Page 92 of Barron's Second Chance
"I better let you go," she told him. "Big day tomorrow."
Eden could feel Barron's disappointment coming through the phone at her apparent withdrawal. But instead of expressing it, he changed course.
"Actually, that's why I called you. Will you be my date to the fair tomorrow?"
"Oh!" She startled.
A brilliant smile crossed Eden's face at his nervous question. She had assumed she would see Barron at the fair tomorrow but thought he would be one of the helpers. She was thrilled that he was asking her, though. Again, she felt fourteen.
"You're not going to be busy?" She asked.
"Nope. Told Mom that she could find someone else for free labor," he joked. "I wanna spend my girl's last day together."
And just like that, Eden's mood instantly sank.
She didn’t forget that tomorrow was her last day, but she had pushed it to the back of her mind.
Her impending departure felt like a dark cloud hanging over her. Of course, she would miss her Mom, Mike, Sofia, and Ryan. She would also miss Kelly, Gavin, and Bailey, especially after growing close to them again.
But when she thought of Barron...her feelings for him were complicated. When she pictured Saturday morning, saying goodbye to him....it made her stomach ache.
"I'm sorry," Barron's voice interrupted her gloomy thoughts. "I didn't mean to call you my girl. It just slipped out. I know we're keeping it casual, and I'm cool with that. I-"
"Barron, Barron, it's fine," she interrupted. She felt guilty that he had misinterpreted her silence as something else. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I'd love to be your date to the fair."
The day of the fair dawned bright, early, and hot. Eden woke feeling equal parts excited and sad. She lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at her ceiling and working through a few breathing exercises to calm her anxiety.
As much as she was looking forward to the fair, to seeing Josh perform...and spending time with Barron, she couldn't help the approaching doom that she felt.
Agreeing to date Barron when she was about to leave suddenly seemed like a ridiculous idea. How would they keep the momentum going? How would she feel being away from him when he had the Lissas and Traceys of the world around him? She knew in her heart of hearts that he would never go there again with Lissa. But she still felt like an insecure, awkward seventeen-year-old. And she knew it was because her feelings for Barron were more profound than she wanted to admit.
A chime from her phone brought her out, and she snatched the device up to check her messages.
J: Hey, babes, left to help with the sound setup. Figured they could use my expertise ;) text me when you and Barron arrive xx
Josh had spent most of his remaining days rehearsing and hanging out with Sofia, Ryan, and herself. Word had spread that a certain lead singer of The Living English was in town. Most knew that they were friends and assumed he was in town to visit her. Although, some correctly guessed that he was the last-minute change in performer at the fair. That piece of gossip was fuelled by a particular New Haven Instagram page that had suddenly turned into a Gossip Girl page rather than reporting on local events.
Security was beefed up in anticipation for a surge of tourists. But since Josh's arrival was still unexplained - given that no one in the comment section believed that he was actually going to perform for their little town fair - the local law enforcement weren’t worried about having a riot on their hands.
After replying to Josh, Eden moved on to her newest message.
Barron: Morning, baby. I'll swing by to pick you up at 9 if that's ok? Can't wait to see you :)
The glow of his words pushed aside her pensive mood, so she climbed out of bed with an extra jump in her step. Excited to see her ma - Barron.
Eden practically skipped as she made her way to the Ferris wheel. Barron's hand, a little sticky from the cotton candy they had shared, was firmly grasped around hers as he laughed at her eagerness.
There were two Ferris wheels, but the lines were always ridiculous every time they came around to them. Eden was too impatient to see and experience everything to wait in a queue.
As they walked past one of the wheels again, she spied that the line had dwindled, so she had dragged Barron over in a flurry. The Ferris wheel held a lot of warm memories for her, and she was determined to ride it again.
Eden had kept her expectations low. After all, some of her best summer memories were at the fair - with Barron by her side.
However, it had been seven years since she’d been. She wasn't expecting to recapture those magical moments of her youth. Everything was always so much bigger and grander when you were a kid.
But as she and Barron slowly walked around the fair, she could feel her excitement heighten. Fren Close and the surrounding streets had been closed down and transformed.
Colorful striped tents had been erected, which housed the various carnival games that had been a staple of her youth - balloon darts, bottle stand, ring toss, and Skee ball.
