Dating your ex again was an interesting experience. On one hand, you got to bypass all those awkward "getting to know you" conversations.

Where did you grow up? How many siblings do you have? What's your favorite movie? What do you do for a living?

Getting to know someone new on a superficial level to determine whether they had potential as a partner sounded like an exhausting experience.

On the other hand, dating your ex again came with its own uncomfortable issues. They were straddling the line of knowing each other intimately but also not knowing each other intimately anymore.

Time had progressed between them and they were no longer the same two people as they were at seventeen. There was also the giant elephant in the room - the reason for their split in the first place. But when you were re-dating again, it wasn't fair to rehash old pains. The point of giving your ex a second chance was to start afresh, in whatever capacity that was.

The other awkward issue was telling your friends and family that you were giving it another shot with your ex.

Barron's parents, of course, were over the moon. When she showed up for dinner, Kelly had taken one look at Eden's shy smile and her son's beaming face before promptly bursting into happy tears.

That was awkward.

The wind was knocked out of Kelly's sails a little when they informed her that they weren't back together officially. They had only agreed to test the waters by casually dating again.

Eden's Mom also took the news well. Granted, not in the same way as Kelly, but a glint of a smile did appear briefly before she gave her daughter a solemn nod.

"You know I love Barron. Our families will always have a connection. But that doesn't mean you should feel pressured to try again with him. If you feel like you've been pushed-"

"I haven't, Mom, I promise." Eden clasped her hands in earnest. "This is my decision, no one else's. I just-" she paused, her mind racing for the right words, "I just need to know, ya know?" Eden finished, imploring her to understand.

Her Mom reached out and cupped her cheek. "I know, sweetie. I'm rooting for you. Both of you. Whatever happens, I'm happy that you followed your heart in this."

Now that just left Sofia and Ryan. A moment Eden had been dreading. After all, both Ryan and Sofia had spewed angry rhetoric over Barron; sentiments she had previously agreed with.

"Hey, guys, you know how we all called Barron a good-for-nothing cheat and how he was dead to us? Well, here's a funny story..."

After nervously informing them of her news, Eden waited as they sat there in silence. Both their faces were unmoving before they guiltily glanced at each other. They seemed to be communicating some sort of message with their eyes.

"What?" Eden slowly asked, pushing her plate of food aside as her appetite faded.

"We know!" They both sang out in unison.

Her mouth dropped open. "What? How? We only decided yesterday."

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. "Gabe, the guy I'm seeing - his apartment is in the same complex as Barron. I saw your Mom's car there that morning and figured it was you."

Eden pointed her finger at him, twirling it around in the air. "Okay, we're gonna circle back to that later." She told him as he flushed. "But why didn't you guys ask me?"

"Well, personally I thought you were there to get some good dick in you," Sofia mumbled through the toast in her mouth. She tilted her head towards Ryan. "Mr. Romance over here thought you were declaring your love for each other again."

Eden grimaced at her words. "Well, it wasn't either of those. More like somewhere in the middle-ish."

She didn't want to tell her friends just how close it had gotten to becoming the former scenario. Eden's face heated as she remembered their intimate moment before she left. At random times during the day she had found herself tracing her lips and staring off into the distance as she relived the feel of his thumb in her mouth. The flare of lust in his eyes, the flush of pleasure on his cheeks. She felt a heat pool low in her groin and she crossed her legs to try and rub the ache away.

"So how do you guys feel about Barron and I seeing each other again? Casually," she added.

Ryan shrugged. "Honestly? I'm cool with it. He and I are becoming friends again. Plus, I can stare at his abs again when he plays soccer."

She threw a pita chip at him in mock indignation before addressing Sofia. She was her bestie. Closer than a sister. Her ride or die. Sofia's opinion mattered to her and she had been Eden's biggest cheerleader when all that shit went down with Barron and Lissa.

"And what say you?" Eden leaned her chin on her hand as she nervously observed her friend.

