Eden

"Eden, sweetie, come downstairs and meet our new neighbors." My mother calls from downstairs sounding nice for once, but I know it's an act.

"Coming!" I yell, checking my braces for the 10th time since I got them earlier. Now I have something else to make me look like a total freak as if acne wasn't enough. Staring at myself in the mirror, I try to ignore the small red dot on my forehead and chin. I stare at the hazel-eyed girl looking back at me, trying to find something remotely beautiful about myself. Before heading downstairs, I brush my dark brown wavy hair once more before accepting the fact that my hair has a vendetta against me.

I usually don't like meeting my mother's friends because I'm shy and would rather stay in my room while some man tries to get my mother to like him straight to the bedroom, but she has already told me twice that she wants me to meet our new neighbors, so I have to. She usually wouldn't include me, and if she called me down, it was only to criticize me or make me feel ugly. So, what's so special about them anyways besides the fact they have money? From the brief backstory she gave me this morning, one of them is 23, and the other is 25. Both are extremely rich from some type of family business. My mother has money, but it's mostly from the divorce, so she is always searching for another source to fund her lifestyle. My dad pays child support, and most of the money goes to her or my schooling. If I want something, she buys it, though, but only to make up for how horrid she is.

As I'm coming down, I see the backs of two men standing in front of my mom who has on her tiny tennis dress even though she doesn't play tennis anymore. My stomach knots a little in anticipation as the presence of the two men seems strong and intimidating especially to a 15-year-old.

"Oh, there you are sweetie." I walk around the men and stand by her side, letting her wrap her arm around my shoulders.

"Sweetie, you should have brushed your hair." She tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear, and I pull away.

"I did," I mumble, already hoping this ends quickly. I hesitate to look up, not really one for making eye awkward eye contact.

"Eden, this is Harper and Jasper King. They just moved next door. This is my daughter Eden. She is 15."

I extend my hand. "Nice to meet you."

My voice was small, yet proper. I look down, not wanting them to see my braces. Both men are like something off of an episode of Gossip Girl. Both tall, handsome, and too damn young for my mother. Both equally make me feel like a creature coming out from her cave. Harper and Jasper look almost the same, but Harper's hair is a little long and messy, whereas Jasper's is smoothed back. Both have green eyes, but Jasper's seemed darker. His whole vibe screams mean and hard. I can tell he is the older brother and more uptight than Harper, whose smile hasn't left yet.

"Hello, Eden, it's very nice to meet you," Harper says flashing me a model smile. I look over at Jasper, and as he shakes my hand, he doesn't really smile. His strong domineering eyes go from my eyes down to my mouth, looking at my braces. My cheeks heat up, and I turn red under his intense stare. Unfortunately, my mom notices.

"Oh Eden, do you have a little crush on Jasper?" She pinches my cheeks, and I push her hand away, making her frown.

"Mom, stop." I roll my eyes, and when her expression changes, I know I've crossed the line.

"Why don't you two go into the kitchen and get a drink?" She smiles at the men. "Eden, can I talk to you for a moment?" Her sweet voice fools everyone but me.

I don't say anything; I just follow her. I look towards the kitchen, and Jasper is looking right at me. I can't read his expression, but I don't break eye contact until he is out of view. My mom pulls me into her office, and when she closes the door, she is the mom I know and hate.

"Eden, do you want to ruin my chances of getting a great man? Your father left us for Christ's sake. Do you want me to be lonely and miserable?" Always playing the victim. The reason she can't get a man is that, eventually, they become tired of her drunken antics.

"No, ma'am." I look down, and she grabs my jaw hard, forcing me to look up at her.

"Then stop acting like a little brat!" The grip on my jaw makes the inside of my lip press against my new braces, and I taste a tinge of blood as they cut my mouth.

"I'm sorry." Tears threaten to spill over, but I know it'll only make it worse.

"You definitely are, and you better not start crying. It's pathetic." She pushes my face away. "Now, get into that kitchen and act right"

"Yes, ma'am." I nod and follow her out of the office and back into the kitchen. When we walk in, whatever the two brothers were talking about stops, and Harper smiles and begins complimenting my mom on the lovely house, but again, Jasper doesn't say anything. I sit down on a barstool next to him, and he turns towards me.

