Page 90 of Barron's Second Chance
Fucking, yes.Time to win his girl back.
20
A New Haven Fair
Datingyourexagainwas an interesting experience. On the one hand, you got to bypass all those awkward "getting to know you" conversations.
Where did you grow up? How many siblings do you have? What's your favorite movie? What do you do for a living?
Getting to know someone new superficially to determine whether they had potential as a partner was an exhausting experience.
On the other hand, dating your ex again came with its own uncomfortable issues. They were both straddling the line between knowing each other intimately and alsonotknowing each other intimately.
Time had progressed between them, and they weren’t the same two people they were at seventeen. There was also the giant elephant in the room - the reason for their split in the first place. But since they werere-datingagain, she didn’t think it was fair to rehash old pains. The point of giving your ex a second chance was to start afresh, in whatever capacity that was.
The other awkward issue was telling your friends and family that you were giving it another shot with your ex.
Barron's parents, of course, were over the moon. When she showed up for dinner, Kelly took one look at Eden's shy smile and her son's beaming face before promptly bursting into happy tears.
That was awkward.
The wind was knocked out of Kelly's sails a little when they informed her that they weren't back together officially. They had only agreed to test the waters by casually dating again.
Her mom also took the news well. Granted, not in the same way as Kelly, but a glint of a smile appeared briefly before she gave her daughter a solemn nod.
"You know I love Barron. Our families will always have a connection. But that doesn't mean you should feel pressured to try again with him. If you feel like you've been pushed -"
"I haven't, Mom, I promise." Eden clasped her hands in earnest. "This was my decision, no one else's. I just -" she paused, her mind racing for the right words, "I just need to know, ya know?" Eden finished, imploring her to understand.
Her mom reached out and cupped her cheek. "I know, sweetie. I'm rooting for you. Both of you. Whatever happens, I'm happy you followed your heart in this."
Now that just left Sofia and Ryan. A moment Eden had been dreading. After all, both Ryan and Sofia had harsh words to say about Barron in the past, sentiments she previously agreed with.
"Hey, guys, you know how we all called Barron a good-for-nothing cheat and how he was dead to us? Well, here's a funny story..."
After nervously informing them of her news, Eden waited as they sat there in silence. Both their faces were unmoving before they guiltily glanced at each other. They seemed to be communicating some sort of message with their eyes.
"What?" Eden slowly asked, pushing her plate of food aside as her appetite faded.
"We know!" They both sang out in unison.
Her mouth dropped open. "What? How? We only decided yesterday."
Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "Gabe, the guy I'm seeing - his apartment is in the same complex as Barron. I saw your mom's car there that morning and figured it was you."
Eden pointed her finger at him, twirling it around in the air. "Okay, we're gonna circle back to that later," she told him as he flushed. "But why didn't you guys ask me?"
"Well, personally, I thought you were there to get some good dick in you," Sofia mumbled through the toast in her mouth. She tilted her head towards Ryan. "Mr. Romance over here thought you were declaring your love for each other again."
Eden grimaced at her words. "Well, it wasn't either of those. More like somewhere in the middle-ish."
She didn't want to tell her friends just how close it had gotten to becoming the former scenario. Eden's face heated as she remembered their intimate moment before she left. At random times during the day, she had found herself tracing her lips and staring off into the distance as she relived the feel of his thumb in her mouth. The flare of lust in his eyes, the flush of pleasure on his cheeks. She felt a heat pool low in her groin, and she crossed her legs to try and rub the ache away.
"So, how do you guys feel about Barron and I seeing each other again? Casually," she added.
Ryan shrugged. "Honestly? I'm cool with it. He and I are becoming friends again. Plus, I can stare at his abs again when he plays soccer."
She threw a pita chip at him in mock indignation before addressing Sofia. She was her bestie. Closer than a sister. Her ride or die. Sofia's opinion mattered to her, and she had been Eden's biggest cheerleader when all that shit went down with Barron and Lissa.
