Page 247 of There's No Us Without You
I may be getting my hopes up, but that kiss just told me we’re not finished.
Not by a long shot.
SIXTY-NINE
Eden
Kent isin the living room chatting with my mother when I come downstairs the next morning. They both glance up when they notice me, their conversation halting. I roll my eyes and attempt to ignore them by continuing towards the kitchen.
I thought I was done with that arsehole. Seems my mother is not.
“Eden, don’t be rude,” my mother says, that tone of hers forcing me to stop.
What the actual fuck?
I really don’t have the strength to deal with her—or Kent—right now.
And why the hell is he here, anyway? Are they still sleeping together and he’s now her live-in sex slave?
I almost snort at myself. He wouldn’t be a very good sex slave considering he barely knows where the clitoris is.
After Tyler’s funeral yesterday, and then seeing Will and Emerson last night, I haven’t been able to stop myself from thinking about them.
I thought I could say goodbye and move on, but that’s not going to happen. All I know is I’m totally and utterly in love with them both, but I can’t bring myself to fall right back into their arms like nothing happened.
Even after Will’s admission last night, I’m still not sure we’ll ever get back to where we were.
With a sigh, I cross my arms over my chest and walk back into the open archway of the lounge room. “What?”
Kent rubs a hand over his slicked hair and stands as he clears his throat. “Hey, babe. How are you?”
I raise an eyebrow, a sarcastic laugh escaping my throat. “Seriously, Kent—babe? What are you even doing here?”
He glances at my mother sitting in her usual single seater, and she blinks slowly, like nothing is quite registering in that brain of hers. He gives me a tight smile. “Your mum called. She’s worried about you, that’s all.”
“Well, I’m fine. She shouldn’t have done that. I’m sorry you wasted your time.” I attempt for a second time to walk off until my mother’s voice pierces my eardrums again.
“Eden, you are not fine,” she says. “Those boys have brainwashed you. Don’t think I didn’t see you sneaking around with them last night.”
Spinning on my heels, I place my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes. “What?”
“They are toxic. You need to stay away from them.” Mum flicks a hand in my direction. “I mean it, Eden. They are bad news.”
My entire body vibrates, my blood pumping so hard, the whooshing sound fills my ears. “Toxic?” I throw my hands up, my skin burning with the need to smack some sense into the woman who gave birth to me. “You want to talk about toxic?—”
Kent grabs my arm as I move towards my mother. “Eden, please just listen.”
My head snaps towards him. “This is why you’re here? To what, talk me out of going back to them? Or talk me into coming back to you?”
“For one,” Mum says, bringing my attention back to her, “you just look like a slut being with them both. And second, how do you think that reflects on me? My daughter running around with two men. My goodness, I thought I brought you up better than to sleep around.”
Is this woman high right now?
Put the brain of a goldfish in one hand and my mother’s brain in the other, and they’d look the same.
“Oh, right,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “As opposed to my own mother fucking my fiancé on my wedding day. Pretty sure you shouldn’t be throwing rocks when you live in a goddamn glass house,Mother.”
Her face contorts, top lip curling as she stands and rushes towards me. I’m not prepared for the slap that whips across my face seconds later.
