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thirty-seven

. . .

After three days of being laid up with Maximus, it was back to work.

Her light flow and spotting decided to disappear, too.

But the absence of her cycle didn’t take away the tiredness and irritability.

Typically, when she was on set or in her dressing room, she strove to be easy to deal with, a light and joy to be around. Right now, she was anything but.

She couldn’t shake it off, and it was her own fault.

At night, while Maximus snuggled against her, she was scrolling down a rabbit hole of Word on the Street blog.

All the way back to Maximus’ kickback, where pictures of them on his terrace were taken, and think pieces were written about it.

Whoever was running the blog had been posting things about him and her since they were spotted together that night.

After days of consuming the useless content, the poison was doing what it was intended to do – bother her.

The headline that danced in her head most of the night was @GardenofEden Jumps from Baller to Rapper: Anything to keep her lights on.

The article mentioned her contract with MRA, portraying her as a hustling bitch from the other side of the tracks who used men for a come up.

Even speculating that Eden slept with Mac’Roy when she stripped to get her contract in the first place.

None of it was true. But what did the truth matter when the lie had already made it around the world and back? Sure, she was used to her character being attacked but it wasn’t her anymore that she had to worry about ignoring the bullshit. Maximus was attached to her.

Eden: Who tf is running that blog?

Staysha: I should have never told you. Why are you letting it get to you?

Eden: Because it’s lies and bullshit

Staysha: It’s always going to be lies and bullshit. You keep rising above

Eden: So eloquent coming from the one who told me about it

Staysha: In regards to DJ Rudy, not you and Maximus

Eden: Can you find out who is running this bullshit

Staysha: I can, and then what? You going to stone them at the town square for saying mean things about you? You're elevating it's always going to be a hater spewing their bullshit

Eden: I just want to know who that’s all

Staysha: Uh huh. I'll look into it, but I still think it’s not going to change a thing

Eden believed in keeping her private life to herself.

They could see her and Maximus hand-in-hand, hugged up or whatever, but what was happening in the world they were creating no one needed to be privy to or speculate about.

Her love for him was genuine and didn’t need to be picked apart under a microscope.

She wasn’t a project, despite popular belief.

Hair and make-up were finished, and Eden was roaming from the dressing room in soft glam and a flowy white dress to the set.

The set was comprised of a queen-sized canopy bed staged against a soft pink backdrop, flowers and sheer drapery surrounding the bed.

It seemed that she stepped into tranquility, but her spirit was anything but.

“Eden,” the lead content director of Heavenly Linen gushed, as she approached. “You are glowing.”

Eden smiled, praying that the nonsense she consumed would fall off her shoulders. “Thank you. Your team is amazing. Where do you want me?”

“Uhh, let’s start with some shots with you leaned up on the post wrapped in a sheet, and then we’ll work our way to the bed.”

“Alright,” Eden hummed, promptly moving to take her position.

She was grateful for the work. The bills were being paid, and there was a burden lifted off her shoulders, but she was starting to get over the brand ambassador role.

The performing arts bug bit her again and she was eager to focus her attention back in front of the camera and scoring actual deals behind it.

Eden posed for the first few test shoots, silently beating herself into submission. It was mind over matter, simple to shake off all the negativity she had spent days ingesting. Or so she assumed.

“Girl, what is going on with you?” the photographer looked at the shots and back at Eden, who had a habit of wearing her frustration on her face. “Is it your man? Do we need to play some ‘fuck him’ music to get you in the mood?”

Eden looked at Ria, a photographer she’d worked with in the past several times, and huffed. “No, it’s not anyone’s fault but mine. I’m going to shake it off.”

Ria gave her a look. “Alright, shake it off, you’re going to kill it. Get out of your head.”

With that, Ria walked away, allowing Eden a moment to collect herself. Once she’d channeled the energy she needed to, it was lights, camera, action. Flashes of the camera were almost blinding, obstructing her view of the entryway of the building. Eden posed as the music changed to Poppi’s Girl.

She chuckled to herself as she slowly walked to the camera.

“Oh, that’s all I had to do to get you in your zone?” Ria asked with laughter.

Before Eden could thank her for offering her some comfort, a pair of arms she was familiar with wrapped around her waist. Maximus’ tattooed hands held a bouquet of flowers, and his lips graced her cheek. A smile spread across Eden’s face, and Ria made sure to capture the moment.

“I felt you this morning. Heavy as fuck. Left your iPad on the counter. You know better than to let them birds get to your head, E,” Maximus muttered against her ear.

He swayed with her. “In here frowning because some bitch on the internet, with nothing going for herself, hiding behind a fuckin’ keyboard saying some shit about you.

They’ve been saying shit, they gon’ keep sayin’ shit.

But you know who the fuck you are. And Whose you are.

Stand in and on your shit, baby. Don’t let no water in this boat. ”

Eden stepped out of his hold and turned around to peer up at him, tears dancing at the brim of her eyes. “You love me for real?”

