Bennett’s Point of View:
Neither Bennett nor Eden had planned the evening to be romantic, they had only hoped to get to know each other better, and find a place in their conscious to feel comfortable around each other. If they had to spend 5 years together, they needed to be on good terms, and not constantly in disagreement with each other. But on the tower, as Eden looked down at the city, with her eyes sparkling with astonishment, Bennett felt like he wanted to hold on to the feeling of seeing Eden happy. He wanted to be the reason for her happiness, but he knew that Eden did not feel the same. She was too young to decide what she wanted for herself, and she had still to find out who she really was or who she wanted to be. Bennett did not want to get in the way of her self-improvement. He thought this because of how well their date had gone. He knew it would take a little mor
Eden said goodbye to Bennett and told him she’d see her in 5 days, and walked to her suite, thinking about what Bennett had said.‘What if we don’t stop?’What if we really don’t stop? thought Eden, as she locked the door and kept the key on the coffee table. She stopped her thoughts from going any further and went to her room to take a nice bath. She did not make the mistake of going to bed naked again.Eden wore her nightgown and slipped between the bedsheets. She was slightly tired and drunk, but she could not sleep. She tossed and turned in the bed until 1 AM. She needed to sleep since she had to catch an early train to Florence. Bennett had offered his driver to take her to Florence, but she insisted that she wanted to travel alone, and completely on her own.Eden shut her eyes close, wanting to sleep immediately, but it was no use. She knew what was making her night sleepless. Bennett. She thought about touching herself, but that would only mean fueling the fire that burnt in he
Eden had her lunch in the hotel restaurant. She did not talk to Bennett or see him after she left his room in the morning. She felt extremely humiliated for doing what she did while she was under influence of the alcohol. She was hoping to forget everything she did, the way she threw herself at Bennett and tried to sleep with him. Eden knew that the alcohol did not make her do it, it only made her confident enough to take what she herself wanted, a mere catalyst for the desires that she had been suppressing. But she was better off suppressing them.Eden did a light lunch, a simple grilled chicken salad, and water. She was still hung over and did not need to feel heavy for traveling to Florence. She had only brought one big suitcase with her, she didn’t need much to wear for just 7 days. When Eden was going back to her room to get her suitcase and head for the train station, she saw Bennett waiting for her outside her room. She looked at him and her heartbeat fastened. What is he doin
Eden and Bennett stared at the ceiling, panting heavily, lying next to each other with the quilts covering their bodies. Eden’s eyes were closed and she did not want to move, talk, or get up, she just wanted to lie there and hold on to the feeling as long as she could. She felt like her entire body was on fire. Bennett’s voice broke her thoughts, “That was amazing.”Eden smiled and turned to him, placing her arm on Bennett’s chest. “We shouldn't have stopped ourselves before.”“That’s one thing you and I agree on,” chuckled Bennett.Eden looked at Bennett, admiring and analyzing his facial features. He had high cheekbones and slightly hollow cheeks, a piercing jawline, and a small chin cleft that she hadn’t noticed before. His face was extremely symmetrical and handsome. Sometimes, Eden could not believe how beautifully Bennett’s face was carved. She suddenly felt an urge to feel it for herself. She moved her hand from his chest to his cheek and started caressing it with her thumb.“
Eden lay in her bed for an hour. She felt betrayed by Bennett. He had been getting information through her housemaid even a day before their marriage. Things can’t ever go right for us, she thought. Finally, she had started liking Bennett, and started imagining that it is possible to not have a divorce, but after knowing what he did, she could not be with him.She heard a knock on the door and Bennett entered. He was the last person she wanted to see. He slowly walked in and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Eden, who was staring at him wide-eyed, wondering why he was there.Bennett said softly, “I just want to explain.”Eden did not say anything, cueing him to go on. “I think it is mutual understanding between us that neither of us trusted each other in the beginning. You didn’t because I was blackmailing you, and I didn’t because, well, you had kidnapped me,” Bennett chuckled sadly.Eden sat up, staring directly at Bennett with an emotionless face. “Is that what you came for?
