In The End

Thnks fr th mmrs

Jackson had let me work from home on Monday and Tuesday so I could spend the extra day with my parents before they returned back to Madison. Having our families here was just like being back home, all spending time together and to be honest it made me realise just how little time me and Eden had been spending together since we'd settled into our new lives and busy schedules. We'd given our families the full LA tour and even gotten to visit some of the places we'd kept promising each other we would go to since we arrived. I smiled contently to myself as I lay on the sofa, thankful for being pulled back together and not being able to make excuses to put things off, even if Eden had still somehow managed to find time to nip off for several rendezvous with Nathaniel. I scrolled endlessly through Instagram as I waited for Eden to come back from the Gallery. The algorithm had clearly flooded my feed with pictures from the event and I stumbled upon a very complimentary piece about Eden which I sent to her. Turns out we had been in the presence of celebrity royalty that night and her talent hadn't gone unnoticed by them or some of the leading names in her field. I chuckled to myself that the entertainment industry was buzzing about who had attended and how we had all been there none the wiser to the hullabaloo that had been stirring. I didn't even realise that the press had been there, I thought it was in house photographers snapping away. A well known entertainment blog had picked up on the attention and reposted several shots of Mr Sullivan and his lovely wife alongside Axel and his latest woman. I chuckled to myself as a candid shot of them stood with us all talking appeared next and sent it to our family group chat telling our parents that they were now famous.

"Hey." Edens voice carried thought the apartment as she slammed the door shut behind her.

"You ok?" I asked, instantly noticing her pasty complexion as she slumped into the seat next to me. "Why does everyone look like that after going to that gallery?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood but she offered nothing back. "Eden, what's up, you're worrying me now." I shifted into an upright position.

"So, I've been to see Winnie as you know." Her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Yeah, and..." I cautiously asked, narrowing my eyes as I watched her repeatedly swallow like something was stuck in her throat.

"So the sales have gone through."

"That's great news..." I eyed her vacant expression "Or is it not great news?" I clambered further upright and sat on my feet as I watched her eyes drop to the cushion I'd pulled onto my lap.

She finally looked up at me, her eyes wide and a little bloodshot. "I've made a quarter of a million pounds in sales."

"What!!!!" My eyes rounded to be as big as hers. "Eden... that fucking incredible. Why are you not jumping around, we should celebrate."

"Liv... you can't say or do anything when I tell you this ok?" Her tone remained solemn and dripped with caution.

I felt my neck jolt back as I looked on silently.

"I mean it Liv," she turned into me. "there are these whole rules about confidentiality but I have to tell you this as my friend, ok?"

"Ok" I nodded, feeling the fine lines in my forehead deepen.

"I mean it Liv. You have to swear you stay cool and never mention it."

"Ok, Ok, I swear." A nervous laugh fell from my drying mouth.

Eden let out a lengthy breath. "Axel brought the painting of you."

I silently stared at her. The words repeating over and over in my head. 'Axel brought the paintings of you, Axel brought the paintings of you.' How do you respond to something like that? Did I hear her correctly? What does that even mean? Why would he buy paintings of me, he hates me?