Option #1 – Rude Awakenings
Time slipped by slowly after Diamond left Eden alone with her thoughts. Consumed with regret and worried about what was to come for this, she finished up her bath as quickly as she could and decided to call it a night.
Her arms where sore from where Declan pulled her from the water, and a part of her knew she would have bruises in the morning. Wrapping a towel tightly around her self, she stepped from the bath and went about drying her body and hair.
At least she felt clean, that's all that she worried about now. The rest was history that couldn't be erased, no matter how badly she wanted it to be.
She opened the window nearest her bed to gain a little fresh air before crawling underneath the thick covers.
That was, of course, a few hours ago.
Now, Eden was left tossing around in bed, trapped in the depths of restless sleep. Her cluttered dreams went from happy images of opening nights at Harvey's to something entirely sinister. As the night wore on, Eden struggled to gain control over her nightmares.
Harold Humphrey had made an appearance, as did Declan, but something was different this time around. Humphrey never tried to kiss her so that dreaded slap never occurred. Instead, after a pleasant dance, the pair parted, going their separate ways. Declan swooped in, and in her dreams, he was the kindest gentleman, genuine smiles, and light touches that left her feeling content in his arms.
He showered her with the attention she had craved so much from him, and when he begged for a kiss, she shook her head, teasing him just a tiny bit before giving into him.
It was magnificent, the kiss, equal parts tender and passionate that left her desiring more.
Only when Eden opened her eyes to tell him such things, it wasn't Declan she was breaking a kiss with, it was Harold Humphrey.
As she struggled against him, tried her best to pull away from his disgusting mouth. That same putrid smell washed over her, overpowering her senses and intoxicating her.
A crowd had gathered around them, chanting in unison as they tightened around the pair.
Humphrey's eyes rolled to the back of his head as he opened his mouth wide, exposing rows upon rows of needle-like teeth. There was a sickening crack as his jaw unhinged. It grew lower and lower until he leaned forward, devouring Eden headfirst like a snake eating its prey.
Eden bolted upright in bed, gasping for air. A scream threatened to slip past her lips as she searched the darkness for the monster plaguing her nightmares.
It was only a dream. Eden fell back against her pillows with a heavy sigh and brushed some tangled hair out of her face.
The room was unreasonably quiet without the soothing hum of a fan, and the air was too stuffy for her to get anywhere near comfortable.
Eden rolled to her side, but the mattress felt nothing like the old piece of crap she slept on at home. It was too hard and not broken in. It felt wrong and unfamiliar sleeping here in this room, in this house and away from everything he knew.
The pillows were too soft. She folded one in half and tried her best to get comfortable. But nothing worked. It seemed like hours since she'd opened the window to get a refreshing breeze yet the room still felt stagnate and humid.
How can such a beautiful place be so awful? Eden groaned as she readjusted herself for the millionth time. She quickly concluded that comfort was never to come.
Eden threw back the covers with a heavy sigh and stared at the canopy overhead. The delicate lace panels drifted softly in the slight breeze the night had to offer.
There's no way I'm going to get back to sleep. Her thoughts drifted back to Diamond. She had yet to return to the room and figured that Declan was currently balls deep in her friend. They would both be too occupied with each other to worry about her and the slap that ruined their night. Or so Eden hoped was the case.
Maybe if Diamond sleeps with him, he won't be so mad. Eden doubted she'd be that lucky though. Declan didn't seem the type to forget or forgive anything.
The growing sound of crunching gravel drowned out the insects chirping crickets outside.
Eden sat up, straining to listen to what was occurring in the driveway below her window. Perhaps it wasn't as late as she thought. Maybe the guests were just now heading home for the evening.
She scrambled from the bed and raced for her bags to find her cell phone. The screen brightened when she slid it up, exposing the time in bright white numbers. She squinted against the sudden shift in light and tried to comprehend the time.
It was going on four in the morning. There was no way the party was still occurring downstairs.
A car door slammed shut then hushed voices drifted up into the night. For the life of her, Eden couldn't make out a single word that was spoken. As quick as the conversation started, it was over.
Eden dropped her cellphone back onto her bag and, for the first time, noticed that Diamond's duffle bag was gone. Perhaps Diamond did come back after all, but only for her things, and chose to spend the rest of her time locked away in Declan's room. If that were the case, then that would also mean Diamond was more than likely still upset with her as well.
She crept towards the open window; afraid she'd make too much noise and give herself away. Peaking around the curtain, Eden glanced down at the dark driveway below.
The massive willow trembled in the breeze; its long spidery branches swayed in the invisible current. Right in front of the tree was the limo.
Cliff opened the back door and motioned for someone to get in. Moments later a dark figure emerged from the front door.
Diamond? Eden pulled the curtain further aside to get a better look.
A porch light flickered on, illuminating the darkness right as Diamond climbed into the back of the limo. Cliff shut the door behind her and headed towards the driver's side door.
What the hell is going on? Eden didn't have time to think.
She raced back to her bag, threw on whichever clothes she grabbed first, and bolted from the room. Why was Diamond getting into the limo without her? There had to be a reasonable answer.
Diamond wouldn't leave without me. Eden panicked. We made a deal.
She tried to remember the way they came but for the life of her, she couldn't. There was only one thing left to do, Eden ran. The silent halls were soon filled with the sounds of her ragged breathing as she searched for the staircase that would lead her down to the main floor.
