“I love you, Paradise.” He kissed her head affectionately. “And I won’t let you starve,” his voice had turned to steel. “I know you wanted it. I felt your need. Your hunger. You can’t deny that.”
Eden stared blankly over his shoulder at the doorway where Lana had walked out a different, worse kind of person than she had been when she’d walked through it. A wave of nausea washed over her as she tightened her hold on her brother. “No. I can’t deny that.”
Chapter Six
On the Edge
It would have been awkward anyway, talking to Noah after what occurred between them at the lake. But then Stellan had knocked her off her feet with her own need, her own hunger. Somehow, that felt like a betrayal of Noah. Like if he ever saw that in her he would never talk to her again. He’d hate her. Noah was the best person she knew. Obviously, since everyone else was one of the Blessed. So it made perfect sense that after watching Stellan steal the most precious thing he could from Lana and having wanted to do the same thing to her, that Eden would avoid Noah. She was afraid he would be able to read what she’d wanted, even though it wasn’t possible because he didn’t know what she was, or that creatures like her even existed. OK. So rationality wasn’t high in her list of priorities these days. Still, she’d ignored his texts over the weekend and had somehow managed to avoid him all day Monday (and nearly gotten a black eye for her trouble when she ducked behind an open locker to hide from him, and the corner edge of it missed her eye by a millimeter). Eden’s nerves felt frayed at the edges.
Tuesday. She’d gotten through a whole day again without bumping into Noah. She’d eaten lunch in her car and she had shot out of her classes like a bullet when the bell rang. Now it was French, last class of the day. She eyed the doorway and then the clock. One more minute and she was out of there. French class was pretty close to the entrance. She’d get out before Noah showed up.
The minute hand on the clock took forever.
By the time the bell rang Eden had already slipped her books into her bag. She blew past the kids in the front row, not stopping, even when she toppled one of their books off the desk. It was rude. But this was an emergency. Eden dared to sigh with relief as she shot out of the main entrance.
All that hurrying was in vain.
Noah was lounging against the driver side door of Eden’s Dodge Avenger. Yeah, she didn’t get to choose her car… that would be Celine. If it was up to Eden she’d be driving a 1969 black Chevy Impala as driven by the sexy Dean and Sam in the TV show Supernatural. All of which was beside the point when Noah had her cornered.
He raised his eyebrows at her as she approached slowly, his arms crossed over his chest. He looked relaxed but Eden saw something dark flicker in his eyes.
“Hey,” she mumbled, jingling her keys pointedly.
Noah didn’t take the hint.
“What’s up?” She sighed, trying to edge him away from the car.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. You tell me. You’re the one treating me like a leper.”
Panic tightened Eden’s chest. She didn’t want to push Noah away; she just needed a few days to get it together, to be able to look him in the eye again. She smirked at him deliberately. “Dude. Come on. I’ve just been dealing with some family stuff. It’s nothing.”
She must have sounded reassuring enough because Noah’s eyes lightened a little and he stood up away from the car. “OK. Good. Great. Um…” He looked around, suddenly appearing a little self-conscious. “You want to grab a coffee with me?”
Damn, Eden winced. Quickly she unlocked her car door and threw in her bag, not meeting Noah’s probing gaze. “Uh you know I can’t tonight. Family thing. Another night, OK?”
She didn’t even give him time to reply before she slammed the door and pulled out of her parking spot. She left tire marks at the school gate.
By Wednesday afternoon Eden’s nerves had gone from frayed to frazzled. Earlier that day she’d seen Noah heading down the hall towards her and had freaked out - she’d turned on her heel and bolted in the opposite direction. How was she supposed to explain that next time they talked?
She was in history when she got the text.
OK. You’re avoiding me. Just tell me what I did? N.
Eden didn’t think it was possible to feel any worse. Suffice to say she was in an awful mood, radiating ‘don’t talk to me or I’ll eat you’ vibes even in class. The teachers were smart enough to ignore her and most of the students were too.
Avoiding Noah at lunch, Eden had opted for the library this time. By now her skin was flush with angry heat, and her patience? Non-existent. She did the unthinkable and headed towards the classics aisle, hoping a little Jane Austen would civilize her.
Mr. Darcy was just in the middle of insulting Elizabeth (tolerable indeed!) when Eden heard the human snarl. Someone cried out, as if in pain. Frowning, Eden laid down the book and walked quietly to the end of the aisle. She peered around the corner into the dark cove of bookshelves at the back of the library, the one that every library seemed to have. Her heart started to race a little at the scene in front of her. Lucy Stevens, hot senior and head cheerleader, had a grip of a sophomore’s shirt, holding her up so tight the girl’s feet nearly dangled off the floor. Eden had seen the sophomore around before. She was this petite, gorgeous red-head with big sad green eyes. Eden couldn’t be sure but she thought the girl was maybe the youngest on the cheerleading squad. Right now her young, pretty face was screwed up in horror, rivulets of mascara staining her cheeks.
“This is me being merciful, Amber,” Lucy hissed into her face. “This is your last warning.”
“B-but I didn’t d-d-do anything,” Amber cried.
Eden winced at the crack of Lucy’s hand against Amber’s cheek and the muffled sob from the victim. “You calling my boyfriend a liar, Amber?”
Amber shook her head, holding her right cheekbone.
“I didn’t think so. He’s mine, you little slut, you come onto him again and I’ll make your life here a living hell. Wouldn’t want everyone finding out that secret you told me right? How step-daddy likes to touch you inappropriately?”