The next day, Eden wakes up feeling anxious. This was the day she finally leave the house. Even if it meant moving into the house of another man that she disliked, she felt relieved that she would never have to see her father again. Sophia and Natalie decided to bring their dresses and accessories to get ready at Eden’s house. Grace was already there so she asked Sophia to pick up her dress and shoes from her house before coming to Eden’s.Eden was not anxious about the wedding, she felt nervous about seeing Bennett again. After what had happened the day before, Eden had developed a dislike towards him, or so she told herself. She was so conflicted by her thoughts that she almost forgot to take out the diamond necklace from her locker. When Sophia, Grace, and Natalia looked at the necklace, they were in awe. Grace had done Eden’s makeup before Sophia and Natalia came, as per Eden’s wishes, so they could not see her like that. Eden knew that Natalia would start crying and Sophia would
Eden and Bennett turn to look at the Minister as he started speaking. “We are gathered here today in the sight of God, and the presence of friends and loved ones, to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments. We are here to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to the words that will unite Eden Brown and Bennett Mason in holy matrimony.”Bennett gave Eden a slight glance. She could feel him looking at her but refused to five any kind of reaction and stared directly ahead at the Minister.“Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous. Love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not take offense and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s faults but delights in the truth. It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope. It is always ready to endure whatever comes. True love does not come to an end.”As the Minister gave his speech, Eden thought about his words. It is always read
Bennett and Eden were officially husband and wife. They decided not to attend the reception and headed straight home, Bennett’s home. The reception was nothing fancy, just a small buffet with limited, but luxurious menu options. Many thought that the bride and groom wanted to leave early so they could be alone together faster, but Grace, Sophia, Natalia, and Theo knew that they just wanted all of the pretense to be over.Bennett and Eden walked over to the car, not saying a word. Eden looked back and smiled and waved before getting into the car. Both their smiles vanished when they got inside the car.“Glad that it's finally over,” Bennett said.“Yeah,” said Eden.Bennett loosened his tie and sat back comfortably, and Eden took out her phone from her purse and started scrolling Twitter, neither of them wanting to have an uncomfortable conversation. Eden knew what she had to do. She had to keep her emotions out of the entire situation, she knew better than to get her feelings hurt once
Bennett looked at Eden, shocked, and asked, “How did this happen?”Eden mentally kicked herself for forgetting to cover it up. She had to make an excuse, “I just slipped in the shower and my face hit the sink, it’s nothing.”“You’re a terrible liar, do you know that?” said Bennett as he came walked over to her and sat on the couch next to her. “Is this why you were flinching earlier? At the altar?”“What are you talking about? I never flinched,” Eden replied, looking at Bennett like he had said the most ridiculous thing.“If you can just stop pretending to be so tough once, we can deal with this issue. Please tell me who did this,” Bennett pleaded, placing his arm on Eden’s knee.Eden looked at his hand and moved away from his reach, snapping at him, “Well, it’s not your issue to deal with, is it?”Bennett looked at Eden as he backed away, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. He said, “Was it really an accident?”“Yes,” said Eden without missing a beat. Bennett knew that she was lyi
“Your classes will start in two weeks. We’ll be back from Italy long before that,” said Bennett.Eden was not sure how she felt about this trip. Noticing Eden’s uncertainty, Bennett said, “You can bring any friends of yours on this trip, or you can go and have fun alone in the city. What I am saying is that you don’t have to be with me the entire time. We have no reason to stay together there.”Eden thinks about what he said for a while, then looks at him and says, “Are you bringing any friend with you?”“No.”“I suppose it can be a good break from all this mess,” said Eden. She had never been to Italy before, but she had always dreamt of visiting the Baptistry of San Giovanni in Florence. It was said that the ceiling of that place is so beautiful that it is physically impossible for one to not look up when they enter. Eden was not sure about spending time with Bennett in Italy, she thought she could use a break. She decided that she would plan her own trip there and Bennett can do a
Eden didn’t need to pack, she already had a suitcase packed with things she needed. She wasn’t the type of person to overpack and think too much about what she takes on a trip. She had a few fancy dresses, a few casual, and a couple of nightwear. After dinner, the entire family sat in the living room at night, chatting and deciding what movie to watch. They could never decide on a movie, they spent the whole time arguing about what to watch. Eden had never had a family to spend time or laugh with. The friendly and open atmosphere at the Mason house was just what Eden needed. Although, she was still not okay with how things were going with Bennett. She wished that they could at least be friends so they could spend some time together without being awkward around each other.“Say, Eden. Your father is an interesting man,” said Chester out of the blue.Eden was unsure about how to reply. He certainly was an interesting man. “Oh, haha. What makes you say that?”“At the reception, after yo
Eden wanted to pull the hem of her gown from below so that her thighs were properly covered, but she decided not to, in case Bennett was watching her, she didn’t want him to think that his gaze intimidated her.She felt relief as soon as she got inside the bathroom. She quickly washed off the makeup, thinking that she would directly go to bed and sleep without thinking or looking at anything or anyone. She walked back to the room and saw that Bennett still had not put on a shirt. His back was against her while he sat and looked at something on his phone. He was not watching her, and she had all the time to look at him, to admire him. She looked at his chiseled and muscular back, slim waist, and tanned skin. Eden, once again, found herself thinking about things that she did not want to think about. Bennett’s head turned to look at Eden, who was standing still looking at him. Eden was caught off guard and said whatever came to her mind, “Y-you’re going to sleep like that?” Eden asked.
“Uhm, I just forgot the time when we’re leaving,” said Eden, while looking at a shirtless, sweaty Bennett, who was now facing her. As Bennett stepped closer and closer to her, Eden felt her breathing getting stuck in her throat but managed to remain emotionless. Finally, he reached the door and opened it wider to talk to her. Eden struggled to keep her eyes fixated on his face only, no matter how appealing the rest of his body seemed.“I think I told you last night,” said Bennett, panting. “At 9:30, but we have to leave at 8, so be ready.” Bennett turned around and walked toward the weight sets. “Close the door on your way back.”Eden complied, quickly closing the door and hurrying back to the room. At this point, Eden was not sure what to do about Bennett’s images in her mind. Suddenly, she was struck with an idea. She thought if she found someone nice and decent in Italy, who showed interest in spending time with her, maybe she could take things further to satisfy her need, and mayb