The first inkling Eden had that something was wrong was on the third week of her five week vacation with her Mom. It was the summer break before her senior year in highschool and they were currently visiting her grandparents who had relocated to sunny Pensacola, Florida.

Eden hadn't wanted to go. What seventeen year old wanted to spend the last of their summer break hanging with their Mom and Grandparents? She wanted to spend it with her best friend, Sofia, and her boyfriend of three years, Barron.

She had been friends with Barron since they were four years old. With their Moms being best friends, it was hard to ignore each other. Their friendship grew into an all consuming crush, a few heated glances and awkward flirtations. It all came to head at her first boy/girl party hosted by Brad Templeton at his parent's basement.

After checking several times that the adults were sufficiently busy upstairs with their wine and snacks, Brad cheekily declared that they were to play a game of seven minutes in heaven.

He didn't have a wardrobe in the basement where said "heaven" could occur, but he did have a long curtain that he quickly pegged in place on a rope that hung across the rafters. It was long enough to cover head to toe, but anyone could peak behind and see the action.

When it came time for Barron to spin the bottle, Eden's heart was beating out of her chest and her palms were damp with sweat. She wanted desperately for the bottle to land on her but was also so nervous if it did.

She had kissed a boy before but nothing hot and heavy. Barron, too, had already had his first kiss; if the bragging from Lissa Kelston could be believed.

She had glanced at the pretty ice blonde girl sitting across from her who was staring at Barron with a sultry glint in her eye. Jealousy had sliced through her at the thought of Lissa and Barron disappearing behind the peach coloured curtain.

But her worry was for nothing. Her heart had leapt with joy when the brown glass bottle had without a doubt pointed directly at her. Her light blue eyes had clashed with his hazel ones. In them, she read every emotion he was feeling. He wanted this. Wanted her.

He had stood and held his hand out to her to help pull her up. Ignoring their classmate's hooting and hollering, they disappeared behind the curtain for a lot more than seven minutes. In fact, they only came up for air when their classmates had gotten bored and had yanked the curtain back. They had all gotten a good show of her arms around Barron's neck, his hands on her ass and their tongues deep in each other's mouths.

Since that night, they had been inseparable. So in love and she had been so sure that they were going to be together forever. Not a day went by that they didn't text, call or video chat with each other, if they weren't already spending every second of every day in each other's presence.

So that was why it was so peculiar that Eden hadn't heard from him in two days. She knew that his cousin, Simon, was visiting for Summer break and that they would be busy hanging out.

But at the start of her trip to Florida, Barron had been in constant contact. Towards the beginning of their third week apart, however, he seemed distant; almost eager to get off the phone. When she had confronted him, he had excused his behavior by saying that his cousin was keeping him occupied and so she hadn't thought anything more of it.

She missed him desperately and was having serious withdrawal symptoms from not being able to be near him or talk to him whenever she wanted.

Towards the end of the third week, however, he had stopped picking up her calls and had started declining her video chats. He answered her texts sporadically but they seemed impersonal.

Barron: I can't talk tonight, sorry

Barron: Everything's fine, Simon's just non stop

Barron: Kinda tired tonight. Raincheck?

Barron: Yeah, miss you too

Even more concerning, Sofia - who had no trouble keeping in contact with Eden over summer - had informed her that she hadn't seen or spoken to Barron much either.

They had a group of friends that all hung out together so it wasn't unusual for the two of them to hang out if Eden wasn't there. But Sofia had told her that Barron hadn't really been replying to her texts and had kept putting off hanging out.

He wasn't with their other friends, either. In fact, Sofia worryingly informed her that she had seen him and his cousin, Simon, hanging out with Brad and his crew.

Brad was captain of the football team. Sure, he was cute but he was nothing on her Barron. He was king of the "in" crowd which included the football team and the cheer squad. Yes, their highschool really was that cliche.

Barron was friendly with them, being that he was an athlete himself on the soccer team, but he had told her that they weren't his "people." Too shallow and vapid, he had said.

She could agree with that. Lissa, head cheerleader, was not the nicest person. She constantly flirted with Barron in front of her and Eden could not forget that she had been Barron's first kiss.

