"Don't be. I just don't want to have to catch you again if you pass out on me."
That got a real laugh out of me. Quiet and a little shaky, but real. And it stayed, tugging at my lips until I realised I was smiling. Actually fucking smiling.
Eli stared at me for a second, then brought a hand up to my face. His fingers brushed gently at the corner of my mouth, his touch lingering there for a moment as he watched me. "I almost forgot what that smile looked like."
I didn't blame him for being surprised. Hell,Iwas surprised. I couldn't even begin to remember the last time I felt this light. "Me, too."
We both went quiet. For my part, I needed a second to catch up to what just happened. My hands rested against his chest, the warmth of him seeping into me and keeping me tethered to the present.
"You know," I said finally, my voice a little unsteady, "Ithink I've been holding that in since Year 10."
His eyes softened. "Yeah... I figured."
I straightened up and stared down at him. "Youfigured?"
"I've had time to think. Everything makes a lot more sense now." He lowered his hand to wrap his arms around me again. This time when he leaned in, he tapped his nose against mine and grinned. "Like how you used to look at me like I caught you stealing whenever we got too close."
I hid my face in his shoulder. "Ugh, god."
He laughed under his breath as his hand slid up to rub my back. "Don't worry. I wasn't exactly quick on the uptake." He fell silent, and I caught the shift in his voice when he spoke again. "It took almost losing you for it to really hit me."
I felt his hold tighten. Just a little bit.
"When I found you half-dead on the floor... That's when it clicked. Not just what you meant to me ... but how long you had. It's always been you, Ro."
Something sharp and bittersweet twisted in my chest. All these years... Itwasn'tas one-sided as I thought. Eli just never recognised it. And I was so terrified of messing up our friendship that I never had the guts to say anything.
When I finally pulled back to look at him, his expression was open and unguarded in a way that I'd never seen from him before.
"I started looking back at all of it. Everything I brushed off. Every time I saw that you wanted to say something. You always looked like you expected the floor to fall out from under you." His eyes flicked across my face, and he almost looked disgusted with himself. "I hate that I never asked why."
My throat tightened, but I couldn't look away.
"I don't know how much I missed," he went on, softer now. "But I don't want you to be scared to open up to me. I won't miss it anymore. Whatever you'll give me, wheneveryou're ready. And I'll get it right this time."
That did it. If there was anything still holding me back, it completely shattered. There was no pressure in his words. No guilt. Just a quiet, steady place to land if I wanted it.
And god, I wanted it.
My fingers curled lightly into the fabric of his shirt. When he kissed me this time, it was gentle. Full of promise. I leaned into it fully. I'd known I wanted him for a long time. But I didn't understand until right now just how much.
And I could finally trust it.
The kettle chose that moment to start beeping, and it quickly turned into an obnoxious noise that cut through the quiet. Eli eased back with a grumble and glared at it.
I barely held back a grin.
He turned back to me, clearly annoyed, but the edge of a smile tugged at his lips. He leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of my nose. "Hold that thought," he murmured, then he stepped away to deal with it.
I stayed where I sat on the counter, still warm from where his arms had been. The kitchen lights hummed softly as they cast everything in that same gentle glow. Yet somehow, it felt different now. I watched Eli move around the space, familiar and sure as ever, and let my thoughts drift.
If I'd said something to him back then... Would it have changed anything?
If I hadn't spent so long convincing myself Eli could never feel the same, would I have had the spine to turn away from all of it? Could I have avoided Marcus entirely? Or would it have actually screwed everything up? I could've said the wrong thing at the wrong time and lost him completely before I ever had the chance to find out what we could be.
I didn't know. I probably never would. But I had him now. That's what mattered.
* **
