Page 127 of Barron's Second Chance
"You're only getting your hopes up, baby."
But she didn't care. Who knew she would be here - excitedly looking through houses to buy with Barron?
"Honey, I'm hooome," Eden sang as she unlocked the front door, snickering at her joke.
Even though she'd only been gone a week, she missed Barron something fierce. And she knew he missed her, too, by the number of times he texted. It wasn't unusual for them to be apart, given her line of work and how busy The Homestead got, but their craving for each other never waned.
Eden sighed happily as she snapped her handle back down and breathed in the familiar scent of home while her eyes scanned the small living space with satisfaction.
There were a few changes made when she moved in. A new couch was purchased as well as cute matching cushions. They also upgraded to a bigger bookshelf since she had trouble letting go of her complete book collection.
She made sure they took plenty of new pictures to replace the old photos that were destroyed, and Eden took the time to lovingly decorate their home with them. There were the two of them at their twenty-fifth and twenty-sixth birthday dinners, selfies in New York and London, and various photos of them and their families at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
But the one photo that took pride of place in their home was a heavy, faded, macaroni and shell decorated photo frame. The photo inside showed two beaming, happily-in-love teenagers. So full of hope and optimism, not realizing that their whole worlds would soon explode. The photo served as a reminder of how far they'd come.
After their vacation in London last year, she booked them in for counseling with her therapist. Even though Eden felt like she didn't need therapy with Barron, she did find the sessions helpful in navigating a relationship after infidelity, no matter how much time has passed since the event. They walked away a stronger couple after some helpful advice and exercises from Doctor O'Connor.
Things weren't always perfect, though. Like any other couple, they had their fair share of arguments. Some were minor grumbles; others were more significant, like the big blow-up they had last summer.
Since Barron usually had a busy season over the summer at The Homestead, Eden accepted an invitation to vacation with her industry friends at Lake Como in Italy.
At the time, she didn't think anything of it, but Barron was upset that she didn’t give him a heads-up about her plans. Eden accused him of being controlling; he argued back that she was acting without regard for their relationship. After she stormed off in a huff, she took a drive and gave herself a moment to breathe.
When she calmed down and thought with a clear head, she recalled the coping tools Doctor O'Connor gave them when major disagreements occurred.
Once she returned, Barron was also contrite and apologetic. They sat down and hashed out their issues one by one, ticking off how to handle each other's concerns, as both their feelings were valid.
She acknowledged that she should have talked with Barron first about her plans. She was so used to her jet-setting lifestyle and figured it was okay to take off, knowing that Barron might be tied up with work during that time.
Barron confessed that he had no issue with her going away without him - like she assumed he did - but that his main problem was knowing she was accustomed to a certain lifestyle that he stupidly thought he couldn't match. And also the thought of Eden being surrounded by people of a certain ilk.
"It makes me insecure that you might be surrounded by these pretty boys who drool over you. But because of our...past,I feel like an ass being jealous over them."
They stayed up for hours talking and alleviating each other's concerns. The most important foundation of their relationship was trust and honesty, attributes they lost sight of during their argument. They reaffirmed their devotion to one another and, in the end, were both relieved the argument occurred. It cemented their relationship, tightening their bond and trust in each other. They never had another blow-up quite like that again, and Eden felt confident that if they ever did, they had the maturity and foresight to iron out any disagreements that arose.
A strange feeling came over her as Eden looked around their living room. Frowning in concentration, she tipped her ear to listen for Barron. It was quiet in their home. A little too quiet.
Abandoning her bag, Eden padded down the hall before pausing at the soft strings of...classical music? Since when did Barron listen to Morricone? Their bedroom door was ajar, and a floral scent tickled her nose.
Heart in her throat, Eden pushed the bedroom door open and gasped at the sight in front of her. She fell back a step, hand on her chest and eyes shimmering with constrained emotion.
"Baby...," Barron started as he stared up at her from his kneeling position on the floor.
Candles littered their room, and the aroma of vanilla floated through the small space. Rose petals were scattered on the floor, with a few on their neatly made bed.
"What the fuck?" She sniffed as the soft tones ofGabriel's Oboeplayed from his phone.
Barron gave her a watery smile. She could tell he had neatly gelled and combed his hair but ruined the final result by running his fingers through the strands multiple times - she suspected out of nervousness. It gave him that sexy "I just fucked my woman hard for hours" look she adored.
His polo shirt looked freshly washed, and he was wearing his good jeans. He looked deliciously sexy, and if she weren't so busy wiping tears from her eyes, she would be working the buttons on his pants loose.
"I had this whole speech planned but seeing you; I couldn't tell you my full name right now."
Eden gave a choked laugh as she clenched her shaking hands.
"Since I was seventeen, I'd prayed and hoped I would get a second chance with you. Never in a million years could I have imagined that I would be here right now - living with you, sleeping next to you, having the right to call you mine."
He paused and rolled his lips in, attempting to push his emotions down. He cleared his throat before continuing. "It's your kindness, generosity, and big heart that allowed me to have another shot at being your man. I promise you, baby, if you say yes, I will love, honor, worship, and adore you for the rest of my life."
