Through His Eyes

Snake Oil

Thomas blinked, taken aback by the unexpected turn. It took him a second to realize she wasn’t being serious, but his mind scrambled to catch up. “Snake oil?” he repeated, clearly baffled. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Thomas froze for a split second, his body stiffening, and his face hardened instantly. His eyes, which had been soft and intense just moments ago, now went cold. He straightened up, staring at her with a sharp, unreadable expression. “Don’t be rude,” he said, his voice low and steady, but there was a bite to it now.

Eden’s smile faltered as she processed his change in demeanor. She hadn’t meant to upset him; it was just a joke, a playful attempt to change the topic. But the sudden chill in the air between them made her second guess her words. Thomas didn’t wait for a response; without another glance in her direction, he dived into the pool, slicing through the water with powerful strokes.

Eden stood there, watching him swim across the pool, confusion clouding her mind. Was her comment really that offensive? It had been a lighthearted jab, but now, she couldn’t help but wonder if it had struck a nerve. She waited for him to return, unsure of what to do or say next.

His movements in the water were swift, his back to her as he crossed the pool. Eden took a slow breath, biting her lip. The playful banter had vanished, replaced by a heavy, uncomfortable silence.

Was she wrong to joke about it? She hadn’t expected him to react like this. Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to undo whatever it was she had done, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something had shifted between them.

After what felt like an eternity, Thomas surfaced, wiping his face as he turned toward her. His gaze was distant, focused elsewhere, not quite meeting hers.

Eden cleared her throat and hesitated before speaking, “Thomas?”

He looked at her then, his expression still hard, but his eyes softened just slightly. He didn’t say anything at first, but the tension between them was palpable.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice quiet, unsure. “I didn’t mean to offend you. It was just… a joke.”

He stayed silent for a moment, as if weighing her words. Finally, he gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, but there was still a coldness in his gaze. He climbed out of the pool, water dripping from his skin as he stood tall in front of her.

“You don’t know anything about me,” he said, his voice quieter now, but with a slight edge. “So don’t make assumptions. And don’t play games.”

Eden swallowed hard, feeling the sting of his words more than she expected. She had thought she was being playful, but clearly, she had misjudged the situation. She wanted to apologize again, but something held her back.

“I’m sorry,” she repeated, her voice softer. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m not used to…” Eden felt the heaviness of her words as they hung in the air between them, her chest tightening with each breath. Her eyes focused on her hands, fingers trembling slightly as she struggled to articulate the feelings she had kept buried for so long. “I didn’t mean it that way. I’m not used to…” she trailed off, the vulnerability in her voice hanging heavy. “I’m not used to people just showing up so fast… like this… at least none that ever stay… and the phone calls–the dinner–and I let you into my head. I told you my deepest fear and you never even flinched.”

Thomas watched her, his gaze steady but intense, understanding more than she realized. He could see through the cracks in her carefully constructed walls, the walls she had built to protect herself from the vulnerability of intimacy. She wasn’t used to people getting close—to letting them in. She kept everyone at arm’s length.

As she spoke, he noticed the tremble in her voice, the subtle way she fidgeted with her fingers. The emotions she was fighting to contain bubbled beneath the surface, threatening to spill over. Thomas took a step closer, watching her intently as the sobs began to build in her chest. Her eyes were glassy, as if she was on the verge of breaking.

The air between them was thick with tension, and Thomas could sense her hesitation. He took another step forward, his eyes never leaving hers. Slowly, he reached out, lifting her chin to meet his gaze. The touch was gentle but firm, forcing her to catch her breath, to lose her train of thought for just a moment. For a split second, he saw the resistance in her, the way her body tensed as she instinctively pulled back.

“Please,” she begged, her voice a whisper, as if she knew what would happen if she let him get any closer. She had always been in control, always keeping people at arm’s length. And now, with him so close, she was afraid to lose that control.

But Thomas didn’t try to kiss her. He didn’t force anything. Instead, he lifted her gently, pulling her into his chest, cradling her against him. Surprised, Eden let out a soft sob, her body shaking as she buried her face in his wet pecks. It started quiet, but then the sobs grew louder, more intense, like a dam breaking. Her emotions spilled over, raw and unfiltered, and Thomas held her tighter, his hand gently stroking her wet hair as he walked around the pool with her in his arms. As he continued to walk, his grip around her tightened, and he spoke again, his voice more serious now. “How long?” he asked, his breath warm against her ear, "How long has it been like this?” his voice gentle, his grip tightening slightly as if to keep her from breaking further.

Eden stuttered, a lump forming in her throat, her breath shallow. “Too long,” she whispered, the words barely escaping her lips.