"You know, I had braces at your age." His expression was still blank and hard, but I guess that's just his personality.

"They suck. I look like a freak." I frown and suddenly my mom is in front of me smiling sweetly. "Here, honey, here are some ice chips for your mouth. I know those braces are uncomfortable."

I take the cup and slip some ice into my mouth. This is my mom's routine. She hurts me then heals me. Ever since my dad left her 2 years ago, she has taken out her frustrations on me. Jasper gives Harper a look, and Harper looks at me and smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes. I see a glimpse of sorrow in them for some reason.

As I suck on the ice, Jasper just sits next to me. I peek over at him a few times, taking in his features over and over.

"Don't you want to go out by the pool with your brother and my mom?" I ask as he drinks his bottle of water instead of the alcohol my mom offered. "No, I'm not really interested in your mother if you don't mind me saying. I'm just here to be polite."

Finally, someone who can see through her facade. "Oh, well, I guess that's okay. Your brother seems smitten by her though."

Jasper smirks. "What 15-year-old says smitten?"

I shrug. "I don't know. I just have a vivid vocabulary. I like to read."

"What's your favorite book right now?" Jasper turns in his chair to face me.

"Well, in class we are reading Tuesdays with Morrie. Well, I've read all of it already. It's good." I slip another piece of ice in my mouth, frowning at my sore gums.

"I hope we didn't get you into trouble." His words make my stomach knot, and I don't know what to say. "Um no. What makes you think that?"

"No reason. I just noticed that your jaw is really red. Sort of like someone grabbed it a little too hard. Might have caused your gums to rub against your braces." My heartbeat becomes audible in my ears as I panic. Who the heck is this guy, CSI?

"No one grabbed me. I'm fine." I force a smile, and he nods. "Okay"

I wanted so badly to scream out the truth, but I knew it wouldn't help me. It would just make things worse. Jasper is about to say something when my mom and Harper walk back in. My mom's eyes fall on me sensing the tension. "Oh, Jasper, you didn't have to sit in here with boring old Eden."

"I'm fine. Eden suggested that I join you, but I decided to stay in." I see the flicker in my mom's expression, and I know when they leave I'm going to get it. "Oh, okay then. Eden, you can go back to your room now. I know you don't want to be down here with the grown-ups"

I nod and walk off but not before Jasper stops me "It was nice to meet you, Eden." I smile softly and walk off.

I sit in my room for an hour waiting to hear the front door close, and when it does, I just sit on my bed and wait. I look over at the window, and it's facing Harper and Jasper's house. I focus my attention on the palm tree by an upstairs window as I hear my mother's footsteps come up the marble stairs. I know by now she is drunk, so I know it's going to be bad. She comes and slams my bedroom door behind her. Her hand immediately flies back before coming at my face hard. The sting of the back of her hand burns, and I start crying.

"Dammit Eden, why couldn't you act right! Why would Jasper King want to sit with you? You are an ugly disgrace!" I hold my face crying as the smell of alcohol oozes off of her.

I hold my face as she steps up and smooths my hair back. "No man will ever want you, Eden."

And with that, she walks out. I get up, closing my bedroom door. As I'm walking to my bathroom, I swear I see someone move across the window next door. I look over at the upstairs window, and no one is there. I walk over to my window and close the blinds.

The next morning when I leave the house to get to the bus stop, Jasper is on the porch. I wave lightly, and he nods once. Harper comes out of the house and sees me. "Good morning, Eden."

"Morning," I say picking at my uniform skirt. Thank my mother for sending me to a Catholic school, and I'm not even Catholic. She just wants to impress people with her false interpretation of religion. Don't get me wrong, we have a bible, but she only uses it as a coaster for her glass of Jack Daniels. Amen to that, I guess. Harper comes off his porch and over to me. "Eden, it was very nice meeting you yesterday."

