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Lucas sighed before wiping his hand off. “There. I wiped it off. Now, c’mere.”
Under The Painted Sky (O/O CLOSED)
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Ashley grinned and walked over to him. She looped her arms around his neck, smirking up at him with mischief in her eyes. “Love you.”
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Lucas merely connected their lips, holding her arms so she wouldn’t mess with him.
At that very second, the door to his sister’s room opened.
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Ashley heard the door open but chose to ignore it, instead closing her eyes as she kissed Lucas back. She shifted her arms, sliding them from his grip, and took his arms to wrap them around her waist. She then wrapped her own arms around his neck once more, holding him close.
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The only time Eden remembered having a pleasant sleep was when she was in Sterling’s arms. Even this sleep, however long it was for, was restless. It was like she hadn’t slept at all.
And then came the problem with her brother and friend. She’d spilled things to them. In her broken state, she had told them everything. From the constant abuse to the night he had taken things sexually, nearly taking her against her will before he thought against it. She sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair.
Lucas and Ashley weren’t in the room. The air mattress had been packed. For a second, she wondered if they left. Then she pulled herself to her feet and exited the room, only to wish she hadn’t.
In front of her were Lucas and Ashley locking lips. She felt the disgust creep at her, the sadness overtaking it. She wanted that, too. She wanted to be able to kiss Sterling like that, too.
Sterling…
She shook the thought away.
“Couldn’t you have taken this to your room…?”
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Ashley reluctantly pulled away, pouting up at Lucas for a moment before turning to face Eden. She gave the other girl a small smile, not at all sheepish at being caught making out with her best friend’s brother. It’s not like it was a surprise, anyway. They did this sort of thing often enough that she should be used to it by now.
“Hey. You’re awake,” Ashley greeted her friend softly. “How’d you sleep?”
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Eden looked at Ashley with a rather blank stare, running a hand through her disheveled hair.
“Do you want the truth, or do you want the lie?” She asked softly.
“The truth would be appreciated,” Lucas said, pulling away from Ashley, knowing he might kiss her again.
“I slept terrible,” Eden answered. “Like I always do.”
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Ashley took a step away from Lucas, toward Eden. She tentatively reached out a hand to her friend, a small, if somewhat sad, smile pulling at her lips. It was an invitation, silent and hopeful. If Eden accepted it… Ashley would consider that nothing short of a miracle.
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Eden looked at the hand Ashley offered her. Yesterday, she had let them touch her. She hadn’t recoiled away from them. Hesitantly, she reached her own hand out, touching Ashley’s slowly, ready to pull away at any slight provocation.
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Ashley wrapped her fingers around the other’s. Her smile at the fact that she could do that… It was so bright.
She gently tugged her closer, even as she stepped closer herself. “Can I hug you?” she asked in a soft whisper.
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Eden’s gaze never moved from their hands. She missed the smile that bloomed on Ashley’s lips. When the girl tugged her closer and stepped close herself, Eden bit down on her lip.
She thought over Ashley’s question for a few seconds before nodding slowly.
“Don’t make it tight,” she said quietly, turning away. “I panic.”
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Ashley didn’t say anything. She just wrapped her arms around the girl and hugged her, trying hard not to squeeze her.
“I’m sorry you didn’t sleep well,” she whispered in her friend’s ear. “Let us know if we can do anything for you, okay? Any time.”
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“There isn’t anything you can do,” Eden answered quietly. “It’s not easy. Thank you, anyway.”
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“Eden… When I say anything, I mean anything. Even if that’s just something as simple as picking something up from the store for you, even if it’s just being here for you, letting you cry on my shoulder. I’m here for you if you need anything,” Ashley promised in a whisper.
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Eden fell silent, closing her eyes. She leaned into Ashley’s embrace.
“Okay,” she said slowly before going quiet. Then she spoke again, her voice sorrowful. “I miss him. Sterling.”
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Ashley hummed, stroking Eden’s hair. “Yeah? I bet you do… I bet he misses you, too. Maybe you should call him. Or text him,” she suggested softly.
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“I shouldn’t miss him,” Eden said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “There’s nothing I can give him.”
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“I don’t think he wants anything but you, Eden,” Ashley murmured. “Don’t think he want anything more than that. And if he does, send him to Luke and me. We’ll fix him.”
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Eden let out a small chuckle. “I don’t think I can give him that, too,” she admitted. “Myself. There’s nothing to give.”
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Ashley hummed and stroked her hair once more. “Okay. Then just let him see that. And see how he reacts. If it’s badly, drop him. If he reacts well… Then maybe see how things go.”
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“If he reacts badly, I don’t know what I’d do,” she admitted bitterly. “He cares. So much.”
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“I know. I know, Eden,” Ashley murmured gently. “He talked to Luke, you know. Told him how much he likes you. You should try to talk to him.”
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Eden stiffened in her arms. Sterling… told Lucas? He told him he likes her? Sterling likes her. And he told her brother. Lucas told her he had missed her, but he never mentioned…
“I don’t think I can right now,” she mumbled. “I’m exhausted. I don’t know what I’d do if I talked to him.”
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“You don’t have to right now, but… soon. You should talk to him soon,” Ashley said softly. She pulled away and gave her friend a small smile. “So I think Lucas and I are going to disappear for a bit… Unless you wanted to do something together? We could go shopping, maybe? Just you and me.”
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Eden merely nodded, not returning the smile Ashley gave her.
“You both go,” she said softly. “I want to be alone.”
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“Are you sure?” Ashley asked softly, taking Eden’s hands in her own soft grip. “You can even call me if you change your mind.”
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“I’m fine,” Eden repeated, looking down at their hands again. “You both go.”
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Ashley nodded slowly. “All right. We’ll see you later, Eden,” she murmured before releasing her hands and stepping back toward her boyfriend.
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Lucas gave his sister a smile, but she turned around without looking, and walked back into her own room like a lifeless doll. He sighed. He should have known it wouldn’t be so easy…
“C’mon,” he grabbed Ashley’s hand. “Let’s go to my room and talk.”
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Ashley watched Eden walk away, until she felt a hand taking hers. She drew her eyes up to Lucas’s, nodding in agreement. As they walked to the bedroom they often shared, she leaned against his side and let it a sigh.
“Soon. She’ll get better soon,” she whispered, more to herself than Luke.