Page 14 of Bar Down

I was wondering how our reunion would go, but this scenario never crossed my mind.

Ash

I blinka few times to make sure I’m not imagining things. While I may have pictured Eli in the shower earlier, I didn’t think I had magical conjuring powers.

He’s here, and somehow, he’s naked too. I stare at him and blink some more before reaching out and pinching his cheek.

“Ow. What was that for?” he says, with a hint of a smile on his face.

“Making sure you’re real,” I say, still in a daze.

“That’s not how it works. You’re supposed to pinch yourself,” Eli says, reaching out and pinching me back. At first, I don’t even feel it, I’m too focused on the sight of him naked in front of me. But then I lift my hand and rub at my stinging cheek.

“You’re really here,” I say, heart pounding.

Eli’s light blue eyes soften on me and I stand as still as I can, not even breathing. We just stare at one another, eyes roaming over each other’s faces. After what feels like forever but was probably only a minute, Eli says, “You got a haircut.”

I nod and notice that his hair has gotten longer, falling into his eyes and curling around his ears. There’s stubble on his face which seems unusual for him. The shadows around his eyes make him look older.

“You didn’t,” I say and give him a small smirk. I’m not trying to be flirty, but seeing him with his hair longer reminds me of a conversation we had a few months ago, when I told him I needed him to grow it out so I could have something to grip on to.

His eyes widen and he looks away, but I see him blushing from his cheeks all the way to his collarbone. I guess he remembers too.

Eli clears his throat and reluctantly brings his eyes back to me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to accost you in the bathroom. I actually didn’t know you would be here.” He opens his mouth again but doesn’t say anything else.

I nod, trying very hard not to look below his chest area, knowing very well what I would find. Strong, muscular thighs, long legs with fine, pale blond hair on them. Looking at his abs and chest is not any easier either, since he’s built like a goddamn viking. So I focus on his face instead. He looks very tired.

“Robbie said I could stay here for the week. I’m surprised he didn’t tell you.” I frown, wondering if Robbie offered this place to both of us as a ploy to get us to reconnect and talk.

“I haven’t spoken to Robbie since—” He pauses and looks away grimacing. “In a while, I guess.”

“But he’s your best friend.”

Eli turns his head toward me again and brings his hand up to rub across his jaw. When he puts it down, I notice the way he flexes his fingers. “No, he’s a close second,” he says softly.

Our eyes lock again and I give him a genuine grin. At least he still considers me his best friend. Eli slowly grins back and ruins the moment by saying, “Jordan is my best friend, of course.”

I roll my eyes and groan.Yeah, right.“I missed you, Eli.”

Eli softly chuckles and says, “I missed you too.” He bites his lip and shyly asks, “Can I hug you?”

I raise my eyebrows, knowing damn well this man is not the hugging type.How can I deny him a hug?Especially when I want him near me. But the one brain cell that is still intact takes over and I say, “Maybe we should put some clothes on first.”

Eli blushes again and looks down. Right at my crotch. My smile threatens to take over, but I bite slightly on the inside of my cheeks. Eli whips his head back towards the ceiling so fast I think he might be seeing stars. He shakes his head a couple times then says, “Funny thing, really, I don’t have any clothes.”

SIX

Seven Months Ago

Eli

A few weeks ago,Ash and I got a call from the Manticores staff telling us that we’d been selected to attend the all-star weekend event in California. I’m still pretty bummed about it, since that means we have to miss the cabin trip up north that Robbie organized. I was looking forward to spending a few days with my friends, snowboarding and having fun. Instead, I need to be on a flight to Anaheim, of all places. At least I’ll have Ash with me, although recently he’s been kind of distant.

After our conversation at the restaurant on New Year’s Day, he hasn’t been hanging out with me as much. I think I hurt his feelings by putting him in the friend-zone, but I really think it was the best decision and I hope he’ll understand it someday.

But then why do I feel like shit?

I look around the gate at the airport and notice every seat is full. Everyone must be avoiding the snow that’s supposed to hit this week. Not me—I prefer it. I will be miserable in Anaheim.

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