𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐫𝐥 • steven conklin

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞

they arrived at the boardwalk about twenty minutes after leaving the beach house.

"hey, edes, walk with me for a sec." conrad said.

"what's up?" eden raised her eyebrows.

"you and steven..." conrad trailed off.

eden swallowed. "we did do what julia said we did."

"yeah, i gathered that from the hickeys and how loud you guys were being, but that's not what i'm asking about. i'm asking...what's up between you guys?" he asked. "i also wanted to know how you were doing after what aunt julia said to you."

eden sighed. "well, aunt cruelia did upset me, but i'm okay now. it is what it is. that's what she thinks of me and i can't control it, i can only control what i feel and how i see myself. as for steven and i...i don't know what's going on between us, honestly. i can't really tell. one minute, he's ignoring me when i talk to him and the next he's trying to comfort me and now we're having sex. it's all so confusing."

"are you happy?" conrad asked.

"what?" she furrowed her eyebrows.

"are you happy? with what the two of you are doing right now?" conrad clarified.

eden looked behind her to see steven and taylor giggling to each other again.

"i dunno. like i said, it's confusing." she answered.

"makes sense. i say do whatever makes you happy. whatever you're comfortable with, go with that." he replied.

"thanks, connie."

she gave him a side-hug.

"you're welcome, little sister."

he kissed the top of her head and they continued walking.

"you have a pretty good relationship with conrad, huh?" skye raised their eyebrows.

"yeah. he's my best friend. besides lily and jace." she answered.

"i remember them. jace is the really cute guy and lily is the brunette girl." skye reminded.

eden nodded. "yep. that's them. wait...you think jace is cute?"

"i mean—well...he was when we were younger and i met him. i don't know about now. i'm sure he still is, but maybe he's not and—sorry, i'm really nervous." they said.

"why? we're cousins." eden reminded.

"no, i know, it's just...you're really cool and fun and pretty and funny. all the guys like you too. i saw about three of them checking you out while we were walking. also, you're confident. you're what i want to be." skye explained.

"skye, listen to me. guys aren't everything. being checked out and all that shit isn't really what you think it is. you can get as many guys as you want and never be happy. not until you find the right one. and about the other stuff, i'm not really all of the things you say i am." eden responded.

"but you are. you stood up to my mom and she's pretty scary. it was kinda funny too. and you're gorgeous. you're blonde and skinny. your room is really cool, you know how to decorate. not that i was being creepy and looking at it, i just happened to poke my head in when i was upstairs. plus, you seem like you know how to have a good time."

"thanks, skye. i think you're really cool too."

"really?"

eden nodded. "yeah. and you're pretty. i think you're really pretty."

they smiled and looked down. "thanks."

"yeah."

they looked back up.