Levi hollers, and Stella shrieks. Elijah pulls me into his warm arms and spins me around. I laugh like I actually got engaged because Elijah has the effect where he can make anyone laugh in any situation. I melt in a puddle into his arms, replaying his words over and over in my head.
The girl he’s actually going to propose to one day is a really lucky girl.
Once all four of us settle down, Levi makes his way to the stairs with his sister. “I’m heading off into the arena for sound check. I’ll have Stella wait for you in the lounge, Lily.”
Oh no …
Spotting my phone on the ground, I rush and check the date and time. A school day, I was meant to start work an hour ago.Shoot!
“I’m late!” Rushing around Elijah, I dig through my clothes and pull out a random dress—anything will do.
When I took this job, I promised myself I was going to stick to being professional, but missing work and being spotted entangled in a man’s arms by my boss is not a good look.
Pushing my shorts down before my tank top joins the floor, I don’t even realize in my frenzy that I’m changing out in the open, and Elijah can’t seem to take his eyes off me.
Oops. I guess I’ve completely lost my mind.
“Are you trying to kill me?” With his hands fisted at his sides, desire swirls in his eyes.
At the start of this tour, I would have died at the thought of Elijah seeing me in just my bra and underwear. I don’t know where this newfound confidence is coming from. Hunger pools in the pit of my stomach when I see how down bad he looks.
“Thought we could just skip right to consummating our marriage.”
Mouth agape and cheeks rosy red, he takes tentative steps closer. “I thought we were just best buds?”
“Ouch,” I tease. “Breaking up with me already?”
I twirl my hair as he stops an inch from my nearly naked body.
“You’re the one who friend-zoned me.”
“You’re the one who tried to wifey me up,” I argue back, narrowing my eyes at him.
A million butterflies swirl in my stomach at just a look from him. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that my childhood crush would see me naked.Never.
But then the bitch called Anxiety takes control of my brain and shouts thoughts at me like,With all the models he must have been with, all the prettier girls he could have with a snap of his fingers, why would he choose me?
Does he just pity me now?
Crowding my space, he pulls my chin up with a commanding look. “Whatever is going on in that gorgeous head of yours, I don’t like it.”
Me neither.
“The day you left, I became angry … but when both my parents passed away, I became scared. Afraid that if I let anyone in, they’d just leave. I would always be chasing relationships that would be running from me,” I admit, moisture fogging up my eyes from seeing him. “Finally learning your side of the story has healed a part of me that was jagged for years. But our twoverydifferent lives are like oil and vinegar. They don’t mix.”
He caresses my cheek. “I will grab a blender, pour them in, and blend them until they do. I will be the first to ever make that happen.”
“What happens if the blender breaks?”
His dimples peek out with his grin. “I’ll fix that too.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
ELIJAH
We went our separate ways, and it felt excruciating. Now that I’d had Lily in my arms, I no longer wanted to be without her.
It’s like swimming in the deep, dark ocean without a safety vest.
