, but insecurities still crept in occasionally. She was still human, after all.
"Good, good. I've been good. I saw some pictures online of you at the Met Gala. That was a crazy outfit."
She laughed and knew he meant no offense. The themes each year for the Met were vague, strange, and up to interpretation. This year it wasFuture / Sex / Technology. A lesser-known designer approached her and asked if they could design her costume. Eden regularly wore unknown designers because she knew how tough it was to break into the industry. The designer came up with a futuristic robotic look crossed with a dominatrix - lots of silver, high shoulder pads, and barely any material. The Met wasn't something she personally looked forward to. Too much ego in one room and a lot of socializing. But it was a great space to network and keep her brand fresh.
"That costume was inspired," Ryan sighed. He had been in the room with her when they had practically sewn her into the outfit, and the number of pictures he took of her was insane.
"This is Ryan.” She patted his leg. "And that's Sofia." Her head was currently still covered byVogue.
"Hey, Ryan. Sofia." Ryan reached up to shake his hand, but Sofia chose to lower her magazine an inch and murmur a cool"hey"before covering her face back up.
There was an awkward lull where Simon shifted on his feet, no doubt regretting ever coming over. Her face heated. They weren't mean people, but Sofia's attitude said otherwise. Even Ryan's usually bubbly personality was missing. She didn't know what else to say, though. She had liked Simon the few times they crossed paths when he visited for Christmas or Thanksgiving. The summer she was in Florida was the longest he spent in their town and the first time he had come for summer break. Usually, he was at some sports camp. She actually remembered being disappointed that she wouldn't be hanging out with him. How different would their paths be now if she hadn't gone to Florida?
"Hey, hope I'm not interrupting?" A low drawl had Eden freezing, and her stomach seized in dread. She tightly clenched the now lukewarm cider in her hand.
No, no, no.She wasn't ready for this.
She saw from the corner of her eye that Sofia was slowly lowering her magazine. The air felt still; the tension could be cut with a knife.
There he was. Barron Carter.
He stood beside his cousin, his smile bright. Eden lowered her sunglasses back down her face as she met his gaze head-on. She still knew Barron inside out. Knew his little tells. When he was uncomfortable. Sad, happy, angry. Horny. With just a look in her direction, he could convey everything he was feeling with a single glance. So she knew that, although his smile was bright, it was a little too forced, which meant that he was also experiencing the same level of uneasiness she was.
"Uh, no." Simon gave an awkward laugh when no one said anything. "I was just catching up with Eden. I can't remember the last time we saw each other."
She had to stop herself from giving a snort of disbelief.Really?She had vivid memories of his head whipping in panic towards Barron's direction as he made out with Lissa in the very pool behind him.
Eden felt Sofia's toe dig into her side. Her way of saying,"what the fuck?"
She could see the precise moment Simon realized exactlywhenhe had last seen her. He visibly swallowed before clapping Barron on the shoulder. "I'm gonna get a refill," he quickly said before taking himself and his still-full beer back towards the grill.
Barron rubbed the back of his neck. If she hadn't had her sunglasses on, she would've bet that his face was flaming red.
She took a sip of her cider, even though the fizz had dissipated. She just needed something to do in the heavy silence.
"Nice turnout," Ryan observed.
"Yeah. Thanks for coming, guys. Mom's been up since four prepping everything."
A smile touched her lips as she remembered the times she had come over early to help Kelly and her mom with the baking and side dishes. They used to giggle and gossip while listening to cheesy ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s pop.
"Eden." Her name on his lips brought her out. It had been so long since she heard him say her name like that. It triggered long-buried emotions that she relentlessly pressed down.
She glanced up to meet his stare. Even though they both had their eyes covered, she still felt the heat of his gaze blighting her.
"Thank you for calling me yesterday. It was nice hearing from you."
Another dig into her side from a sharp toe.
Annoyance washed over her from his words. She wished she hadn't called him now. He seemed to think it opened a door into her personal space. Yes, she asked him if they could be cordial to each other, but only if they crossed paths. Not an excuse for him to approach her for a conversation.
She opened her mouth to end his visit with them and send him back to where Simon tucked his tail to. But her gaze caught the scene behind him. Her Mom and Kelly were standing by the open french doors; their attention seemed to be zeroed in on them. Discreet they were not.
Not wanting to cause a scene, Eden turned back to Barron and gave him a small smile. Barely cracking her lips.
"That's alright," was all she said, acknowledging his gratitude but nothing else.
His face fell, and he seemed to get the message loud and clear. He tipped his beer toward them. "Well, I'll be seeing you around. Be sure to try the bean dip; that was my abysmal contribution to this," he tried to joke.
