"Okay, but why do you look like someone shoved a broom up your ass?"

I glimpsed up from the table that I was frowning at and into the gleaming grey eyes of Ethan. He sat slumped in his seat, arms crossed and brow quirked in amusement. A shudder of indignation ran through my body, but I brushed it off. Of course, I was a little annoyed. Okay, a lot annoyed. I hadn't been with Eden in days. I'd see her around, sure, but we never hung out for long or spent the night together. And that was my fault entirely.

"Leave the guy alone. You know he's been like that since the first grade. It's his resting bitch face." Luke laughed at his words, taking a sip of his beer and then smiling again. His freckles were barely apparent, blanketed by a shade of red resulted from laughing a little too hard. I didn't know whether to feel pleased or mortified that they knew I've been a miserable little fucker since the first grade.

Both Ethan and Luke were from our original soccer team in high school, playing the positions of the left and right-wingers. Growing up, you would never see the one without the other and this carried on straight into university. They attended the same school and were both studying in the same field. If things were different, they might have joined Dad's new team when he offered, but Ethan sustained a knee injury soon after high school.

Ethan encouraged Luke to still join Dad's professional team, but the brunette declined to live out their dream alone - so they both settled for studying. No matter how much I despised going out in public, it was good to see the two goofballs.

"You're not ready for my actual resting bitch face," I supplied, trying to fight off a growing smile when seeing amusement flicker in their eyes. "It'll make your knees weak, boys. Oh, wait, Ethan already has weak knees -"

The redhead cut me off with a loud snort, trying to articulate through his merriment. "Fuck off, man."

Liam even laughed over the noise in the club, setting down the lemonade he was downing. "Tell me, Ethan, how do you go down on Luke with that knee injury?"

Simon, a short blonde with glasses who used to play left fullback on our high school team, choked on the fries he was eating and slapped the table. Jeremy, who sat next to him nursing a bottle of beer, spat out the contents in his mouth and leaned on Liam's shoulder, chortling to his heart's content.

I paid close attention to Luke's reaction, waiting for the anger, but there was merely satisfaction. He winked at us. "Jokes on you, Finn, because I suck his dick regularly."

He high-fived a smirking Ethan and I shook my head with a grin, something I did a lot lately. It'd been a long time since I allowed myself to have some fun. "Not surprised." The rest of the guys muttered their agreements and soon they were laughing again.

As much as I was enjoying a night out with the guys, there was still a little apprehension slithering through my body and wedging its way into the crevice of my soul. It stayed there, and I had no idea how to get rid of it. The feeling awakened the moment I stepped foot out of Eden's room earlier when I delivered her a package that her parents shipped over.

I was afraid that she'd end up succumbing to Ashley's vile words. I began wondering if it was a bad idea to bring her to California, but I immediately shut the notion down. Meeting Eden and bringing her here might just have been one of the smartest decisions I'd ever made.

Another thing that was on my mind was Ruben. I didn't know who he was, but evidently; he was an essential figure in my girlfriend's life. The entire ride home that night at the club, Eden wouldn't stop talking about him. I was forced to listen to the adventures they had when they were younger. She never discussed whether or not they were romantically involved, but I couldn't help but feel insecure. Luckily, she didn't remember blabbing anything to me.

It'd been a week since that night, and I could tell Eden noticed I was acting weird. Sometime's I'd back out on plans we made solely because I had things to do. I also didn't want to use up too much of her time since training was crucial. Liam had told me that during one of his sessions with Eden, she confessed to him she felt like I was ignoring her.

That made me feel distressed, but I had things to do in order to guarantee Ashley would stop with her complaints. I had a plan, one which Liam agreed to help with. I turned to look at the man in question, but he spoke before I could. "Fuck, I miss my girlfriend."

Luke let out a loud guffaw, staring at Liam in feigned horror. "What is with you guys? Can't even go a few hours without Charleston, Finn?" Liam rolled his eyes whereas Jeremy snickered at the use of the name he dubbed Charlie when we were little. "We used to go out all the time, but now all you do is mope when we do."

