"Everything...okay?" Julian stepped forward and studied Eden's angry expression the moment she got off the phone. Eden heaved a deep long sigh before slowly turning around to face Julian. She didn't know what to say or do right now. On one hand Lionel was outside her mother's apartment while on the other hand Julian was in front of her and whom she desperately needed all the help she could need.
"You know you can talk to me about anything Eden," Julian broke the little silence that once filled Eden's room. Eden nodded and rubbed her temples. Her phone chimed again. She already knew who was calling her as she knew for a damn fact that Lionel wasn't a patient person.
"I'll just go back to the living room of you need some space... " Julian turned around and was heading towards the door when Eden grabbed his arm to stop him. "No Julian. It's nothing important. What I want to discuss with you is more serious...and important too." Eden said and turned off her phone immediately. She decided she wasn't going to fall for his threats this time around.
Julian smiled and Eden offered him a seat on her bed. "So tell me. What can I do for you?" Julian asked. Eden bit her cheeks hard feeling somehow for having to ask him for a favor but anyways that's what friends are for right?
"Actually...." Her phone picked up it's ring tone again signalling another incoming call. She declined it immediately and placed her phone into mute before keeping it aside. "Sorry about that..." Eden chuckled slightly while Julian only smiled at her with love and affection clearly visible in his eyes.
"Actually am in need of a job." Julian's brows now narrowed after hearing her. "What? What happened to your new job. You aced the interview remember." He asked her making Eden to bit her cheeks again. How was she supposed to answer his questions. She recalled how she was over the moon for bagging a job at a huge company. So excited that she completely overlooked the company's name as only a coincidence and nothing else.
She now looked everywhere except in his eyes. Julian instantly knew she was keeping something from him but didn't want to ask unless she was willing to tell him. "What can I say Julian. It's a long story. I did get the job yes...but found out that the scheduling wasn't okay with me. I won't get to spend time with Mia because of the overload of hours I'll be at work. You know how much I love spending time with my angel." Eden said and slightly dropping her shoulders down.
Julian wasn't quite expecting that but smiled anyways for her words. "Okay. I'll see what I can do Eden. I'll make a few phone calls and put in lots...and I mean lots of good things about you to my superiors. No worries Eden. I always have your back." Eden's anxious heart slowly leaned after she digested his words. She knew all too well that she could totally count on Julian.
They both heard the oven countdown stop sound coming from the kitchen. "Oh! The lasagna." Eden sprinted up, placed her phone into her pocket and accelerated into the kitchen. Julian stepped out of her room to continue his talk with Lucia. He had become very much comfortable with Lucia's presence and company as well.
Just then Eden got out her phone from her jeans pocket to chat the good news over to Susan and Anne in their WhatsApp friend group when a message from Lionel popped on the left screen. She opened it and her eyes widened at the message as she read the content.
Am standing at your doorstep. Didn't take me seriously right. You didn't come to me so I'll come to you.
The doorbell rang immediately afterwards which made her stiffen in her spot. What if Lucia meets him face to face. All hell would break loose tonight and the last thing she wanted was a scene in their apartment especially with Julian around.
"Excuse me Julian. Let me just get to the door." Eden heard Lucia say all the way from the living room. She quickly dashed towards the living room like lightning and appeared in front of the door stunning both Lucia and Julian.
"Eden? What are you...." "I'll answer the door mom. Am expecting to see someone." Eden spoke panting slightly. "And does this person have a name?" Lucia raised her eyebrow at Eden not buying her story. "It's a private conversation concerning my work." Eden said and added, "Mom! Check the lasagna."
Eden stepped out immediately and shut the door behind her to now glare at the tall man standing in front of her wearing a smirk. He wasn't bluffing at all and Eden knew exactly what he could do. As always he never cared about anything or anyone but himself.
"I told you if...." Lionel spoke but got a bit startled when Eden harshly pulled him away from their door and back towards the road. "You know you look kinda cute when you're angry." Lionel said and made Eden yank away his arm away from her hands. She then turned around and met with his brown orbs fixing him with a raged look.
