Page 42 of Unmoored

“Me too,” I murmur, turning to him. I rest my hand on top of the tablecloth, right next to his. It’s a little bit rougher than most table linen I know, though, and—I swear there’s a splotch of something pink right on one edge. “Wait. Is this a…?”

Eden snorts sheepishly. “A drop cloth. Yeah. Fancy tableware wasn’t on the must-pack list, weirdly.”

That’s actually really clever, but I see an opportunity. If I’m ever going to plant the seed of him living with me, I think I’ll have to get started soon. “There’s a lot you don’t have on board,” I comment idly, like I’m talking about the weather.

Eden’s answer is lightning-quick. “But I don’t need most of it,” he says, raising his chin a little bit. “Not compared to what I do have.”

I pause and tilt my head, raising my mug to blow on the coffee.

Eden waits as if he’s expecting me to ask—and, more than that, expecting to have to fight me about it. All I do is watch him until something shifts in his face. Eden clears his throat sheepishly. The defensiveness settles, and his shoulders sink again. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I murmur softly. “Everything in your own time.”

Eden nods slowly, thoughtfully, and finally glances away across the harbour. The seconds tick by as he watches the trickle of commuter boats picking up, the floatplane getting ready to take off.

I’m just watching all the expressions flitting across his face. I was telling the truth last night when I said that Eden’s body tells me the story—or enough of it for now.

“My freedom,” he says at last, looking back at me. “That means more to me than hot showers or good coffee.” I nod slowly, keeping my mouth shut to let him talk. “And I—I appreciate where I think you’re headed with this. I really do. But…” he trails off, shrugging softly.

“Mmm. It’s early days.” I could tell already, but now I really know that.

“Really early,” he chuckles in a sheepish rush of breath. “I mean, like… I haven’t figured out how to tell anyone where I’m living, what I’m doing.”

“Does anyone know?”

Eden grimaces in the way he always does when he’s thinking about that guy, his ex. It makes him suddenly shrink in on himself, like a can of soda gone flat. “Only him. He made so much fun of me for it.”

I bristle, grinding my teeth together to keep my retort inside. He doesn’t need to know everything I’d tell his no-good, asshole ex if I had the chance. “Well, he’s a shithead.”

As I’d hoped, Eden snorts at the word, then finally glances back at me. “Yeah,” he agrees with a crooked grin. “A real shithead.”

“And I think you should tell your family about the breakup. If you’re on good terms with them, I mean.” I shrug. “I think the more you say it out loud, the better. And they’ll be happy to know that you’re finally happier.”

“Yeah. You’re right,” Eden nods slowly. “What about you? You only mentioned your sister.”

“My parents moved away a couple of years ago to live with my sister—help out with childcare, you know? But I call them every week.” I smile at him. “I called them yesterday, actually. I told them a bit about you.”

It was sweet, actually. I have no idea what people can hear in my voice, but I’m getting the impression it’s pretty easy to tell what’s going on. I could hear the excitement in their voices as they figured out that Eden wasn’t just another new addition to our brotherhood on Sunrise Island.

I think everyone knows. Even me.

“Oh, god,” Eden mumbles, rubbing his face. “My first impressionsarethe worst.”

I wink at him. “Not for me, it wasn’t. But, uh, anyway. That actually reminds me.” I swallow nervously. “I’ve been meaning to ask you... I mean, it’s not a big deal—” I cut myself off before I can begin rambling.

Eden sets down his mug of coffee. “Yeah?”

“Hey. Do you want to come to the bathtub race?”

Eden’s brows furrow. “The?—”

“It’s a fun time. Me and my brothers get together on the barge. Pretty much all of them, when they can make it. It’d be nice to finally have a whole day with you… and I’d really like everyone to meet my, uh—” I cut myself off, cheeks flushing, suddenly tongue-tied.

Eden raises his eyebrow and smirks. “Your, uh?” he echoes, his lips twitching.

Fuck. I’ve done it now.

Sweat prickles against my forehead, and under my armpits. The back of my neck itches, and I shift around. I grind my palm against my forehead, trying to swallow the urge to jump into the sea.

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