Ethan nodded, stealing one of Simon's fries, causing the latter to complain. "Yeah. How is it that our high school days were wilder than our university days? This is supposed to be our wild times, my guys. Instead, both these suckers are pussy-whipped and Nolan is out on a date with Sabrina tonight - for fuck's sake." He motioned to Jeremy and Liam with a lone fry.

I viewed as Jeremy interjected. "Hey, having a girlfriend is fun. Astrid makes me happy and in return, I make her-"

"Nobody wants to know what you make her do, Jer," Simon objected, finally snatching up his fries and moving to sit by me. I smiled at the annoyed appearance on his babyish face. "Besides, I thought you and Astrid hated one another."

"Wasn't it at Astrid's ninth birthday party where you smashed the cake in her face?" I questioned, trying to recollect the memories of my friends. "That's when your rivalry started."

Simon finished the last of his fries and chuckled along. "Yeah, she hated your guts."

Jeremy shrugged indifferently and sank back in his seat. "That's how you reel in the ladies, boys. You should try it sometime."

Liam snorted. "I'm alright."

Ethan gesticulated between Jeremy and Liam, nearly knocking over the former's beer. "See? Pussy-whipped."

"At least we've still got Chris and Simon," Luke spoke after a moment, seeing to be thinking. "Why be tied down to one woman when you can have a wide variety to choose from every day? While these two simps sit here and discuss how they paint their girlfriends' toes - we'll be out on the dancefloor getting girls."

Liam and Jeremy both sent me a grin, and I looked away, coughing over a laugh. Just as Luke was about to stand up, Simon spoke, "looks like you don't have to miss your girlfriend, Liam." He pointed towards the entrance. "She's right over there."

I watched the astonishment settle on Liam's features and contained another laugh. If Liam thought he could dominate what Charlie did, he was grievously mistaken. My sister did what she wanted when she wanted to. Three years together should've taught him that already.

A whistle drifted across the table, and I peeped to Ethan. The redhead scratched the back of his neck inelegantly, a matching red blush painting his cheeks. "Well, Charlie's brought a fine-looking girl with her."

Jeremy craned his neck before frowning. "Astrid's not with them."

Liam smirked suddenly, picking up his lemonade again as we gawked at Ethan's wide eyes. "Who's the simp now?" Ethan paid him no mind and asked Luke for a breath mint, sputtering about how he was going to get the girl's number. "Calm down, E. They're coming over here." Ethan's spine stiffened, and he quickly fluffed his hair, nearly causing Jeremy to gag on his beer again.

Not even a minute later, my sister hopped into our view, clad in a blue dress with her wavy blonde hair in a rumpled ponytail. She beamed at me for a second before strolling over to Liam, who stood up to greet her.

"What a surprise to see you here, Blondie." There was a smidge of scolding in his tone, but Charlie simply smiled. "What are you doing here? This is guys night."

She sent another smile around the table, snorting as Ethan was struggling to fix his appearance. "We didn't wanna stay cooped up all day. Practice has been rough lately, and I thought we needed a night out. Sabrina's with Nolan, and Astrid's at her parents' place, so it's just me and my angel baby tonight."

At her words, my head snapped up, and I turned to my left, locating the short girl standing off to the side. She wore a white little dress paired with ankle boots, looking like a literal angel. Her hazel eyes darted around apprehensively before descending on Jeremy's beaming figure, probably the only person she seemed to recognise.

I sat with my back to her, hunched over and with my hood pulled over my head. To her, I probably looked like a stranger. From the corner of my eye, I watched Ethan send her his signature flirtatious grin. So this was the girl he was trying to make a move on, interesting. He looked at me for a split second, frowning at the smirk I wore.

Shoving the cap off from my head, I turned to Eden. "Hey, baby." The most luminous smile developed on her rosy lips, causing my chest to ache, realising how much I'd missed her the past week. I hauled her onto my lap, enveloping an arm around her waist as Charlie pulled Liam towards the bar.

