Eden High: Part Four (Eden High #4)

by Jordan Silver

  “Jace.”

  “Yeah baby?”

  “Thank you.” I felt tears clog my throat and held them back because I didn’t want him to know what an absolute baby I was being right now.

  “For what babe?”

  “This evening, my ring, everything, it was perfect, you made it perfect.”

  It felt like a while before he finally answered. “It was my pleasure princess.”

  We stayed on the phone for hours, neither of us wanting to let the other go.

  I could barely get to sleep after we finally rang off in the early hours of the morning. I never wanted to sleep again, never wanted the most magical day of my life to end.

  The next day, as soon as it was decent, he was there to get me. I met him in what I was beginning to think of as our spot, at the side of the house where the garbage pails were kept.

  Not the most romantic setting but it gave us some privacy. “I missed you so fucking much.” His mouth was inhaling mine before I had a chance to answer.

  It was so easy to get lost in him, but thankfully my brother thought it was fun to douse us with cold water just when things were really starting to heat up.

  Jace’s reaction was very telling. He pushed me behind his back and turned to face the threat, making my brother jump back, just in time to save himself from being knocked on his ass.

  “Easy bro, the parental unit is in the kitchen, I didn’t think you two were planning on giving them front row seats to the rated R scene you were enacting.”

  “You’re such an ass Jared.” I moved to punch his lights out.

  “Sian.” Jace pulled me back. “Thanks bro good looking out.” The two of them exchanged some kind of pigskin tribal hand gesture, whatever, before clapping each other on the back like gorillas in the midst. I just rolled my eyes and went back inside.

  “Hey dad, hi mom, so Jace is here we’re gonna get going.” You’re not too obvious or anything Sian damn. I kissed mom and moved to kiss dad as well before leaving, but he kept me.

  “You know, when I said ask your future husband to get you the Phantom, I distinctly remember saying something about waiting for the next fifty years at least.” Dad whispered conspiratorially.

  “Very funny dad, you see, it was fate; we were meant to be. He drives my dream car, the very one you told me my future husband was going to get me. Oh well dad, you fell asleep on the job and look what happened.”

  It was fun teasing him like this; it seems in the last few weeks since Jace and I had become a couple, things had been a little strained between my dad and I.

  I think it had something to do with that whole daddy’s little girl thing, and I hoped that nothing changed between us, that we find our footing again soon.

  This morning he seems to be on his way to doing that. “Do you really love him pumpkin, are you sure? I can’t believe I’m about to say this but, you know you don’t have to marry the first guy you...”

  “Gross dad...”

  “Okay, okay, I’m sorry.” He held up his hands and backed off with his face red and his eyes to the ceiling.

  “You’re such a dork dad.”

  “So I’ve heard a thousand times. Morning Jace you’re out and about early.”

  “Yeah we have a busy day planned.” He put his hand around my shoulders and I thought he was being a very brave boy, if a little misguided.

  Dad did look at that arm for what seemed like forever, before he seemed to snap himself out of it.

  “So, what exactly are you kids doing today?” Dad was trying hard to be cool, but I could tell that he was having a hard time with his little girl growing up.

  Jace on the other hand didn’t seem the least bit perturbed by any of this, because he kissed my cheek and ran his hand down my hair right there in the middle of the kitchen with my whole family looking on.

  What’s more, he did it in such an instinctive way, like it was the most natural thing, something he was accustomed to doing, which by now he was.

  There was no hesitation, no nervous energy. Just a guy kissing and caressing his girl without a care in the world, and I had to wonder if it was because of who his family was that he had that air about him.

  Though I knew he respected my dad, I couldn’t help the feeling that Jace dealt with my parents as though he were on their level; come to think of it he treated everyone like that.

  “Well sir, I was thinking of inviting some of our friends over for a little pool party. Maggie is invited along of course and Jared has already said okay to coming over. I hope you don’t mind Sian I called Belle and asked her to call the others and invite them.”

  Wow, he’s good. I could actually see my dad relaxing with every word.

  Knowing that his little girl wasn’t going to be spending the whole day alone with the teenage beast had added a little light to his day.

  I thought we were just spending the day together relaxing, but this was good too. I couldn’t wait to show off my ring to the girls and who knows, it might be fun.

  Chapter 5

  TAMMY

  I have never been to his house before; in fact I’ve never been invited to anyone’s house, except for Belle’s, and lately Sian’s.

  I knew that Shane’s parents were divorced and that he lived with his mom, who was once a leading lady in Hollywood.

  His action-hero-playing dad, who was still making blockbuster films, and was still pretty much in demand, lived in the Hills, which wasn’t too far away.

  We hadn’t spent much time discussing our families, though lately he’s been asking me more and more about myself instead of just talking chemistry.

  Ever since Sian and Jace had become an item, things had changed a lot for me. School was no longer a place I feared, I actually looked forward to going there now, and not for my usual bookworm reasons.