Although, her boyfriend had insisted that his kiss with Lissa had been chaste and nothing more than an outcome of a spin the bottle game that he had played at a birthday party.

But unlike the outcome of their socially forced kiss, Barron had felt no inclination towards Lissa; informing Eden that he had already been crushing hard on her by then and that no other girl had done it for him.

So that's why she couldn't fathom why Barron was now hanging out with them. When she had finally managed to get a hold of him to question why he wasn't around, he had very shortly told her that he could have his own friends if he wanted and didn't have to hang out with them all the time if he didn't want to. The call had ended with an argument and Eden in a flood of tears.

But later that night he had texted to apologize and explain that Simon had befriended Brad as they had gone to football camp together a few summers ago. He hadn't wanted to abandon his cousin and had felt that he had to tag along.

Feeling buoyed by that explanation, Eden chose to enjoy the last few weeks of her vacation, safe in the knowledge that Barron was just caught up in cousin babysitting duties.

That was, until the last week of her vacation when her whole world bottomed out.

She had been lying in her bed, scrolling through Instagram waiting for Barron to reply to the text she had sent two hours ago. She jerked when her phone had suddenly rang and she scrambled to answer it, disappointment crowding her when she saw Sofia's name. She missed Barron. Where was he?

"Hey you!" she had breathed, trying to put some excitement in her voice.

"Um, hey, Eden." Sofia's voice was missing its usual boisterous infliction which Eden found strange. Sofia was usually teeming with energy.

"Whoa, who died?" she joked. "Shit, unless someone actually did die!" she rushed out.

"Uh, no." Sofia slowly replied, almost hesitantly. "Um, I don't know how to say this." she started.

Eden sat up, grabbing her pillow and grasping it to her chest. Something was seriously wrong.

"What is it?"

"It's about Barron."

Eden's heart leaped. But not in a good way. Her gut - the gut that was telling her that something was off with Barron - clenched in fear.

"Just tell me." she whispered.

Sofia took a deep breath before tearing Eden's soul in two.

"I was riding my bike past Frend Close," she started. Frend Close was a popular park by their school where kids usually hung out; mainly after dark, to drink and chill.

"And I saw Barron there with his cousin, Maria, Brad and Lissa." Another deep breath by Sofia before the words rushed out.

"Lissa was sitting on Barron's lap."

The air rushed out of her lungs in a strangled cry. "What?" she stammered out. "A-are you s-sure?"

"Yeah, E." Sofia quietly said. "I am. He was sitting down and she was sitting in front of him, her back to him." she paused. "Between his legs."

Eden closed her eyes, tears rapidly falling as her hand squeezed her phone tightly.

"Maybe she had just sat there and he didn't want to be rude -"

"Her back was up against his chest and his arms were around her waist cuddling her." Sofia quickly got out.

No. No, no, no, no, no!

"I'm sorry, E. I just don't want you to misunderstand what I saw, what I know I saw. It didn't look innocent, it didn't look like an accident. Her hands were over his-"

"Stop." she whispered. She felt like she couldn't catch her breath, like the walls were coming down on her. "Just stop. I believe you. Just..." a sob escaped her as more tears fell. "...stop."

"E." Sofia said firmly. "We will get through this. Fuck him. He's going to regret whatever the hell he's doing. I swear to God, when I see him I will kick him so hard in the-"

Eden let her phone drop on the bed before walking in a daze to her ensuite bathroom in the guest room she was sleeping in. She turned on the shower and stood there for a few minutes, watching the steam rise.

She felt numb and cold. Without thinking she stepped into the shower, clothes and all, sinking down onto the floor in the corner.

It was all very melodramatic when she thought back on it. But at that moment, she was in complete emotional despair. She had buried her head in her arms and sobbed.

Barron hadn't texted her back that night.

They had been back in their hometown of New Haven for five hours and she still hadn't heard back from Barron.