"Thank the heavens," Eden rambled, not discerning the looks Ethan, Luke and Simon shot us. "I saw the side of your face, but the jumper is covering your wrists so I couldn't tell whether or not you wore the bracelet. I thought you were Caleb and it would've been so awkward because not only is he your brother but I have a feeling he hates me for reasons I can't comprehend-"

Whilst she spoke, I pulled the box of peppermint gum from the pocket of my sweatshirt. I tapped her lip and popped one into her mouth. She chewed in content as I shifted to face my friends. "Guys, this here's my girl, Eden." She waved shyly at them as Ethan ogled her. "Baby, this is Luke, Ethan and Simon. Of course, you know Jeremy."

"Nice to see you again, Eden," my best friend told her, leaning across the table to poke her cheek, causing me to tighten my grip on her. "Cause any other blondes to fall head over heels in love with you recently?" A jubilant grin accompanied his inquiry, and I narrowed my eyes at him. All he was going to do was make her awkward.

To my surprise, Eden twisted slightly on my lap so that she could stare at the bar before urging, "does Charlie count?" It was asked so innocently that I couldn't help the smile that pulled my lips. "She's been dragging me shopping every day after practice, dressing me up and showering me with compliments. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was trying to woo me."

My hands snaked their way up her thighs, having missed the feel of her skin. She shuddered, and I smirked. That smirk fell, however, when she wriggled slightly and ground against me. Just like that, I was hard. It was a huge mistake to avoid her. I needed to be inside her. Now.

A resounding groan sounded from our table, startling Eden. Amused, I looked to where the sound originated from - Ethan. He gawked at Eden with wide eyes and a frown. "You're British?" With a perplexed pout, she nodded. He moaned again before scowling at me. "Fuck you, man. I called dibs as soon as she walked into the place."

There was stillness at our table for a moment, and then I nonchalantly hiked a brow as I slid my hand under Eden's dress. "You called dibs? On my girlfriend?" She stiffened when I ran a finger over her covered clit. Her tummy clenched, and I suppressed another smile.

Simon howled with laughter whilst Ethan bungled over his words, looking like someone unprepared for his English presentation. "I didn't know she was your girlfriend."

Jeremy flicked his shoulder. "Well, now you know."

"Wait," Eden interposed, head moving so that she could study everyone. She struggled to keep her voice firm because, at that point, my hand was already inside her panties. "Why are you calling dibs on me? I'm not a piece of chicken."

It was Luke's turn to chuckle this time, and it brought a grin to Eden's face. He held out his hand, which she gingerly shook. I had to compliment her. She looked composed for someone who had a thumb teasing her swollen clit. "Pleasure to meet you. The name's Lucas, but everyone calls me Luke."

"My name's Denara, but everyone calls me Eden." She shifted in my lap and I fucking lost it.

"Yes, nice to meet everyone," I grumbled, standing up and setting Eden next to me. My friends merely blinked at me, but I didn't pay them any attention. Eden began laughing as I towed her away and through the crowd. We passed Charlie and Liam, but they didn't notice us.

I walked right out of the door and to my car. It was dark outside, and I was thankful for it. Nobody was outside since the club was where the real fun was. Eden was still laughing when I halted at the car. "Something funny?" I sought, pushing her up against it.

"Yes, actually," Eden smiled. "You." Her grin never wavered as I took a condom out of my wallet. "Someone's eager." I scowled, and she snickered, binding her arms around my neck as I tackled my fly. "You know, you wouldn't miss me that much if you hadn't avoided me."

I froze, looking into her eyes. She was teasing me, but she was also hurting. Sighing, I pulled her closer. "I'm sorry, baby." I was the worst with feelings, but I hoped she could hear the emotion in my voice. I assumed she did because she pulled me lower so that she could kiss me, mumbling against my lips that it was okay.

