The rain was still falling ruthlessly later that evening; the downpour creating a patterned beat as Jeremy shifted through the doors leading inside the grocery store. Once we stepped inside, I ran a hand through the wet locks on my head. Earlier, I'd gotten a phone call from Charlie and she sounded absolutely distraught. One girl on her team had fallen pregnant, which meant that she wouldn't be able to take part in the training camp. I had to listen to my sister complain about how she needed a new player for nearly an hour. My mood was slightly brightened, however, when I went downstairs and saw Eden playing with the kids in the rain.

Then my mood sank because I was pissed at the fact that something so stupid pleased me.

"She's got potential," Jeremy murmured, headed straight towards the snack aisle after he seized a basket. It annoyed me that he made me come along, I wanted nothing more than to stay in the comfy bed back at the bed-and-breakfast and fume.

I watched as Jeremy tossed bags upon bags of chips into the basket followed by chocolate. "She needs more than just potential."

Jeremy had been up my ass about this ever since I told him about my phone call with Charlie. His immediate response was, "Choose Eden." Well, unfortunately for him, Eden was a bit of a touchy subject for me. She amused me and was actually fun to be around—and that made me want to claw my eyes out. I wasn't nice. Caleb was the nice brother. I was the expired and mouldy version of him, one that left a bitter taste in your mouth and probably gave you food poisoning.

And I fucking liked being expired. It scared unwanted people off easily.

Jeremy scowled, most probably pestered because we'd had this same discussion a few hours ago. "You're just looking for an excuse to not choose her," he fired back, glimpsing around before opening a bag of sweets and popping some into his mouth. "The point of the program is to train newbies."

"Newbies with experience," I grunted. Eden didn't even care that she had potential and brushed it off. Charlie needed someone who was enthusiastic about the sport. If there was one person I didn't want to disappoint—it was her, and if I brought her someone who wasn't serious, it would upset her. "Now remind me again, are you the one on your period or your girlfriend?"

He rolled his eyes and settled some more snacks into the basket for a suddenly very moody Astrid. When we turned into another aisle, I leaned against a shelf whilst he gawked at the many boxes of tampons before him. "I can't remember which one I'm supposed to get. Which size?"

"For fuck's sake," I grunted and flung him a glower. "You're the one that's been in her pussy before and you're asking me what size tampon she needs?"

He was about to retort when a tall young man paused in front of him. His black hair was cropped short and his ocean blue eyes were twinkling with mischief. "Jeremy," the guy declared in an annoyed tone. His British accent was obvious, but there was also a hint of something else. You'd miss it if you weren't paying close attention.

The man whom I had the pleasure of calling my best friend looked him up and down before quirking a brow. "Do I know you?"

"Wow," the guy derided. "Are we just gonna pretend that last night didn't happen? Last night was the most passionate fuck I've ever had and you're just going to ignore me? You said I was the first person you let in the backdoor. I thought we had something special."

My brow jerked in surprise, nearly disappearing into my hairline, and I watched Jeremy gawk. "Whoa, man. You've got the wrong guy. I've got a girlfriend, dude."

"Yeah, I know," he shot back whilst rolling his blue eyes heavenward and back. "You said you'd leave Astrid for me!" People were beginning to peek around into the aisle, casting Jeremy judgemental looks for his supposed cheating.

Jeremy's mouth dropped open in bewilderment, "What the fuck?" Without another word, the guy turned around and swaggered away, vanishing around one aisle. "What just happened? And how the fuck did he know who I was?"

Disregarding him, I pushed away from the shelf and wandered through the aisles before glimpsing around the corner the guy escaped to. It directed me to the very back of the store where the bakery section was. I held back a smirk.

Perched on the edge of a wooden table was none other than Eden Orlov. Her hair was wavy from the rain and she was adorned in loose-fitting sweatpants with an oversized T-shirt. She looked like she should've been in bed rather than outside. I hadn't yet had time to speak to her about yesterday, and it didn't seem like she remembered what happened last night. Mary was right.