  And even though I knew I was making enemies with the popular kids, I didn’t much care. They’ve been torturing me for years anyway, so there was really no change there.

  It’s really stupid, but it makes a difference being accepted by the guys. The changes are out of this realm.

  Even my dad, a learned scholar seems to have been measuring my success as a teen, by the number of friends I make.

  After the sleepover, he was as proud as I’ve ever seen him. When I questioned his reaction he explained to me, that though he was proud of my scholastic abilities, we all need friends and acquaintances to round out a healthy balanced life.

  Whatever argument I might have with that assessment, I couldn’t deny the fact that my life had done a complete three sixty in the last month or so. Like today for instance, after we studied we were going to a pool party at the Saunders mansion.

  An invitation rumored to be coveted by royalty and some A-listers from our own domestic soil.

  “Oh hello you must be the tutor come in come in.” I’d only ever seen Shane’s mom on the big screen and maybe a handful of times around town.

  I don’t think she spent much time here anymore, but was always rumored to be on some billionaire’s yacht or on the Riviera somewhere.

  I know this of course because I’ve been pathetically obsessed with her only son for many years now and kept tabs on him and his family for any scrap of information I could get.

  She was beautiful, the type of beauty they used to rave about in the old days; think Marilyn and Ava. She smiled but there was something beneath it, something that I’d seen more than enough of to recognize it by now. Dammit.

  The lady might be a top list actress, but I went to the school of Belle, I can spot a fake at ten paces.

  “Wait right in there, I’ll go get my son.” She pointed to an actual to goodness waiting room.

  I was afraid to touch and or break anything, so I decided to stay standing right inside the doorway. Maybe that’s why I heard everything she said.

  Every word pierced deeper than the last and it was high school last year all over again. Only this time my shortcomings were being paraded front and center before th
e object of my obsession.

  ***

  “So, I’ve heard from Missy Fielding that you and Liz are taking a break from each other, how come I haven’t heard about this? And what’s this I hear about you and your little tutor?

  I know I don’t have to remind you of how this town works. Everything depends on your contacts, and getting close to a teacher’s daughter is not going to do anything for your future prospects; especially not a fat nobody. ”

  I felt about two feet tall, mortified down to my toes that I had taken my time and painted just for the occasion.

  I wondered if she knew I could hear her, or if maybe that was the whole point. Somehow coming from her, the words stung even more than at any other time.

  “Delilah, I think you should quit while you’re behind.” That was Shane’s voice and he sounded pissed. I heard a door slam and then footsteps coming towards me, but I was too hurt to move.

  Shane came around the corner just then. I couldn’t tell from the set of his face if he was angry or embarrassed.

  “I can come back another time if now’s not a good time.” I held onto my pride and kept the tears out of my voice, though the words were barely above a whisper. Even I could hear the pain in my own words.

  “No, you’re staying here.” He took my hand and marched out of the room, past his mother who was smiling like the cat that ate the canary. It was a very ugly look for a beautiful face.

  “I guess you heard what she said.” He didn’t stop walking or even looked back as he pulled me along behind him; I’d already ascertained that the dashing Mr. Dumas was pissed.

  I didn’t answer him but followed him to his room upstairs. Her little conversation with her son had killed the whole day for me.

  I had been looking forward to seeing another side of him, a more personal side to this boy that I was more than halfway in love with.

  I had been looking forward to it since the moment he suggested meeting here. My head was already full of the things that I was going to discover, new fodder to feed my needy heart.

  Now there was a lump in my throat and a pain in my heart. It figures that Sian was sporting a rock the size of Gibraltar and even Belle, my best friend forever, looked like she might be getting serious about Jared. Everyone was finding their happiness but me.

  I got my books out and my second hand laptop and got down to work. I was hurt, embarrassed, but surprisingly for me, a little pissed as well.

  I was getting tired of being judged because I wasn’t a perfect size two. I did a study last year on the accelerated number of teenage deaths due to eating disorders.

  The sad thing was that most of the people in this town would still do it regardless of the risk to their health, because outward appearance was everything.

  “Tammy are you sure you’re okay?” I hadn’t said more than two words since we started, just turned to the page and started reading.

  “I’m okay thanks.”

  “Do you want something to drink, or a snack?”

  After everything she’d just said I wasn’t sure I’d ever eat again. Was he making fun? One quick look didn’t show any malice on his face, just concern, but I only allowed myself that one quick peek before looking back down at my book.

  “No thanks Shane, I don’t feel so good, maybe we should do this some other time...”

  He grabbed my hand when I started to get up from my chair. “No, don’t do this shit again. For a whole damn year I watched you do this shit, now you’ve finally crawled out of that shell and I’ll be damned if I’m going to lose you again.”

  “Lose me, a whole year, what...” my heart had stopped beating the second he took my hand, and now it was all I could do to keep up with what he was saying.

  “Yes Tammy; why do you think I suddenly needed a damn tutor after acing my classes the whole time I was here? Coach doesn’t let us play unless we’re passing Tammy everybody knows that. I haven’t missed a game all last season and school just started, put that shit together.”