My mouth locked on hers as I cupped her chin, tracing her lip with my tongue. I groaned when her hands found my hair and I gripped her hips, rubbing her against me. Possessiveness rushed through me because she was mine. And not even Ruben could change that. My mouth was impatient and demanding.

Slipping my tongue inside her mouth, I found the peppermint gum and took it into my own before leaning back to spit it to the ground. Eden laughed again, fondly stroking my face. Her touch burned in the best way, and I internally scolded myself for ignoring her.

"I need to be inside you," I grumbled when she yanked my hair. Lifting her dress, I moved her panties aside and shoved two fingers inside her at the same time I bit her neck. She moaned, binding her legs around me, and I lifted her higher. I took my cock out of my pants and slipped on the condom. Positioning her, I dropped her right on me and she moaned into my shoulder. "Fuck. This is exactly where I need to be. Filling my girl until she's stuffed."

Gripping her hips, I raised her so that just the head of my cock was inside her before I impaled her again. "Oh my God." She whimpered, legs trembling. Her slick pussy squeezing me like a fist was driving me insane. "Christian." I'd ask her to scream my name louder, but I didn't want anyone finding me fucking her against my car. The sight of her coming was for my eyes only - no one else's.

Heaving in a deep breath, I growled, "fuck yourself on me." I planted my hands against the car and she clutched my shoulders as she rode me as if her life depended on it. Her pussy clamped around me. It was fucking heaven. She was so hot and tight. "Fuck, baby." I mercilessly pounded into her. My control shattered, taken over by an overwhelming need to own her.

"Oh," she moaned, hissing when I sucked at the skin of her neck. I needed the marks there, needed people to see that she was mine. I buried myself so deep inside her she choked on a gasp.

Her back arched when her orgasm tackled her. "That's my girl. Come for me." Her pussy clenched down on my still thrusting cock as I slammed harder and deeper. I didn't stop. "You're gonna come again." She shook her head, probably sensitive. I could tell by the way her legs quivered.

"I can't-"

"You can," I grinned, shoving my tongue in her mouth as I felt sweat trickle down my back. Her peppermint taste invaded my senses. "Harder, baby." She rose and fell, making my shaft impale her repeatedly. "Yeah, just like that." I pushed my hips, meeting her downward thrusts. Ignoring her bewilderment, I slid out and spun her around. "Now, I fuck you."

I slammed back inside, growling into her neck and forcing my way through her swollen muscles. Eden sucked in a deep breath when I slid my arm around and teased her clit. My hips continuously powered into hers and I swear I was in heaven. "I love being balls deep in this pussy." She whimpered, hands pressed against the window.

All of my senses were filled with Eden. I felt drunk on her. The friction formed again, and she shuddered against me. "Fuck, you feel so good," I moaned, gripping her hips so securely. I fucked her harder, feeling as she grew tighter and tighter. Tilting her head somewhat, I kissed her. I pulled my hips back slowly, loving the way her pussy tried to keep me in place. And then I ruthlessly powered back in.

Her panting picked up, and I felt her clamp down. "Christian, I'm gonna-"

"All over my cock, baby," I grunted, watching myself slide in and out of her. "Fucking come all over it." She moaned loudly, clenching her pussy again and practically strangling my cock. "That's it, baby. Make me come."

My orgasm slowly found me. Pushing harder, faster, I thrust a few more times as sheer pleasure blasted through me. It oozed down my spine, and I stiffened, forcing myself deeper before I shattered, grunting her name into her neck.

I needed that, needed her impossibly close to me. Being around Eden brought me peace. Catching my breath, I slipped out of her after a few seconds, removing the condom and tying it in a knot.

I tossed it in the nearest trashcan before helping Eden fix her appearance. She looked wild, and I couldn't help but laugh as she scowled at me. "Sore, baby?" She scoffed, and I laughed again, smoothing her hair down. But there was no way I could get rid of the marks around her neck.