I watched as she handed the guy some money and this time; I didn't hold back my smirk. So that was how he knew about Jeremy. Little Eden was a prankster, a troublemaker. The guy seemed flustered about having to pull that stunt with Jeremy, but Eden merely laughed. It started off bashful at first, but I could tell she kept back as she bit her lip. Then suddenly she ruptured out into a frenzy of unrestrained giggles.

Sudden irritation erupted inside of me as the guy wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Mary had said she had no friends. The fact that Eden had fun with me made me feel somewhat accomplished (another thing that annoyed me because since when was I fun?), and now here was some other guy doing the same thing I attributed only to myself—making her laugh. I stuffed that irritation aside because expired products had no right to prey on healthy people. Then I became pissed at myself for that stupid analogy and turned on my heel, making my way back to Jeremy just as he hurled five different boxes of tampons into the basket.

"Astrid's going to shove one of these tampons up my ass, I can tell," he mumbled in exasperation. I barely paid him attention, mind still floundering about how intimate that guy appeared with Eden, the way he so effortlessly touched her. Mary had to have been completely wrong about her sister if she didn't know about this man.

I watched Jeremy grumble to himself about tampons for all about five minutes. There was a sudden tap on my shoulder and I twisted around, tilting my head slightly to gaze down at a nervous-looking Eden. Her plump lips formed a grimace and the corner of her right eye twitched. She was anxious.

"Hello," she greeted courteously and my lip jerked. Her accent made her sound like she should've been having tea with the royal family. "Um, I know that it's rude to eavesdrop, but I overheard Astrid telling you earlier which one to get." Jeremy beamed at her and she reddened a little. "It's, uh, it's this one," she stood on her tiptoes and reached for a dawn-tinted box, one that was the same shade as her cheeks at that moment.

Jeremy groaned in relief. "You're a lifesaver, Eden."

"Um," Eden stammered, nibbling on her bottom lip, and I found my gaze charmed by it. "There's, um, there's one more thing." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and stared up at me with those angelic eyes of hers.

"Go ahead," Jeremy waved his hand. "Anything for the girl who saved me from the wrath of my hormonal girlfriend."

She flushed again. "I was wondering if I could talk to Christian." Jeremy still stood there like an idiot, nodding as Eden blinked awkwardly.

"Fuck off, Jeremy," I grumbled, watching him pout. "She meant alone." Understanding dawned on him and he smirked suddenly, nodding to himself. He sauntered off, tossing a glance at us before he disappeared around the corner. I turned back to Eden. "Yes?"

Suddenly, she wasn't all that bashful anymore. She was fierce. Her fists clenched, and she narrowed her eyes at me. The sight was comical. As much as she tried to appear terrifying, her entire facade was demolished by the fact that she had to look up to keep eye contact with me. "You said you found that stupid Winter Wonderland on a tourist website."

I raised a brow. "I did."

I barely got my words out before she interrupted with, "Liar." She puffed out an angry breath and I contained a laugh. It was like watching a kitten take on a lion.

"Okay, I lied," I smirked, leaning back against the shelf in an attempt to help make her feel taller. "What are you gonna do?" That made her freeze, and I watched her flounder over her words, chuckling to myself. Whilst she got her words together, I stated, "I didn't know you were a prankster."

She looked back up at me, her nose crinkling in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"It's obvious that you dared that guy to come over and confuse the shit out of Jeremy." She snorted at my words, turning her head to the side. "So what did he dare you to do in return?"

Eden shook her head, and I apprehended she was very easily distracted. "Oh, no. Alex never dares me to do anything." The fond tone in which she spoke of the guy made me scowl. What have I gotten thus far? Demoted from acquaintance to stranger. "I dare him and in return I pay him. It provides me with entertainment."

I actually laughed at that. "So you just pay him to do dares? And what, you just sit there?" She nodded, and I shook my head in amusement. "Are you too scared to go through with dares or something?" Her eye twitched, and I smirked. "You're a scaredy-cat."

"I'm not," she huffed, preparing to walk away, but I drew her back and she scowled.

"Oh yeah? Then how come you never let him dare you to do something?" She stayed still, looking as if she wanted to punch me in the face. "That's a little unfair, don't you think?"

Her eyes narrowed again, becoming a dark green colour. "You're taking the piss."

"I'm what?"