Sofia's mouth twisted as she tilted her head this way and that in thought. She finally let out the breath she was holding. "You know I'll support whatever decision you make. Barron is," she paused as she searched for the right word, "not the worst. He's re-growing on me. But what about you? Do you trust him?"

"I think that will come in time. Hopefully. That's what this is about. No labels, casual dating, no commitment. Just dipping my toe in, hoping it won't scald me in the end."

Sofia slowly nodded. "Obviously it goes without saying that if he hurts you again-"

"- you'll run him over and back up to finish the job. Yes, I still remember your offer back when we were seventeen," Eden laughed.

"Well then," Sofia lifted her glass in the air. "Here's to casual dating, possibly some good dick, and," she lifted her glass higher with a cheeky grin on her face, "free drinks at The Good Home!"

The next couple of days were hectic. Not only for herself but for Barron as well. He was run ragged by his Mom who utilized his muscles to help set up for the annual Summer Fair.

Eden herself had meetings with her agent and a few designers as well as catching up with a few of her industry friends.

It barely left any time for the two of them to link up and...explore her growing feelings for him.

For any newly dating couple, this would seem like a roadblock. Instead, as busy as Barron was, he never failed to reach out; to let her know that she was on his mind.

He called her at least once during the day to check in as well as text her whenever he had a free moment. He would send lunch and dinner deliveries to her house which was a relief as she sometimes was too tired or forgetful to eat.

What was even more endearing was that he never forgot Josh. He always sent enough to include him which Eden found super sweet. It can't be easy knowing that the girl you're trying to woo is shacked up with an ex-boyfriend- no matter how innocent.

There was no way she would be cool with that; with the way their relationship was now. So she appreciated that Barron wasn't flexing some macho bullshit about it. More points in his favor.

On Thursday night, a thrill of excitement shot down her spine when she saw Barron's name light up on her phone.

"Hi!" She tried to sound casual even though her heart was beating erratically. Just like the first time when Barron had called her as a young teen.

"Hey, baby," Barron's tired voice came through. "Sorry I haven't checked in with you for a few hours." She heard him stifle a yawn. "Things have been hectic at The Good Home with the extra influx of tourists. Plus Mom's running me around doing errands for her and the committee."

"That's okay. Today's been nonstop for me, too. How's the fair prep coming along?"

She listened as Barron filled her in on the behind-the-scenes drama; who was in charge of what, who wasn't pulling their weight, and who was caught making out behind Mr. Singh's food truck.

She giggled and teased him about sounding like a gossipy old lady and then blushed as Barron teased her straight back by reminding her of the many times they had been caught making out at the fair by her Mom or his parents.

He asked her how the lead-up to Fashion Week was going and listened intently as she relayed her meetings and prep work. Anyone else would've been nodding off by now. As entertaining as watching the show could be, no one wanted to listen to a peep behind the curtain.

But Barron showed no signs of being disinterested. He asked Eden questions and again caused her to blush furiously as he reiterated how proud he was of all she had accomplished.

As they drifted to a comfortable silence she heard Barron give a satisfied grunt.

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing. Just that...this is nice."

"Nice?"

"Talking to you again. Being back in your life." He paused and she felt the weight of the emotion he was conveying. "It's... nice."

Eden's hand tightened on her phone, warmth spreading through her body at his words.

"I like it, too." She murmured.

"Yeah?" His tone was soft and imploring.

The hopefulness in his voice drew her out of their tender moment and she shifted uncomfortably. Not because she found their shared moment awkward but because she felt a little startled at how easy it was for them to fall back into their flirting and teasing nature that had come so easily when they were a couple. She didn't want to get too comfortable when she was only just becoming reacquainted with him.

"I better let you go," she told him. "Big day tomorrow."

Eden could feel Barron's disappointment coming through the phone at what was her obvious withdrawal. But instead of expressing it, he changed course.

"Actually, that's why I called you. Will you be my date to the fair tomorrow?"

"Oh!" She startled.