"I can't believe we just had sex in a parking lot," she mumbled into my chest with a smile when I pulled her into my embrace. "And when we go back inside, they're all going to know." Placing her chin on my chest, she looked up and smiled, her lips swollen. "But I don't regret it. Because I missed you."

The guilt was back, and I groaned, kissing her again. "I'm really sorry. I've been busy with work for my dad." I wasn't going to tell her I was also an insecure little bitch who couldn't stop comparing himself to Ruben. "Just been stressed out lately and I didn't wanna bother you. You've got enough going on with practice." Okay, that was part of the truth.

"But I was worried about you," Eden whispered, genuine concern in her eyes. "Seeing you turn into the cement block you were when we first met is terrible. I don't like it when you behave like, like - like you don't have the right to feel things. Or like nobody cares about what you're going through. I care."

"Eden-"

She took my hand, placing it over her chest. "My heart's been beating your name for the past week because I know something's bothering you and I don't like it." I leaned down, pressing my mouth to hers and relishing in her taste. When she pulled away, she mumbled, "promise me you'll tell me how you feel, that you won't keep me in the dark-"

"I promise," I responded without missing a beat. The grin that she sent me was absolutely beautiful. I held her in my arms for a few more minutes before I realised we need to get back inside. When we arrived at the table, Charlie and Liam were still missing.

The guys took one look at our appearance and knew what we'd done. Jeremy looked ready to torment Eden, but I growled and he raised his hands in surrender. I took a seat, pulling Eden onto my lap before demanding, "so, what'd we miss?"

Simon rolled his eyes. "Jeremy mentioned that Eden's part Russian and now Ethan won't shut his trap." Eden giggled as I passed her some gum, which she popped into her mouth.

"You're Russian and British," Ethan told Eden, slapping a hand to his forehead. "Do you know what a spicy combination that is?" Jeremy rolled his eyes at his dramatics as the redhead pouted at me. "Fuck you, Chrissy. You always get the good ones." My heart completely dropped as I felt Eden withdraw from the conversation. No girl liked to hear of her boyfriend's exes. "First it was that theatre geek with the nice rack from high school, then Ashley, who we all know could've been a model, and now-"

Eden turned to look at me, and I discerned the confusion swimming in her eyes. "Ashley? Ashley, from the team, Ashley?" Her lower lip trembled slightly as she whispered so that only I could hear, "Ashley, who's been bullying me, Ashley?"

Simon articulated next, missing the warning look both Jeremy, and I shot him. "Oh yeah. They've been on and off for years. Until now, I thought they were still together." He studied the arm I had around Eden. "Clearly not."

With an agitated laugh, Jeremy took it as his moment to say something. "Don't exaggerate, Simon. Chris and Ashley were never really together in the first place." My other three friends seemed to realise what he was implying, comprehending that they were making things uncomfortable for Eden.

"Yeah," Luke added, discreetly sending me a thumbs up. "They just fucked occasionally."

The hazel-eyed girl on my lap stood up, removing the gum from her mouth, and tossed it into the trashcan next to our table. Her smile faltered as she said, "I'll be right back. Excuse me."

"Eden-" But she was already weaving her way through the crowd, her petite frame fading between the bodies. I turned to my friends with a lethal scowl as Jeremy dropped his head on the table in frustration. "Are you fucking stupid?" I sibilated, feeling as if venom was about to secrete from my canines.

Marking the rage manifest in my eyes, Luke spurted to his feet, dragging his best friend with him, and scurried to the dance floor. Simon stayed for a beat to say, "give her a second." Then he too disappeared towards God knows where.

My fists clenched as I tried to calm myself down. Jeremy raised his head, long raven curls obscuring his vision before he pushed them back. "You know that Luke and Ethan have runny mouths, can't tell them anything."

"They should've kept their mouths shut."

"You know," Jeremy began, sending me an apprehensive glance. "I don't wanna be that friend, but this could've been avoided if you'd told Eden about you and Ashley."

