; And by the way Atlas watched me as I rushed to pick up the phone and disappear away from the group, he knew who was calling.

We had settled into our place in Italy a few hours ago. The house we had Airbnb'd was beautiful. The path that led up to the villa was wide and dirt, giving the building a vintage farmhouse look. Bushes blooming with bright colors of pinks, yellows, and whites lined the paths. The perfumey smell the flowers emitted graced our senses in bliss.

We walked up the steps of the house and if the Spanish-style roofing and the colored glass looking cladding wasn't impressive enough, the house made my heart expand with joy. My fingers itched with the need to take pictures of every little thing my eyes landed on.

The floors were covered with cool dove-colored gray and with each step, your feet met the woolly feel of the antique rugs. A beautiful set of couches sat in each room and dozens of knicknacks lined the walls, abstract statues of animals and people, little paintings of the horizon and a couple of other things.

Behind the house was a wide backyard that had a wide pool that shone fluorescent blue in the dark and a picnic area. A little table shrouded in a red tablecloth and surrounded by white chairs, caused Julia and Leah to gasp and exclaim that they would have dinner together later at night. The stretch of grassland and flowers that rolled beyond our eyes could see left us breathless.

As my phone rang in my hand, I quickly padded my way to the backyard and kicked my shoes off, taking a few steps onto the cool grass. With a deep breath, I answered his call and pressed the phone to my ear.

I held my breath, waiting for him to say something first.

He was calling because he wanted to know my answer. He wanted to know if I would be meeting him or not. I know it's stupid to even be turning over his proposition, but I had to. I needed to see Ethan and Keldan promised me he would be there.

"Hey, Eden?" The voice I had once loved to hear every morning and night said.

I sucked in a breath, "Hey,"

I wanted to get done with this phone call as soon as humanly possible. Keldan let out a small sigh on the other side of the phone, "Hey, how are you?" His tone was warm.

I nodded, "I'm good– great. How are you doing?" I asked, even though I had no intention of asking. He told me about how his new job is going back at home and about how pressed he is for money because of his car repairs. Digging my toes in the grass and dropping my head back, I let out a small sigh, hoping that his story was going to end soon. But, really, it was my fault I asked in the first place.

When I replied with "That's crazy," for the fifth time in a row, he seemed to pick up on my lack of interest and switched the conversation. "So, you never told me if you were coming to the restaurant or not..."

Club del Doge, I recalled. I've been searching up the name of the restaurant for the past two days, my skin itching with nervous energy and fear. I've read the directions to and from the place at least a hundred times and was sure I could get there without the GPS.

A soft breath puffed out from between my closed lips. Atlas had expressed his concern with me going and meeting Keldan and Ethan. He had said it wouldn't be safe and that it wasn't a good idea to spring this up on him like this. Maybe he was right. Ethan had made it clear that he didn't want me to be a part of his life.

For fuck's sake, he was married! If that wasn't a hint enough that he didn't want me around, I don't know what would be.

I squeezed my eyes shut, "Yeah, I know. I'm just– You get why this is so hard to decide, right?" I asked, aggravation prickling the ends of my words.

Keldan let out a breath through his lips. Something he did when he was thinking something over. "Yes, love, I know. I know more than anyone, okay?" He said. "Whatever you decide to choose, it'll be completely alright."

I blinked back the angry tears that were beginning to force their way down my cheeks. I nodded in response to Keldan's words, "I know," I whispered.

Keldan was quiet for a beat which gave my mind enough time to run wild with what-ifs and self-doubt. Not to mention, Atlas was right. He was always right. This–whatever it is I was doing–would end badly for me. What answers would I even get from Ethan? He had a right to leave when he did. He needed help and he wouldn't have gotten an ounce of that with Mom, Dad, Lydia, and I looming over him like family tended to do.

"What if this is a bad idea?" I asked, my voice coming out all wrong, all scared and breathy. "What if doing this makes Ethan get worse or something? I can't risk doing that again." I rushed out.