A brilliant smile crossed Eden's face at his nervous question. She had assumed that she would see Barron at the fair tomorrow but had thought that he would be one of the helpers. She was thrilled that he was asking her, though. It made her feel fourteen again.

"You're not going to be busy?" She asked.

"Nope. Told Mom that she could find someone else for free labor," he joked. "I wanna spend my girl's last day together."

And just like that, Eden's mood instantly sank.

She hadn't forgotten that tomorrow was her last day but rather she had put it to the back of her mind.

Thinking about her impending departure caused the air to feel gloomy. She would miss her Mom, Mike, Sofia, and Ryan, of course. She would also miss Kelly, Gavin, and Bailey. She had grown close to Barron's family again and was elated to have them back in her life.

But when she thought of Barron...her feelings for him were complicated. When she pictured Saturday morning, saying goodbye to him....it made her stomach ache.

"I'm sorry," Barron's voice interrupted her morose thoughts. "I didn't mean to call you my girl. It just slipped out. I know we're keeping it casual and I'm cool with that. I-"

"Barron, Barron, it's fine," she interrupted. She felt guilty that he had misinterpreted her silence as something else. She took a deep breath and smiled. "I'd love to be your date to the fair."

The day of the fair dawned bright, early, and hot. Eden woke feeling equal parts excited and sad. She lay in bed for a few minutes, staring at her ceiling and working through a few breathing exercises to calm her anxiety.

As much as she was looking forward to the fair, to seeing Josh perform...and spending time with Barron; she couldn't help the approaching doom that she felt.

Suddenly, agreeing to date Barron just when she was about to leave seemed like a very silly idea. How would they keep the momentum going? How would she feel being away from him when he had the Lissa's and Tracey's of the world around him? She knew in her heart of hearts that he would never go there again with Lissa. But she still felt like an insecure, awkward seventeen-year-old. And she knew it was because her feelings for Barron were deeper than she wanted to admit.

A chime from her phone brought her out and she snatched the device up to check her messages.

Josh: Hey babes, left to help with the sound setup. Figured they could use my expertise ;) text me when you and Barron arrive xx

Josh had spent most of his remaining days rehearsing and hanging out with herself, Sofia and Ryan. Word had spread that a certain lead singer of The Living English was in town. Most knew that they were friends and assumed he was in town to visit her. Although, some had correctly guessed that he was the last-minute change in performer at the fair. That piece of gossip was fuelled by a certain New Haven Instagram page that had suddenly turned into a Gossip Girl page rather than reporting on local events.

Security had been beefed up a bit as a surge of tourists was expected. But since Josh's arrival was still unexplained - given the fact that no one in the comment section believed that he was actually going to perform for their little town fair - the local law enforcement wasn't too worried about having a riot on their hands.

After replying back to Josh, Eden moved on to her newest message.

Barron: Morning, baby. I'll swing by to pick you up at 9 if that's ok? Can't wait to see you :)

The glow of his words pushed aside her pensive mood and so she climbed out of bed with an extra jump in her step. Excited to see her ma - Barron.

Eden practically skipped as she made her way to the Ferris wheel. Barron's hand, a little sticky from the cotton candy they had shared, was firmly grasped around hers as he laughed at her eagerness.

There were two Ferris wheels but every time they came around to them, the lines were always ridiculous. Eden was too impatient to see and experience everything to wait in a queue.

As they walked past one of the wheels again, she spied that the line had dwindled so had dragged Barron over in a flurry. The Ferris wheel held a lot of warm memories for her and she was determined to ride it again.

Eden had kept her expectations low. After all, some of her best summer memories were at the fair - with Barron by her side.

However, it had been seven years since she had been. She wasn't expecting to recapture those magical moments of her youth. Everything was always so much bigger and grander when you were a kid.

But as she and Barron slowly walked their way around the fair, she could feel her excitement heighten. Fren Close and the surrounding streets had been closed down and transformed overnight.