I growled, leaning forward imperceptibly. "Tell me, Jeremy. Does Astrid know about all of the girls you fucked in the past?"

He was tranquil for a moment, a pensive expression on his face. His eyes suddenly snapped to mine as he answered, "no." Just when I was about to let out a humourless chuckle and call him a hypocrite, he spoke again. "But that's because none of my exes are bullying Astrid."

"Jeremy-"

"She's in California for you, Chris," he responded as he finished the last of his beer. "The least you could do is be honest with her." And then he left, shoving his car keys into his pocket on his way to the exit.

The thrashing organ in my chest hammered against my ribcage. I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I wondered how the hell I was going to fix this. If I thought about it long enough, I queried if this was perhaps a sign that I needed to tell Eden of my past with Ashley. I mean, what's a relationship without honesty, right? But then again, she kept Ruben a secret.

A rustle diverted me from my thoughts and I looked to see Eden occupying the seat Jeremy previously did. In her hands was a bottle of water and she took a sip before closing it. Having her so far from me, I didn't like it. There was too much distance and I felt it growing by the second. I waited for her to say something, yet she didn't.

"It's not what you're thinking," I said gently. Silence. "Ashley and I never dated. I should've told you about her, but I didn't see the point because I never had feelings for her." More silence. "Please say something."

She cleared her throat. "Wise men speak when they have something to say, fools speak because they have to say something. Aristotle said that. And right now, Christian, I really have nothing to say."

My lips tugged down, remembering our conversation. "I told you to expect bullshit to happen, but not to accept it. You promised you wouldn't."

"You didn't tell me the bullshit could come from you too," she rejoined placidly, wrapping her fingers around her water bottle. The sound of the curse word falling from her lips made the situation sink in. "And not even a few minutes ago, you promised that you wouldn't keep me in the dark-"

I shook my head. "Okay, that's not fair. I wasn't the only one who was keeping things hidden."

Her eyes narrowed to slits, and I hoped she would pick up on what I was insinuating, but she didn't. "What in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

Suddenly my insecurities let loose. All the rage I'd been bottling up for the past week came hurtling up my throat. My chest stung with fury. Every night I'd wonder if Eden would ever go back to Ruben and everything would ache. Words couldn't describe the pain I felt when picturing her with someone else. I wanted her to understand what I went through.

"You never told me about Ruben," I seethed and I felt satisfaction immerse me when Eden inhaled piercingly. "Oh, yes, you blurted everything to me last week when you were drunk. At least I ended things with Ashley before I even fucking met you! Yet you're still trying to fix things with Ruben!"

She was placid, and I expected her to scream at me, but she didn't. I wanted her to yell. I wanted her to fuel my anger. I was angry at her for not telling me about Ruben, at my friends for blabbing everything a few minutes ago, at Ashley and Caleb for starting shit and angry at my fucking dad for not standing by my side. I was being a hypocrite, but at that moment I didn't care.

Eden swallowed more water without a care in the world. "You're wasting your time being jealous."

A humourless chuckle left my lips. "Wasting my time? You say his name in your sleep, call him every day and you never take off that fucking necklace he gave you! So explain to me, Eden, how the fuck am I wasting my time?"

She glared at me and I felt ice run down my spine. In that single look, there was so much animosity. "You're jealous of a dead boy."

I froze, whereas Eden refused to look at me. Her jaw was set and her eyes were emotionless. I could barely even form words. Ruben. Dead. I felt Eden slip through my fingers and I couldn't hold on to her.

A barely restrained sob caught Eden's attention, and she turned to see Charlie, with red eyes and tears flowing down her face. Her footsteps were precarious, and I saw the concern in my girlfriend's eyes for my sister. Charlie grabbed Eden's arms and murmured, "men are a bunch of assholes. Let's go."

Without even turning to look at me again, Eden let my sister haul her away. Liam sat down next to me, his expression pained and mirroring mine. We looked at one another for a second, coming to the same conclusion. Charlie was right, men were assholes.