Bennett’s Point of View:Bennett sat alone in his room after Eden asked him to leave. He felt like he should not have told Eden that he knew what her father did. He had felt a sudden surge of anger as he lay there with her, he wanted to assure her that he would take revenge on her father, that he would destroy him for her. All he wanted to do was make Eden feel like she could always count on him for protecting her. He didn’t know that it would blow back on him this hard. Bennett realized that spying on her in her own home and violating her privacy was not the right thing to do. He admitted to himself that he may have been obsessed with her and did what he had without giving it too much thought. In his defense, he wanted to make sure that Eden would not plan to do something like this again with another man, he did not trust her, but he knew it was not his place.Eden and he had discussed how they cannot indulge in any physical relationship, and they had perfectly valid reasons as to w
Eden reached Florence from Milan in 2 hours. The Eurostar train stopped at the Santa Maria Novella, the central railway station of Florence. Santa Maria Novella is situated in the historical center of Florence. The Eurostar from Milan, Turin, Venice, and Rome also arrives at this station. Arriving at this station it was possible for Eden to visit Florence's historical center without taking a taxi or bus. The Historic Centre of Florence can be perceived as a unique social and urban achievement, the result of persistent and long-lasting creativity, which includes museums, churches, buildings, and artworks of immeasurable worth. Florence had an overwhelming influence on the development of architecture and the fine arts, first in Italy, and then in Europe. It is within the context of Florence that the concept of the Renaissance came to be. This heritage bestows upon Florence unique historical and aesthetic qualities.Eden decided to visit the Centre before booking a hotel room for the ni
Eden looked up hotels to stay in on her phone, there were many good hotels nearby where she could stay. Since she was booking it for just herself, she did not want to waste money on expensive suits. She just booked a normal-sized room with a single bed and basic amenities in a hotel that was close to the Baptistry of San Giovanni. She wanted to visit in the morning since the inner architecture and designs were said to look the best during the daytime.She took a cab to the hotel and it took her about 20 minutes to reach. She had enjoyed her time traveling in the Centre, but she needed her baggage to be somewhere safe before she goes out again. After checking in her room and keeping her suitcase inside, Eden headed out for dinner, she had nothing to eat the whole day except breakfast and a few snacks on the train. She decided to treat herself to a nice, big dinner. Eden had already called ahead and made a reservation for one at one of the finest restaurants in Florence, Osteria dell’E
The next morning, at 7 AM, Eden walked out of the hotel and headed towards the lane where Leo had his shop set up. Eden’s route to the Baptistry was in the opposite direction, but for some reason, Eden walked in the direction of Leo’s shop. She wanted to see if he really was there. She was wearing a white floral sundress, with blue and purple flowers all over. It flowed from below her bust down to just above her knee. She wore brown ankle-length booths and carried a small sling bag that carried her phone, cards, and cash. She did not need much make-up, just enough to cover the bruise that was already disappearing.From a distance, she saw a familiar lean figure. It was Leo setting up his shop on the side of the road. He was wearing different clothes but the same black leather jacket. His long hair kept getting on his face every time he bent down to arrange the flowers. He stood up to push his hair back out of frustration and saw Eden walking toward him. As Eden got closer, a big smil
Eden let out a monstrous scream as Bennett held her hand. He could feel her nails digging into his skin but he knew he couldn't let go. "PUSH!" the doctor screamed at Eden. "PUSH! IT'S ALMOST OUT! PUSH HARDER!" Eden let out one last loud scream before it was over and she could finally take a breath. Her grip loosened on Bennett's hand and she fell limp on the bed. She heard the sound of crying and suddenly all her energy was back. Three years after their wedding, Bennett and Eden's daughter was born. The baby was wrapped into a clean towel and handed to Eden. There was still some blood on her body but Eden wanted to hold her before the nurses took her for a bath. "Emily," Eden whispered. "Her name is Emily." Bennett leaned in next to Eden with his eyes full of tears. He looked at his little baby girl like he had never seen something so delicate and precious. Eden's heart raced faster than ever when she saw Bennett pick Emily up in his arms. When she saw his tears and the smile
Three years later: Grace woke up and noticed something weighing down on her stomach. She turned her head around to see Theo sleeping peacefully next to her. The droof falling from his mouth and onto the pillow made her smile. She quietly reached for her phone on the nightstand and clicked a picture of him before kissing his forehead. She was up 10 minutes before her alarm went off so she turned it off and walked to the bathroom to get fresh, hoping Theo would get a few minutes more to sleep. When Grace walked out of the bathroom she saw Theo sitting up on the bed with his phone in his hands and his eyes wide open with shock. "Woah, that drooling picture isn't that good," said Grace. Theo didn't look away from the phone and kept staring at it. Grace got concerned and asked, "What's wrong?" "Nothing's wrong. I'm going to be an uncle," said Theo, his voice monotonous. "Wait. Wait. Wait. What are you talking about?" Grace walked over to him and sat next to him on the bed. "Theo." "E
Theo's PoV Theo looked at Eden and Bennett suspiciously as he stared at the ticket they handed him. "This doesn't make sense. You want me to come to your honeymoon?" "Yeah, of course. It's so much more fun when you're there too," said Eden. "I mean, yeah sure, I'll go. But are you sure you're okay with this?" Theo asked. "Theo, it's not like we're asking you to stay in the same hotel suite as us too," Bennett reasoned. "Alright. I could use a vacation after the last few days happened," said Theo and put the ticket in his pocket. "But promise me you're not going to make me feel like a third-wheel?" "Yes, yes we promise. Also, your ticket was a last minute idea so we couldn't get it in the same flight as us, but the landing time is only two hours apart so we'll see you there when we land," said Eden. "I know we're all thinking it but I'm gonna say it, this is all sounding very suspicious and weird but I've heard some good things about the nightclubs in Paris so I'm not going to co
