Piece By Piece [Private RP — Closed]

Eden’s POV:

I was afraid of many things, but those fears were bearable. I could fight them head-on and pretend they never terrified me because that was what I could do best.
Three things… out of all my fears, three things could push me against the floor and prevent me from getting back up. Those fears rendered me powerless, and I hated feeling powerless. I liked being in control, and most of all, I liked pretending nothing could wear me down.
The first fear was trust. I was afraid of trusting people because I was afraid they’d stab me in the back when they were done with me. My second fear was… never mind that one. The last one was that I was afraid of the dark. It was pretty silly for a girl like myself. Why would I be afraid of the dark?
Well, I didn’t exactly fear the dark. I was afraid of what was in the dark. My fear of the dark connected with my first fear, associating with lack of sight and thus, getting myself caught in a trap I could have avoided had there been a source of light.
And right now, the more I walked inside this building, and the more black filled my vision, I knew I was a goner.
I would show another weakness of mine to Sterling. I’d show another way for him to push me around. I thought I could bear this because I simply needed to focus on reality and pretend this wasn’t real. Me being in a dark place wasn’t real.
But it was. It was as real as the creepy lights, barely allowing me to see, concealing what was hiding perfectly and rendering me blind. It was as real as Sterling beside me, walking slowly to match my place.
And I knew it was real because the moment I sensed danger, my hand shot out to grab Sterling’s, squeezing it tightly because that was the only thing I could do to tell myself I wasn’t alone.

Eden’s POV:

The moment Sterling squeezed my hand back, I had the feeling that I was safe; nothing could get me.
I took a deep breath, stepping closer to Sterling, linking our hands together all the while fighting off the heat trying to stake claim on my face. His hand, although big and rough, seemed to engulf my small one entirely. It seemed to fit—perfectly.
And before I knew it, we were out. I admit, I had my eyes closed most of the time, sticking close to Sterling, somehow believing he’d lead me out of there. And he did, safely.

Eden’s POV:

I didn’t want to let go of Sterling’s hand. Instead, when he turned to me, I allowed myself to rest my forehead on his chest, taking deep breaths. I didn’t stop to think what he’d think about it. I didn’t stop to think Ashley and Lucas might see this.
I was just so exhausted and tired that I wanted nothing more than to just stay there, close to him because as much as I hate to admit it, it made me feel protected.

Eden’s POV:

I sighed deeply, losing myself to the tight embrace. I knew I should pull away, but I didn’t want to. I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to be stubborn. My heart hammered wildly in my chest and I welcomed the feeling. It was like I wanted to torture myself, having him so close but not knowing whether I wanted him or not.
Lucas and I usully never went to the haunted house. Whenever we came to the amusement park, we’d avoid it because Ashley feared them. I don’t think Lucas knew I did, too. That was one fear I wanted to conceal from him, because he always felt the need to protect me all the while making sure I could face the world on my own. I wasn’t sure why we decided the haunted house today, but I didn’t think I hated it. Not while I was this close to Sterling.
“Let’s go find Luke and Ashley,” I forced myself to speak, not wanting to be caught in that vulnerable position. Letting Sterling see me like this was one thing, but letting two of my most important people see me being weak was another.

Lucas’s POV:

“Do you think they made it out by now?” I inquired, looking over at Ashley, squeezing her hand tightly. We decided to go get ice- cream, and even got one for the other two. I wasn’t sure which flavor Sterling liked, so I hoped whatever we picked was satisfactory. Eden liked strawberry-vanilla ice-cream, so we got that one for her. Hopefully she’ll forgive us for ‘lying’ to her once we give her the ice-cream.

(Sorry for the really late reply! ): )

Lucas’s POV:

I shrugged.
“Hopefully the haunted house gave them a moment to work on their relationship,” I added. “Unless we failed and they realized what we wanted to do.”

(Yas!)

Lucas’s POV:

I rolled my eyes.
“The same reason as you,” I pointed to my girlfriend. “I thought about what you said and observed Sterling before we made this plan. He seemed like someone who could take care of our Eden, so I guess… I’m in?”

Lucas’s POV:

“I hope so,” I nodded. “Oh, there they are.”
Both Eden and Sterling stood off in the side, completely silent. It would have been normal for Eden had she not been standing there looking stiff.

(My fingers aren’t cooperating with me for some reason.)

Eden’s POV:

I sighed, rubbing the back of my head. It wasn’t a surprise that they would—and honestly, I knew what the ice cream was for.
“Hey guys,” Lucas grinned as they reached us. He held out a vanilla-strawberry cone to me. I raised an eyebrow. “This one’s for you!”
I sighed again. I couldn’t refuse it, and I wasn’t really mad at them for ditching us. It was understandable.

(I realized I’m making Lucas a little bit out of character.)

(It’s okay~)

Lucas’s POV:

“Oh, we got one for you, too,” I looked at Ashley, who passed Sterling’s ice-cream to him. “We didn’t know which flavor you liked, so we settled for this.”

Lucas’s POV:

I raised an eyebrow.
“Really? Well, lucky us,” I shrugged before looking over at Eden. “You guys want to do something else? We could go on a rollercoaster, or just roam around. We’ve got some time to kill.”

Eden’s POV:

I felt like an annoying child. I’d been to the amusement park a thousand of times and never failed to take part in a ride. I enjoyed the thrill, the sharp intake of breath and the sudden decrease in oxygen every time the ride went up and down. I felt free every time the wild blew heavily in my face. This time, I didn’t feel like riding anything. Why had I agreed to come along? I felt so conflicted. I missed the days I didn’t feel miserable about my feelings. I missed the days I was mostly by myself because there was so sudden longing of the unknown. I missed being the one Lee and Luke talked to when they were stressed out, not being the one going to them when I was in distress.
“I’m going for a walk,” I said instead, taking a small bite out of my ice-cream. I knew it would dampen their mood if I stepped back, but I didn’t know what else I should do. It was better that they enjoyed by themselves without having to constantly worry about what I’d like.
I sneaked a glance at Sterling.
Especially him. I promised Ashley I’d give him a chance. I wanted to, but the longing burns me. The ache just keeps getting stronger and I’m not sure I deserve someone like him. I’m not sure if I can survive this. Not when all I want to do is cling to him for the rest of my life while the other part of me pulls me away because I’m not enough to make him happy.
“I’m not up for any rides. You guys go on ahead. Don’t worry, though, I’ll meet you when it’s time.”

Eden’s POV:

I pursed my lips, standing on my toes before setting my feet back on the floor. I hated it when he looked at me like that.
I gave him a small smile regardless of what I wanted to do.
“It’s okay,” I said to him gently. “I’ll finish my ice-cream, use the restroom, and meet up with you guys in a while. I won’t take long.”
I felt Lucas burning holes my face but I ignored him. Sooner or later, he’d realize it. I wasn’t observant, but he was. A trait he had dominated while I let mine weaken.

Eden’s PPV:

I was finally able to breathe when I walked away. My heartbeat steadied and I took deep breaths to calm myself down.
I still remembered the way he held me tight as if he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go. The thought made my heart flutter. I shouldn’t keep doing this to him. Giving him hope and then taking it away. Giving myself hope and then snatching it away like a thief. There were still two weeks left. Fourteen days. Or maybe even less than that? I wasn’t sure anymore.
It hadn’t even been a minute and I was already longing to be in his presence.