I simply hold him while his memories resurface, fracturing his world. I want him to understand that he doesn't have to be strong all the time. In the stillness of his office, with nothing butthe sound of his pain, I make a silent promise that he doesn't need to hear out loud: I'm not going anywhere.
Chapter 27
Elijah
“Got everything?” I ask, leaning against the doorframe and eyeing the ridiculous pile of bags at Rivers' feet. “Or are we moving house?”
He shrugs his rucksack over one shoulder and looks down. “Pretty sure.”
I raise a brow. “Are you certain? Not forgotten your makeup bag. Your skin care routine or your emotional support teddy bear?”
He smacks my shoulder as he walks past, and I grin. The makeup bag is a joke.
Mr Fluffington is not.
He's had that bear since he was a baby and still sleeps with it every single night. It's probably why he's never let a girl stay over. Some secrets are worth protecting.
“I have to leave him here,” he mutters sadly.
I nod solemnly. His friends have absolutely no idea about his nighttime companion, and as one of the lads on the football team, he would never hear the end of it if they found out.
“I’ll look after him for you.”
Her voice floats down the hallway, warm and bright, and I turn my head toward the stairs.
For a second, I genuinely forget how to breathe.
She's either trying to kill me… or I've already died, and this is what heaven looks like. The way my heart starts hammering in my chest can't be healthy.
Willow reaches the bottom step, and the sight of her steals every coherent thought I have.
Her copper hair is elegantly piled atop her head, with loose strands curling playfully around her face, having already slipped free from her hair tie. At the crown, a deep emerald bow contrasts beautifully with the fiery hues of her hair, perfectly complementing the rich colour of her dress.
The dress hugs her waist before gently flaring out to fall mid-thigh, the fabric swaying softly as she walks. Ruffled sleeves rest delicately on her shoulders, and a small bow is centred on her chest. She holds a cardigan in one hand, wears white Converse on her feet, and her legs are tanned from the sun, toned from the dancing she has taken up again.
I’ll never get tired of looking at her.
The other day, when I accidentally let it slip about the daughter I lost, and I broke, well, it was something new for me. I don't cry in front of people. I don't fall apart. The only person who's seen that side of me is my mam.
But Willow didn't question it or panic at the reminder that I have a past with her mam. She just held me and let me fall apart without trying to fix it. She allowed me to feel angry, and in her own quiet way, she assured me that it was okay.
Nobody has ever made me feel like I don't have to keep everything together all the time. It's safe to drop the weight and trust someone else to carry it with me.
She's the kindest soul I've ever known. And I never, ever want to let go.
River shakes his head, and I have to bite back a grin because the only person Willow is sleeping with this weekend is me. Well, when I’m not fucking her, that is. The thought of having her all to myself. No interruptions, no hiding, just us… It makes my pulse spike and my imagination run wild.
“No thanks,” River says. “Sassy will just hump him or maul it.”
Willow steps up beside him, arms crossed. Chin tilted. “Sassy doesn't hump. She's a lady.”
I hide a smirk behind my hand, but she notices it anyway. Her green eyes lock on mine, sparkling with desire and mischief.
The things I have planned for her this weekend would make a saint blush.
“Whatever,” he mutters, flicking her. “Just keep her away from Mr Fluffington. And never—ever let Quinn know.”
Willow laughs, bright and unbothered, and luckily, River isn't looking at me because I can't stop stealing glances at her.
