Page 8 of The Mountain
My cock is in my pants, I want to say.I’m just sitting here.But, of course, that isn’t entirely true. Not when I was mereheartbeats away from pulling Antoine off Lily and Matty, and taking his place for myself.
Eddie’s gaze lands on Lily, and his expression softens, an unusual blush making his features appear momentarily cherubic. “How are you feeling, Missy? These guys treating you okay?”
Lily nods, her own cheeks flaring pink as she gives a strangled, inaudible response. I huff, attempting to bite back a grin as I think of all the things I could say in response to Eddie’s question. Like,she’d feel a lot better if you’d given me an extra ten minutes before barging in.
“We… uh, we got your room set up for you,” Eddie continues, his gaze dropping to his feet as he toes the carpet nervously.
I straighten, staring at Eddie in bemusement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look nervous before. Honestly, I’ve sometimes wondered if he’s on the psychopathy scale, given the way he seems to lack any of those normal emotions that tend to hold people back.
“That dickface is out, by the way,” he says, instantly alleviating my concerns that he’s been body switched. “All his shit too.”
“Good,” I say, shoving the blankets off my lap and climbing ungracefully off the mattress. “Did Seth push him down the stairs on his way out?”
Eddie huffs out a dry laugh, his eyes flicking up to meet mine. “No. Unfortunately.” The faintest of grins. “But I’m sure he thought about it. I sure as fuck did.” His gaze drifts back to Lily, and he worries his lower lip with his teeth. “You sure you’re feeling better?”
“Yeah.” Lily gives him a bashful smile, then starts the awkward process of disentangling herself from where she’s wrapped around Matty. “I’m feeling a lot better.” She bends to give Matty the softest of kisses as she clambers out of the bed, her knees hitting the carpet before she rises unsteadily to her feet.
One step has her lurching forward, and I rush to her side, but Eddie gets there before me, his hands gripping her arms as he holds her upright. “Easy, Missy,” he murmurs, standing closer to her than truly necessary. “Don’t rush it.” He pulls her against him, banding one arm around her waist, practically shoving me aside as he guides her out of the room. “Seth’s making you some food. You think you can eat something?”
Matty sits up at the mention of food, giving Eddie and Lily’s retreating backs a hopeful look. “Do you think he made food for all of us?”
“Probably,” Antoine sighs. “He shouldn’t though. He does too much for everyone.” He rises to his feet, brushing his hands over his tailored pajamas in a fruitless attempt to straighten out the creases. “It’s not healthy.”
The three of us stumble out of my and Eddie’s room, and the delicious scent of something cooking has my stomach growling. Seth turns from the stove to give us a beaming smile.
“Hey guys.” He effortlessly flips the omelet he’s cooking without even looking at it. “Did everyone have a good sleep?” The timer dings, and he reaches down to turn off the oven, then bends to haul out a tray of hash browns. “I know it’s the afternoon now, but I made us breakfast. I thought that’d be the easiest thing for Lily to eat. You know, good hangover food.” He sets the tray on the top of the stove. “Not that she has a hangover. But you know what I mean.”
He straightens, pausing in his rambling to swipe one arm against his forehead before looking at us expectantly. He’s smiling, but there are dark circles under his eyes that weren’t there before, and I find myself wondering if he slept at all last night, or if he’s been up this entire time.
He does too much for everyone.
“Smells good,” I say cautiously, feeling a twinge of unease when Antoine sidles up beside Seth, giving him a gentle smile before helping him plate up food. They move around each other with the easy grace of good friends. Of a couple.
“Where is Lily?” I ask, tearing my eyes away from the pair to scan the small kitchen and living room for Eddie and Lily.
“In her room,” Seth says, just as the sound of laughter filters out through the room that Lily and Tom used to share. I follow the sound, my legs moving almost of their own volition, then pause in the doorway, blinking in momentary confusion.
Every trace of Tom’s existence is gone, from the queen-sized bed he made Seth help him carry up the stairs, to the lingering scent of his unwashed clothes. Lily’s crappy air mattress is gone too, along with the luggage she was attempting to use to store her clothes.
In its place is a real bed. No, not just a real bed, a ridiculously massive bed that nearly takes up the entire room, draped in pale purple, strewn with an unnecessary number of pillows. On one side, a narrow set of drawers stands, presumably filled with the clothes that previously had their home in her suitcases. On the other side, there’s a bedside table with a vase of flowers.
Fucking flowers.
I’m so stunned by the complete transformation of Lily’s room, that I don’t notice Lily and Eddie at first. When I do, my stomach flips uncomfortably, and something sharp tightens behind my ribs.
“I can’t believe you did this,” Lily murmurs, wrapping sun-kissed arms around Eddie’s waist. “For me? You did this for me?”
For a brief moment, Eddie stands shocked, his arms stiff at his sides, but then she presses her face to the crook of his neck and it’s like someone throwing a candle in a fire, like a paper plane flying into the sun. He doesn’t stand a chance.
His arms link around her shoulders, a tentative hold, like he isn’t quite sure he should be touching her. “We both did it,” he says in reply, then stiffens again when his eyes land on me. He doesn’t release his hold on her though, just fixes me with a challenging look as he pulls her against his chest. “Me and Seth, I mean.”
My hands tighten into fists at my sides as I straighten from where I’d been leaning against the doorframe. I should go. Should leave them alone. Should leave Eddie to enjoy her affection. But I can’t.
“Well…” To my utter horror, Lily gives what sounds like a sob. “Thank you.”
Eddie stares at me in wide-eyed panic, and I throw my hands up in front of me in a silent show of capitulation.
“And the flowers…” Lily sniffs. “You got me flowers? No one ever bought me flowers before.”