"Eden," Keldan sighed, his voice warm and reassuring against all the doubt thickening in my head, "Ethan is doing much better. He'll be fine. He doesn't feel incredibly sad when he thinks about you and your family. He just misses you and I think he'll be glad to just be able to see you again."

I let out a breath through my nose, shaking my head, "What about the thing about him skipping his sessions and Reneé being worried?"

Keldan let out a small sigh, expressing how silly I was being, "Eden, he's okay. Trust me."

Yeah, I fucking trusted him all those years ago and where did that get me, exactly?

I squeezed my eyes shut and kept my curt words to myself. I simply let out a sigh and nodded. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it, but... Just send me the time and location and I'll see if I'll be able to come." I breathed out.

I could feel Keldan pressing his lips into a straight line like he usually did when someone was being unreasonable or something wasn't going his way. I didn't really care if he disagreed with my choice. It wasn't his choice to make in the first place. Eventually, he let out a sigh, "Okay, Eden. I'll send the info to you. Just... Please think it over. We both miss you."

And with that note and the painful churning in my stomach, I muttered a quick okay and goodbye and hung up.

Exhaustion rippled through the muscles of my back and shoulders and I dropped my head back with a small groan. I lowered my aching body to the ground and let out a sigh.

The sun was slowly setting down the hill a few hundred feet away. The smell of whatever Julia and Leah were cooking wafted around me, making my stomach rumble and my mouth water. With a small sigh, I tucked my feet closer to me and wrapped my arms around them.

I wanted anything but to make Ethan relapse again or to upset Atlas. I wanted to be able to see Ethan freely without the fear or the anxiety. I wanted to meet Reneé. I wanted Mom to trust me enough with everything. I wanted everything to be simpler.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. As they neared, I let out a small sigh to control my breathing and facial expressions. I looked up as Atlas took a seat beside me.

My eyes met his blue one's, causing my mind to flicker between two thoughts: God, his eyes were beautiful and I want to ask him to come with me tomorrow.

He reached his hand up, taking my chin between his fingers and tilting my head up. My lips parted slightly as his gaze on mine never faltered. "My world..." He whispered almost inaudibly, almost as if he was turning something over in his head. My breath hitched at the simple, but weighty words.

His fingers pulled me closer until my lips softly brushed his. A deep rush of electricity sparked at every corner of my skin and my eyes fluttered closed. His lips parted against mine, his warm breath tickling my skin. "I hate to see you like this,"

Whenever I start to think that he doesn't see through me, I'm proven wrong time and time again.

My eyes fluttered open, meeting his galvanizing gaze. His eyes flickered about my face, memorizing each curve and feature on my face. I said nothing and we stared at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"Who was calling you?" He asked, his breath on my skin making my vision dim around the corners. The things he does to me awakened feelings in my body that I didn't even know I could feel.

"Keldan," I breathed, my hands gripping the grass beneath us with trepidation. "He wanted to see if I was coming tomorrow."

Atlas closed his eyes for a brief second, his dark lashes brushing his soft skin. A shiver escaped my lips as his hand ran up my side, stopping at my hip. His eyes met mine before he let out a small breath, "And did you give him an answer yet?"

I know he doesn't want me to go. The only reason he's not saying it right now is because he doesn't want me to get all angry or sad because of it. He wants me to come up with my answer on my own.

I let out a shuddering sigh, "I told him that if I wanted to, I would go."

Atlas tucked his bottom lip in between his teeth, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "And do you want to go?"

I let out a bothered sigh, "Of course, I do. I want to see him, but I'm scared. I don't know what's waiting for me tomorrow." The burning lump of emotion was climbing further and further up my throat. I just wanted the answer to land in my lap. I wanted this trip to end well, no matter what was waiting for us when we got home.

Atlas's hand cupped my face, gently brushing his finger back and forth, successfully slowing down my breathing and my once-rising heart rate. He pressed his lips to my forehead,causing my eyes to flutter closed in his embrace. His body expanded with his deep inhale and with his exhale, he pulled me closer. He waited a beat before saying, "I'll come with you if you want. I don't have to say anything, I don't have to even listen. I'll just be there... for you."

