Page 12 of Always Yours

Ellen looks at me, a sideways glance that has me wondering if she too wasn’t sure what happens next.

“I mean I can drive you back to your dorm if you want, or you could come over and…”

“I’ll come over,” she says, cutting me off.

I nod and pull out of the parking lot to head back to my apartment. The drive doesn’t take long and when we reach the building, we head upstairs. Unlocking the front door, I find the apartment is in darkness, Greg apparently out.

“You want a beer?” I ask.

“Sure,” Ellen replies and we move into the kitchen.

I grab a couple from the fridge, handing one to her and we both stand around in awkward silence, as though neither of us quite knows what happens now.

“How old are you?” Ellen suddenly asks, lifting the beer as though in explanation.

I smile, taking a sip before answering. “Twenty, but my brother got me a good fake ID.”

“God, how many siblings do you have?”

I grin. “Three,” I reply. “Younger twin sisters and an older brother. You?”

Ellen shrugs. “Just me and Lauren, although it may be just Lauren if this whole thing with my car goes to shit.”

I burst out laughing. “What, you really think your parents will kill you because a skunk got in your car and sprayed the shit out of it?” I ask. “It’s hardly your fault, is it?”

She takes another sip of beer before giving the bottle a dirty look. “Well, it kinda is,” she says. “And beer’s fault, and gin and vodka’s. Rum too, fuck even triple sec is to blame,” she says, shaking her head.

I grin, stepping toward her as I slide a hand on her hip. “What, so getting drunk is what caused the skunk to get in your car?”

“Yep,” she says, nodding her head. “If I hadn’t been so wasted, I never would have gone back to that guy’s place or…”

“Whoa, wait, hold up,” I say, stepping back a little. “What guy’s place?”

Ellen blushes, ducking her head a little. “Shit,” she mutters.

“Ellen,” I say. “Were you doing the walk of shame when I ran into you?”

“Um,” she says, lifting her head to look at me, bottom lip between her teeth. “Does it count if we never actually slept together?” she asks, her blush deepening.

I chuckle, even though I’m not exactly liking the idea of her being with some other guy hours before she was with me. “I don’t know,” I offer. “I guess not.”

Ellen exhales before taking another long pull of beer. I watch as she runs a hand through her long hair, which hangs loose around her shoulders, before finally meeting my gaze.

“Look, I’m sorry, I’m really not…I’m… Fuck,” she breathes out. “I just don’t normally do this kind of thing, okay?”

“What kind of thing?” I ask, taking a sip of beer.

She shrugs. “Get shitface drunk and go home with random guys,” she offers. “Or get sprayed in a fucking parking lot by a skunk and go home with a guy.”

I nod, taking another sip of beer. “So, what you’re saying is it was a mistake?”

“No!” she cries, stepping toward me. “Well, the first guy was,” she adds, a sheepish look on her face. “But nothing happened with him. We made out, he passed out, end of story.”

I set my beer on the counter. “And me?” I ask, my hands moving to her hips. “What am I?”

Ellen stares up at me, a mix of anxiety and confusion on her face. “My superhero?” she offers.

I smile, leaning in to press a kiss to her lips. “This isn’t a mistake for me, Ellen,” I whisper, my mouth against hers. “Ilike you, a lot and I’m kinda glad you got sprayed by that skunk so I had to come save you.”

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