“I love you for life. When you’re not good, I’m not good. I need you to be good,” he hummed, swiping a tear from her cheek. “I need you to tap into the shit that made you and you remember who you are. Heard me?”

She nodded. “I heard you.”

“Aight, I’ll be over there. Do your shit, baby,” Maximus encouraged, gently tapping her rounding ass before pressing his lips to hers.

Eden hummed, stepped away to sneeze, and went back to work. Ria took a moment to have her assistant rearrange the set.

“Eden, are you okay shootin’ with him?” Ria quizzed.

Eden looked over at Maximus and waved him over. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

Maximus, in his normal attire of a white tee and sweatpants, strolled over.

“Can I suggest something?” Eden asked.

“Yeah, go ahead,” Ria encouraged.

“Gimme your shirt,” Eden softly requested, taking off her dress.

Maximus raised a brow and gave her that look, earning him a playful slap to his chest. “What? You keep surprising me with shit.”

Eden giggled, standing before him in a sports bra and boy shorts. “And that ain’t for no one else to know about. Give me your shirt and calm yourself down in those sweats. My God.”

“Always ready to go,” he mumbled, taking his shirt off and dressing Eden in it. “Where you want me?”

“On the bed, looking up at me. And behave, please.”

“Might need to kick her ass out of here.”

Eden playfully slapped his chest. “Cut it out.”

Maximus sat, looked up at her, and placed his hands on her hips.

Ria snapped away, capturing how the two fell in sync with one another.

Their inside jokes, their touches, how good they complemented each other.

She’d even caught how when Eden sneezed, Maximus didn’t hesitate wiping her nose with his hand.

In the dressing room, as Maximus washed his hands, a silly smirk crossed his face.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Eden questioned after another series of sneezes.

“You know, the other night we didn’t remember?”

She sniffled and nodded.

“On the iPad.”

Eden’s eyes bugged. “What was in that blunt you gave me that I let you record it?”

“Me?” Maximus gasped, clutching his imaginary pearls. “Oh no, E., it was you. And your nosey ass neighbor confirmed you were loud as fuck.”

Eden covered her face in the hoodie she snatched from him before she left. “That’s so embarrassing. What are you doing to me?”

Maximus chuckled, moving from the bathroom to the couch. He pulled her from her spot to his lap. “Loving you. Like you doing to me.”

Eden rested in his arms. “I recorded everything?”

“Everything, even you hanging off the balcony with my hand all on your throat. In the rain.”

“So, I’m sick?”

“Yes, both of us gon’ be in the house coughing and sneezing watching that movie,” Maximus joked.

“Let me go,” Eden joked. “Whatever you put in your blunt, I will never hit that shit again.”

“It’s a new strand. Keon and I are opening a smoke shop in Midtown by the colleges and all them hippies. I tell you we have a burger joint in Trae Way?”

“We?” Eden questioned, looking at him with confusion etched over her brows.

“Mhmm.”

“What if I get rid of you?”

Maximus’s laugh was hearty. “Baby, you think I’m going to let you get rid of me? After what I watched on that iPad, if you run to the other side of the world, I’m right behind you.”

Eden giggled and kissed his cheek. “Your stalking ass.”

“You love it. Let me get you home and pump you with meds,” he suggested, kissing her lips as a knock sounded on the door. “Come in.”

Ria inched into the room, unsure of what she was going to find.

“Girl, you’re safe,” Eden said with a slight chuckle as she climbed off Maximus’ lap and dropped the hoodie down to cover up any excitement she left behind. “What’s up?”

Ria clasped her hands. “So, I sent the photos to the office and they love you, Eden. Love you. They also love you two together. So, they wanted me to offer you a creative collaboration. It’ll be a partnership; you’ll control the creative direction and products.

We can offer a complete compensation package, or we can split it if MB wants-”

“Nah, all of it goes to her. I’ll play whatever position she needs me to,” Maximus stated, looking at Eden, who was trying to take it all in. “It’s time for her to step into her light and walk heavy in that shit.”

Ria gushed. “I love y’all together. I'm a fan of each separately, but you two together is gold. So, what do you say, Eden?”

She nibbled at her lip. “I’ve been thinking about stepping out of the influencer role and into something with more control and stability. And trusting myself, so yes, have them send over the contract, and Staysha and I will look over it.”

Ria clapped her hands and squealed. “Great, I’ll let them know. You two keep shuttin’ those haters up. This right here is some real shit and I’m happy for y’all.”

“Thank you,” Eden buzzed.

Ria left them, and Maximus grinned. “Now we have to celebrate. Get you some medicine first.”

“You can feed me and take me to the art walk before you go to the studio?”

“I can. You got your stuff packed?” he quizzed.

Eden pointed to the bag in the corner and slipped her shoes on. “Max, thank you for showing up for me.”

“I’m going to always show up for you. No question about it.”