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you too." I nod. "Um, are you going to date my mom?" I can't help but want to know. Harper smiles and shakes his head. "No, she is a lovely woman, but not quite my type."

"Okay." I turn, and the sunlight hits my cheek, revealing the light bruise on my jaw.

"Eden, who did this to you?" He runs his finger across my jaw. His touch awakens something in me that not every 15-year-old would normally feel. I shake my head nervously. "No one."

I push his hand away. Behind him, I see Jasper stand up on the porch, and I assume he didn't share his concerns with his brother yesterday.

"Harper, your phone is ringing," Jasper yells, freeing me from almost being interrogated. Harper turns to say something, and I take the chance to walk away. He calls my name, but I ignore him, only looking back once.

I can't tell anyone. I won't.

When I get home from school, I am greeted by my mother. "Hi, Eden, how were school and practice?"

"It was okay." I sit my book bag and lacrosse stuff by the staircase, pulling my phone from my pocket.

"Aren't you supposed to be at yoga?" She comes from the kitchen. "Yes, but Harper called and said he wanted to have dinner with us, so I'm going to cook."

She bounces around the kitchen, pulling out different ingredients. I am content with this side of my mom. When she is so consumed by a man, she is actually okay. She cooks and bakes like a normal mom until they break up with her. Then it's back to beating Eden because apparently having a daughter is too much for any man that comes through here. She blames me for being single and sometimes she even suggests that I go live with my dad in Spain.

"Cool," I mumble, wondering why he would lie about wanting to date my mom. If he didn't want to, why would he want to come over? I go upstairs and shower, throwing on a pair of shorts and a school spirit shirt and pulling my damp hair into a bun. When I get downstairs, I hear talking, and I already know who it is.

I go into the kitchen. "Mom, I think I'm going to skip dinner. I have a lot of homework" She smiles. "You sure, honey?"

I nod, grabbing an apple from the fridge. I know she is secretly happy that I won't be around to interrupt her from throwing herself at Harper. I roll my eyes, and instead of going back upstairs, I slip out the front door with my headphones and lay down on the porch swing. I look up at the stars as Justin Nozuka plays in my ear. I begin to doze off, and I feel someone in my presence. I sit up, and Jasper is standing there. I take off my headphones. "Hi, Jasper. Um, your brother is in the house with my mom."

"I know. I came to talk to you." I know I'm not old enough to even be attracted to anyone, but Jasper is seriously hot. He takes a seat next to me, and I feel my whole body heat up "Uh, o...okay. What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I know that your mother hit you yesterday." His deep voice was both intimidating and soothing. "I saw it from the hall window. " I look up at him in surprise. I knew someone was watching.

"Oh. Um, it's nothing. I'm fine. I just made her angry. It was my—" Jasper takes my hand in his silencing me. "It wasn't your fault, so don't say it."

"Y..you can't tell," I whisper as I begin to cry, and he nods.

"I won't. Just promise me you'll come to talk to me or Harper if you need to, no matter what time of the day." With his thumb, he wipes away a tear flowing down my cheek, sending the same electric feeling through me as Harper did this morning when he touched my jaw.

I nod. "Okay."

"Promise?" He looks down at me, and his expression is very serious. "I promise."

From then on, Jasper becomes my favorite. When my mom is drunk or passed out after rampaging around, I slip out of the house and go next door so that she doesn't come into my room and hit me. Harper and Jasper help me with my homework and play hours of board games until I feel like it's okay to go home. Harper still comes over for my mom which makes me angry or maybe jealous, but he always leaves before she suggests he stay the night. I am used to him being around my house since he keeps her happy, though. Jasper, however, usually keeps to himself, and if I want to talk to him, I have to go to his office and sit down quietly and wait for him to finish phone calls. We don't talk about much, but sometimes I don't feel like talking anyway. He understands what I go through with my mother since he says his own father was an alcoholic. I confide in both Harper and Jasper with my secrets, and they even let me talk about boys I like at school.

I see both of them as the big brothers I never had. Always there to protect me, but if my mom ever found out that I'm spending time at their house like this, I'd be dead or, worse, shipped to Spain.

4 Years Later

"Eden, your mom is going to be amazing."