"You're taking the piss," she reiterated, her accent becoming more pronounced. "Go on. Dare me to do something."

My brows raised of their own accord as I stared at the stubborn stance she was carrying. "You're serious?" She nodded. I smirked to myself, contemplating what I could ask her to do that she wouldn't go through with. Already, I could see her annoyance when I proved that I was right. Expired food indeed. She pursed her lips in resolution, drawing my attention, and the words left my mouth abruptly. "Kiss me."

"What?" she blurted, nearly tumbling over in surprise, but I caught her arm. "Are you insane?" I had the urge to nod, but I smirked, crossing my arms. "I can't kiss you," she whispered the word as if it was a secret and I chuckled darkly.

"You're taking the piss," I shot back at her, still not understanding what it meant but comprehending that it would trigger her.

Her eyes widened, and she shook her head slowly. "You absolute wanker. Think you're so smooth. Fine!"

Eden took one step closer, and suddenly her cold, full lips were pressed against mine. She strained onto her tiptoes in order to reach it. It was a closed-mouthed kiss, one you'd give your crush in middle school. Before I could respond to the kiss, she was already stepping back. Her cheeks were blazing with heat and she couldn't look me in the eye. She blinked slowly, looking as if she couldn't believe she just did that.

I stared down at her, my brows banging in confusion at that pathetic attempt at a dare. She turned to walk away, but that's when I reached forward and tugged her arm. "That wasn't a kiss." She whirled around and without allowing her to question my actions, I dominated her lips with my own.

A bewildered squeak left her as I bent my knees and lifted her into my arms so I wouldn't have to fucking break my back. Her legs coiled around my waist in attempt to not fall and I kept a hand on her waist whilst the other tangled into her damp locks. I swallowed her sigh of satisfaction when I nibbled her lip. My heart squeezed when she cupped my face with those dainty hands of hers and I bit her lip, revelling in the amused laugh that escaped her.

"Holy, shit," Jeremy muttered as I pulled away from Eden but didn't put her down. I didn't even notice that Jeremy walked back into the aisle with his basket. Realising that there were actually people watching us, Eden tried to wriggle out of my grip, but I held her tighter. "What is happening today?"

The guy who was with Eden stepped out from where he thought he was hidden and waved his wallet. "Damn, girl. I never knew you'd actually go through with a dare. Might as well take my whole wallet."

He reached for Eden and I scowled, not liking the way his thin lips dipped into a smirk. "You can let me go now," Eden whispered to me. Her face was flushed, and she refused to look at anyone.

I didn't care that some people in the store were watching us. What I cared about was why the annoying man was smirking at me. I ignored her whisper and inquired, "Who's this?"

Eden crimsoned under everyone's stares, and her grip around my shoulders tightened. "Alex, this is Jeremy and Christian." She gesticulated to the blue-eyed man. "Guys, this is Alex, my cousin."

My annoyance for Alex simmered down at the revelation that he was related to Eden. Now that I paid closer attention, he seemed to resemble Petya, and I wondered if it was a nephew of his. Jeremy gawked at him, "Hold up. You're the guy who I apparently had sex with."

He nodded with a grin, "Yeah. She dared me to come over and pretend that you and I had a brief fling. Sorry about that, by the way. It's the only way to amuse ourselves in this boring store."

Jeremy shook his head, "No hard feelings."

"Literally," Eden muttered, and Alex tensed. She snorted when he attempted to change the topic and whispered to me, "He has erectile dysfunction."

"What is going on here?!" A heavily accented voice yelled. At the end of the aisle stood a tall woman. Her hair was a beautiful shade of grey and even from afar, I could tell that her eyes were pitch black. She glowered at Alex and Eden. A string of Russian words left her lips.

The girl in my arms immediately tried to wriggle out of my hold. At first, I didn't let her, but then she muttered, "Put me down. It's my Babushka."

I had no idea what the word meant, but I set her down, seeing that Alex paled the longer the woman stared at him. Jeremy sidled up to me, watching the scene play out. The woman yelled in Russian. Her eyebrows were drawn together, and she wagged a finger at Eden and Alex.

"My customers are complaining about you two again," she stated in English when she took in a deep breath. "Why must you always cause trouble? You do this every time. Did you not learn from last time?"