"What the fuck do you want Mr Bluebird?" She asked folding her arms under her bosoms. "Again with the calling of Mr. Why so formal?" Lionel asked and slightly chuckled at the end. This new side of Eden was very surprising and intriguing to him as well. "Don't answer a question with a question. Get to the damn point!" Eden was at the verge of loosing it right now. The sight of him seriously enraged her and for some reason Lionel couldn't digest that. Seeing her anger just by looking at him was not sitting well within him and he wandered why all the same.
He covered this weird feeling with a smile on his lips. He would never ever show her that she now mattered in a way as he met her earlier today struck him ever since. He knew that Eden was the perfect woman in all and always loved him honestly and sincerely. After Monique's lie, despite him not wanting to admit it, he was damn heartbroken to even think about it. He knew he was going to be a loner forever and soon but now things had changed with Eden waltzing back into his life and he wasn't planning on letting her go so easily.
He glanced down at his watch and smiled before facing her once again. "It's still quite early. Do you want to have a bite to eat or...." Eden immediately chuckled at this one. She then fixed him a hard glare this time looking dead straight into his eyes and took a few steps forward towards him.
Lionel stared at her now with narrowed brows. "You're asking him out to have a bite with you? In public?" Eden began. Lionel sighed this time and looked away knowing full well where she was planning to go with this. "And if I remember correctly you are ashamed to take me out." Eden added looking straight into his brown eyes that only stared at her back this time.
His smirk completely vanished now and his brows furrowed clearly not wanting to talk about the past right now. "I don't wanna talk about that anymore Eden and trust me you don't wanna go down that road." Lionel raised a brow at this warning her of the outcome. To his surprise Eden wasn't moved at all and only smirked this time. "Am far done with the past. I don't know why you want to invite me to have a bite but I've known you for more than seven years and probably with this threat and you showing up at my mom's apartment is all because you want to get something." Eden blasted out the bitter truth before him.
Lionel was honestly dumbfounded by her changed personality. Never once had she ever spoken to him in this manner. With such hatred lingering deep inside her eyes and he hated seeing that. He was used to the loving and caring Eden three years ago but clearly not a fan of this Eden in front of him. As always he didn't let it show visibly on his face not wanting to give her the upper hand.
"How's Mia doing? Am sure she's grown quite a lot right?" Lionel smiled this time after asking. Eden's body tightened and the shock was evident on her face. Her eyes were already widened with shock before she slowly regained herself and looked away.
"She's my little girl right? After all she looks exactly like her father." Lionel stepped closer to be only an inch apart from her. Pure rush of anger surged through her seeing his pathetic smile on his face looking and acting so casual about it. "Mia's not your daughter. She's my daughter. Did you get it?" She yelled at him. "You surely didn't make her yourself." Lionel stared calmly.
"How dare you Lionel! She's the baby you clearly didn't want to see even before she was born." Eden continued to yell on top of her voice with her body shaking with so much anger and rage. It was very clear that she didn't love him anymore and wanted nothing to do with him but Lionel wasn't willing to let go.
"That happened three years ago but now... I want to meet her. I want to hold her this time." Lionel said with a smile as he began to imagine. When he found out about Mia from Juanes, his private detective who was in charge of finding out about Eden's life in the past three years, he stared at the picture and his emotions went haywire. She looked exactly like him and was clearly the female version of him. She had his eyes, his hair as well as facial features. He didn't know what was circling through him at that point but knew he wanted to meet her. He realized he was such a fool at that time not to think about his child but only about his and Eden's argument and his malice towards Eden.
"No! No! I won't let you see her! Never! You've completely lost that right the day you chose to leave a six months old woman all by herself." Eden snapped at him. Lionel also got pissed off as well and leaned his face forward. "You will not stop me from seeing my daughter. I'll admit I was wrong in abandoning my daughter years ago but not this time. Am playing being civil with you Eden. I want to meet her." Lionel warned her while Eden's body heaved with more anger.
She leaned her face forward. "Mia isn't yours anymore Mr Bluebird. She's only my daughter." She said.
Lionel's face hardened at her sudden stubbornness. It reminded him of how it was her stubbornness to work as a waitress that ended things between them.
"Then I'll file for custody and claim back my child. You'll not keep me away from my daughter!" Lionel also lost it. Something snapped within Eden as soon as she processed his words. Within the blink of an eye, Lionel's face was turned to the right after receiving a loud hard slap from Eden.