It took thirty minutes from Willow Hills to Eden's apartment in Forrest Creek, east of Rock Castle. During that time, she had an unusually long nap, jerking awake when the car hit a pothole.
Yawning, she looked outside her window, mortified she'd passed out. The last thing she remembered was the driver asking if the air-con in the car was fine.
Eden couldn't decide if she was brave or plain stupid for falling asleep in the back seat of a stranger's car, especially when she was in nothing but a man's shirt and her coat.
She fidgeted and crossed her legs, praying she hadn't opened them while she slept. Going commando wasn't as liberating as Lydia claimed. She felt vulnerable and, well, naked.
Now that she'd placed some distance between herself and last night's terrible decisions, she had to solve the case of her missing panties. They weren't in her trench coat like she hoped. Did Liam hide them on purpose? Was he a weirdo who stole women's underwear and kept them as souvenirs to eternalise his conquests? How many had he collected over the years? And of all the perverts at Crush, why did she choose him?
She moaned in her hands, her tangled hair cascading around her face.
"Are you okay?" Jude turned around briefly to check on her.
Eden shook her head. She wasn't okay. How could she be after last night?
He checked the ETA on his phone and assured her with a smile. "We're almost there."
Eden wasn't eager to get home. Not when a Spanish Inquisition awaited her. Judging from how the group chat was blowing up, it was inevitable. But she'd delay it for as long as possible.
"Please drop me off at the corner over there." She pointed at a busy intersection straight ahead.
Jude frowned at her in the mirror. "Are you sure?"
Yes, she was sure. She needed carbs. And Plan B.
It was just after 8:00 AM, but the neighbourhood was already a flurry of activity. People went about their Saturday morning errands. Vendors pushed their carts, preparing to make a killing at the flea market on the rooftop of the Civic Theatre.
This side of town had no shortage of galleries, trendy coffee shops, and rooftop gardens. Anything your artsy, indie heart desired was all here—from poetry recitals to exhibitions to private culinary experiences.
Anticipating the chocolate croissants melting in her mouth, Eden crossed the road and made her way to the bakery on the corner of 5th Street. As she took her place in the queue, she tried to remember who had suggested the move to the Arts Quarter. But since they all had a passion for the arts and various Honours Degrees to back it up, moving here had made sense. They all had dreams of making a success of their respective careers. But three years on, they were still waiting to catch their big breaks.
Eden was yet to strike gold as a children's book illustrator. Lydia's acting dreams hadn't soared yet. But her makeup and travel vlogs had thrust her into the limelight. So that was something. The only news articles Sienna wrote were for the Creek Times, a free community newspaper. As a pastry chef, Cassandra was yet to come up with a dessert recipe that would turn the culinary world on its head.
Despite the delay in all their dreams, they were happy here. Leaving her parents' penthouse in the heart of Rock Castle was the best decision Eden ever made. She'd have more than a Spanish Inquisition to deal with if she still lived under their roof. Her parents were still recovering from the unexpected end of her year-long engagement. Surely, news of a one-night stand would send them to their graves.
When she finally made it to the counter, Eden sighed with great disappointment. Everything except bran muffins was sold out. She didn't want bran muffins. But she was depressed, and she wanted to gorge herself on food until she passed out. So, she bought a dozen and ate two on her way to the obscure pharmacy on Diagonal Street.
The woman behind the counter was nice. She didn't ask too many questions or give her the side-eye when she handed her an inconspicuous box.
"For best results, take it as a single dose within 24 hours," she said, her moss-green eyes wide with panic for her.
"Thanks!" Eden flashed her debit card, and the pharmacist rang her up.