Jeremy whispered to me, "Is it just me that wants to know what happened last time?" No, he wasn't the only one. Both Eden and Alex stood with their shoulders drooped and looking abashed—it fascinated me.

Alex spoke first, "We didn't do anything, Babushka."

The woman crossed her arms and pursed her lips. "Really," she drawled. "You sure that you want to go with that excuse, Aleksandr?" He stayed soundless, and she tutted before turning to Eden who sneakily shuffled further from me. "Denara?"

Eden faltered as she stared at the woman. She cleared her throat before responding in fluent Russian, giving what sounded like a practised speech that she used whenever she got in trouble. Suddenly my throat was parched. All sign of Eden's English accent dissolved into thin air, leaving behind the genetic Russian lilt. Her sentences were tender, relaxing like the sound of a garden pond. My head became light, and I inwardly admonished myself for being turned on at this moment. Subtly, I adjusted my pants.

Jeremy tapped my arm and held out his phone where Google translate was opened. In the little box was the word Babushka and next to it was Grandmother. I nodded in gratitude and turned back to the scene. The Orlov family was positively entertaining. And I didn't find entertainment in much.

"Just having some fun?" Their grandmother riposted, exasperated with the two. "So my customers hearing about Aleksandr having passionate sex with this young man is just fun?" She pointed at Jeremy, who stilled under her analysis. "And why are people talking about his erectile dysfunction?"

Alex glared at Eden, who extinguished a snort. "Prosti, Babushka," she stammered, sending her grandmother an innocent look and I for sure thought she was off the hook.

But it seemed her grandmother was used to the trick because she scorned it. "Don't you come and say sorry now, Denara. And Aleksandr, I do not care for details of you and this man," she uncrossed her arms.

Eden interjected, "Babushka, you're mistaken."

"Hush up," the older woman said, and it reminded me of when Petya said the same to Astrid. This was definitely his mother. "We will talk further in office."

The next moment, she was hauling her grandkids away. Eden turned to send me an apologetic look, and I groaned as she disappeared. Once again, she had me stumped. I hadn't expected her to actually kiss me. Instead of being left satisfied with my point being proven, I was left aggravated by what happened. I mentally chastised myself for being stupid enough to dare her to kiss me. Mary had asked me to befriend her sister, not fucking maul her in the middle of the grocery store.

Jeremy turned to me, popping another sweet into his mouth. He'd been hiding the opened packet the entire time after finding out that Eden and Alex's grandmother owned the store. "Still think she doesn't have potential?"

"If you think that kiss changes my views, then you're wrong."

He rolled his eyes, "You went all caveman possessive, glaring at her fucking cousin. This isn't Alabama, bro." Waving his arms around, he pulled a face at me.

I headed towards the checkout counter, the smell of flowers lingering around me. "It's not unnatural for me to kiss someone, Jeremy." However, it was weird for me to be this upset over it happening. There was an unusual sensation in my chest and I had no idea how to get rid of it.

"But it's unnatural for you to be so possessive!" He rejoined and laid the basket at the counter. "Look, think of it as killing two birds with one stone. You find a recruit that has potential and you find a girl you actually like."

"I don't like her," I grumbled. Her presence pleased me but the moment she disappeared I became angry at myself. But I was beginning to think I couldn't help it. I wasn't the problem—she was. She had this natural innocence to her, a gentleness, and it just pulled me towards her. I'd never known gentle before, having grown up in a rowdy as fuck household.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Jeremy teased before paying for his items. When I snubbed him, he proceeded, already having made up his mind. "You realise we have to talk to Petya, right?"

I had realise that. And I didn't think Petya was going to like the concept of his daughter going all the way to California for a ten-week soccer program—one held by my dad. Eden had potential, but I wasn't sure that was going to be enough to get her through the program.

As Charlie had mentioned, there was one more spot left on the all-girls team Dad was developing and it needed to be filled. Jeremy had been right, regardless of me behaving childishly, Eden could fill that spot. However, I had a feeling that Mary would be all for this idea, considering that she wanted her sister to experience new things. First, I needed to figure out how the fuck to get Eden to agree to go to California.