So Much More (Book One in the Enough Series)

31. Worry

Reed

Morning practice goes a lot better when you start your morning naked with the girl of your dreams. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face no matter how many laps I ran, what push-ups I did, or what drills I had to do. Bennett kept staring at me, rolling his eyes. It was strange; it was almost as if we had swapped places. As soon as we broke for lunch, I beelined to him.

"What crawled up your ass?" I grumbled, walking up behind him as we entered the cafeteria.

"Nothing."

"Nah.. you're not acting like yourself; what's up?"

"Just a weird night. What's up with you? You're all smiley; it's kind of annoying." He retorted.

"Eden and I had our date do-over." I shrugged with a smile. I piled food on my plate, grabbed my drink, and then waited for him to get his meal.

"Well, was it everything you wanted and more?" Bennett growled, shoveling a fork full of salad into his mouth.

"Dude! What is up? You were all about helping me fix this, and now, well, you're acting weird. So fess up, or I'll kick your ass on the field."

"I brought a chick home; you know that much. We had great sex, mind-blowingly good."

"Okay, so what's the problem?" I downed some water, waiting for the answer to his sour mood.

"As soon as we were done, well, she left." He kept his eyes down as he spoke. I had to stifle back a laugh. Not because I didn't necessarily feel for my friend, but because it was karma coming around biting him in the ass.

"Well." I rubbed the back of my neck. "Did she say anything? I mean, she did you a favor, right?"

"She said she doesn't do sleepovers." He mumbled. I could not fight it this time and nearly choked on my food while laughing. "Fuck you, man!" He threw a balled-up napkin at me.

"Come on; you have to admit that was pretty awesome. She used your exact words on YOU. That was a long time coming. It sounds like you may have met your match."

Bennett rolled his eyes at me just as one of the assistant coaches sat next to him; while they spoke, I took that time to send a quick text to Eden. I wanted her to know I was thinking about her and how amazing our night and morning had been. It didn't take long to see that she had read the message, and the text bubbles popped up. Again, I waited for a response, but none came before we had to head back to the field.

The afternoon went by quickly, running through scrimmages and discussing everything related to our home game the following day. I checked my phone as soon as I got back into the locker room and still had no response from Eden. I thought it odd but didn't want to overthink it. So I showered quickly, grabbed my bag, and headed out. I debated going to the bookstore but didn't want to seem so needy. So instead, I gave Tate a quick call, and we planned to meet up at the girl's apartment.

*

"Brynn isn't answering either; I'm a little worried," Tate spoke as he let me into the apartment. My gut sank hearing him say that he was worried. My first thought went to Nick, had he been stupid enough to try something? To try and hurt Eden in some way?

I held my phone, checking to ensure I hadn't missed a call or text. Then, I typed out another text to Eden; just a quick Are you okay? Before sitting on the sofa across from Tate.

"Want a drink?" He offered.

"Nah, I'm good." I ran a hand through my hair.

"How'd the date do-over go?" He smirked. I had a feeling he already knew; I'm sure Brynn filled him in with any details Eden may have shared.

"It was great. I'm a lucky bastard." I laughed just as the door opened and Brynn walked in. She had a solemn look on her face, causing my heart to beat erratically in my chest. I felt a quick bit of relief when I saw Eden coming behind her, but my heart broke as soon as I saw her tear-streaked face. I looked over at Tate, silently asking him what I should do. I suddenly felt like I was imposing.

"Hey, guys." Brynn greeted, laying her things down on the kitchen table. Tate hopped up, going over to her and giving her a quick peck on the cheek. She leaned into him as he wrapped her up in his arms. I stood just as I saw Eden rush past and down the hall to her room. My pride hurt as much as my heart after that. I slipped my hands into my pockets, standing awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

"Reed, nice to see you." Brynn smiled.

"Um, what's going on?" I asked.

"It's been an interesting afternoon for Eden. I'm not quite sure how else to explain it." Brynn looked from Tate to me.

"Should I go to her? Or just let her be?" I stuttered out. "Is she okay?"

"I think so. Go on, go see how she's doing." Brynn smiled. I nodded, then slowly made my way down the small hallway. I stopped just outside her door. It was slightly open, and I could hear her sniffles.

I lightly tapped on her door, causing it to open further. My beautiful girl was sitting on the edge of her bed, softly crying as she sat. My heart twisted in agony. I couldn't wait any longer to find out what had her so upset.

"Eden." She looked up at me just as her bottom lip quivered. "Are you okay?" I took one step into the room, trying to give her space if needed and show her I was here.

"I'm sorry, Reed. I meant to reply to you earlier, and I got caught up. I didn't mean to worry you." she squeaked out.

"Eden, it's okay. I'm worried about you now; you want to talk about what's got you so upset?"

"Ugh. I suppose it's silly." She shrugged. I took it upon myself to go into the room and slowly sat next to her. I reached over, taking her hand and holding it before intertwining our fingers. To my relief, she leaned over, laying her head against me. "My parents showed up at my office today." She practically whispered.

"Your parents?" I questioned, thinking back to when she had told me about being raised by her grandparents.

"Mmmhmm. The ones who left me to be raised by my grandparents." Her voice wavered. "It's crazy, their version of events contradicts what my Grandparents told me, and it's all messy. But, on the other hand, I'm an adult, so why does this matter so much?"

"It's your parents. I'm sure you've wondered about them, right?" I asked quietly. She nodded, fidgeting in her spot.

"I called Brynn after speaking with them; she came to the office and met them." Eden began. "She's worried they're after something."

"Why does she think that?" I scooted up onto her bed, pulling her with me and holding her to me while she spoke.

"They didn't exactly come off super genuine." She explained with a sigh. "Their appearance leads one to believe they may be drug users as well." Eden sniffled. "I always hoped they were out getting their life together and doing great things, and maybe one day, if we ever met, they'd be these wonderful people who I'd be happy to know."

"There's nothing wrong with having wanted that, Eden." I rubbed up and down her arms, softly kissing the top of her head.

"You're right. I have a bad feeling they're only bringing me a world of trouble and heartbreak, though.