York.
She was tempted to tell Joachim about meeting Sebastian Stone. Being older than her, Joachim had more interaction with Sebastian than she ever had. But then Joachim asked the question she was so hoping he wouldn’t.
“And how are you feeling about, you know, everything?” He looked sincerely at her, and she had to look away after a moment before she answered.
“I’m fine. Really. Edinburgh was great for me. It really gave me what I needed.” She hoped he would pick up on the tone. What she had needed was a new start, and here he was bringing up the past.
“Really? That’s so good to hear, Eden, because I want to talk to you about something. About us.” He reached over and gently took her hand in his. “I don’t want to lose you again. If you’re ready, if you’re okay, I would love to pick things up where we left them. I mean, before…” He trailed off, not wanting to directly refer to the attack.
Despite the amount of time they had dated, they had never clearly stated the parameters of their relationship. There had never been any promises made, and any declaration of emotion had really only been on Joachim’s part. She had initially been fairly timid with Joachim, and she expected to eventually reciprocate his feelings, but instead, her feelings for him had morphed into familiarity and comfort, not lust and desire. Joachim was so easy to be around and he treated her well. They had remained exclusive throughout her first two years at college, with a few short break-ups that never lasted long.
When she left St. Leonard’s, they never explicitly broke up, but with her breakdown, Joachim’s role seamlessly moved from boyfriend to platonic friend. And now that she was back, she should have known that Joachim would have been expecting them to return to being more than friends.
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Eden replied, pulling her hand back. She gave him a big smile. “Come on, I’ll walk you back. Just because you’re the boss’s son doesn’t mean you can skive off!” She knew she had not given Joachim the answer he had been looking for, but he was too polite and kind to push the matter further.
But standing in front of his office building, Eden could see that Joachim wasn’t going to let it go completely. She decided to face it head-on. “It was so good to catch up. Just what I needed, really.” She leaned into him and gave him a warm hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly to her. “I have missed you. I just need more time, please understand,” she whispered into his ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and almost lifted her off the ground with his embrace.
“Always, babe. I’ll always understand.”
“I’ll call you,” she said as he turned and walked toward the building. He glanced around one last time, blowing her a kiss, knowing it would make her laugh. Eden turned toward the busy avenue, ready to hail a cab, still smiling from his ridiculous childlike display of affection, when she noticed the town car on the other side of the street . She blushed, remembering the last time she had been in a car like that. She suddenly gasped as she realized the man about to get into the car was Sebastian Stone. He was staring at her with a look of pure fury on his face. She stared back, hardly able to move or even wave at him. A bus came between them and when it finally drove off, he was gone.
****
Arriving at her apartment , Eden couldn’t shake the look Sebastian had given her. What was he so angry about? Surely he remembered Joachim. Why would he be angry to see them together? Eden shook her head. It seemed like every interaction she had with Sebastian left her flustered.
Her phone rang and she curiously looked at the screen—Mara. Why was she calling her? They’d been emailing almost daily since they left Edinburgh, but Mara was usually too busy to call, and the time difference made things awkward. Mara’s reunion with
She was tempted to tell Joachim about meeting Sebastian Stone. Being older than her, Joachim had more interaction with Sebastian than she ever had. But then Joachim asked the question she was so hoping he wouldn’t.
“And how are you feeling about, you know, everything?” He looked sincerely at her, and she had to look away after a moment before she answered.
“I’m fine. Really. Edinburgh was great for me. It really gave me what I needed.” She hoped he would pick up on the tone. What she had needed was a new start, and here he was bringing up the past.
“Really? That’s so good to hear, Eden, because I want to talk to you about something. About us.” He reached over and gently took her hand in his. “I don’t want to lose you again. If you’re ready, if you’re okay, I would love to pick things up where we left them. I mean, before…” He trailed off, not wanting to directly refer to the attack.
Despite the amount of time they had dated, they had never clearly stated the parameters of their relationship. There had never been any promises made, and any declaration of emotion had really only been on Joachim’s part. She had initially been fairly timid with Joachim, and she expected to eventually reciprocate his feelings, but instead, her feelings for him had morphed into familiarity and comfort, not lust and desire. Joachim was so easy to be around and he treated her well. They had remained exclusive throughout her first two years at college, with a few short break-ups that never lasted long.
When she left St. Leonard’s, they never explicitly broke up, but with her breakdown, Joachim’s role seamlessly moved from boyfriend to platonic friend. And now that she was back, she should have known that Joachim would have been expecting them to return to being more than friends.
“I’m not sure. I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Eden replied, pulling her hand back. She gave him a big smile. “Come on, I’ll walk you back. Just because you’re the boss’s son doesn’t mean you can skive off!” She knew she had not given Joachim the answer he had been looking for, but he was too polite and kind to push the matter further.
But standing in front of his office building, Eden could see that Joachim wasn’t going to let it go completely. She decided to face it head-on. “It was so good to catch up. Just what I needed, really.” She leaned into him and gave him a warm hug, wrapping her arms around his neck and squeezing him tightly to her. “I have missed you. I just need more time, please understand,” she whispered into his ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and almost lifted her off the ground with his embrace.
“Always, babe. I’ll always understand.”
“I’ll call you,” she said as he turned and walked toward the building. He glanced around one last time, blowing her a kiss, knowing it would make her laugh. Eden turned toward the busy avenue, ready to hail a cab, still smiling from his ridiculous childlike display of affection, when she noticed the town car on the other side of the street . She blushed, remembering the last time she had been in a car like that. She suddenly gasped as she realized the man about to get into the car was Sebastian Stone. He was staring at her with a look of pure fury on his face. She stared back, hardly able to move or even wave at him. A bus came between them and when it finally drove off, he was gone.
****
Arriving at her apartment , Eden couldn’t shake the look Sebastian had given her. What was he so angry about? Surely he remembered Joachim. Why would he be angry to see them together? Eden shook her head. It seemed like every interaction she had with Sebastian left her flustered.
Her phone rang and she curiously looked at the screen—Mara. Why was she calling her? They’d been emailing almost daily since they left Edinburgh, but Mara was usually too busy to call, and the time difference made things awkward. Mara’s reunion with
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