should be thrilling to hear. Except, I can’t get past the first part of his admission.
I tighten the blanket around me, but it’s not the air that’s causing the chills to course through me.
It’s him.
He looks down at my bare feet and shakes his head. “Ella, you’re going to get sick.” He lifts me, carries me into the apartment and to the guest room. Once he places me on the bed, he kisses my nose and says, “Get some sleep.” At the door, he looks over his shoulder one more time before closing it behind him.
Another chill runs through me, even though I’m tucked in nice and warm. I wonder what he’s doing right now. Is he lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, wondering what I’m doing? Is he remembering what my lips felt like, as I remember his? If he were to walk back in this room, would I stop anything from happening?
I don’t think I could. It disappoints me that I’d be so willing, so quick to give in to him. This isn’t who I am. The more I lie on this bed, the more I doubt I would be able to stop him if he walked through that door.
What feels like only minutes later, the smell of coffee wakes me. I grab my cell and squint to see it’s just after nine. After Ben tucked me in, I must have fallen into a very sound sleep. I can’t remember details, but whatever I dreamt left me feeling very unsatisfied…or maybe it was the foreplay Ben gifted me with that left me a wanting mess.
In a trance, I make myself somewhat presentable before shuffling out to the living room. Wondering where everyone went, I quickly fix myself a cup of coffee and find Andrea sitting on the patio.
“Hey,” I say when I sit beside her. It’s warmer than it was earlier this morning, but there’s still a chill in the air. The memory of his kindness and concern for my wellbeing warms me from the inside out.
“Good morning. How did you sleep, princess? That is once you finally got to bed.” She looks at me over the rim of her coffee cup, challenging me to admit that she saw us last night.
Feigning ignorance, I ask, “What’s in that cup of yours? It’s a bit early to be hitting the bottle, Andrea.”
“We’re going to play that game?”
Choosing to deflect her, I ask, “Where are the guys?”
“They went out for a run. They’re grabbing bagels on the way back. So?”
I can feel her eyes on me. I can attempt to drag this out, but the sooner I address her questions, the better. “Okay, fine. What do you want to know?”
“Did you fuck him?”
“No! Jesus Christ, Andrea.”
“I’m sorry,” she immediately back-peddles. “Of course you didn’t. That was wrong of me to assume. It’s just, all that flirting between you yesterday, and then I saw him coming from your room at the crack of dawn, and well…” She shrugs, adding, “I guess it’s just wishful thinking on my part.”
“Did he see you see him?”
She raises a brow. “Yes. He kissed my cheek and wordlessly went out to the balcony. My imagination has been running wild wondering what happened between you two.” When I silently stare at the ocean, she prods, “Ella, I’m your best friend. You can’t do this to me.”
“Do what?”
“Leave me in the dark .”
I can’t help but laugh at the desperation in her voice. “Nothing happened.”
“You’re lying, Ella.”
“I’m not. I couldn’t sleep. I came out here to get some air. He was already out here. We talked some…and he kissed me. I was freezing by then, so he wrapped me in a blanket and then he left.”
“Okay, we’ll come back to the kiss you part. I saw him leaving your room.”
“Before he left, he told me to stay and watch the sunrise. I did. It was so beautiful. While I was still out here, he came back out. I was shivering, and he carried me to bed.” When her eyes practically bulge out of their sockets, I add, “He tucked me in and left me. Nothing happened.”
“But something did happen. You kissed. How did that happen?”
“He kissed
I tighten the blanket around me, but it’s not the air that’s causing the chills to course through me.
It’s him.
He looks down at my bare feet and shakes his head. “Ella, you’re going to get sick.” He lifts me, carries me into the apartment and to the guest room. Once he places me on the bed, he kisses my nose and says, “Get some sleep.” At the door, he looks over his shoulder one more time before closing it behind him.
Another chill runs through me, even though I’m tucked in nice and warm. I wonder what he’s doing right now. Is he lying on the couch, staring at the ceiling, wondering what I’m doing? Is he remembering what my lips felt like, as I remember his? If he were to walk back in this room, would I stop anything from happening?
I don’t think I could. It disappoints me that I’d be so willing, so quick to give in to him. This isn’t who I am. The more I lie on this bed, the more I doubt I would be able to stop him if he walked through that door.
What feels like only minutes later, the smell of coffee wakes me. I grab my cell and squint to see it’s just after nine. After Ben tucked me in, I must have fallen into a very sound sleep. I can’t remember details, but whatever I dreamt left me feeling very unsatisfied…or maybe it was the foreplay Ben gifted me with that left me a wanting mess.
In a trance, I make myself somewhat presentable before shuffling out to the living room. Wondering where everyone went, I quickly fix myself a cup of coffee and find Andrea sitting on the patio.
“Hey,” I say when I sit beside her. It’s warmer than it was earlier this morning, but there’s still a chill in the air. The memory of his kindness and concern for my wellbeing warms me from the inside out.
“Good morning. How did you sleep, princess? That is once you finally got to bed.” She looks at me over the rim of her coffee cup, challenging me to admit that she saw us last night.
Feigning ignorance, I ask, “What’s in that cup of yours? It’s a bit early to be hitting the bottle, Andrea.”
“We’re going to play that game?”
Choosing to deflect her, I ask, “Where are the guys?”
“They went out for a run. They’re grabbing bagels on the way back. So?”
I can feel her eyes on me. I can attempt to drag this out, but the sooner I address her questions, the better. “Okay, fine. What do you want to know?”
“Did you fuck him?”
“No! Jesus Christ, Andrea.”
“I’m sorry,” she immediately back-peddles. “Of course you didn’t. That was wrong of me to assume. It’s just, all that flirting between you yesterday, and then I saw him coming from your room at the crack of dawn, and well…” She shrugs, adding, “I guess it’s just wishful thinking on my part.”
“Did he see you see him?”
She raises a brow. “Yes. He kissed my cheek and wordlessly went out to the balcony. My imagination has been running wild wondering what happened between you two.” When I silently stare at the ocean, she prods, “Ella, I’m your best friend. You can’t do this to me.”
“Do what?”
“Leave me in the dark .”
I can’t help but laugh at the desperation in her voice. “Nothing happened.”
“You’re lying, Ella.”
“I’m not. I couldn’t sleep. I came out here to get some air. He was already out here. We talked some…and he kissed me. I was freezing by then, so he wrapped me in a blanket and then he left.”
“Okay, we’ll come back to the kiss you part. I saw him leaving your room.”
“Before he left, he told me to stay and watch the sunrise. I did. It was so beautiful. While I was still out here, he came back out. I was shivering, and he carried me to bed.” When her eyes practically bulge out of their sockets, I add, “He tucked me in and left me. Nothing happened.”
“But something did happen. You kissed. How did that happen?”
“He kissed
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