"Ryan, you don't know my mom." I run my fingers through my hair, anxious about my mother meeting my boyfriend from college. We have been together for a year now, and he knows nothing about my home life except for the pretty parts I've told him. When we have visited in the past, I've insisted we stay in a hotel and have dinner at my grandmother's house. This time, though, the hotel I wanted to stay at was booked, and Grandma was out of town.

"Eden, every family has its problems, so stop being all nervous." He takes my hand, and I lean on his shoulder.

"It sucks that I'm not coming back to school with you. I just have to take care of my mom." Yep, I'm a college drop-out. I received a call from my mother saying she needs me, and she is sick, so of course, I am going to drop my whole life at Columbia and return home. I worked hard to get the hell out of here, and yet, a year later, I'm coming back with my tail between my legs like a little lost puppy. Ryan is only staying two days before heading back to the city to start summer classes. He is upset about me leaving, but I'm sure he will find some new girl to "study" with since we were never that serious anyway.

As the cab pulls up to my house, I freeze as the familiar tension washes over me, or maybe it's just regret. I take a deep breath, opening the car door. Ryan grabs our luggage and as we are walking up the driveway, the front door swings open.

"Eden! I'm so happy to see you" She runs out to me, pulling me into an aggressive hug, over-squeezing me. I catch a whiff of alcohol on her, and I make my nose scrunch up. "Happy to see you too, Mom." I pull back.

"You remember my friend, Ryan." No use in calling him my boyfriend anymore.

"Eden, he is as adorable as ever." She reaches out, pinching his cheek and winking at him, and I groan. So embarrassing. She leads us into the house, and it's as clean and classy as it always is. Everything is in the same place as if it has never been moved or changed. Almost like a shrine.

"I'm making lasagna for dinner, so you two go get cleaned up." Her definition of cooking has always been throwing a frozen meal into the oven before putting it in a glass dish and calling it homemade. She goes into the kitchen, picking up the glass of wine sitting on the counter. She couldn't even sober up for one day. All I want is one normal day back home.

I show Ryan to the guest room, and he says he is going to shower, which is perfect because I have to go see my guys. I lay my stuff in my room and leave out the front door, heading a house over. Jasper and Harper took it upon themselves to become close with me, knowing my situation and all. They always texted and called while I was at school. If I needed anything and my mother wasn't mentally available, they would help me.

I knock on the door, and no one answers, so I walk in like I usually do when I'm here. "Harper, Jasper!" I call out but, I don't get an answer. I run my fingers over the redwood walls as I look for them. As I round the corner to the kitchen, I am suddenly swept up by a pair of strong arms. I squeal.

"Harper! Put me down!" I laugh as he sets me back on my feet. I wrap my arms around him. "I've missed you!" Harper is still the more playful brother, always making me laugh. Whereas Jasper is still the more serious brother. He is funny in his own way, but I know I can talk to him about more serious issues.

"I've missed you too, kiddo." He kisses my forehead, and I frown.

"I'm not a kid. I'm 19." I punch his arm, and he acts hurt. He wraps his arms around me and starts scratching my back.

"So, how long are you home?" My expression falls, and I look down. Harper nudges my chin up to look at him.

"I'm not going back." I shake my head. "She is getting worse."

I focus on his shirt, not wanting to look him in the eye. He always has on pastel-colored button-downs, and Jasper opts for darker colors. Despite their differences, no one can ever say that they can't dress. Both believe in designers. Even if it's just button-downs and khakis, which is what they both tend to wear when they aren't at their offices in the city.

Harper sighs hard. "Damn it, Eden, I'm sorry." I force a smile. "It's okay. Community college isn't so bad. I can enroll in online classes just so I don't fall behind. It's not a big deal." Harper pulls me into another hug, knowing that I'm clearly lying my ass off about being okay and completely upset about this whole situation. I breathe in his cologne; he always smells like Burberry cologne, and I like it when it sticks to my clothes. "Where is Jasper?"

"Where he always is. Upstairs in the office." He pats my butt twice. "Go see him, kiddo, I'll be up in a minute."

