Page 75 of New Growth
His chest. His arms. They both looked so yummy.
God, I wished he’d hold me and—Elliot! Get a hold of yourself! You’re drooling!
Cringing at the vile thoughts, I cleared my throat and regained my composure. “No. I guess not.”
Without another word, I laid back down, turning my back to him. My alarm clock suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room.
The mattress dipped gently as he climbed in beside me.
“Just so you know, sometimes my Dexcom alert goes off during the night,” he murmured through a yawn.
I froze. “Is it something I should listen out for?”
“No, nothing to worry about,” he reassured quickly. “If it happens, I’ll handle it. Just wanted to give you a heads-up.”
He shifted, settling into the space beside me—close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from his skin, but careful not to let his body touch mine.
“I don’t mind helping you if you need it,” I reassured.
“I don’t want to be a burden, Ellie.”
I glanced at him over my shoulder, eyebrows raised. “You carried me two blocks on feet, and you think you’ll ever be a burden in my life? I owe you if anything.”
A smile tugged at his mouth, small but genuine. “I just don’t want you worrying about me.”
We held each other’s gaze for what felt like an eternity. It was heavy.Tender.I could read all the emotions he usually had tucked away. He usually kept his guard up masterfully, but for this, he was vulnerable.
I finally turned away again, facing my alarm clock once more.
“Wake me up if something happens,” I commanded.
He sighed, an exhausted sound that knew I’d be upset if he didn’t comply.
“Okay.”
A moment of quiet passed before he spoke again, his voice now softer.
“I’m sorry about your dad, by the way,” he murmured.
I stared at the glowing red numbers. “It’s fine. I’m sorry for dumping all that on you like that.”
“You didn’t dump anything, Ellie. You explained why you felt how you felt and why you wanted me to stay. Nothing wrong with that,” he said in a comforting voice.
Well, I explained half of the reason. The other half is still a mystery to me.
“Still, I’m glad you decided to stay. It makes me feel better.” I whispered.
Elliot shifted closer, his voice softer but still playful as he attempted to lighten the atmosphere. “Well, I doloveto make you feel better.”
My stomach flipped, and I squirmed.Too much, too much, too much!
“You okay?” he asked. “If you’re uncomfortable, I can sleep on the couch.”
“No, I’m good.” I lied as my cheeks heated. I was far from “good”, but the thought of him so far away was…disappointing.
“Okay. Well… goodnight, Ellie,” he said in that sultry tone.
“Goodnight, Elliot.”
