The knock on the door comes fifteen minutes later. I wash my hands and quickly make my way to the front door. The second I open it, Elliot launches himself at me and wraps his arms around my neck. I catch him as he hooks his legs around my hips.
“Hi,” he murmurs into the collar of my shirt.
I bite down on my bottom lip, trying to stop my grin from cracking my face. “Hey.”
Taking a step back, I close the door with my foot, then carry him into the living room. My hands travel up his back as he loosens his grip on me and drops his feet to the floor. Curving my hand around the back of his neck, I pull him closer and kiss him.
“Don’t go away for so long next time, yeah?” I say against his sexy lips.
He hums, a happy sound coming from deep in his chest. “You should come with me. Be my emotional-support Hunter.”
I let out a quiet laugh. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Elliot smiles into the kiss, and when he lets go of my neck, I notice something in his hand. It looks like a rose wrapped in a clear film.
“What have you got there?” I ask.
He looks down at where he holds it between us, brows knitting in a thoughtful expression.
“So, I’ve got something for you, but I don’t want you to be mad at me or take this the wrong way.”
“Okay,” I say slowly, curious as to what it could be, but I know for certain I couldn’t be mad at him, regardless of what it is. I arch my brow playfully. “You didn’t steal an otter, did you?”
“No, but wouldn’t that be an epic surprise?” He laughs. “It’s no otter, but it’s… umm…”
He thrusts his hand out. I take it from him, and sure enough, it’s a single red rose. There’s no card or message written on the film, so I wait for him to speak.
“It’s for Duncan,” Elliot clarifies, and I freeze, my chest becoming impossibly tight at the implication. His gaze drops to the floor, his fingers nervously picking at his nails as he continues to speak, the speed of his voice picking up.
“I know this is probably weird, but I was thinking about how this is the first time I’ve been able to celebrate Valentine’s Day. I’ve watched my brother celebrate with Alex, and I’ve been so excited. I still am excited, but it also made me think about how Duncan didn’t know he wouldn’t get to spend another Valentine’s Day with you.” His tongue darts out, swiping over his lips as he begins to shift on his feet, his nerves clearly visible. “I don’t want to replace him. Not that I think that would happen, but I don’t want me being in your life to mean he should be forgotten. Because he shouldn’t. He still deserves to be celebrated because the love you two shared was special, and I wanted to honor that.” He sucks in a shaky breath and ducks his chin closer to his chest, almost in embarrassment. “And I also kinda hope our love is a special kind of love too.”
My mouth drops open slightly as my heart begins to pound in my chest. The back of my eyes burns, and it becomes difficult to breathe.
I don’t know why I’m so surprised by this. Elliot has shown time and time again how sensitive he is. How he feels on such a deeper level. I mean, fuck, he cried at an episode ofPokémontheother week where the animated dog died of old age because hefeelseverything so much.
And here he is, on a day that is supposed to be aboutusandourrelationship, being selfless and wanting to remember someone I lost.
Placing the rose down on the coffee table, I take his face in both hands and tilt his head up until he’s looking at me. My favorite pair of green eyes are glassy and brimming with emotion.
“El,” I say, and the word comes out like it’s being dragged across shards of glass. “I love you. So fucking much.”
He blinks away the tears forming in his eyes and whispers, “I love you too.”
I suck in a sharp breath, the burn in my lungs and throat increasing as I try to hold back my tears. I trace over his lips, and when he presses a kiss to the pad of my thumb, I give in and let a tear fall. He wraps his arms around me, tucking my head into his neck.
“I’m sorry I’ve upset you,” he says quietly.
I pull my head back and immediately shake my head. “You haven’t upset me, El. I’m just…Fuck. I’m so fucking touched. I didn’t think I could fall for you any more than I already have, then you go and prove me wrong, showing me how fucking big your heart is.” I give my head another shake, this time in disbelief. “You’re right, no one could replace Duncan, but no one could ever replace you either, El. You’ve become like the air I need to breathe, and just because I’m widowed doesn’t mean I can’t love you just as hard.”
A tear falls down his cheek. I quickly wipe it away with my thumb and slant my mouth over his, kissing him slowly but full of passion, telling him without words I would move heaven and earth for him.
“Hunter?” he murmurs against my lips.
“Yeah?”
“Can dinner wait until later?” he whispers.
Lifting my head, I nod. “Yeah, I hadn’t started cooking anyway, so I can always do it later.”