"Stop calling me that" I groan as I head upstairs. When I get to the double doors, I tap lightly, hearing him in a conversation. I open the door, walking in quietly. When he looks up, his stern expression doesn't change, but then again, I'm sure he was born with that expression. I walk over to him as his eyes follow me, and he pushes his chair back, so I can sit on his lap. Leaning against him, I wrap my arms around his neck as he talks about business on the phone. I gaze around his office and not much has changed since I was last here during Christmas except for the collection of autographed baseballs I got him as a gift. I ended up spending most of Christmas here while my mother slept off all the egg nog and vodka from a party she throws every year. I don't remember when the three of us became so comfortable; it just sort of happened overnight. Some may think of it as inappropriate, but I think of it as hanging with my big brothers.

Jasper slams the phone down. "Fucking idiot, can't even manage his own money." His arms automatically wrap around my waist. "Always so angry, Jasper. I've missed you"

"I've missed you too, kiddo." I roll my eyes. "You too? Harper called me the same thing. I'm not a kid. I'm 19, very mature for my age. Practically an adult."

Jasper looks up at me, and the corner of his mouth turns up slightly. "An adult who whines." He kisses my cheek, and Harper comes in, sitting in the chair in front of the desk.

"I don't whine. If you are going to insult me, I can go home and spend time with Ryan." Immediately, Harper and Jasper groan. "You brought that kid back. I thought you would have dumped him by now. He isn't your type, Eden." Harper is always first to express his dislike towards Ryan despite only meeting him once.

"He isn't that bad." I laugh, and Jasper rubs my back. "We just don't think he is mature enough for you."

I huff. "Change the subject, please." They always say guys my age aren't mature, yet I'm beyond my years. I don't get them sometimes.

Harper clears his throat "So, I think we should discuss the fact that Eden here is not going back to school."

"Damn it, Harper. I could have told him myself." I sigh, and Jasper pinches my side for cursing, and I flinch.

"No, you wouldn't have. You knew Jasper would be pissed."

Jasper took me getting into Columbia very seriously, being a graduate of the school and all. He spent six months helping me with my admission essay and even wrote me a letter of recommendation after I worked at one of their buildings for almost a year. So, Harper is right; the moment I made the decision, I knew Jasper would be more affected. I look at Jasper who is looking at me. "Why?"

"My mom needs me. I can't just leave her alone." I go to stand up, but Jasper pulls me back down "Not done talking. You're throwing Columbia away for Kathy?"

I sigh. "She is an alcoholic, but both of you know that, so I don't know what the problem is," I mumble, eyeing the picture on Jasper's desk, and I can't understand why it's still sitting there. I hate my 9th-grade class picture. Braces, acne, weird hair, definitely not my best days. Thankfully, puberty was kind to me, and the acne disappeared, my teeth straightened, and I got a flat iron. I'm no longer lanky and a freak. I have curves that I love, and I thank lacrosse for them every day. By society's standards, I am considered "hot", but at the same time, I kept my nose in the books so much that I rarely went to parties. The few I did go to lead me to be with Ryan.

"I'm disappointed, Eden. I pulled a lot of strings for you," Jasper says, and I feel like I'm seriously letting him down. I look up at Harper waiting for him to say something funny or witty, but it never comes. "I'm sorry Eden, but I'm pretty bummed about it too."

"I don't have a choice. I can't just let her take care of herself. She is a mess. I'm sorry." I shrug feeling my eyes water.

Jasper frowns more than he usually does. "You're going back, Eden. I will drag you there myself." I feel his finger tapping against my back. "I can't. It's over."

Jasper groans. "Such a foolish choice, Eden. You're better than this."

I immediately feel irritated and judged. I stand up. "Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? Let my mother drink herself into her fucking grave? I thought you two would understand, but I guess not. Sorry I even came over." I storm out, and Harper calls out for me. I ignore him and head back to my house. Before I walk into my front door, I look up into Jasper's office window and see him looking down at me. I roll my eyes and walk into the house. Sometimes they drive me crazy.

