Liar

Chapter 7

POV: Alyssa

In the morning I get ready for school. Today's different. I can hear movement in Eden's room. I can even hear a voice that is not his. A female voice. For some reason that really bugged me. So, in retaliation, I got ready extra loud. Music, dropping my hair dryer multiple times, cooking a full-blown meal, anything I could think of.

Finally, Eden emerges from his room. His golden hair is messy and his under eyes protrude. I notice a hint of purple on his left cheek and a small cut on the side of his lip. He looks like a walking zombie. His dark blue eyes rake down my body and my face turns pink. He looked at me so openly, like he didn't try to hide it.

"Why does it sound like elephants are walking around out here?" He asks, tilting his head. He squints his eyes due to the light.

"What? No elephants here," I say while setting my plate in the sink.

Eden raises a suspicious brow. "Can you just keep it down? We were trying to sleep." Keyword: We.

I roll my eyes and dry my hands off with a cloth. "Sorry, I guess you and your little girlfriend had a rough time sleeping this morning."

A sour expression appears on his face and he steps till he's right in front of me. I can feel the heat radiating from his body. His face turned hard. "She's not my girlfriend." He's so close I can see his long eyelashes.

My lips part slightly as I take in his beauty. "Sorry, I mean fuck-buddy." His gaze remains intense as his bedroom door creaks open. A girl emerges with similar golden hair. I look at him weirdly. She looks a little young.

Eden steps away from me and looks behind him. "Alyssa, this is my little sister, Edith."

My eyes grow in shock. I want to smack my forehead. "Oh!" I say in surprise. He smirks at me.

"Hi," Edith squeaks.

"Hi, Edith," I say, waving at her. I try to recover from the shock. "I didn't know you had a sister," I say dumbfounded.

"She's sixteen and she's quiet." I nod my head and process the information. "She's going to be staying with us for a couple of days. My parents are out of town."

A smile warms my face. "Okay, let me know if you need anything, Edith."

She nods her head sheepishly. She is definitely a little quiet. "I need to get ready for school. Are you okay here by yourself?" He asks his sister. She nods her head again. "There is food in the fridge. Mines on the left side."

"No," I interrupt. "You're welcome to any of it. Knock yourself out," I say. Eden raises a brow at me then gives me a thankful smile.

"Thank you, Alyssa," Edith says.

"Of course," I respond. "Well, I gotta get going," I say looking at the clock on my phone. I throw my bag over my shoulder and bow out gracefully.

In class all I can think about is Eden. I think about how close to me he stood. The heat from his body. My stomach twists and my brain becomes foggy. I try to snap out of it, but the image of him remains in my mind. I feel stupid for acting that way in the morning. I don't know what came over me. I didn't like the thought of another person in our little bubble. Dare I say I got jealous? I dare not.

Something about our conversation made me think that he was lying. He said his parents are out of town, but he left in the middle of the night. Not to mention I heard him punching things and he came back with cuts and bruises.

When I was trying to sleep I could hear commotion coming from his room. It scared me. I still don't know what happened, but I can tell it was bad. The look on his face. It was distress. If he was just going to get his sister then why would he be so upset?

After all my classes I walk half asleep all the way back to my dorm. My eyes feel dry because of the lack of sleep last night. When Eden left I couldn't make myself sleep. Maybe I was worried?

I unlock the door and step inside. When I walk in I see Edith on the couch. She's eating a microwave dinner of mine. It warms my heart to know she listened to me. "Hi, Edith." I greet her.

"Hi," she says quietly. I set my bag on the counter and begin making myself some ramen. Edith quietly eats on the couch. When the noodles are done I cautiously join her on the couch. She avoids eye contact.

"So, how is school going for you?" I ask, breaking the silence.

She shrugs. "It's okay. I don't have many friends so it's boring," she admits.

A frown forms on my lips. "Don't let it get to you. Maybe they just don't know you." She nods her head. "What do you like to do for fun?" I ask.

"I like to draw and paint," she says quietly.

"Wow, really?" I ask and she nods. "My best friend– well, my stepbrother likes to do that as well."

"Your best friend is your stepbrother?" She questions.

I roll my eyes and groan. "Yes, sadly. We grew up together and we have always been best friends. Our parents were friends as well. We found out my father and his mother were having an affair. They got remarried to each other. So, now we're legally step-siblings. It's a long story."

Edith's eyes are wide now. "Wow, that's crazy."

I laugh. "Yes, indeed." She covers her mouth as she laughs. She looks so much like Eden. Does he look like this when he laughs? Edith looks like Eden if he was a girl. It's strange, but after all, they are siblings. "So, how was Eden growing up?" I ask absentmindedly. Should I have asked that?

A smile forms on her face in remembrance. "He was courageous. My knight in shining armor. He took care of me a lot. Sometimes I felt like a burden. He couldn't play with the other kids because I was too shy to join. So, he would stay behind to play with me. We would play house, dolls, and we would climb trees. We loved to play outside in the back, even though it was dangerous."

"Dangerous?" I ask. Our town was the opposite of dangerous. You could walk your dog late at night and there would be no problem.

She gives me an odd look. "Um, yeah," she says puzzled. "He didn't want me to get hurt so we were extra careful when we went outside. You never know what could happen." I nod and she continues. "Eden has always been smart. Aunt Myra says he's way beyond his years. He worked extra hard with his grades and with the student body. Sometimes he would stay up all night studying and reading textbooks."

I tried to never think of Eden as a good guy. He was my enemy and you don't befriend enemies. I thought he was a brat. Stuck up and conceded. But from what Edith is telling me; he's prince charming. Have I misunderstood Eden? Did I paint him as a devil to give myself a reason to dislike him?

"I'm glad," I say, placing my hand on hers. She smiles kindly. "I never had any siblings," I say, removing my hand. "When my mother was pregnant with me she had complications. After I was born the doctor recommended that she stop having children."

"I'm sorry to hear that," she says.

I shake my head. "It's okay. It made me grow up quickly because I was surrounded by adults. Maybe that's why Arlo and I are best friends. He makes me feel like a child."

The front door clicks open and Eden appears. He sighs in relief. "I'm glad you weren't just sitting by yourself, Edith." He sets his backpack on the ground and takes water from the fridge. "What were you guys talking about?" He asks.

"We were talking about how you were as a grubby kid," I say smirking.

His eyes widen and he gives Edith an odd look. When his eyes return to me he scoffs. "Grubby? Try brilliant." He smirks back at me. I shake my head at him. "I can't believe you were spilling all my dirty secrets, Edith," he says with sarcasm laced in his voice.

Edith's laugh echoes in the room and a smile makes its way to my face.