Eden

Chapter 4: She's Back

Noah's POV

Rays of sunlight pour through the cracks between the curtains. I groggily roll over to see that Liam's not in his untouched, neatly made bed. Shocker. Half-awake, I rub my eyes and try to recall what happened after I took mom back to her room.

Jade. I'm supposed to meet her at 8 for my lighter.

Nobody but Liam stands up to me. People know not to get on my bad side, yet Jade thoroughly enjoyed pushing my limits. No one has ever stood up to me the way she did.

I glance at the time on my phone and there's still another hour to spare until 8. My arms slip into my dark blue t-shirt and I tug on my black shorts before checking on mom. Her limp body is still passed out underneath the pale white bedding. She's definitely not going to be awake for a while. I fill up a glass of water and set it on the nightstand before heading out.

Even after finishing breakfast, the halls of the ship are almost completely vacant. I sip my coffee at a booth by the window in the desolated buffet, observing the foamy blue waves. The silence is refreshing.

"Noah?" I hear a gentle voice call my name. I turn to see Bella wearing a flowy yellow dress, gathering fruit into her plate in the unoccupied buffet line.

I blink in disbelief. Liam wasn't messing with me.

I find it difficult to recall why Bella and I broke up in the first place as her alluring blue eyes lock with mine. She flips her long golden locks over her shoulder as she approaches me. She looks good. No, she looks beautiful.

"Can I sit?" She seductively bats her eyes at me. I nod.

She playfully twirls her sandy blonde ringlets as she slides next to me. "How have you been?"

"Pretty good," the words come unnaturally out of my mouth. "It's so crazy that you're here. Like what are the odds."

"I was gonna say the same to you. My family funds this cruise line so that's why I'm here," she says as she glances out at the water. "The water looks so beautiful, doesn't it?"

Her family donates to so many different organizations it's hard to keep track.

"Yeah, it really does," I respond as I glance out at the royal blue waves. "Reminds me of when we used to spend hours at the beach feeding the seagulls."

Memories of the time we used to spend together make their way into my mind.

"So feeding the seagulls is all you remember us doing there?" She flashes me a bright smile.

Our eyes meet for a moment and I look away when heat sears through my cheeks. I've had girlfriends before Bella, but she's the only girl I've had any real experience with. Bella used to be pretty reserved when it came to talking about anything sexual, but I guess that's changed. I wonder what else has changed about her.

She angles her body towards me. I can feel her thigh pressed up against mine, adding to the intensity. Her dress swishes to one side, revealing her long tanned legs, "Is your mom still causing you trouble?"

My lips struggle to form an answer. A few months ago, Bella was the only person who've I've ever trusted enough to tell about Mom. A lot has changed since then.

"No."

"That's good." She nods as she pierces a slice of mango with her fork. The glistening ring on her finger catches my eye.

It's a promise ring.

Probably from her new boyfriend.

I avert my eyes to the window. "I'm not in the mood for your games, Bella,"