After showering and changing clothes, I go downstairs and see my mother showing Ryan my baby books. I join them on the couch, and she slides my plate of lasagna across the coffee table to me. I sit there and act happy as she explains my so-called wild baby days. Too bad the book stops right when my dad left. Everything after middle school is in a box under the stairs.

I can tell my mother has been drinking by the way she keeps touching Ryan's arms and thigh. "Mom, I think that's enough of memory lane."

"Oh stop, Eden; he is fine." She starts to laugh, and her hand lands dangerously close to Ryan's junk. He flinches and I sit my plate down grabbing her half-empty wine bottle and glass, walking off with it. "Eden, gimme that back!" I march into the kitchen, dumping the wine in the sink. When I turn around, she grabs my arm. "You think you are in charge of me now! I'm still your mother!" The empty glass falls to the floor, and glass scatters everywhere. Just great.

I pull away from her. "You are drunk and making a fool of yourself!" Just then, she pushes me, and I fall to the floor, bumping my head into a barstool.

"You just want to hurt me, Eden!" She starts crying, and I groan, too used to this routine. "Mom, you are hurting yourself! You're the one who called me and told me you needed help. I'm dropping out of college for you! So, who is hurting who?!" I start rubbing the back of my head.

My mom stops yelling and begins sobbing. She falls to her knees, crawling over to me, and pulls me to her. "I'm sorry, Eden. I'm sick. I need you. I love you, Eden. You're all I have."

I sigh and reluctantly rub her back. "It's okay."

"No, it's not. I'm a failure! I can't even get a good man in my life. You have Ryan. He is wonderful." Yeah, wonderful, right.

Stumbling to my feet, I pick her up off the floor. "Come on, let's get you to bed" I walk her upstairs as Ryan just sits on the couch in silence. Embarrassment consumes me at the fact that I have to put my own mother to bed because she is wasted on wine or whatever else she drank today. Once I get her into bed, I throw the covers over her. When I look around her room, there are clothes all over the place. I pick them up, tossing them into a pile. Even when I didn't want to take care of her, I ended up doing it anyway. It's like second nature to me.

I go downstairs, and Ryan helps me wash dishes and sweep up the glass. I apologize to him 10 times for the scene, but he says that he understands. He is probably shocked at just how much baggage I have. When we finish, we go upstairs to my room, and Ryan follows me, wrapping his arms around me.

"You are amazing, Eden." He kisses the back of my neck, and I turn around to face him. "No, I'm not. My life is a mess."

Ryan cups my face. "You are. I don't know how you managed to make all A's at school knowing this is going on at home."

"Well, look where it's gotten me. I'm dropping out." I shrug, and his hands snake up the sides of my shirt

"Amazing, nonetheless." He leans in, pressing his lips against mine. He quickly pulls my shirt from over my head, dropping it to the floor as he begins unzipping my shorts. I pull his shirt off, running my hands down his body.

"Don't go too far, okay?" I whisper, and Ryan nods. I don't know why I've never had sex with Ryan. I've wanted to on many occasions, but I just never let it happen. Ryan picks me up and carries me to the bed. His body hovers over mine, and his mouth begins trailing over my jaw and neck. I moan and turn my head to give him better access. I feel a gust of cool air come in, and my nipples harden. Ryan's hands grip them softly, and he begins grinding against him. Ryan's hand slips down my underwear, and I moan loudly as his fingers play around at my core. The room fills with my moans as Ryan eases his body down between my legs. I reach back on the nightstand and click the light off.

After all the heavy petting, Ryan goes to sleep, but I stay awake, thinking about how my life is going to be now. I'm dropping out of college, and as much as I try not to be angry about it, I am. I hate my mother for making me make this decision even if she didn't directly say it. I sit up, finally giving up on sleep, and decide to go talk to Harper. I don't want to talk to Jasper because I know he is still angry with me. In a pair of shorts and a tank top, I sneak out and go next door. I walk in through the back, and the kitchen light is still on, so I know they are awake. When I'm upstairs, I hear a moaning sound coming from Harper's room. Against my better judgment, I ease the door open, and my eyes widen.

