“Ally-Bear?” I let out an ironic chuckle. “Well, no one has ever called me that before, that’s for sure.”
Eden walked deeper into the restroom, now standing right in front of me… again. My pulse picked up, but I tried to stay calm.
“Given that you don’t seem to have many friends, that doesn’t surprise me,” he said.
“Oh, wow. Quite the charmer, I see.”
His mouth opened, but it wasn’t his voice coming through.
“Oh my God!” the girl who just exited one of the stalls screamed. “Eden!”
I could watch as Eden rolled his eyes, annoyed by one of many of his…fans.
Surely he was just pretending to hate this, right? Every time I heard something about Eden—against my will—it was always about how awesome he was and how he’d make it big one day. He never appeared to mind the comments, mind the tons of college students surrounding him in the cafeteria when he was just trying to get something to eat. In fact, he always talked to them, gave them his blinding smile, and handed out his phone number as if it were a tissue.
Someone who actively played into that role couldn’t have been annoyed by the attention they were attracting.
“I saw your last game. You looked pretty hot in your uniform,” she said, giggling as she twirled her hair around her index finger.
God, someone call Cupid and tell him to tone it down a notch, because he was definitely exaggerating withthatreaction to one semi-good-looking guy.
“You mean my gear,” Eden corrected, his voice stoic.
Stoic? That was new. I think?
“That’s what I said, silly.”
He nodded slowly. “Sure. Thanks.”
Little Miss Pinkie Pie reached her hand out to Eden’s arm, feeling him up without even asking for permission. “Wow, you’re so strong.”
I burst into laughter, not able to watch this for another second. If I had a fork in my hand right now, I would’ve stabbed my eyes with it just so I didn’t have to see this.
Eden looked at me, frustration and fury in his eyes. He really looked as if he wassoover the attention he was receiving.
“What are you doing here anyway, sugar?” she asked after throwing a contemptuous look my way. It was probably to ensure I wasn’t going to interrupt any more of the time she had with her precious Eden King with more laughter.
“Talking to my girlfriend, Brittany,” he replied. “Now let go of me.”
Girlfriend?
One word?
My eyes widened in surprise as I processed the word. There was no way EdensuperstarKing just usedmeas a way out of whatever situation this was.
How dare he? I didn’t want to be involved in his stupid games.
I glanced between Eden and the fluttery girl with blonde hair, unsure if he had misspoken or if I’d misheard.
Brittany’s face twisted in disbelief, her hand frozen mid-air as she retracted it from Eden’s arm.
“Your girlfriend?” she asked, her tone holding disgust. “I didn’t know you had a girlfriend.”
Eden’s gaze shifted over to me, a flicker of mischief in his eyes before settling on a more composed expression. “It’s fairly new. We just started seeing each other, isn’t that right, Ally-Bear?” He slipped an arm around my waist, pulling me right against his body.
I stiffened immediately at the unexpected contact but managed to force a smile.
Eden’s girlfriend? Me?
