frostbite

Chapter 24: Pushing Buttons

Eden had grown tired of waiting. Tired of the games. Tired of trying to figure out whether Evelyn Winters wanted her to stay or leave. The burning tension between them was driving her insane, and it was clear that if Evelyn wasn't going to make a move, Eden would force her to confront whatever was going on between them.

If Evelyn was going to keep pushing her away, Eden would push back.

It had been a few days since their last confrontation, and the frustration in Eden's chest had only grown. She could barely sit through class without glancing up to catch Evelyn's cold, unreadable gaze. But something had changed in those glances. Evelyn's icy control seemed to be slipping, if only just a little.

Eden planned to shatter it completely.

After class, instead of lingering or confronting Evelyn, Eden left quickly and sought out Amy. If anyone could help her shake things up, it was Amy. Eden found her sprawled on their apartment couch, half-asleep with a book resting on her chest.

"Amy, I need your help," Eden said, not bothering with preamble.

Amy blinked, sitting up groggily. "Oh? This sounds serious. What's going on?"

"I need to get under Evelyn's skin," Eden confessed, pacing back and forth. "I've been patient, I've tried reasoning, but it's not working. She's too controlled, too detached, and I need her to feel something."

Amy grinned mischievously, her eyes lighting up. "So, you want to rattle the Ice Queen, huh? You've come to the right place."

Eden sighed, feeling a mix of excitement and dread as she sat beside Amy. "I don't want to hurt her... but I need to know what's real."

Amy tapped her chin thoughtfully, then gave Eden a sly smile. "We need to make her jealous, but not just jealous—we need to make her realize she's going to lose you if she keeps playing these games."

Eden raised an eyebrow. "How?"

Amy leaned forward, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "We'll go to that bar downtown where the professors sometimes hang out. I've seen Evelyn there before. We'll make sure she sees you flirting with someone—someone she won't expect."

"Who?" Eden asked, intrigued and slightly apprehensive.

"Me, obviously!" Amy said with a laugh. "She's used to seeing us as best friends. If she sees us getting a little too close, a little too flirty, it'll throw her completely off balance. It'll drive her crazy."

Eden hesitated, biting her lip. The idea was risky, but the thrill of it made her pulse quicken. "You really think it'll work?"

Amy shrugged with a grin. "She's already hanging on by a thread, right? If this doesn't make her crack, nothing will."

Eden nodded, feeling a surge of determination. "Alright. Let's do it."

That evening, Eden and Amy arrived at the bar, the kind of place where students and faculty sometimes mingled. It was cozy and dimly lit, with quiet jazz music playing in the background. Eden scanned the room, searching for Evelyn.

And there she was. Sitting at the bar, Evelyn was nursing a drink, dressed in a sleek black blouse, her hair neatly pulled back. She looked as poised as ever, but there was a tension in her posture that Eden hadn't seen before.

Perfect.

Amy nudged Eden, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Let the games begin."

They made their way to a table near the bar, making sure to position themselves within Evelyn's line of sight. Eden could feel her heart racing, but she forced herself to stay calm. She had to play this right.

They ordered drinks, and after a few minutes of casual conversation, Amy leaned closer to Eden, her voice low and teasing. "Now, Eden... let's put on a show."

Eden laughed, but the sound was more nervous than she wanted it to be. Still, she leaned in closer, allowing their bodies to brush as she whispered something playful into Amy's ear. Amy laughed loudly, throwing her head back and resting her hand on Eden's arm in a way that could easily be mistaken for something more than friendship.

Eden could feel the tension building, her pulse quickening as she glanced over toward the bar. Evelyn's eyes were fixed on them, her expression unreadable, but the way she held her drink—her fingers gripping it a little too tightly—told Eden all she needed to know.

Evelyn was watching. And she wasn't happy.

Amy, ever the performer, took it up a notch. She slid her chair closer to Eden, placing her hand on Eden's leg as they talked, her voice deliberately lower, more intimate. "You're doing great," Amy whispered with a wink. "She's losing it."

Eden's skin buzzed with the tension, a mix of exhilaration and guilt swirling in her chest. She didn't want to hurt Evelyn, but she needed her to feel something, to finally stop hiding behind her cold, impenetrable walls.

They continued to talk and laugh, their bodies close, their gestures flirtatious, until Eden felt a sudden shift in the atmosphere. She looked up and saw Evelyn standing, her drink abandoned on the bar. Her eyes locked on Eden's, cold and fierce, and before Eden could react, Evelyn was walking straight toward them.

Amy glanced up, her grin widening. "Showtime."

Evelyn stopped at the edge of their table, her expression a mask of controlled fury. "Miss Graves. Miss Bennett," she said, her voice low and clipped. "What are you doing?"

Eden's heart raced, the heat between them suddenly suffocating. "Just having a drink with a friend," she replied, her voice steady but trembling beneath the surface.

Evelyn's eyes flicked to Amy, then back to Eden, her jaw tight. "Is that what this is?"

Amy leaned back, her smile playful as she raised her glass. "We were just catching up. You know, best friend stuff."

Eden could see the fire burning behind Evelyn's icy gaze. She wasn't just jealous. She was furious.

"You need to be careful, Miss Graves," Evelyn said quietly, her voice barely controlled. "You're playing with fire."

Eden stood, unable to hold back anymore. "Maybe I want to get burned."

For a moment, the tension between them was unbearable, the air thick with everything they weren't saying. Evelyn's eyes bore into Eden's, filled with anger, frustration, and something Eden had never seen so clearly before—desire.

"You have no idea what you're doing," Evelyn said, her voice sharp but wavering at the edges.

Eden stepped closer, her breath shallow. "Then show me."

Evelyn's breath hitched, and for a second, Eden thought she might actually give in, might finally let the wall between them fall. But instead, Evelyn's face hardened, her jaw clenching as she stepped back.

"This is over," Evelyn said, her voice cold and final. "You need to stop, Eden. Now."

Eden's heart sank, but she didn't back down. "Why? Because you're scared? Because you can't handle the fact that you feel something for me?"

Evelyn's eyes flashed with anger, her control slipping. "This isn't about feelings, Eden. This is about consequences."

"Then let me deal with the consequences," Eden said, her voice rising with frustration. "I'm not afraid of this. I'm not afraid of you."

For a moment, Evelyn didn't respond. She just stared at Eden, her eyes burning with a mixture of emotions that Eden couldn't fully decipher. And then, with a sharp inhale, Evelyn turned on her heel and walked away, leaving Eden standing there, her heart pounding and her chest aching.

Amy stood, her playful grin fading as she placed a hand on Eden's shoulder. "You okay?"

Eden shook her head, her frustration boiling over. "I don't know."

She had gotten under Evelyn's skin—she knew that much. But it still wasn't enough. Evelyn was still running, still refusing to confront the truth of what was between them.

As Evelyn disappeared into the night, Eden knew one thing for sure: she wasn't done. And neither was Evelyn.

The tension between them was still simmering, and one way or another, it was going to explode.