There on the bed is Harper and some women. Harper is pounding into the woman from behind, and her face is down in the pillow as she yells out, gripping the sheets. My heart begins racing, and I feel dirty for even watching. Out of the years, I've known them both, I have never seen them with anything less than a shirt on. Something inside of me ignite,s and I doubt a bucket of ice water could put it out. Harper gently runs his hand down the girl's back the same way he does mine, cursing into the air. "Fuck! You're so wet." His deep voice sends a chill down my spine. Feeling like I'm invading his privacy, I step back to leave, but I freeze when I see a naked Jasper walk up to the bed. Holy shit.

He grabs the woman's blonde hair, yanking her head up, and she immediately wraps her mouth around his large member as if she has been trained to. I bite my lip trying to suppress a moan dying to escape as he thrusts into the woman's mouth roughly. I exhale softly, feeling my panties become moist as I watch Jasper's hardened expression, full of dominance. I've never really been experienced in the sex department, and Ryan is my first boyfriend because I was too shy to date in high school, never trusting the intentions of teenage boys. The only time I've ever seen people have sex is on porn, and it looked fake. Seeing Harper and Jasper having their way with the woman is something new to me. I decided I shouldn't watch anymore, and when I step back again, I bump into the hall table making a thud noise. I gasp as Harper and Jasper's eyes shoot up, seeing me through the small opening of the door. I look at both of them in shock before I turn around, leaving quickly.

I rush back to my house, and when I check my phone, there is a text from Harper. I delete the text before even reading it just to save me the embarrassment of having to face the fact that I witnessed Jasper and Harper banging some random woman. It's not even the fact that they are brothers that bothers me. It's just that I always saw them as my brothers, rarely ever thinking of them in a sexual way, and now......my God.

I slip back into bed with Ryan, and he doesn't budge. Laying there, I spend the night hours playing the scene over and over in my mind detail by detail. I have to face the fact that it turned me on to see them both like that, and a part of me wishes I knew what it felt like to be handled in that manner, but being a virgin really put a damper on that idea. I have no religious ties or sentimental value to my virginity; I've just never felt like the moment was right. I don't want to just hand it over as my mother does to any guy who pulls out their black card, or penis for that matter, and it just never feels right with Ryan. He just seems too eager to get me into bed, not really taking the time to savor every inch of me. I guess I'm just a hopeless romantic who is helplessly horny. At least someone got lucky tonight.

I finally doze off around 4 am still in shock of what I walked in on. When I wake up, the sun is shining in my face, and Ryan's arms are wrapped around me. I roll out of bed quietly, not waking Ryan. I grab the remote to the window shades, letting them up. Standing in front of the window, I stretch and then anxiety consumes me when last night comes back to me. My arms fall to my side, and I shake my head. "What the fuck is wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you." I jump, turning around to see Ryan laying there smiling. I crawl back in bed to him and straddle him.

"I hope I didn't wake you." I brush his hair back, leaning down to kiss him quickly. Okay, maybe I like him more than I let on, but there is no use in getting attached. He leaves later tonight. Ryan wraps his arms around me, and I lay on his chest for a while just to soak him in.

After showering together and getting dressed, we head downstairs. It's 9:30 in the morning, and I know my mother isn't awake yet. After a night of drinking, she usually doesn't show her face until mid-afternoon only to start drinking again. I make Ryan and myself some pancakes and bacon while we talk about my childhood in this house of horrors. I know I joke about my life, but it's the only way I don't lose my mind. Even up to moving out for college, my mom would still slap the crap out of me, saying I was leaving her just like my dad did. She always needed someone to blame for her misfortune.

Ryan and I retreat to the back deck overlooking a small lake to eat breakfast. I engage in conversation just so I don't have to think about Jasper and Harper for a little while, at least until I figure out what the hell I'm going to say when they confront me about it. It's not like I did anything out of the ordinary. I am used to just letting myself in, but it finally dawns on me that when I was younger there were a few nights where they would tell me that I couldn't come over. I just thought they needed a break from me to work. Hmph, they did work alright.