  “You mean you...” I don’t think the heart was meant to go through such ups and downs so close together, it felt like there was some serious damage being done in there today.

  “Yes, I faked it so that I could get close to you. If this is about my mom forget it; she can’t help what she is but you need to stop letting what other people think fuck with your head.

  She’s my mom and I tolerate her, but she doesn’t have any say in who I like or don’t like. If you’re worried about her being unkind to you in the future don’t.

  The only reason she’s gotten away with that shit for this long today is because I don’t want to cause a scene in front of you. But I hope you know I don’t buy into that bullshit.”

  I still didn’t say anything because really, what was there to say? She was right, I wasn’t the most glamorous person, wasn’t one of the beautiful people, and I couldn’t fault the woman for wanting what’s best for her son.

  Part of me just wanted to get this over with and be on my way, and the other, the new braver side of me wanted to hear all that he had to say. It was almost too much though, like a dream that I hoped never to wake up from.

  “Look, I’m sure in your home your parents are the perfect Norman Rockwell couple, you guys probably sit at the dinner table together and discuss your day.

  We don’t do that here, my mom wasn’t given the nurturing gene so we don’t do a lot of stuff that you and a million other people probably do. But I’m fine with things the way they are, I’ve made peace with it.

  My mom probably said all that stuff because she knew you would hear, and you’d probably run away scared.

  She’s done it in the past, though it has been some time; she couldn’t have been doing it for my benefit, because she knows by now that that shit won’t fly, so she was obviously doing it for yours.

  Which means that she knows you’ll tuck tail and run, I wonder where she ever got an idea like that. You’ve gotta stop running babe, if I didn’t want you here you wouldn’t be here.”

  Ooh boy, it’s times like this that I need Belle. She’d know what to do, what’s the perfect thing to say. I’m all tongue tied and stupid, because he’s saying the sweetest things and the way he’s looking at me is just...

  I’ve never been known for my braveness, never been one to just put myself out there like that. But I found myself doing something that was entirely out of my comfort zone.

  If I crash and burn I’ll just take that early college acceptance that I’ve been avoiding, and hit the road a year early.

  I know I surprised him by the hiss of air that flew out of his lungs when my lips touched his. I held my breath until his arms came up around me.

  “Seriously, that is like the longest conversation we’ve ever had.” I teased him when we came up for air.

  “Shut up.” He covered my mouth again and I forgot how to breathe. Was it possible to be this happy? There’s no way this is real, it can’t be.

  We kissed like that for the next half hour, before we got back to studying, but every few seconds one of us would gravitate to the other’s mouth and we’d be at it again.

  “I can’t believe the school’s shyest girl kisses like a dream.” My face went up in flames and I was like a little baby bird at feeding time when he fed me his tongue again.

  “I think we’re going to be late to Jace’s thing.” He pushed me back on his bed and threw his leg over both of mine.

  My eyes must’ve given away my panic because the next thing I knew he was trying to soothe my fears.

  “Shh, I just wanna kiss you, nothing more, for now. Just relax I’m not going to hurt you okay.”

  I was able to relax long enough to let him kiss me and then every thought just left my head anyway so there was no more room for panic.

  ***

  Chapter 6

  JACE

  Jared and Maggie were following in a little bit, and it was going to be a while before the others showed up. I’d worked it out that way because I wan
ted some alone time with my girl.

  It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and already I was going through withdrawals. I had to pull a fast one to get her past my parents, so they wouldn’t talk us to death, so I snuck back into the house and up to my rooms without tipping them off.

  As soon as the door was closed behind us, I cornered her against the wall. The cute little summer dress she wore barely made it without being torn to shreds, and my hand was in her panties two minutes after we cleared the door.

  “Jace, your parents, they’ll hear us.” She fumbled with my shorts and I sank my finger deep inside her.

  That worked to keep her mind off of our being discovered, which wasn’t going to happen anyway because once my door is closed there’s no way anyone can hear anything from the outside.

  “How do you feel, are you still sore?” it was probably a bit late to be asking seeing as how I already had her ass in my hands and her legs were wrapped around me with my dick kissing her pussy lips.

  “No, the cream worked, hurry.” She reached between us and led my cock home. I slid in and held for a second, reliving the feeling of being buried inside her.

  “You feel so fucking amazing baby.” She clenched around me and I went deeper, pushing her into the wall with my every thrust, while we ate at each other’s tongues.

  Being inside her was unlike anything I’d ever felt before, this time just as much as the first. It wasn’t a fluke, wasn’t because I was her first or because she was my first virgin, it was because she was made for me, just for me, and that’s what made being inside her so fucking special.

  “Jace...”

  “Let it come baby just let go.” Her voice takes on this amazing quality when she’s about to cum, a cross between little girl scared and sex kitten.

  And when she cums I feel her liquid heat covering me and there’s nothing else like it.

  I waited for her to come down before making my way over to the bed and putting her beneath me.