Page 71 of Love is Strange
I drop my backpack on the long chair that sits by the window that Ells is so fond of spending hours in watching the world go by, then head to the refrigerator. I pull the door open and shiver slightly as the cool air from inside blasts against me a little stronger than normal and lean down to glance inside. Once I see my gallon jug half full of water, I let the door swing closed.
I had already forgotten that I turned down the heat in the apartment and raised the temperature to cool on as many of the appliances as I could, the central air conditioning included.
Ella may not necessarily like a cold home, but I know she needs it right now because it’s the only thing that will keep her calm, and I’m more than willing to take my lumps for it later.
I hum to myself as I lean against the counter and twist the cap off my jug. I’ve always been thirstier than most for some reason, but my doctor says it’s nothing critical to worry about. I don’t particularly trust medical science, but Ella’s always insisted that I stay hydrated—just in case.
“Ells, are you hungry?” I call out.
No answer.
I don’t understand what the problem is. When we have our far and few in between arguments, she’s always over it by the time I get home and begs me not to leave again, which always makes me smile.
I fuck up.
She yells.
I leave.
She pines.
I come home.
She’s sorry.
We have make-up sex.
That’s just how it always is but considering she still doesn’t have anything to say to me, I’m afraid that putting my dick in her mouth may result in her biting it off.
After I take a healthy swig of water, I set the jug on the counter, then screw the cap back on. I’m starting to get a little agitated by the silence, however, starting another argument because she’s still upset isn’t going to win me any points.
I guess I’ll just try to talk to her.
Chapter Two
Ella is in the recliner,watching me with her perilous eyes, her lips still tight in anger, and I’m nervous. I hate when she stares at me like that and I know I should give her some more time to cool off, but I can’t. I love her too much to try and ignore the situation any longer.
“Babe, I’m sorry,” I begin quietly, lowering my eyes to the white carpet. “I didn’t mean any of the shit I said to you, and I know you didn’t mean any of what you said to me. Just tell me what to do to fix this.”
A sigh escapes from somewhere deep inside of her, exiting through her nose, and I glance up at the sound. If she stopped being so goddamn stubborn and opened her mouth to say something—anything—she wouldn’t have sounded like a fading foghorn just now.
“Come on, Ells,” I say, finally losing my cool. I run a hand back through my hair irritably as I give her a dirty look. “The fucking fun is over now, and you can talk. Even if it’s to tell me to fuck off, say something already!”
Ella is undeterred by my sudden change in emotion and continues staring at me with that same fucking expression that I left her with.
I let out my breath in a long-winded sigh as I get to my feet and walk over to her. She never raises her head to look up at me, nor does she use her fingers to dig into the arms of the chair like she always does when I come close to her. She just sits there like a lump, rigid with anger and wrought with determination not to break her stance against me.
I drop to my knees in front of her and place a hand on either one of hers as gently as I can. Looking into her eyes for some form of permission that never comes, I lean forward and kiss her softly on the lips, but she doesn’t return the favor. I take a deep breath as I move from her lips to her neck, sure that it’ll get a reaction like it always does, but nothing.
Not even a swallow, or a jerking reaction away from me. Fucking nothing.
“Stop being so angry,” I whisper, grazing her neck with my lips as I move a hand toward the bottom of her shirt. “I hate it when you’re this angry.”
Even in her stoic silence, I know that she wants me as much as I want her right now. It’s part of the rules after I come back and we never break the rules.
I slide a hand underneath her shirt, feeling the smooth porcelain skin I know so well and let out a shuddering breath. I can feel my dick getting hard just at the thought of being inside of Ella right now, proving to her how sorry I am.
“Ells …” My breath is ragged, consumed with longing for the one person that has always loved me the most. I use both of my hands to pull her shirt off her body. It’s a bit of a struggle at first because she keeps her arms stiffly in place, but I manage and when I do, I see my prize.
