chapter 3: once there was a girl too

She was wearing a yellow flowering print shirt and white shorts and she was sitting on the swing.

The boy's stare lingered and his breathing a little louder now.

He took a step and another step and another, her face and smile enchanting him with every step he took.

She had a sculpted figure which reminded the boy of a picture in his English text book. She had a burnished complexion and a pair of arched eyebrows that looked down on sweeping eyelashes. 

She smiled at him as he came closer revealing a set of dazzling white teeth.

It was easy. She was the most beautiful girl the boy had ever seen.

When he came close enough, he stared at her.

"Hi" her voice was bubbly

"Hello" the boy waved shyly at her.

The girl chuckled "You are staring. It's rude"

"I am sorry. It's just… that I haven't seen anyone like you before" The boy answered truthfully.

It made the girl blush "Thanks, I think? I hope it's a good thing?"

"It is. You are…" the boy's voice trailed off.

"What? You can tell me" 

"You are beautiful" the boy murmured quickly before he lost his courage.

"Oh…thanks"

The boy suddenly realized that the girl might be Jim Barrington's daughter and therefore his sister. He took a step back. It was bad to fall in love with one's sister, even the boy knew that.

"What is it?" The girl asked him. She had noticed his movement.

"A-are you Jim Barrington daughter?" 

"No…I am Powell" The girl answered.

"What's a Powell?"

The girl laughed out loud "I mean, my family is the Powell family. My name is Eden…Eden Amara Powell and you are?"

"My name is Asher…Barrington" the boy decided at the last minute to use his father's name.

"That's weird…I didn't know Liam had a brother" 

"Liam?" The boy asked.

"Liam Barrington…you should know, he is your brother if you are Jim's son" The girl told him.

"Is Liam a good person? Will he make a good brother?" The boy asked her.

"I don't know but I have to believe that he is a good person" the girl answered.

"Why?" The boy's curiosity got the better of him.

"Because, we are going to be married when we turn nineteen"

The boy's heart stopped temporarily. It can't be true, can it? Before he could ask another question, the gateman yelled his name.

"I have to go" he murmured and took off.

"Will I see you again?" The girl asked him.

"Yes"

When he got to the gate, the gateman opened it and asked him to leave.

"What about my father?" The boy asked in panic.

"Sorry kid. The boss is busy… maybe next time"

"But I am his son!"

"What do you want me to say, kid? He doesn't want to see you. He asked me to give you this money" the gateman gave him a wad of cash. The biggest Asher had ever seen.

"But I don't want money. I need my father. I got good grades and I am a good boy. He will like me…please"

"Jim Barrington doesn't like anyone but himself. Sorry kid"

The gate was shut with him outside. The boy's face was filled with tears and his spirit shattered but he strained to catch a glimpse of the girl once again through the peep on the gate and he did. 

It would have made the boy happy except she was holding hands with another boy.

The boy turned and he fled. He went to the bus stop and he entered one.

When he got home, his mother was gone. He didn't even get the chance to say goodbye.

And as he grieved the loss of everything dear, all he could think about was Eden….Eden Amara  Powell because as rare as love was, it was love at first sight for Asher.

***

"So you see…you can't jump off that ledge. I won't let you" Asher concluded.

Eden stared at him blankly. Like he was an out of place piece of chess set.

She blinked. This man must be crazier than she thought.

She blinked again "I am sorry but let me get this straight…you are interrupting my peaceful suicide attempt because you had a crush on me when you were fifteen? Am I getting that right?" Eden asked him. She was vexed.

"It was not a crush, Eden… it was true love but you were engaged to a little asshole who turned out to be my evil little brother" Asher told her.

Eden shook her head slowly and she had a bored expression about her"I don't think you should point fingers, you are a crime boss. You kill people for a living…okay? Good, now bye"

"Eden, me and you, we are going to have the greatest love story on earth, just give me your hand…please" Asher extended his hand to her.

Eden turned around. "You don't understand. And believe me the idea of running off with a cold blooded killer into the sunset might be beautiful in a slightly disturbing way but I am a dead person talking, Asher. It's just a matter of time"

"Wait! What do you want, Eden? What will make you step away from the ledge? Your life can't be all bad, can it?"

Eden thought about it for a minute. "You would be surprised how crappy my life is…maybe if I had found Mr. Damon hellfire, just maybe…(Eden turned to look at him) he killed my mother you know. A man I can't remember anything about except his weird name killed my mother and I couldn't do anything about it. I had just turned eighteen….