Seconds felt like minutes and minutes passed like hours. Eden rounded another corner and skidded to a halt.
The stairs! Eden rushed down the stairs two at a time and bolted for the front door, hoping they hadn't left without her.
She threw open the door only to find a man standing on the other side with his back to her. His muscled frame filled the doorway and towered over her.
The man turned around to greet her. Declan seemed surprised to see her standing behind him, "Good, you're up. We have much to discuss."
He walked past her without a second glance, leaving Eden to close the door behind him.
"Where did Diamond go?" Eden followed Declan into a formal dining room. Ten high-backed chairs lined a long cherry wood table, four on either side and one at each end.
"I assume she's on her way home as we speak," Declan took a seat at the head of the table. When Eden made no move to sit, he motioned to the chair cattycorner to him. "Please, don't just stand there, sit."
Eden couldn't shake the dread that crept up inside of her. Something was wrong, terribly wrong with this situation and she wanted, no she needed, answers.
"Did she happen to forget that I came here with her?" Eden's grip tightened on the back of the chair.
Declan picked up the folded newspaper next to his empty plate, ignoring her as he unfolded it and began to read.
"Answer me! Why did Diamond leave without me?" Eden's voice wavered, exposing her anxiety-ridden nerves.
"Diamond knew perfectly well what she was doing. Now sit, have some tea, and let's have ourselves a little chat, shall we."
Eden drew the chair out a little more and sat, but Declan wouldn't look away from the paper in his hands.
"Is this about last night? If I embarrassed you, I'm sorry, but that horrible man wouldn't stop harassing me."
Declan merely laughed, turned the page, and said, "I'll explain everything to you in due time. But if you insist on interrupting my morning tea, then the least you can do is join me. Drink up before it gets too cold. It tends to become a little bitter when it cools down."
Eden poured herself a cup and noticed there was only one set out. "Aren't you going to having any?"
"You weren't expected to come down so soon." He flipped down the top of his paper, finally glancing her way, "By all means, have mine. I've suddenly lost my appetite."
"Are you always this rude?" Eden couldn't stop herself.
"You speak of rudeness yet show little respect for those around you." The paper went right back up, shielding his face from her again.
The steaming liquid smelled terrific as she brought the cup to her lips and drank in silence. It was slightly bitter, the tea, and reminded her of the kind her mother used to make.
"There are sugar cubes and honey," Declan said from behind his paper. "Have as much as you wish."
Sure enough, there was a small dish filled with pink colored sugar cubes and next to it sat a small jar of amber colored honey.
Eden dropped three of the cubes into her cup and began to stir them with a tiny spoon. They dissolved and crumbled almost instantly, mixing with the tea, creating another intoxicatingly sweet aroma.
It filled her nose. Without a second thought, she brought the cup back to her mouth to taste it and found that it was even more incredible than before.
It was sweet like vanilla but had a slight kick to it. Eden couldn't quite place it though.
Before she knew it, half of the cup was gone. Surprisingly, Eden felt calm, relaxed even. She giggled as she finished the rest of the tea. She added more from the teapot, threw three more cubes into the mix and stirred.
The same sweet aroma drifted up. She brought it back to her nose and breathed deeply.
I don't think I've smelled anything this amazing before. Eden gazed into the darkening liquid before taking another large drink. The warmth of the beverage filled her.
"Is there vanilla in this?" Eden asked, feeling a slight dizziness settle over her.
"Indeed there is and elderberry extract."
"That must be it then." Eden took another enjoyable sip. "I could drink this all day," she giggled.
Declan lowered his paper, finally facing her. His gaze burned into hers. "I get the cubes specially imported from Brazil. They're some of the finest in the world and are barely detectable. But I add the flavors myself to mask the bitter taste of the sedative."
Eden spat the tea from her mouth, the liquid showering the table in a fine mist. She dropped the cup to the floor and it shattered at her feet.
"Now Eden, that wasn't very polite." Declan folded the paper back up and set it aside.
Eden staggered to her feet, gripping the side of the chair for balance. "You put something in my drink?"
Her legs shook beneath her weight. She found herself leaning against the dining table as not to fall backward into the chair.
"I have done no such thing. I simply offered it to you the means. You took it of your own free will." Declan leaned back in his chair, looking satisfied as ever, or so she assumed since there were now two wavering images of him before her. "I wish to make this transition as smooth as possible. You don't look to well. Come," He motioned her forward, "sit back down before you fall and hurt yourself."
Eden took a staggering step away from the table, away from his reaching hand and shook her head. "Don't touch me." The words seemed foreign coming from her lips; the sound echoing around in her head.
She planned to head straight for the front door, but everything was spinning. The table was behind her; then it blocked her path. Her lungs felt tight as she gasped for air.
"Easy now." Declan stood.
Eden heard the deep rumble of his tone, but she couldn't decipher any of it.
"Stay –" She took another step forward, faltered terribly as her legs went numb beneath her. No longer governing her weight, her knees buckled.
Declan caught her, dragged her up into his arms before Eden could hit the floor.
"Up we go now." He scooped her up and carried her from the room with little effort.
Her limbs were heavy, dangling from her body like a rag doll. She couldn't lift her head long enough to see who it was that was holding her so close.
Declan headed towards the labyrinth beneath the mansion and straight for the medical ward.
The last words Eden heard before she slipped beneath the surface of unconsciousness were, "Welcome home, Eden Burrows."