She had finished out her vacation week privately crying while putting on a brave face to her Mom and grandparents. The last thing she had wanted to deal with was pity. Besides, she wanted to talk with Barron first. Face to face. A part of her wanted to believe that it was a misunderstanding. That once she saw Barron he would wrap his strong arms around her and tell her that it wasn't true. That he hadn't cheated on her with Lissa Kelston. That he still loved her and wanted to be with her forever. Just like they had planned.

So she hadn't contacted him for the rest of her vacation and tried to ignore the fact that he hadn't reached out to her as a sign that Sofia had been right.

Instead, she waited until their taxi had pulled into their driveway before reaching for her phone and flicking Barron a text that she was home and if she could come round. She had made Sofia promise not to confront Barron, citing her wanting to talk to him first as the reason.

It was true. She wanted to talk to Barron first about what Sofia had seen. But only so he could deny it. Tell her that Sofia had gotten it wrong. She knew she was being one of those stupid girls that wouldn't believe when her man was cheating.

But this was Barron. Her Barron. He couldn't - wouldn't have done this to them?

Five hours later she was still waiting for him to respond. She had tried calling and texting him a few more times before finally resolving to track him down herself.

With a quick word to her Mom about where she was headed, she walked the two blocks to Barron's house; her heart hammering and a sense of foreboding trickling down her spine.

She walked up the stone steps to his front door before ringing the doorbell. She clasped her hands in front of her and patiently waited for her knock to be answered.

When the door finally opened, it was Barron's Mom on the other side.

She loved Kelly Carter almost as much as she loved her own Mom. She was warm, caring, and adored having Eden around.

She also always greeted Eden with a big smile so the fact that a small frown now marred her pretty features was another clue that something was wrong. Even more so when she stepped out onto the porch with Eden instead of throwing the door open and ushering her in like she usually would.

"Eden, sweetheart, are you okay?"

Instead of waiting for an answer she wrapped her slim frame into her arms for a tight hug.

"Uhh, I'm fine, Mrs Carter." She returned her hug, still confused. "Is Barron home? He hasn't replied to my messages."

Kelly pulled back, her brow still furrowed. "Uh, yes. He's out the back in the pool with his friends and Simon. But sweetheart," she rubbed her hands up and down Eden's arms, "Why are you here? Don't get me wrong, I've been dying to see you and I was so disappointed and sad when Barron told me that you two split up but now's probably not the best time."

Eden stood there stoically, the color drained from her face.

Split up. Split up.

Barron's Mom thinks that they were split up. She wracked her brain trying to think of all the text messages and calls between them - though far and few they were - and wondered if there was a break up message in them that she just did not get.

No.

Eden straightened. Determination set in her features. No. Fuck. No. That motherfucker was making her doubt. Making her gaslight herself into thinking that they had, in the five weeks and sporadic messages apart, that they had somehow broken up. But they hadn't. Barron had lied to his Mom and God knows who else. This wasn't the Barron she knew and loved. Not this liar and cheat.

Kelly read the look on her face, her lovely features pinched in anger and pain. She took a step back, her hand on her heart. "Oh, no," she whispered. "Barron didn't end things with you, did he?"

Because she couldn't trust herself to speak, Eden instead shook her head.

Kelly's face turned red in anger. "That - that - that stupid, stupid boy." She spat out. She brought her hand to her head and pulled on her hair in frustration. "I can't believe he would do this. And all this time he's been -" she abruptly cut off, her eyes cutting to Eden in what could only be described as guilt.

"All this time he's been what, Mrs Carter?" she asked softly and calmly.

Kelly shook her head lightly. "Nothing, sweetheart. Eden, now's not the time to see Barron. I'll get him to come round to see you. I will get him to come round." she gritted out.

"If it's all the same to you, Mrs Carter, I would prefer to see him now and get it over with."

"Oh, but -" Whatever Mrs Carter was about to say was cut off when a loud girlish shriek split the air before the unmistakable sound of Barron's laughter rang out followed by a few splashes. She recognised the voice of that shriek. They were out having a gay old time in the Carter's backyard pool.

"Please, Mrs Carter. I know what I'm going to find."

Kelly searched Eden's face and whatever she saw there loosened her stance and she gave a curt nod before stepping aside.

