“Eating pie.” I shrug, twirling my fork in the carnage of the peach pie.
“Not running away?”
I gasp. “First of all, rude. Second?—”
“I stressed you out enough that you need a spa day?”
I glance at him, hating that a smile so easily splits my lips. Damn him. Eli slides my phone over the table, while a serious look takes over his face.
“I’m so sorry.” His hand reaches for mine.
I don’t pull away because I’m desperate to feel him. To be wanted by him.
“I’m so fucking sorry. Please don’t leave. Don’t move because I’m an asshole.”
I shake my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “I shouldn’t have?—”
“No, Baby.” He scoots closer, pulling me into him as best he can in the tiny diner booth. “I panicked. I’ve never…” He blows out a breath, the force of it moving my hair. “Sibyl, I’ve never brought anyone home before. Never had anyone in our room before.”
“I know.” I tilt my head, needing to see his eyes. “It’s okay. I will never replace her. I’d never try to. And I can’t compete with her either, the love you guys had…” I shift my gaze back to the pie. “She is your perfect someone, and I can respect that. I—I get it. It’s okay if you can’t?—”
“We want you,” Eli whispers, gently shifting me to face him. “Larawasmy perfect person. I needed her at nineteen. But you…” He shakes his head, incredulous. “You’re perfect for who I am now.”
“I am?”
“Yeah, you are.” Eli tilts my head, bringing his lips downto meet mine. It’s slow and exploratory—the ease of three weeks ago slips back in.
Hope blooms deep in my chest, freezing solid when I replay the way he looked at me with such panic and horror.
“Wait,” I whisper, hands on his chest, pushing him back.
He releases my hair and lets me move back far enough that he can see my face, but doesn’t let me go completely, as if he can’t bring himself to stop touching me, afraid I might disappear.
“We should slow down, get to kno?—”
“I know you. I don’t need to slow down. You are what I want.”
“You said that. Everyone says that, but it’s never me they pick in the end. You can’t even bring me home. You need time. You need?—”
“You,” he interrupts again. A smile turns the corners of his lips up. “I have more I need to work through, I know that. But I just want you. I needed—I just needed to know it was okay to want you. I know that sounds stupid, I know I’m an adult, and I can do what I want. But I talked to your dad, and I texted Lara’s mom. They both told me the same thing.”
“What’s that?”
“That Lara wanted me to be happy, always. And you make me happy.”
“I don’t want to make your life harder. I don’t want to hurt you.”
“You’re not, I swear.” He trails his fingers down my face, a soft, dopey smile on his.
“Eli…”
He holds a finger up, fishing out his phonebefore dialing a number. Victoria’s voice chirping through the speaker.
“Tori, it’s Eli.”
“Obviously.” Hazel’s twinsoundslike she’s rolling her eyes. “What do you want, Logan? I’m pretty sure we’re supposed to be mad at you or something.”
Eli rolls his eyes at me, a grin splitting his lips wide. “What do you have on the market that Sibby might like?”
