𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝟏𝟖 +

𝐅 𝐈 𝐅 𝐓 𝐘 - 𝐒 𝐄 𝐕 𝐄 𝐍

Eden

We finally made it back to the penthouse after a long, exhausting day. The moment I walked through the door, I kicked off my shoes and flopped onto the couch with my prized possession, my cheese whopper. It was the messiest thing I'd eaten in a long time, but after days of barely being able to stomach food, I wasn't about to complain. I bit into the greasy burger with zero shame, ketchup and mayonnaise smearing the corners of my mouth.

Lenore was in the kitchen, putting away the keys and heading straight to make herself and Brielle, who'd come over to check on me, a cup of coffee. She had been my rock, as always, but now that we were back home, she was probably glad to have a little break from me being a cranky mess all day.

"Ugh, Eden, that's disgusting," Brielle said from the armchair across from me, her nose wrinkling in mock disgust. "Do you have to eat like a toddler?"

I just grinned through a mouthful of cheese whopper, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. "I've been starving for days, Brielle. Let me live."

She shook her head, but I saw the relief in her eyes. It wasn't just about me eating like a slob, she was genuinely glad I was eating again, period. Brielle might have a sharp tongue, but she had always been the first to worry about me when things went wrong. "You're hopeless," she muttered, but I could see the corners of her mouth twitching in amusement.

I grabbed a handful of onion rings and popped one into my mouth, slurping loudly on my strawberry milkshake just to annoy her even more. Brielle rolled her eyes but didn't say anything. I could tell she wasn't going to push me about the hospital stuff right away, she was just happy to see me acting like myself again, even if it was in the form of my messy burger feast.

Lenore, still busy in the kitchen, glanced over her shoulder with a smile as she stirred two mugs of coffee. "You're making quite the impression, sweetheart."

I shot her a mischievous grin and held up my milkshake. "Hey, I've earned this. You don't know how hard it was in that hospital. They practically tortured me."

Brielle arched a brow at that. "Torture, huh? Does this have anything to do with those blood tests you were complaining about earlier?"

I groaned, sinking deeper into the couch. "Ugh, don't remind me. The nurse came at me with the needle, and I swear, it was like something out of a horror movie."

At that, Lenore snorted, nearly spilling the coffee she was pouring. "You're such a drama queen, Eden. It was a tiny needle, and you acted like they were going to amputate your arm or something."

I glared at her, but there was no real heat behind it. "It wasn't tiny! It was—"

"An inch long, at most," she interrupted, walking over to the couch with the two mugs in hand. She passed one to Brielle and sat down next to me, sipping her own coffee with a smirk playing on her lips. "You were holding my hand so tight, I thought you were going to break my fingers."

I blushed despite myself, taking another bite of my burger to cover it up. "Okay, maybe I don't like needles. Sue me."

Brielle burst out laughing. "You? Afraid of needles? Eden, I thought you were tougher than that."

I groaned, sinking even lower into the cushions. "Can we not talk about this? I was brave enough, okay?"

But Lenore wasn't done teasing me yet. She leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to my temple. "You were adorable, actually. All pale and shaking, but you survived. Barely."

I glared at her again, though my face was still burning. "You're enjoying this too much."

She shrugged, looking far too pleased with herself. "A little, yeah."

Brielle shook her head, taking a sip of her coffee. "Well, at least you got through it. That's all that matters."

I snorted. "Barely. But yeah, I made it. And now I'm treating myself to this," I said, gesturing dramatically at the feast in front of me. "Cheese whopper, onion rings, and the most delicious strawberry milkshake ever."

Brielle looked at me, one brow raised. "You're like a kid. I swear."

"And proud of it," I shot back with a grin. I stuffed another onion ring in my mouth for good measure.

Lenore chuckled, her arm resting along the back of the couch behind me. "I'm just glad you're eating again," she said softly, the teasing gone from her voice now.

I looked over at her, catching the concern lingering in her eyes despite the light tone of the conversation. She had been worried, worried enough to drag me to the hospital despite my constant protests. I reached over and gave her hand a squeeze. "Thanks for putting up with me today," I said quietly, only for her to hear.

She smiled, squeezing my hand back. "Anytime, sweetheart. You know that."

The rest of the afternoon passed in a comfortable blur. Brielle eventually stopped teasing me and settled into conversation with Lenore while I lounged on the couch, my stomach finally satisfied after finishing my meal. The TV hummed in the background, some random show playing, but my attention was mostly on the easy flow of conversation between my two favorite people.

It wasn't until Brielle stood up to leave that I realized how much I'd missed these little moments, just the normalcy of being at home, with Lenore by my side and Brielle pestering me like usual. As much as I'd enjoyed Hawaii, this was where I felt most at ease.

"Alright, I'll get out of your hair," Brielle said, grabbing her bag. "But you better keep me updated on whatever the doctor says, Eden."

I rolled my eyes but gave her a half-hearted salute. "Yes, ma'am."

She shot me a look but smiled nonetheless, leaning down to give me a quick hug before heading to the door. "Take care of yourself, idiot," she said affectionately.

"You too," I called after her as she left, the door clicking shut behind her.

Once it was just the two of us again, Lenore turned to me with a soft smile. "You feeling alright?"

I nodded, leaning into her side as she wrapped her arm around my shoulders. "Yeah. Better than I have in days, honestly."

She kissed the top of my head, her lips lingering for a moment. "Good. Just promise me you'll take it easy for a bit, okay?" I sighed but nodded.

"I promise."

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~ R