Page 91 of Barron's Second Chance
"And what say you?" Eden leaned her chin on her hand as she nervously observed her friend.
Sofia's mouth twisted as she tilted her head this way and that in thought. She finally let out the breath she was holding. "You know I'll support whatever decision you make. Barron is," she paused as she searched for the right word, "not the worst. He's re-growing on me. But what about you? Do you trust him?"
"I think that will come in time. Hopefully. That's what this is about. No labels, casual dating, no commitment. Just dipping my toe in, hoping it won't scald me in the end."
Sofia slowly nodded. "Obviously, it goes without saying that if he hurts you again -"
"- you'll run him over and back up to finish the job. Yes, I still remember your offer back when we were seventeen," Eden laughed.
"Well then," Sofia lifted her glass in the air. "Here's to casual dating, possibly some good dick, and," she raised her glass higher with a cheeky grin, "free drinks at The Homestead!"
The next couple of days were hectic not only for herself but for Barron as well. He was run ragged by his Mom, who utilized his muscles to help set up for the annual Summer Fair.
Eden herself had meetings with her agent and a few designers, as well as catching up with a few of her industry friends.
It barely left any time for the two of them to link up and...explore her growing feelings for him.
For any newly dating couple, this would seem like a roadblock. Instead, as busy as Barron was, he never failed to reach out, to let her know that she was on his mind.
He called her at least once during the day to check in as well as message her whenever he had a free moment. He would send lunch and dinner deliveries to her house, which was a relief as she sometimes was too tired or forgetful to eat.
What was even more endearing was that he never forgot Josh. He always sent enough to include him, which Eden found super sweet. It can't be easy knowing that the girl you're trying to woo is shacked up with an ex-boyfriend- no matter how innocent.
There was no way she would be cool with that, with the way their relationship was now. So she appreciated that Barron wasn't flexing some macho bullshit about it. More points in his favor.
On Thursday night, a thrill of excitement shot down her spine when she saw Barron's name light up on her phone.
"Hi!" She tried to sound casual even though her heart was beating erratically. She felt like she was back in her teens, waiting for Barron to call her after their first kiss at Brad Templeton’s birthday party.
"Hey, baby," Barron's tired voice came through. "Sorry I haven't checked in with you for a few hours." She heard him stifle a yawn. "Things have been hectic at The Homestead with the extra influx of tourists. Plus, Mom's running me around doing errands for her and the committee."
"That's okay. Today's been nonstop for me, too. How's the fair prep coming along?"
She listened as Barron filled her in on the behind-the-scenes drama; who was in charge of what, who wasn't pulling their weight, and who was caught making out behind Mr. Singh's food truck.
She giggled and teased him about sounding like a gossipy old lady and then blushed as Barron teased her straight back by reminding her of the many times they had been caught making out at the fair by her Mom or his parents.
He asked her how the lead-up to Fashion Week was going and listened intently as she relayed her meetings and prep work. Anyone else would've been nodding off by now. As entertaining as watching the show could be, no one wanted to listen to a peep behind the curtain.
But Barron showed no signs of being disinterested. He asked Eden questions and again caused her to blush furiously as he reiterated his pride in all she had accomplished.
As they drifted to a comfortable silence, she heard Barron give a satisfied grunt.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing. Just that...this is nice."
"Nice?"
"Talking to you again. Being back in your life." He paused, and she felt the weight of his emotion. "It's... nice."
Eden's hand tightened on her phone, warmth spreading at his words.
"I like it, too," she murmured.
"Yeah?" His tone was soft and imploring.
The hopefulness in his voice drew her out of their tender moment, and she shifted uncomfortably. Not because she found their shared moment awkward but because she felt a little startled at how easy it was for them to fall back into their flirting and teasing nature that had come so easily when they were a couple. She wanted to avoid getting too comfortable when she was just becoming reacquainted with him.
