“But the connection we have? It’s why I was so scared at first to be with you. This bond we have seemed so innate. Intense. It’s real and it’s honest, and it’s so much more than just a fuck at night. Does that make sense?”
“It does,” I say. “Because I feel the same way.”
“Then don’t feel immediate pressure to make things right with your family. You do that when you’re ready. Rememberthat it’s a two-way street here. It’s not just up to you. But also, don’t think you need to do it because of me or that you won’t be healthy enough to be with me until you do. I care about you, Halsey. I want you as is, right now, in this very moment.”
I wet my lips as my eyes stay connected on hers. “Thank you, Blakely.”
She presses a kiss to my lips before saying, “No need to thank me, just keep holding me.”
“Easy,” I say as I roll her to her back and shift her legs open with my knee. She raises a brow right before I kiss down her body and keep going south so I can show her exactly how much she means to me.
“Penny, you’re staring again,”Blakely says.
“What? No, I’m not.” She lifts her menu in front of her face, blocking us from view.
Blakely reaches across the table and tugs down the menu to reveal her friend. “Yes, you are.”
Penny tosses her hands up in the air and says, “Fine, okay, I was staring, but how can I not? Eli is staring too.”
“No, I’m not,” he says. “I’m trying to decide whether I want soup and a salad or a hearty sandwich.”
“Go with the sandwich, man,” I say as I drape my arm over Blakely and she leans into me.
Blakely asked me this morning if I’d go to lunch with Penny and Eli because Penny was—as she put it—“frothing at the mouth” to see us together. It was an easy yes for me because any time spent with Blakely is a win, even if that means it feels like we’re sitting in a fishbowl as her best friend watches our every move.
“Can’t a girl just be excited for her friend?” Penny asks.
“A girl can be excited for her friend, but a friend can also be a creepy stalker who won’t stop staring.”
“Uh, because I’m in awe,” Penny replies. “I’ve never seen anyone manifest anything as hard as Halsey did. I mean, look at you both. He has his arm wrapped around you, you’re all cuddled in close, you both have smiles on your faces, and there’s a tiny bite mark on your neck that you forgot to cover up.” Blakely presses her hand to her neck. I saw the bite mark before we left and said nothing because I like people to know that she’s taken. “It’s so sweet and so amazing that I’m just sitting here in wonderment. So yeah, I’m going to stare. And Eli is going to stare.”
“But I’m not staring.”
Penny swats at her man. “Eli, stare.”
“Oh, right.” He clears his throat and looks up at us. He knits his brows together as he stares hard.
“Dude, she means look at us, not try to blow us up with the force.”
Penny glances up at Eli and then smooths out his brow. “Don’t be a creep about it, Eli.”
“I don’t know how to stare. This is weird.”
“What’s weird is that you’re not as fascinated as I am about this development. You were there for the journey.” She motions to us. “Marvel at the result.”
Eli looks between us and Penny, utter confusion written all over him. “I don’t know what to do here. I’m extremely uncomfortable. Do you want me to clap?”
“Yes,” I say before Penny can say anything. “Clap for us, Eli.”
He lifts his hands above the table, hesitant, only for Penny to swat his hands down. “Don’t clap for them, that would make this weird.”
“Jesus fuck, this whole thing is weird.” Eli pulls on his hair. When he hears me chuckle, he points and says, “You’re an asshole.”
“How about this,” Blakely says. “We start a conversation that doesn’t make anyone uncomfortable? How about how the season is going?”
Eli shakes his head. “Nah, the last thing I want to do is talk about hockey. How about we discuss Valentine’s Day.”
“Very subtle,” Penny says with an eye roll. “You mean your birthday?”