Colorful striped tents had been erected which housed the various carnival games that had been a staple of her youth - balloon darts, bottle stand, ring toss, and Skee ball.

Food trucks were scattered around and the tantalizing scent of burgers, hot dogs, fries, and her weakness - cinnamon sugared mini donuts - teased her senses and watered her mouth.

Carnival music, bells, and whistles rang out, mixed in with the sound of a live band performing on the main stage situated in the middle of Fren Close.

As the day progressed, Eden relaxed more in Barron's company. It felt just like old times - the way they just fell into rhythm with each other like an old married couple who still felt that shock of exciting thrill at being together. Their mannerisms changed from polite friendliness to gentle teasing and flirting. Glances lingered a little longer, fingers brushed against each other more purposefully, shoulder bumped shoulder as they strolled together towards the next ride or game.

Over the course of the day, they both caught up with friends.

First, Joshua who had tried to appear incognito with a baseball cap, long sleeved Henley, and long shorts. Unfortunately, since 90% of his body was covered in tattoos he still stuck out like an obvious sore thumb. They were constantly approached by fans who wanted photos and autographs. It all got a bit much for him so he headed back to his trailer until he was called on stage.

Ryan and Sofia, who were with dates, also joined them. They all rode the Zipper together before she and Barron broke away for lunch. But not before Sofia had given her a saucy wink over Barron's shoulder before making a circle shape with her forefinger and thumb and crudely inserting her other pointer finger in and out of the makeshift hole.

Eden's face had reddened with embarrassment at her insinuation. As attracted as she felt towards Barron, she wasn't quite ready for that yet.

As the day progressed, locals approached them to say hi. Some were nosy former school peers who had feigned an attempt at "catching up" whilst casting curious eyes over the former lovers who were clearly reunited in some capacity.

Others were fans of hers who stopped for a quick chat about her career. There were also parents of girls she had had in her class. All of them gushed over how much their children had enjoyed her talks. That warmed her heart.

But, surprisingly, a lot of the folks who approached them did so to greet Barron. She quickly realized that her ex-boyfriend was quite beloved in their town. The local boy who started a successful business from scratch, whose establishment raked in a lot of much-needed tourist business and money into their town.

Barron had also started and headed up New Haven's social soccer team that regularly competed in local leagues with neighboring towns. High school boys also came up to him - all in the school soccer team which he coached. Their season was restarting soon so he spent a few moments chatting to them about upcoming training.

Another thing she noticed about Barron, something Eden remembered him doing when they were together, was that he always included her in conversations. He was very much a social butterfly whereas she preferred a more introverted setting.

But whenever they were at parties or sports events together, he always had an arm around her shoulder, always looked down at her with tender eyes, and always said things like "isn't that right, baby?" Or "Eden and I...."

He did the same now whenever he chatted to someone she wasn't familiar with. He drew her into the conversation - "hey, have you met Eden?" It made her feel important, a part of his life.

Bailey also caught up with them later in the day. Eden had watched on in amusement as Barron made several attempts at a ring toss game to win Bailey a giant unicorn that she had seen and coveted.

At his third attempt, he threw his hands in the air in celebration. The bottom of his T-shirt had ridden up and she spied a sliver of his flat stomach and the V-shaped Adonis belt that disappeared into his shorts. Thinking of his shorts made her think of his cock and she glanced away briefly. Her face was heated at how quickly her thoughts had escalated.

Eden watched on as Barron produced the pink and purple unicorn with a flourish and laughed as Bailey jumped up at him for a hug. Barron was such a good cousin to her. He had adored her as a little kid and always made time for her. She was pleased that he continued to be a big part of her life.

He would make such a good dad.

Startled at that random thought, Eden wondered what the future would look like...who would be the mother of his children? Some local girl who was a teacher at the school? Some brazen drifter who decided to make New Haven their home?

Her?

Eden had seen herself in that role so many times - as Barron's wife, partner, and mother of his children. That picture had gotten fuzzier and fuzzier as the years drifted by.