Page 78 of Eden's Deliverance

That bit of information gets my attention. I instantly whip my head to look at her, but she gives me a sweet smile. It’s the kind of smile I only get from her when we’re at the studio—the same one I imagined this morning in the shower when she was licking my fucking balls.

“Boyfriend?” I ask, not really giving a shit whether I sound as blindsided as I feel.

She squints briefly at me before turning to Dario. “Hey, do you mind if we talk alone for a minute? I’ll be right inside.”

“Of course,bellezza.” He strides up to her on the bench and kisses her cheek before opening the front door. “Nice to meet you, Julian. Hope to see you soon,” he says with another one of those slimy smirks, but I don’t think Scarlett notices.

When I look at her again, she’s already prepared to stop me in my tracks. “Red—”

“Don’t. Don’t, Julian. Just…don’t.” She points a finger at me and rises to her feet, stomping over to where I stand a few feet away. “I don’t want to hear one fucking word. Do you understand me? Skylar did enough damage. Do you wanna end up on my shit list too?”

I missed her so much—that spice, that fire.

I’m already on her shit list in one way or another, whether she realizes it or not. But I love that she knows it’s something she has the power to hold over me. It means she knows how important this little relationship is to me, no matter how small. Does that mean she feels the same?

“I know it’s not any of my business, but—”

“No!” She surges forward and shoves my chest. “I said no. You’re right, it’s not your fucking business, so shut the fuck up. I’m happy. I don’t give a shit what you and Skylar have to say about it. You two need to grow the fuck up and leave me alone.” She takes a step back and tosses her cigarette at my shoe, not even bothering to finish it before she storms into the studio.

I’ll have to remember to give Jason an awesome tip next time, because I need to get the fuck out of here as soon as possible. Jumping into the mustang, I start the engine and dial Skylar’s contact info as soon as the smart screen lights up.

“Sky,” I say, rushing to cut him off before he can speak. “We have a mega fucking problem.”

“Yeah, you said. I got your text. What’s up?” He clearly doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation yet, because he’s way too calm.

“It’s Red. She’s with Dario.”

“Where, at the shop?” he asks. He knew I had an appointment today, so it makes sense for him to make that conclusion.

“Yeah, but also like…she’swithDario. She said they’re dating.” I put the car in gear and peel out of the parking lot, heading straight for Scarlett’s apartment.

I need to find out whatever I can about this relationship—and I know just where to look.

“That’s impossible. He was just at the club last night and she wasn’t with him. Last week, too,” he scoffs, like I hadn’t thought the same thing myself.

“Right, because no douchebag has ever cheated on his girlfriend before. I’m telling you, it’s true. She wouldn’t even let me say anything about it, she just ranted about you and how we both need to leave her alone.”

Traffic isn’t too busy on Sundays, so I’m able to make it to her place in a matter of minutes. Switching Skylar’s call to my Bluetooth earbuds, I sprint to the back of the house where her balcony is.

You’d think she would have gotten rid of the trellis or at least made it unclimbable, but I think the fact it’s still here is a testament to just how much she enjoyed our little hunt after the Halloween party.

She would have let us do it again.

The gaps in the lattice are more than large enough for my boots to slide through, so I climb the structure quickly, vault over the railing of her balcony, and go inside her room.

The diary isn’t where I remember it being last time, but its new hiding place isn’t any more creative than the first one. Lo and behold, there it is—beneath the corner of the mattress. Fanning the pages open, I start from last weekend’s entry and move forward. Any bit of information is helpful here.

How long has she been seeing him? Has he made any more moves to drug her? What all has he told her about himself—what kind of lies can a man like him spin? Why is he playing the long game with her?

Diary,

I never thought it would happen, but I think I’ve finally transcended into true happiness. The first two years felt impossible, but I finally feel like I’ve figured out how to jugglemy classes with the things that are important to me…so nothing feels too overwhelming.

I’ve been spending more time with my dad now that I’ve tossed Eden in the trash (WHERE IT BELONGS)...and even though Penelope still goes, we’ve been focusing on spending more quality time together too—

“Did you find anything?”

Fuck, I forgot he was still here. “Shut up, I’m trying to read,” I snap, eyes panning the page to find the spot where I left off in her entry.

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