Chapter 4
Eden’s POV
“Where’s the rest of you?” My mum wailed dramatically as I walked into the house.
“Nice to see you too, ma.” I smiled, embracing her warinly. It had been over a month since I had been here and seen her last.
Ruby was the one who had taken after our mother, willowy and delicate, mahogany curls and amber eyes. I had gotten the hair, but my grey eyes and sturdier build from dad.
Dad looked over his shoulder at me from where he was dicing something at the kitchen counter. Then he narrowed his eyes.
“Why are you so skinny?” I rolled my eyes. I had lost about ten pounds, though significant, it was barely even noticeable. I was still thick, with an ass that made fitting into jeans a of
significant, it wa jotork. I had opted for a comfortable play suit and sandals.
“Hello to you too, dad.” I said.
“Eden actually showed up.” Mum called out. A moment later, Ruby and Inez came running in from the backyard, accompanied by Ruby’s unruly children, my parents‘ two
and Inez tabby cat.
“Eden.” Inez cried flying into my arms. I laughed as Ruby joined in the hug. It was a comical sight, five feet ten Ruby, five feet five me and miniscule Inez. But we made it work.
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“You saw me yesterday.” I pointed out.
“That’s skyping. It doesn’t count. I couldn’t smell you from there.”
“And I’m officially out of this conversation.” Ruby extracted herself from the hug pile. Inez and I burst into laughter. I picked up chubby C.C.
“Hey, girl.”
“Who else did you invite?” Ruby asked as I fawned over her children. “mum mentioned an extra person.” I gave her a look.
“I didn’t invite anybody. Who would I even invite? My boss? Or all the other workers
that hate me.”
Chapter 47
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“I invited someone. His name is Trevor 1lingham and he’s hot.” Inez winked at me. I groaned.
“Seriously? What would Trevor Hingham have done if I hadn’t showed up today?”
“Eat good food.” She shrugged.
“Can you not match me?” 1 said. “I’m a grown woman, I can find a man by myself.”
The two women snorted in unison. I shot Ruby a look of betrayal.
“Where are you going to find a man? On your boss‘ yacht?” Inez raised a brow. I shrugged.
“The captain could be hot for all we know. We could sneak around the boat in the dead of the night and-
“Can you not talk about illicit nights around my babies? They’re at that stage where they pick words up and blurt them out at unfortunate times.” Ruby sighed.
“I’m gonna go help in the kitchen.” I announced, handing C.C back to her mother.
“They have it covered out there, if they needed our help, they’d have called for us. Chill out.” Inez said. I laughed.
“Of course they’d call for help from you two, the girl who nearly burned the house down from boiling eggs and the girl who nearly amputated herself cutting vegetables.” They glared at me. It was a surprise that children who didn’t know their way around a kitchen had emerged from a chef dad and a mother who was an excellent cook. I had been the only one to get any of their cooking genes and skills. And thank God for that, or Mr. Blackwell would have had to employ a real cook by now.
Ruby’s husband, Zane appeared a while later from where he had been fixing my mom’s car in the garage. Reese arrived afterwards with wine and a basket of chocolates, Trevor arrived next with wine and flowers. The last person to show up was Eli, who looked nothing like our brother. None of us had seen Eli in two years after the whole drama. with Reese and Inez. There had been the occasional phone calls though, but I didn’t recognize the muscled, bearded man that walked through our front door. I gaped at him in shock as I was sure everybody else was doing.
“Hey, man.” Reese said. The whole room held their breath.
“Hey.” He replied. We collectively breathed out in relief.
“Where have you been? Why do you look like that? Have you been eating? What have you been doing? Are you coming home?” Mum fired question after question. When I
Chapter 4
ue, UCT B
turned to Inez, she was huddled into Reese’s chest. I sighed.
“Let the man settle in, darling.” Dad said to mum.
“Well, but-”
“Mum.” I was warned. She huffed and kept quiet. Eli shot me a grateful look.
“Should I not have come?” Trevor whispered to me.
“Feels like Intruding, really.” I had gone out of my way to avoid Trevor all afternoon and I was starting to feel terrible about it. He was good looking enough, he just wasn’t my type. He lacked that aura of power and that magnetism that…
Oh my God.
Was I actually weighing Trevor against Mr. Blackwell? What was wrong with me? I wasn’t attracted to my boss. I wouldn’t even want to be with a man that was so detached. A man like him wasn’t going to cuddle in bed with you and watch Netflix rom Coms with homemade popcon. Nope, I would definitely not want to be with him.
Not that he would ever be interested. Hypothetically speaking of course.
“Nah. It’s okay. You’re not intruding.” I smiled at him.
“But if you see Inez’s face suddenly start going red, don’t try to be a hero, run.” He grinned at me.
Noted.”
“Can we all get seated now, all this standing around is making me feel tiny.” Inez grumbled. I helped to carry the platters of food out of the kitchen while Ruby set the table. C.C was thrust into my laps and Trevor sat beside me.
Lunch was going well despite Eli’s shocking arrival when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll go get it. Maybe my Amazon order.” Mum said and hurried out.
“Is it just me or does Eli look like he wants to murder Reese?” Trevor whispered. It grinned at him.
“The beard is really selling the whole ax murderer thing too.” He laughed.
“Look who I found on our doorstep.” Mum announced. I turned away from Trevor to look at the newcomer and immediately choked on my spit.
12:49 Tue, Oct 8
Chapter 4
“It’s Eden’s boss num said gleefully.
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