Whatever sense of fear that was festering in the pit of my body and mind, eased, pulling away almost completely. I buried myself further into Atlas's embrace, breathing in his soft cedarwood smell. "You'd do that?" I asked, breathlessly.

He nodded, planting a kiss at the top of my head, "Eden,"

I pulled back, meeting his eyes that screamed every endearing and adoring adjective in the world. My heart boomed in my chest at the look. He took my face in his hands, pulling me impossibly closer, "I'm here for you, baby." He smiled, softly, his voice barely above a whisper, "Always."

A smile bloomed across my face at his words. A warm feeling burst in my chest and my stomach churned with adoration for the boy sitting in front of me.

I pulled his face to mine, burying my fingers into his dark curls and pressing my lips to his. A deep breath escaped his lips and at the sound, heat rushed into the pit of my stomach making every nerve on my body stand to attention.

His lips effortlessly moved against mine, slow and hot, igniting a new restlessness into my body. Atlas's hand trailed down my face until his hand was loosely wrapped around my neck. A soft moan escaped my lips at the movement.

When Atlas pulled me back a fraction, I smiled up at him, watching him tuck his raw bottom lip between his teeth. His eyes swirled, dark and enticing, making me want his lips on every inch of my body.

Atlas lowered his lips onto my jaw, pressing slow kisses down the edge and down my neck. I pulled him closer, a soft gasp escaping my open lips. Atlas pulled back a fraction, his eyes locking with mine, "God, I love it when you make that sound." His voice is slow and husky.

My cheeks burned red and his smile widened at that before he pressed his lips to my cheek, "Come on," He said, untangling himself from me before helping me to my feet. "When I left, Julia was yelling at Leah about the sauce being too flavorless."

At my laugh, Atlas shook his head, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips, "I'm serious. I've never seen Julia that mad and I've never seen Leah turn that red."

Laughingly, I let him lead me back to the house, my bare feet struggling to keep up with his long strides. When we neared the entrance of the back door, I pulled him back, caging me against the wall with his body.

I giggled at the bewildered look on his face and wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me.

"Atlas?" I asked, his burning eyes solely trained on the curve of my lips. His arms slowly met my hips, causing my nerves to tingle like the end of a live wire.

Atlas slowly licked his lips, his chest rising and falling against mine. "Hmm?" He groaned out, the vibrations of his voice reverberating through every corner of my body.

I softly bit my lip to keep the smile wanting to erupt on my face at bay. Atlas's lips brushed against mine, painfully slow.

"I—" I breathed out, finding it hard to get the words out with the way he was bunching up the end of my shirt in his hands, his warm fingers brushing my exposed skin. I gasped out my words, "I fucking adore you,"

His eyes rose and met mine, a slow smile pulling at the ends of his lips. Not wasting a moment, he captured my lips in a searing kiss, releasing a deep groan from me. His soft lips moved against mine and when our tongues met, my eyes rolled back in pure bliss. I pulled him closer as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

When we pulled back, panting and breathless, he met my eyes, a soft smile playing at his lips. I watched him lean forward and plant a kiss on my forehead before moving to my cheeks and to my nose and lastly, to my lips.

"Eden," He breathed, "I fucking worship the ground that you walk on."

UH SO YEAH i'm sorry i haven't been updating as much. i feel like i already explained this before, but college. UGH. anyway, so i wanna rant about this guy that i met yesterday and if you don't care, just skip along.

so his name is keir and he's from the fucking UK— yes, he says words like mates and has a cute accent. his hair is so dark and i can talk about his face forever, but god damn. he called me these things: gorgeous girl, my pretty girl, darling (!), and mine. OHMYGOD. am i dreaming?

well anyway, that's that well aside from the hundred other things, but... i hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. stay turned for the next one because you will be meeting ethan and keldan. SO HELL YEAH.

thank you so much for all the support. i love you all to the very ends of the universe.