“So?” How was all this connected in the slightest?
“I need someone to teach me how to bake.”
6
EDEN
Iwas an actual idiot.
Could I use Alana’s help so I had even the slightest chance of not ruining my sister’s baby shower? Sure. Was somehow starting rumors that we were dating the way to ask her for her help? Definitely not.
I wasn’t even sure how that happened or why I did it.
One second, Brittany was annoying me, and the next, I declared Alana my girlfriend. I didn’t even know Alana. Well, I knewofher, but did I know the girl? No.
And yet I couldn’t stop myself from proposing a deal, or trying to anyway.
“You want to get less shy, right?” I asked, cocking my head at Alana. “Let me teach you. In return, you’ll give me baking lessons.”
She was hesitant, but of course she would be. That girl was the epitome of shyness. For all she knew, I could’ve been playing with her. My offer to help her with something she’d likely been struggling with all her life could’ve been solely for my gain.
She couldn’t trust me quite yet.
Her cheeks turned a faint shade of pink as she considered my deal. “I don’t know, Eden…” Her voice trailed off, uncertainty evident in her eyes as she tried to gauge whether I was being genuine or just trying to fuck with her head.
“I understand that you’re unsure,” I said, feeling a super strange wave of guilt wash over me for putting her on the spot like this. But I was desperate at this point. “I shouldn’t have sprung it on you so suddenly. Forget I even mentioned it.”
Failing this one chance I had was all on me. If I truly wanted Alana’s help, I should’ve known better. Proposing a deal such as the one I had required a different kind of trust. She would’ve had to open herself up and enter a whole new world—one I was sure she’d never seen before.
Alana would have been vulnerable with me, while all I had to do was not burn down the house.
Aside from that, it was pretty rude of me to call her my girlfriend to get rid of Brittany.
If only I’d simply asked for her help.
But to my surprise, Alana’s hesitant expression softened, and a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “No, it’s not that… It’s just… Look, there’s this guy I like, and thanks to you starting rumors, I’ll never have a chance with him. He’s also the only reason Asiya wants me to be more confident.”
That didn’t sound like a problem to me, unless… “Is he one of those nerd guys you talked to at the party?”
“No?” Her eyebrows drew together in confusion, like she had no idea which guys I was even talking about.
But, since, according to her,hewasn’t one of those guys, there was literally nothing that could’ve stopped whoever she wanted from reaching out.Especiallywhen he thought she was my girlfriend.
If I wanted someone, 80 percent of the guys on campus were ready to have her, too. The last twenty were either gay, faithful,or at least decent enough not to try to steal her while we were still dating.
“Who’s he then?”
“That’s none of your business,” she snapped.
I swallowed a chuckle. “Well, I can’t help you get him if I don’t know who the target is.”
I totally could, but I was curious. Some guys took more effort than others.
Alana sighed, nodding to herself. “Austin…”
“Austin who?” It was a pretty common name, no?
“Bennett.”