In an instant, she drops the bowl, races around the kitchen island, and tackles me. My only glass bowl is definitely shattered in my sink, but I don’t care. Her arms are wrapped tightly around me, like I’m her lifeboat and I squeeze her against me like she’s mine.
“I would never!” she says burying her face into my chest.
The sigh of relief I make is so loud it sounds like a growl. “Thank God,” I say into her hair. I squeeze her tighter against me, lifting her a few inches off the ground for a moment before setting her back down. Feeling dizzy from the tackle, I cling to her for support.
She kisses me on the chest over my hoodie, then on the shoulder, then the neck before landing on my lips. Leaving a trail on a map in a way, sending weird tingles to my heart with each destination. What this woman does to me feels addicting and I don’t want any help getting clean.
“I meant”—she kisses me quickly, going back to our conversation—“I don’t think we thought about how this was going to go with our jobs.”
“Mmhmm.” I kiss her again, not caring about anything but her lips. I can’t get enough.
Giggling under my mouth she says, “I’m serious.”
“I am too,” I say against her lips.
We fall back into a rhythm, coming up for air when we need to. The fact that she is with me is baffling and I’m pretty sure my body is afraid that if I let her go, she will float away. I can’t help myself as I cling tighter to her, kissing every part of her I can reach. Getting lost in the moment with me, she entangles herself against me, gripping my back and neck.
After a few minutes I feel out of breath and rest my forehead against hers, blinking away spots that are now clouding my vision. “What were you saying?” I ask, breathless.
Clearing her throat, she steps back from me and smooths out her hair. She wipes her lips as she smiles at me. “Our jobs.”
“Right, jobs.” I wipe my lips with the back of my sleeve. “What are you thinking?”
“Well, what did Clinton say?”
She sits down on the couch and Frankie miraculously reappears, bounding chaotically across the floor and jumping onto her lap. She purrs and paws, making a huge theatrical scene, making sure Ellie knows, this ismy human.
Running my hand down my face, I hesitate sharing the details of my conversation with our boss this morning. It wasn’t entirely bad, but it wasn’t an ideal conversation either. The reality that we are breaking the rules was reiterated over and over. So much so that I found myself annoyed with Henry. Which never happens. But the guy just couldn’t get past the idea of me breaking the rules.
“You’ve never been so foolish.”Henry told me.
And he’s right. I haven’t been. Ever since the accident, I have been a rule-following, law-abiding employee. Now I was breaking a big one and he just didn’t understand how it was possible.
But I did.
I’m a fool for Eleanor Bailey.
“He’s upset that we’re breaking the rules.” I join her on the couch and she faces me, while Frankie lounges, not budging from her lap. “He’s pretty confident our jobs are at risk and asked me to really think if this is worth it.”
“Well . . .” She pauses, staring intently at Frankie’s sweater. “Is it . . . worth it?” she whispers without looking up at me.
“Yes.” My response is quick and unwavering with my answer, because it’s the truth. It—she—isworth it. Her eyes are fixed on Frankie, but I see a smile grow on her face. “Is it worth it to you?”
“Yes,” she says quickly in return and my chest feels light at her answer.
She stops stroking Frankie, who does not appreciate the absence of attention and lets out a hostile screech before pouncing across the couch, up the tower, then back down, before disappearing loudly down the hall. A loud thud sounds from the head of the dark hallway, followed by a few other questionable noises. I choose to ignore Frankie’s dramatics.
I reach out and grab Ellie’s hand with both of mine, circling a small divot near her thumb. “So, what do you think we should do?”
She lets out a big sigh, leaning her head back against the couch. “Maybe I should look for another job.”
“Another job? Why?” My voice gets higher.
“Because you could lose your job, and I can’t be the reason you do.”
I’m immediately flustered at the thought of Ellie working somewhere else. Me getting to see her everyday aside, the improvements within our school are without a doubt because of her. Whether she wants to believe it or not, some of the kids rely on her. Seeing her every week has made an impact they couldn’t get anywhere else. She is essential to Glendale now.
I stammer around my words trying to explain this to her, making absolutely no sense.