After breakfast, we go out to the lake and get on my paddle boat. Ryan rows out to the middle of the lake, and we just lay around for the day. I drape my arm over the edge of the boat, letting my fingers flow through the water, and I find myself analyzing everything about last night. I look behind me, and Ryan has his hat pulled over his eyes and is snoring lightly. I flick water at him, and he smiles.

"I will throw you overboard," he mumbles.

"I dare you." I smirk, and he peeks from under the hat.

"Come here," he whispers, and I slowly move over to him. I hover over him, and he cups my face. "I'm going to miss you, Eden."

His light blue eyes soak into mine, and I smile. "I'm going to miss you too." I press my forehead against his chest, and he kisses the top of my head.

Suddenly, I'm being pushed out of the paddleboat. I splash into the water, and when I come up, Ryan is jumping into the water over me. He comes up, and his hands are around my waist. I lean in and kiss him, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Just as we are having fun, I hear my name being yelled. I groan against his mouth, and when I turn around, my mom is standing on the back deck. "Eden!"

"Fun's over," I mumble, swimming back over to the boat. We climb in, and Ryan paddles back to the dock. We walk back, dripping wet, and as we get closer, I can tell she isn't happy. I step up on the deck and tell Ryan to go in. After he is out of view, my mother pulls me into the sunroom. "Eden, what the hell were you thinking? The neighbors can see you."

I frown. "So, I was swimming in the lake as everyone else does."

"Everyone else isn't a slut. How dare you act like that out in the open? Kissing and crap for everyone to see." She begins pacing around, and I don't understand why she is so angry. Compared to what she does in the privacy of her bedroom, my display of affection is like a child's play.

"Mom, it's not that serious." I roll my eyes, and out of nowhere, she hits me across my temple. "Don't you backtalk me!"

I touch my temple, and I feel a sting right by my hairline. I pull my hand back, seeing a tinge of blood. I look down at her hand and see her wearing her wedding ring again, which explains the cut on my forehead now.

"I can't do this anymore." I go to walk past her, and she grabs my wet shirt, yanking me down to the floor.

"You're nothing but an ugly whore, Eden. I know you two slept together!" She takes a vase from the side table and pulled the flowers out of it, dumping the water over my face. I choke on the water as I try to get up, and she slaps me again. I yell out as she begins dragging me across the floor by my shirt. "Let me go, Mom!"

"Shut up!" she screams back, pulling harder. She drags me into the kitchen and comes down on me. She grips the necklace I got for my 10th birthday, ripping it from my neck. Tears stream from my face, and suddenly, I hear Ryan's voice yelling for her to let me go. I look up, and he has his arms around her, pulling her back. Right before I'm out of her reach, she grips my hair, pulling it with all her might. I scream out, and she lets go, but not without some still in her clutch. My mom wiggles out of his grip, and she storms off, pushing Ryan against the wall.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" He runs over to me laying on the floor. "Eden, are you okay?" His hand hovers over my head not touching me, but I feel the warmth of his skin. My whole head is throbbing, and the steady flow of tears hinders me from seeing clearly.

"Take me next door, please." I sob, and suddenly, I'm being picked up and carried. He carries me to the back of Jasper and Harper's house and slides the door open with his foot.

"Help!" he yells into the house, and I hear Harper's voice. "What the hell happened?" I hear him run over to us.

"She just attacked her for no reason," Ryan mumbles, passing me into Harper's arms. I bury my face into his shoulder, and my whole body is shaking. "It's okay, E. I gotcha." Harper calls for Jasper as he lays me on the couch. He tells Ryan to go to the hall closet and get towels as Jasper comes downstairs. He kneels over me, and when he is about to touch my head, I flinch, pushing his hand away. I can tell Jasper is beyond angry. His face is hard and red.

"Her mom nearly ripped her hair from her scalp. I was upstairs but came back down when I heard screaming," Ryan says, coming back with towels. He throws them over me.

"I'm so sorry, Eden." I can tell Ryan is in complete shock, and I honestly don't blame him. If I were on the outside looking in, I would be shocked too, wondering how the hell anyone could live like that.