𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 • steven conklin

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

TRIGGER WARNING
mentions of self-harm

eden sat in the therapist's office staring straight in front of her with her arms folded.

it had been twenty minutes into the session and she hadn't said a word.

"so i hear you want to be a psychologist." the therapist, stephanie spoke up.

"yeah," was all eden said.

"that's how i got my start. i went to boston university. i know you'll be going there too in the fall." she continued.

"maybe."

"'maybe' meaning what?" stephanie furrowed her eyebrows.

"maybe meaning i might not go." eden clarified.

"why so?" stephanie asked.

"you're not getting anything out of me. i'm not sharing anything." eden replied.

"well as someone who wants to be a psychologist and passed ap psychology with flying colors, you should know that the first step to solving your problems is to start talking about them." stephanie said.

"i don't have anything to talk about." eden shrugged.

"let's start with your support system. who do you have in your life that supports you?" stephanie asked.

"two of the people who support me are gone and one of them has gone awol on me." eden responded.

"who are the two people that are gone?" stephanie questioned.

"my mother and my boyfriend—ex boyfriend steven. steven conklin." she answered.

"your ex boyfriend? why is he your ex boyfriend?"

"why did you bring me out here?" steven asked.

"i think we should break up." eden whispered.

"what was that?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"i think we should break up." she spoke up.

eden shrugged. "i dunno."

"i think you do know."

"what? why? you were fine at prom. everything was fine at prom." steven reminded.

"i know." eden muttered.

"so why? what is this about, baby?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

"don't call me that."

"edie—."

"don't call me that either. especially that." she shook her head. "i can't break up with you if you're calling me that."

"then don't break up with me." steven said.

"i have to." she muttered.

"no, i don't. it just happened."

"did you break up with him or did he break up with you?" she asked.

"i don't know."

"okay, well explain to me how it went down." she persisted.

"you really wanna do this on the day of susannah's funeral?" he raised his eyebrows.

"don't you dare. don't you dare do that to me. don't you dare make me feel guilty about breaking up with you at my mother's funeral." she pointed.

"i'm sorry. i just—i just thought—."

he sighed. "eden, you promised me you wouldn't break up with me even if you wanted. even if you wanted to push me away."

"sometimes promises have to be broken in order to protect your peace." she replied.

steven raised his eyebrows. "so i'm disturbing your peace."

"that's not what i'm saying." she shook her head.

"then what are you saying?" he asked.

"i don't know how it happened, it just did." eden said angrily.

"just go over the events of how it went down. what the two of you said or did."

"i just can't do this, steven. i'm done."

eden then began walking inside of the house.

everyone had already left, but steve offered to stay with her. that's when she took him outside to talk.

"you can't just leave me like this, eden!" steven exclaimed.

you turned around. "i have to. we have to. i can't keep doing this. just go."

"i'm not leaving."

"go, steven."

"no."

"i said go!"

"not until you tell me why!"

"because i don't want to be with you anymore! constantly trying to make me feel better! it's not working and it will never will! just go with your mom and belly."

eden then turned and went up to the door.

"i love you, edie! and i always will! always and forever."

eden stood there for a moment, stiff.

after thirty seconds, she opened the door and disappeared back inside, leaving steven watching her go.

"i don't want to talk about steven." she shook her head, tears in her eyes.

she then swallowed them back so they wouldn't fall.

"okay. how about your mother?" stephanie continued.

"definitely don't want to talk about that." eden shook her head.

"sure. what about the cutting, then?" stephanie asked.

eden's went blank. her mind and her body. she couldn't control the tears this time.

"why do you cut? what do you think you're getting out of it?" stephanie questioned.

"i..."

"do you think it's going to help you?"

she was silent.

"eden?"

she was still silent.

stephanie sighed. "okay, how about we continue this conversation a different day. you can call my office to schedule another appointment."

she then stood up and walked over to eden.

"just know that a lot of people care about you and it will get better."

eden didn't reply and stephanie nodded before leaving the office.

eden's mouth dropped and more tears flowed, but she closed it again, then left the office.

AUTHORS NOTE
double update! you're welcome!

them damn fisher's always breaking the conklin's hearts. for example:
conrad & belly
jere & belly (eventually)
eden & steven
susannah & laurel

muah,
lea <3