Page 165 of There's No Us Without You
“I mean it, Eden. Enough.”
She’s testing me. I don’t want to talk about my fucked-up childhood. It’s the last thing I want. Eden doesn’t need to know my father could go days without even getting off the couch.
Or feeding his children.
“Sorry.” Eden presses her cheek to my chest again and continues tracing my tattoos. “It’s just you never talk about yourself.”
That’s because I don’t want to.
Like always, I shut down and stare at the ceiling, the mention of my father off limits. He should be dead to me, yet he’s still controlling my life, and forcing me to continue to lie to my brother while shutting everyone else out who matters to me.
FORTY-FIVE
Emerson
I findWill and Eden in Will’s bedroom when I get home from training that night. I’m totally and utterly exhausted—every muscle, every cell, deep down to my bones is aching.
Worst of all, I’m not sure how much longer I can hold it together before everything I’ve been keeping inside explodes out of me.
But finding my two favourite people together has me smiling for the first time since this morning—when I was with them.
It seems to be the only thing keeping me sane these days.
Eden jumps from the bed, wearing nothing but one of Will’s shirts, her bare thighs on full display when she races over and jumps into my arms.
Her warmth comforts me, her heart beating fast but not erratic.
I love knowing she’s happy to see me.
“Hey Pop-Tart,” I say, breathing her in, as I press my face into the space between her neck and shoulder.
God, she smells so good.
Her scent.
Will’s scent.
All mixed together to form my new favourite addiction. One that hopefully won’t break my heart.
“How was training?” she says with a kiss to my temple.
“Sweaty.” I place her back on her feet.
A flush rises up her neck and into her face, and she glances back at Will before turning back to me, her bottom lip now tucked between her teeth as she grips the hem of my shirt to lift it over my head.
“Want to get sweaty for a second time?” Eden grins up at me and bats her lashes, dropping my shirt to the ground at her bare feet.
Goddamn.
I’ll do anything just to get a moment’s silence inside my brain.
“I could get used to this,” I say, letting her pull me towards the bed.
Will keeps his gaze on me, so far remaining quiet. He’s seen me with no shirt on plenty of times, but the way he runs his eyes down my body has me sweating. His bottom half is covered by the sheet, but I don’t miss the fact his dick is hard, the outline of it visible from where I’m standing.
Mine is just as hard, pressed painfully against the inside of my shorts. So when Eden puts her hand into my boxers and wraps it around me, I breathe a sigh of relief and let my head fall back on a moan.
Her movements are slow, purposeful, taking me away with just the touch of her skin on mine.
