Page 47 of Chasing Elliott
Chuckling, I took a step forward and grabbed the flowers. “Now, give me those and get out of here. Don’t get her drunk and I won’t give you a curfew.”
Benjamin nodded as he laughed softly and reached for Kara’s hand. I closed the doorbehind them and rested my back against it, letting out a loud sigh as I ran a hand down my face.
Walking toward the fridge, I pulled out a tub of ice cream from the freezer and a spoon off the counter before I made my way over to the couch and fell into it. Clicking on the television, I heard my phone ding, but I ignored it as I settled in for the night.
I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Groaning, I rolled over and blindly reached forit, dropping the melted tub of ice cream in the process.
“Hello?” I asked groggily, not bothering to look at who was calling.
“So,you are alive,” Johnathan chuckled on the other end of the line. “I was starting to get worried.”
“Shit, I’m sorry,” I started to apologize, finally opening my eyes and pushing myself up to sit. Glancing over at the clock on the microwave, I saw it was two in the morning. “I’ve justbeen so busy lately.”
“Busy getting into fights.”
I rolled my eyes as I climbed off the couch and walked into the kitchen to throw away the tub of ice cream. “Some people just need to be put in their place. But what’s up? Why are you calling me so late?”
“I just got off work and wanted to see if you were interested in going down to the marina like we used to,” Johnathan answered. I sighed quietly and ran a hand through my disheveled hair, a small knot forming in my stomach.
“I don’t know, John,” I said, which caused him to release a disappointed sigh.
I heard the sound of something banging on the other end of the phone. “She told me you were in too deep with Cooper, but I guess I was hoping it wasn’t true.”
Before I had the opportunity to say anything, he hung up the phone. Furrowing my eyebrows, I released an exasperated sigh and threw my phone on the coffee table before falling back down onto the couch.
Resting my head in my hands, I thought about what Johnathan had said. I couldn’t commit to a relationship with Cooper yet here I was, turning down someone I knew I had great physical chemistry with. I felt guilty even hearing the words come out of Johnathan’s mouth, like even the thought was betraying Cooper.
I had never felt this way before and I hated how so much of my emotions and actions were now wrapped up in one guy. This isn’t who I was, but betraying those close to me wasn’t me, either. Growing frustrated, I grabbed my phone and walked toward the door. Yanking Kara’s car keys off the hook, I tore open the door and made my way out to the parking lot.
The drive to the marina was spent in silence, not even the hum of the radio allowing any distraction. The moon wasn’t visible tonight, only the few stray street lamps providing any light along my drive.
Pulling into the lot at the beach near campus, I sat with my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles were white. A million thoughts were running through my head, my subconscious trying to tell me what the right thing to do was.
The longer I sat there, the more my anger began to bubble up. I slammed my hand down as my eyes started to water. I had never gotten this worked up over trying to make a decision, never had this much weighing on me before. Growing even more frustrated, I climbed out of the car and made my way over to the sand.
I walked along the marina, my arms folded over my chest as I scanned the few people loitering around. Spotting the familiar form of Johnathan leaning against the railing at the end of the pier, I took a deep breath and approached.
“Hey,” I said softly, leaning beside him.
“I didn’t think you’d actually come,” he stated, not bothering to turn and face me.
I shrugged, staring out at the water below. “Sometimes a leopard can’t change its spots.”
Johnathan finally turned to look at me, his brows furrowing as he studied me intently. Ifidgeted with my hands, not enjoying the feel of being under his intense stare. It was like he was trying to see through me, and it made me feel vulnerable in a way I refused to be.
“I don’t believe that one bit,” he told me, resting one arm on the railing. “You already have. You’re not the same Elliott I knew five months ago.”
“I haven’t changed that much,” I tried to tell him.
Johnathan looked at me with a dubious expression. “The Elliott I knew pre-Cooper would’ve been kissing me by now.”
“There is no pre or post Cooper,” I snapped, hating the idea that he may be right. Thiswas my fear: I didn’t want to change because that opened too many doors that I wasn’t yet ready to walk through.
“It’s okay, Elliott,” he said softly, resting a hand on my arm. “Look, when you and I first got together, I was okay with it being a one-time thing. But the more we continued to hook up, the more I realized that you wanted something more but were just too afraid to admit it to yourself. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be the one to get you to see that, but I’m glad that he is.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I looked back out at the water. “That’s a load of bullshit.”
“It’s not, though,” he reiterated. “I may not like the guy, but you deserve to be happy. You can’t let your past define you forever.”
