Page 33 of Thanks for Coming Along

"No." Which is obviously translated as a blaring "yes." That little factoid isn't common knowledge. She felt a wave of mortification, like a little girl outed as obsessed with her crush. Like he would find her notebook littered with hearts and "E&R 4EVER."

"What does Eden mean?" He asked knowingly, thankfully sparing her the embarrassment of being caught googling his name's origin.

"Place of pleasure, delight."

"I don't doubt that for a second." His eyes trailed down her body, and it felt like a physical caress. The way he looked at her, so fervent and heated, made her think this attraction was mutual. There was an undeniable confidence that he could ruin her, and she wouldthoroughlyenjoy it. That heated look left the implication heavy in the air.

"I am a fucking delight, aren't I?" Eden said, trying to ignore the undertone.Nice parry, Percy.

"I could imagine." His voice was low, sending her toes curling in her shoes. Her legs suddenly felt weak, and her mind was a little cloudy. The innuendo was not lost on her. It was almost enough to make her throw herself over the railing of the boardwalk into the ocean to cool down. All this flirting was risky, borderline causing her bodily harm.Two could play this game.

"Is that what you do under your blankets at night? Imagine?" Eden said as she looked over at him with a cocked eyebrow, her eyes trailing suggestively over his body.Taste your own medicine, Murphy.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ronan replied, his eyes narrowing slightly in the dim light.

"Maybe I would," Eden said casually, her shoulders rising nonchalantly. But inside, she was hanging on to every word, watching his face closely, hoping to catch a glimpse of what he was really thinking.

"Don't worry," Ronan said abruptly, stopping dead in his tracks. Eden blinked, surprised, and turned to face him.

"I would never try anything, I know ab—" Ronan cut himself off, running a hand through his hair in frustration, the other clutching the fluffy seal by its flipper.

"Listen. You don't want to know the answer. I'm trying my best to hold myself back, but I have my limits." His words hung in the air, leaving Eden with a furrowed brow and a barrage of questions bouncing around in her head. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? Was he holding back for the sake of the project, or was there more to it?

Before she could process it all, he quickly added, "Let's get you home." His tone was final, and he turned toward her car, effectively ending the conversation. Eden stood there for a second, watching him walk away, leaving her with more questions than answers.

20

Ronan

Ronan spent a solid twenty minutes digging through the back of his closet before finally pulling out his old, beat-up Vans. It had been years since he’d worn them. Now, the worn soles gripped the gritty surface of the longboard as he cruised along the boardwalk. He cursed himself for casually mentioning to Eden that he used to longboard as a teenager. The second he said it, she latched onto the idea, insisting he take her to Venice Beach so she could live out her skater-girl fantasy.

After she fell off the longboard around seven times, they stopped at a shop on the boardwalk, and she picked out a pair of quad roller skates. In her purple retro-inspired roller skates and jean shorts, she looked straight out of the 1970s. At Ronan's insistence, she also put on knee pads and elbow pads because she was literally a flying projectile in those rolling death traps.

She insisted Ronan pull her along while she skated, holding onto his shoulder as he pushed on his longboard. The plan fell apart almost immediately when she lost her grip, swerving off the sidewalk and face-planting into the soft sand. Arms and legs sprawled like a starfish, she lay there for a second before flipping over, shaking sand from her hair with a grin.

“Again!” she called up at him, her laughter shining in her eyes. Ronan could only laugh, shaking his head as he reached to pull her up.

Ronan positioned himself at the front of the board, ready to lead the way. Eden stood beside him, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders for balance, her smile wide and full of anticipation. The early evening sun caught in her eyes, making them sparkle, and Ronan found himself momentarily distracted by her.

“I always wanted to date a skater boy,” Eden admitted with a teasing grin, her hands still on his shoulders.

“Oh yeah?” Ronan replied, raising an eyebrow, his tone matching hers.

“Yeah,” she said, the salty breeze catching her hair as she nodded, her expression mischievous. “Never had the chance.”

“Never say never,” Ronan said with a smirk, as he pushed off with one foot, the longboard gliding easily along the pavement.

“We could swing by the skate park,” Ronan said, tossing a sly look over his shoulder. “Bet there are plenty of skater boys who’d jump at the chance to take you out.”

Eden rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her grin.

With each push of his foot, they picked up speed, and she leaned in just enough to keep her balance, fully trusting him to guide her. The wind whipped her hair around, sending strands flying in the salty ocean breeze. Ronan weaved them smoothly through clusters of people.

"Stop! Ronan, stop!" Eden called out, her voice filled with excitement. Ronan slowed down, using his foot to reduce their speed gradually.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she pointed towards a storefront covered in colorful artwork, a neon sign flickering the words "Tattoo Shop." Ronan's eyes flicked back to Eden, who was wiggling her eyebrows.

"What do you think, skater boy?" Eden teased. "Are you up for it, or will you say 'See you later, boy'?" Maybe she was joking with the Avril Lavigne reference, but the challenge hung in the air, igniting a surge of excitement within him.

---