Grace didn't regret her decision of sleeping with Theo, and after all he said to her she didn't think that it didn't mean anything to him. She just felt embarrassed that even after trying to show Theo her resolve, it only took one kiss for her to give in. "I didn't think you'd want to avoid me after what happened this morning," said Theo. He came closer to Grace and whispered in her ear, "I want you more than ever now." A chill ran down Grace's spine. She stopped herself from shuddering and looked away, trying to ignore the feeling. She didn't want Theo to think that she would fall for him again so easily, he needed to know that she can't forgive him this fast after everything that happened. "Yes, I guess too much stress can make people do or say certain things they wouldn't do under normal circumstances," Grace replied with a cold voice. Theo seemed to have taken offense to that. He shifted away from Grace and looked out the window, not saying a single word to her again througho
Grace's PoV: "The bride and groom may kiss now," the pastor announced and Bennett and Eden kissed each other. Grace watched them with tears in her eyes, she felt so happy that her best friend was finally happy. Of course she felt guilty for being late for bringing the dress. She remembered why she was late and quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. She looked over to the groom's side at the altar and saw his best man, Theo, standing next to him and smiling at Grace. She quickly averted her gaze and started clapping for Bennett and Eden. Everyone left the chapel to attend the reception ceremony at a different venue. Eden had forgotten her phone and asked Grace to bring it to the reception. When she walked out all the cars were filled up with only one left, but someone was already inside it. Grace thought she had already had a rough day, that person can squeeze one more passenger in the car. Grace opened the door and stepped inside the car, closing the door behind her. "I'm so
Eden paced around the room while her make up artist tried to get her to settle down. Grace was still not done with the dress and Eden was considering getting a readymade dress. It was an hour before Eden had to walk down the aisle with Buddy. He had offered to walk with her since there was no other father figure present. Eden picked up her phone and dialed Grace and it went straight to voicemail. She sat back down on her chair hyperventilating when she suddenly heard the door burst open. It was Grace standing with a dress bag and heavily breathing like she was just running. "Oh my God, Eden I'm so sorry. Something happened and I-" "It's fine, it's all fine. Thank God you're finally here, I was just about to go and buy a last minute resort," Eden said as she stood up and walked quickly towards Grace. "Can I see it now?" "No, close your eyes. We'll put it on you and then you get to see it," Grace smiled with excitement. "That wouldn't be very convenient but okay," said Eden. "Let's
"Okay, so we got the guest list done. Invitations will be sent out tomorrow morning, the venue is booked, flowers are decided and the caterers have been taken care of," said Grace. "Now there's only one thing left to do." "Grace, I really wish you didn't bother yourself, Sophia and Natalie with all these tasks. We have help doing all of those things. You should focus on your store," said Eden as she buried her nose in her laptop, staring at the previous year finance reports. "And I really wish you would stop working for just a couple of days so you could enjoy your wedding preparations," Grace urged. "You've done nothing but work since Bennett announced the date of your wedding." Eden sighed and looked up. "I've been working so hard because I'm going to get off work a day before the wedding, the day of the wedding and the day after. That's three days going without work, and I need to prove to everyone I care about the business too." "Eden, I know this is important to you, but no on
Eden wore a beautiful cream gown that went down all the way to her ankle with a slit that reached up her left knee. It had a heart shaped neckline and thin shoulder straps. Grace was wearing the same dress as her since both of them were bridesmaids at Sophia and Natalie's wedding. They waited at the altar as both their father's walked them down the aisle. Eden couldn't help but get teary as she saw the wedding happen. She didn't remember what happened the night they got wasted at Grace's house and she didn't remember saying anything to Bennett, or even calling him. "The brides may kiss now." Natalie and Sophie kissed each other and the applause erupted from the guests. Eden and Grace hugged them tightly before congratulating them. After the wedding, all the guests made their way over to the reception. Eden saw Grace getting in the car with Theo while holding his hand and smiled at the thought of them finally making up. Eden got in her car with Bennett and smiled at him when she
Eden's PoV Eden got back from a tiring day of work and went through the mail to see if she received any. She saw a purple letter that caught her eye. It said that it was for both Bennett and her. When she opened it, a wave of happiness washed over her. It was an invitation for a wedding. Sophia and Natalie's wedding invitation. Eden almost started jumping around with happiness and squealing with excitement. She picked up the phone and immediately called Grace to ask her if she received the invitation. Grace picked up the phone and started screaming loudly on the phone. Eden couldn't contain her excitement and started screaming too. She heard the door open and the sound of footsteps running towards her. "What's wrong?! Eden?!" Bennett yelled as he ran over to Eden and saw her grinning ear to ear with eyes full of tears. "Wha- what? I don't understand? What's going on?" "NATALIE AND SOPHIA ARE GETTING MARRIED!" Eden yelled. "I can't believe this. Oh my god of my god oh my god." R