Eden moved into the familiar big hallway of the Carter residence and rigidly made her way to the kitchen where the sliding doors opened onto the deck and pool.

She saw Simon first who had a bikini-clad Maria Smith wrapped in his arms by the side of the pool. His head jerked when he spotted her, his face looking like someone had slapped it. His head quickly swiveled towards the pool before calling out Barron's name.

Now she understood the reason why Barron didn't reply back to her texts and calls for the past few hours. Kind of hard to reply back when your hands are busy wrapped around Lissa Kelston and your tongue is playing soccer with hers. Barron hadn't heard his cousin's frantic calls so lucky for her she got a few more seconds watching Barron in the pool, Lissa crowded into the corner with her wet blonde locks flowing down her back while she eagerly accepted Barron's kiss.

"Barr!"

Simon's loud bellow finally pulled Barron away where he turned his head and met her blue eyed stare head on.

"Shit!" He sputtered before pushing away from a smirking Lissa.

"Eden," he quickly waded to the edge of the pool to pull himself up.

"Don't bother coming out on my behalf," she calmly said. "After all, we've broken up now, haven't we?"

She quickly turned and stormed back into the house, blinking furiously to ward off the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Eden, wait!" Barron bellowed after her.

She ignored him and continued walking.

Fuck. Him. That lying, cheating bastard.

She almost made it to the front door before Barron caught up with her, grasping her arm.

"Wait, Eden, baby, wait."

She spun around and slapped his face. Hard.

His normally dirty blonde hair was dark from being wet in the pool and had been slicked back on his head. No doubt pushed lovingly aside by little Miss Head Cheerleader.

"You do not get to call me baby," she hissed in anger. "Not after ignoring my calls, my texts and then blatantly flaunting your cheating around town. Sofia had to call me to tell me what was going on."

His eyes flashed with regret and guilt.

"Shit, Eden."

He hung his head in shame as droplets dripped down his toned body and onto the wooden floor of his house. She noticed that his body has beefed up a bit over summer. No doubt he did so in an effort to please Lissa.

"Why?" she whispered in torment. "Why did you cheat on me? How could you?" The last sentence caused her voice to crack.

Tears pooled in Barron's eyes, the shame of what he had done causing him to drop his gaze from hers. "I'm so sorry, Eden. I didn't mean for this to happen, for you to find out this way. I still love you, but -" he stopped.

"But, what?" She pushed.

When he remained quiet, the anger of the last few weeks exploded.

"At least have the balls to look me in the eye and tell me why you're a lying, cheating asshole!" she growled. "I deserve that much!"

He lifted his head, his gaze held so much. Love, regret, pain, guilt. But it was too late. There was no coming back from this.

"It honestly just happened."

Her breath huffed out in disbelief. "Just happened?" she spat out. "You just happened to slip your dick into Lissa?"

"No!" he quickly said, he reached to touch her but stopped as her body jerked back in response.

"I haven't slept with her."

Not yet.

That sentence hung between them, heavy in the air.

"Right." she rolled her eyes. "You just cuddled her on your lap and made out with her in the pool. That's okay then." She jabbed her finger to his chest. "Fuck you, you coward."

She turned to storm out. She had to get out of here. She could still hear yells of laughter coming from the pool.

"Eden."

She stopped but refused to turn around. Tears were streaming down her face and she was afraid to so much as sniff. She refused to cry in front of him.

She felt his body heat come closer to her. She held herself still, determined not to show any emotion.

"Eden. I love you so much. I'm so sorry for what you saw and what I did."

She continued to hold still, her breath suspended waiting for what he was going to pin her with next.

"But we've been together for so long. You were gone and things got carried away with Lissa -"

She didn't stand around to hear what he was going to say next. She had more self respect than to stand around and listen to bullshit. So she pushed forward, slamming his front door behind her, ignoring his voice calling out her name.

She made it the two blocks back to her place, called out calmly to her Mom that she was home, and walked composedly up the stairs towards her room. She quietly closed the door and lightly lay on her neatly made bed. She curled herself into a ball, buried her head in her hands and cried.