Growing up, Elijah would often come over to my house. Asami didn’t mind him at first, but once he hit puberty, he drove her insane. He would constantly try to flirt with her, but she never gave him the reaction he wanted.
“She doesn’t want to invite me because if she saw me at the wedding she would know she made a mistake,” Elijah smirks.
“You’re an idiot. The day Asami wants you is the day hell freezes over.” I laugh.
Elijah shrugs and takes another spoonful of gumbo.
“So what did you do that pissed Riley off enough for her to post that?” Santiago asks.
Elijah grabs a napkin, dabbing the corner of his mouth with it. “Look, I thought we had a mutual agreement. That this was just causal sex. We never agreed to be exclusive. So I hooked up with other girls. And one of them happened to be her cousin…”
“Bro…” Santiago and I say in unison.
Elijah throws his hands up. “How was I supposed to know they were related?”
“Maybe it’s time you take a break,” Santiago says, lifting his brow.
He laughs so hard he nearly chokes. “And join you in your celibacy? No thank you. I still can’t believe it’s been over a year since you had sex. I don’t know how you do it.”
Santiago takes a sip of water and shrugs. “Between work and having to take care of Isaiah, it’s not something that’s been on my mind. Plus, the next person I sleep with, I want to have a connection with.”
I nod my head in agreement. “I feel you on that. Nothing compares to having sex with someone you love.” My mind wanders off to the only person capable of making me feel that way.
“So what’s going on with you and Annalise?” Elijah asks.
“It’s complicated.” I sigh, raking my hand through my hair.
“What’s so complicated about it? Y’all were eye-fucking each other last week and came close toactuallyfucking. She clearly still wants you.”
“We kissed a few days ago, and I thought?—”
“Wait, what?” Santiago says, his eyes bulging out.
“Back the fuck up!” Elijah sits up straight, holding up his hands. “You kissed your ex-girlfriend and you failed to tell us. And we’resupposedto be best friends?”
They’re both staring at me with their arms folded across their chest.
“We were stuck in an elevator together, and it just happened.”
“An elevator, huh?” Elijah waggles his brows. “I know for a fact y’all did more than kiss.”
Blush creeps onto my cheeks, and I avert their gazes asimages of Annalise coming apart and the sound of her moans fill my mind. “Nope. We just kissed—that’s all.”
“I never keep secrets from you,” Elijah says with a groan.
“Sometimes I wish you did, because I do not need to heareverythingyou tell me.” I roll my eyes.
“So, what happened after y’all kissed?” Santiago asks.
I stare down at my lap, twisting my fingers. “She said she regretted what happened. I’m just giving her space right now.”
“Have you told her how you feel? That you’re still in love with her? And don’t you dare deny it because we can all see it,” Elijah says.
“No, I haven’t. I was gonna tell her how I felt the night of Chandler’s birthday, but then I saw her kissing Lucas…”
“Is that why you left so early?”
“Yeah… But now I don’t even know when I should tell her. After how she reacted…” I trail off, scrubbing my hand down my face. “I don’t know if I can.”