Thomas’s shoulder dropped in what could have been relief, or something softer— empathy. “I’m here. I’ll always understand you,” he murmured, his voice warm and comforting.

But then, the silence stretched on, suffocating. Eden squirmed against him, trying to process what he had said, but the quiet pressed in on her, making her uncomfortable. She could feel the raw, unspoken words swirling in her chest, the turmoil bubbling up like a pot ready to boil over.

Finally, Thomas broke the silence again, his voice low, yet firm. “This… this feeling. You know what this is, don’t you?”

Eden froze in his arms, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. Something twisted inside her, an unexpected surge of anger, frustration, and an emotion she couldn’t even name. The emotions clawed at her, demanding to be felt, but she fought to hold them back. She couldn’t let him see it. She couldn’t let herself go there.

“Why?” she demanded suddenly, the words slipping out before she could stop them. The fury in her voice surprised even her, but it was real. “Why me?” She struggled to keep the edge from her tone, but it was impossible.

He deliberated for a bit, his lips in pressed into a line before speaking. “When you’ve been around as much as me…” He paused again, his voice trailing off as his thoughts seemed to drift back to the past. “I come from a wealthy family. I’m talking… the old Italian kind.”

Eden looked up at him, her gaze intense. She could see the reluctance in his eyes, the hesitation that had crept into his voice. Her curiosity piqued, she stayed silent, letting him speak when he was ready.

Thomas stared down distantly, as if the words themselves were heavy. “It’s why I left. Someday I’ll have to fill shoes that…” His voice faltered, and he stopped, realizing he's about to reveal too much. “I had to make my own way. I left, paid a lot of money to have a fake name. As far as everyone knows, even my old team in the military knew me as Thomas. My identity in the US has been that.”

Eden blinked, taken aback by his confession. She had known there was more to him than the man who stood before her, but hearing it in such raw terms hit her in a way she hadn’t expected. There was a sharp ache in her chest, as if his revelation had pulled back a curtain she hadn’t realized was covering something much deeper within him.

Thomas shifted, and for the first time, Eden saw the vulnerability in him. She could feel the hesitation in the air, the way he was letting her in, but only so much. His eyes flickered toward her, and then he smirked, leaning forward with a sudden change in tone.

“You know, I used to be a stripper,” he said with a half-grin, his eyes gleaming with mischief.

Eden gasped, her shock quickly turning into laughter. She couldn’t help it. The image of Thomas, this strong, guarded man who held secrets like armor, being in such a different world was too much. “No way, REALLY?” she asked between fits of laughter, her hand going to her mouth as if trying to stifle the sound.

Thomas nodded as if showing off, the smirk never leaving his face. There was a strange pride in his eyes, as if he was both amused and proud of the unexpected turn the conversation had taken. “Yeah. Did some pretty wild stuff while I was in the army,” he continued, his voice taking on a casual tone. “Was a good way to make an extra buck.”

“I can’t even picture it,” she said, still laughing softly. “You, a stripper?”

Thomas raised an eyebrow, a playful glint in his eyes. “I was a damn good one,” he teased, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly. “But that’s a story for another time.”

Her laughter faded, and she gazed at him thoughtfully, still processing the complexity of the man before her. She had always seen him as a mystery, but now, just a little bit of that mystery had unraveled.

Thomas looked down at Eden, soft but stern. “Say it,” he demanded, his voice low and unwavering.

She looked up at him, her heart racing. Her lips parted in shock, her eyes wide. She didn’t understand why, but everything inside her seemed to be on the edge of breaking. She wanted to say it, to admit the truth, but the vulnerability it required terrified her.

Thomas stepped closer, his gaze never leaving hers, his intensity almost overwhelming. He reached for her, pulling her up out of the pool, keeping her close to him, forcing her to meet his gaze.

“Tell me,” he said again, his voice softer now, coaxing, but just as determined. “You know what this is. I want you to tell me the first thing you feel right here. Right now.”

Eden’s heart thudded in her chest. She opened her mouth, but the words were stuck. But then, somehow, they tumbled out, raw and unfiltered.

“I…” She paused, her voice shaky. “I… love… you.”

The moment the words left her lips, it felt as though the entire world shifted. She felt exposed, like she had opened herself up in a way she never had before. A deep breath hitched in her chest, and she wasn’t sure what came next, wasn’t sure what she was expecting.

Before she could even process her own words, Thomas moved quickly. He pulled her back into the pool, his lips crashing into hers with such intensity that she gasped. The kiss was urgent, filled with everything they had left unsaid. Eden’s body stiffened for a second in surprise, but then she melted into him, her hands finding his shoulders, pulling him closer.