Adam fished two twenties out of his pocket and handed them to Libby. “You mind going down to Milton’s? Through the alley, right, and a block down on the left. One caramel latte, two black, all tall? Grab something for yourself.” Libby reached out to take the money, looking down at the tray of steaming cups on the table, then back to the bills in her hand. Adam blushed. “Yeah, I’m not so good with the whole ‘subtle’ thing. But can you just…?”
“Yeah, sure,” Libby said.
Adam snapped his fingers at James. “You’re going with her,” he said. The boy turned to Eden, who nodded. Pulling her coat around her, Libby went for the door, James at her heels. It barely shut behind them before Jarrod started in on Eden.
“Can you please just admit that it needs to end? We’ve tried talking to you, yelling. Nothing gets through to you, Eden! You were out of control last night!”
“Hey,” Adam cautioned, taking a step closer to Jarrod. “She didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Yeah, well, she doesn’t seem to be too eager to cast aside all that power, either, now does she?” Jarrod pointed out. “And it’s pretty fucking obvious from last night that she can’t handle it after all. Not as much as she takes.”
“Any power I take is for our benefit. You do know that’s why no one bothers us. Why Madeline doesn’t come after us? They’re afraid. They haven’t even thought of challenging.” Challenging me, she wanted to say.
“Look at you,” Jarrod spat. “This isn’t about you ‘saving’ the Siders anymore. You can’t stop. You’re addicted.” He looked her dead in the eyes. “You’re a junkie, Eden.”
Eden felt her face grow hot.
“Jarrod, you’re blowing this out of proportion,” Adam said.
“You agreed with me.” Jarrod’s eyes flashed bitter sparks as he took a step closer. Mere inches separated the two. “She’s losing control.”
“Maybe you’re just jealous you can’t do what she can,” Adam growled back. It was almost as if they’d forgotten Eden was there at all.
“Don’t go getting all weak in the knees now that your little girlfriend is here,” Jarrod pushed.
Adam’s punch cracked against Jarrod’s eye.
“Stop it!” Eden screamed, throwing herself between them, pressing her hand against Adam’s heaving chest. “You have no idea what it’s like! They look at me like I’m the answer to their prayers.”
“You’re obsessed with them, Eden!” Jarrod said, his hand cupped over his eye. He didn’t even pause, the built-up anger coming out in a rush. “What about us! What if Madeline had picked last night to kick you out of Manhattan and take over? You think you could have stopped her? You couldn’t even stand.”
With each word from him she flinched, her hands clenched across her chest. “What happens when they wear you down to nothing?” he whispered, his forehead knocking against hers. “And what happens to us when they do? Don’t you care?”
She moved her head until his fell onto her shoulder. “I’m supposed to turn them away because I’m having a hard time? I can’t just stop, Jarrod.” Why can’t he see this is important, she thought. “They need me.”
His sharp, sudden push sent her sprawling, sliding across the wood floor. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she came to a stop against the wall.
Adam was on him before she could react, fisting the neck of Jarrod’s sweatshirt into a knot and lifting him off the floor.
“Don’t you ever lay a hand on her!” he yelled.
Neither of them even noticed when Eden slunk to her bedroom, quietly locking herself in. She didn’t bother to climb into the bed, just curled into a ball on the floor next to the door. So she could hear what Adam said after, even though he’d lowered his voice to a whisper.
“She knows how fucked up she was last night. If that doesn’t get through to her, nothing will.”
It wasn’t until then that the tears came.
CHAPTER 26
Hours passed before anyone dared knock, but finally a soft rap sounded against the wood.
“Eden?” Libby said through the door. “James bet me a twenty you wouldn’t open the door and I only have Adam’s change left which isn’t even technically mine so I was hoping…”
Eden half smiled, wiping her hand across the mascara and eyeliner smearing down her cheeks. Unburying herself from the pile of blankets, she went to the door. Her hand was already twisting the knob when she heard a quiet, “I’ll split it with you.”