Just Peachy

- Chapter Forty -

I walked into my new apartment, unopened boxes lying in the empty space. Zack stood next to me.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you." He moved over and opened a few boxes pulling out ikea furniture from my old place. "I'll help with bills et cetera. Ooo and I can tutor you!" He grinned, excited for the memories.

I don't even plan to stay here for longer than I have to. I stay here for a year max and then go back to Julia... if she'd have me back.

"I never actually stayed in my old place at the end of my time there, I stayed at my girlfriend's," I paused, "Well, ex girlfriend. I ruined things when I disappeared on her."

"You left her?" He slumps on the ground.

"Without a word."

We assembled furniture for the rest of the day. Talking to each other and becoming quite close. Even Audrey came over and got on extremely well with him.

My plan slowly began to fall apart as I grew attached. I began to feel hopeful that I could push past Julia, except for the things that popped up in the media. Sightings of her and Kira being a cute couple. It knocked me unwell every time I saw them together, kissing, laughing.

I deserved it. I deserved to feel hurt and upset. She needs her payback right now.

I slumped at my desk, dropping my bag onto the floor.

"I'd stay away from the media today." Sofie warned and I raised an eyebrow.

"How so?" I say and start to look on my phone. "You can't say that and expect me not to look."

"No really don't." Sierra grabbed my phone out of my hand and crossed her arms. "You will go back into one of those things where you sit in the kitchen and cry and then I have to come and sit with you because I have nothing better to do." She placed my phone in a drawer in her desk.

"I don't do that!" I lied while eyeing up my phone. Just need an opening so I can grab it.

"Eden, you need to trust us." Sofie put a pencil behind her ear while focussing on another piece of clothing. We go back to work.

Zack mopes around as usual feeling guilty about what must be on the internet. It'll be something about Julia. It always is.

I bolt upright when the boss comes in.

"Eden."

"Yes Mr. Blanchet?" I lean over my desk and smile at him sweetly.

Mr Blanchet is the best boss I could ever ask for. He's more hands on and kind. We work as a team all four of us. He lets Zack just sit doing nothing. He doesn't even work here. 

"Can you get me a list of who we're working with for the next event?" I nodded. "And I want you and Sierra to do something for me." We glance to each other.

We go into his office. "Sir you wanted us?" Sierra said, her voice slightly gravelled from smoking.

"Yes. I need you two to go and meet with a law firm outside the city. They agreed to meet us here so we can talk about the next steps for our company. I need, you, Sierra to talk finance and I need Eden to be there in my place. I need to talk to Sofie about ideas." He laid the plan out and we nodded.

"When do we leave?" I asked.

"You will be leaving after lunch. Eden can you go and sort what I asked you to, I need to talk to Sierra." I nodded and left hearing him switch to French.

When she came back into the office I slid over to her desk. "What was he talking about?" She slumped into her chair and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Ce ne sont pas tes affaires." She smirked and I slapped her knee.

"In fact it is my business, you better tell me while we're going to this agency." I searched her eyes as we sat in silence, taking in each other's features.

"She's married." Was all she said and I furrowed my eyebrows.

"What? Who?" Fear slowly engulfed me as realisation dawned on me.

"You know who. Don't make me say her name." Sierra had picked up a distaste for Julia and thought she was a rich kid with a bratty attitude and she wasn't entirely wrong. It was only elevated when I told her the story of us.

I followed her figure with my eyes as she made her way into the staff kitchen and I spun around to see Zack asleep on the couch and Sofie dozing off.

Pushing off of my chair I followed Sierra into the kitchen. We stood in silence facing each other. "It's been almost three months since you left her."

"Yeah, I left her."

"Eden she was engaged to be married and disappeared on you for months at a time! You at least kept trying. You fought for it to work."

I let my eyes shut as I sorted my thoughts. "But-"

"No buts Eden! You just did what she did to you... with a better reason." She moved closer to me and I moved back in rhythm.

"Why are you so worked up?" I questioned before my back hit something. She stood in front of me.

"I don't know," she murmured, distracted as she looked down into my eyes. "I don't know." She sighed and pushed away from me.

I pressed my lips into a line and stared at the ground. "I dated a guy- he was kind until he wasn't. I messed up, wasn't ready for a proper relationship so he went to someone else. Julia was there for me, she means so much to me, she met my dad, my friend, she was my everything." I chuckled, "it might not have been healthy but we were going to work on it before I left."

"You realise that's us? Me, Sofie and Zack. We've met your parents, we've met Audrey and Liv." She kept her back facing me. "You've only had unhealthy relationships and can't recognise an opportunity even if it's right in front of you."

She's hinting to something, right? She has to be.

"Would you take her back?" Sierra finally turned to me. Her eyebrows were knitted together and she had a slight frown as she tried holding my stare. "Would you?"

I felt my words get caught in my throat and I avoided her eyes. "In a heartbeat."

We stood in silence and she shook her head.

"We have to go."

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