35. Elliot
ELLIOT
My footsteps thunder up the stairs as I go in search of my girl.
We moved into the cottage Abigail fell in love with on the outskirts of Denton a week ago.
I want to say that we’re unpacked and totally settled, but that would be a lie.
No sooner did my exams end, did I embark on a new chapter of my life at Christian’s law firm.
I’ll never be able to thank him for everything he’s done for me. Ensuring I still had a place at All Hallows’ to sit my exams, and then offering me an unrefusable internship at his law firm for my gap year.
Thankfully, it’s a paid position which means I’m able to contribute to our lives here.
I hate that Abigail had to buy the house alone. I hate that when we’ve gone out furniture shopping, it’s been her who’s been handing over her bank card to pay for it all.
I know it’s not going to be forever, and I also know that she’s more than happy to do it but… It still hurts.
I want to provide, and right now I feel pretty useless.
I don’t regret it though.
Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve lost, it’s all been worth it.
I always used to dream of what my life would be like without the pressure I always felt from my dad and Scott, but I never could have imagined it would be this freeing.
I am now surrounded by people who truly love me. They don’t care about my status, my money, or my surname. They want me for me, and I’ll forever be so fucking grateful for that.
“Red, are you nearly—” I stumble over my own feet as I cross the threshold into our bedroom. “Holy shit, you look— Fuck, Red.”
Nervously, Abigail reaches up and tucks a lock of curled hair behind her ear.
My mouth runs dry as I take her in from head to toe.She’s wearing a long, floral dress, but while it might hide a lot of her body, I think it might be the most revealing thing I’ve ever seen her wear. Two strips of fabric cover her tits and tie at the nape of her neck, leaving her sides and her back completely exposed. When she moves, I discover that the long skirt has a split that has to stop just shy of her underwear, assuming she’s wearing any, of course.
Only a few months ago, she never would have worn something like this. She used to hide her beautiful body in the biggest, baggiest clothes she could find.
It was such a waste because she is fucking stunning.
And all mine.
“Is it too much?” she asks before chewing on her bottom lip.
“Red, it’s… You look incredible.”
“It’s just a house-warming, I can change if?—”
Stepping up to her, I wrap my hand around the back of her neck before dragging the fingers over my other hand up her exposed thigh.
“This dress isn’t leaving your body until I unwrap you from it later. You look beautiful, sexy, and elegant.”
She shudders as my fingers find the edge of her knickers.
“Elliot,” she whispers.
“I was really hoping you were bare under here,” I confess.
“They’ll be here soon,” she breathes, desperately trying to keep her head while my fingers glide over the soft lace covering her.
“They can wait. You’re more important.”
Her cheeks heat, turning them a burning shade of red that spills down her neck and onto her chest.
“I want you to feel as incredible as you look.”
“Oh God,” she moans as I rub her harder through the damp fabric.
“That’s it,” I encourage. “I want your scent all over my fingers while we hang out with our friends.”
Her eyes hold mine as she sucks in ragged, hungry gasps of air.
“More?” I ask.
She nods eagerly, quickly forgetting any argument about why I shouldn’t be doing this.
“Words, Red. Give me your words.”
“Touch me,” she whispers.
“I am.” I smirk as I wait for her to be more specific.
“No, there’s a barrier. Touch me.”
I quirk a brow.
“Elliot,” she breathes. “Just… put your fingers inside me.”
My lips curl into a wicked grin.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
She narrows her eyes at me as I tuck my fingers beneath her underwear and find her swollen clit.
“Oh shit.”
“Better?” I ask, pushing lower to tuck two digits inside her.
Her head rolls back as a moan rips past her lips.
“So fucking tight, Red. Can’t wait to fuck you later, feel you strangling my dick.”
She swallows thickly as her body begins trembling with her impending release.
“You want that, Red? You want to feel me stretching you open, making you come all over my dick?”
“Yes, yes,” she cries as I press my thumb against her clit, working her until she can’t hold on any longer. “Elliot,” she cries as the sound of the doorbell rips through the air.
Fuck them, though. They can wait until my girl’s finished.
Once I’m happy she’s ridden the whole thing out, I drag my fingers from inside her and push them into my mouth, licking them clean as her taste floods my tastebuds.
“Delicious.”
Her cheeks blaze once more before she begins straightening herself up.
The doorbell rings again and she turns to rush out of the room.
“Wait,” I demand, and she stops instantly, her hand curling around the door frame. Stepping up behind her, I grip her hip before spinning her around and crashing my lips to hers.
I kiss her as if no one is waiting on us, as if we have all the time in the world to enjoy each other.
I’m lost in her, letting her taste herself on my tongue when our friends get fed up on the wrong side of the front door, and begin pounding on it.
“Stop fucking and let us in,” one of them bellows.
Thank fuck we don’t have any neighbours too close.
Our kiss ends with a laugh when they continue causing chaos.
“We need to let them in before they break down the door,” Abigail says.
“Impatient arseholes. It’s not like they’ve never made me wait for them,” I sulk, rearranging myself as I follow my girl down the stairs.
The second she pulls the door open, they all barge inside. The guys carrying alcohol, the girls with bags of food.
“About fucking time. I thought Elliot was a two-pump chump,” Oak mocks as he makes a beeline for the kitchen to abandon the crates of beer in his arms.
“Two? Don’t give him that much credit,” Theo adds, earning himself a slap across the head as he passes me. “Aw, what’s wrong? Couldn’t get it up?”
“Fuck you, Ashworth.”
Taking the bags from the girls, I leave them to greet Abigail.
They all helped us move in last weekend, so it’s not like they haven’t seen the place, but still, they disappear off together as if this is all new and they need a tour.
“Fucking hell, this is mental,” Reese muses as he rips the fridge open and begins loading it full of drinks. “You own a house and live with your girlfriend. Who’d have thought it.”
I chuckle, but honestly, I’ve had the same thoughts.
“Wait now, Elliot doesn’t own a house,” Theo pipes up like an asshole. “His girlfriend bought it for him.”
“Fuck off,” I grunt, catching the beer that Oak throws me.
“Aw, leave him alone. It’s cute.”
“I’m not cute.”
“Whatever. So how’s it feel being my dad’s little bitch then? Have you figured out how he likes his coffee yet?”
I shake my head. “My job is more important than that,” I state.
“Oh yeah?” Theo muses.
Oak can take the piss as much as he wants, but the fucker spends his days in the exact same office I do. The only difference is that he’s doing it because he wants to learn from his dad. I’m there because I need the money to provide for my family.
“Yep,” I confirm before Oak pipes up with, “He has to do the Friday cake run as well.”
“I fucking hate you all. I’m going to find the girls. They’re nicer than you.”
“Nah, you should know as well as us that they’re not. They just hide it behind pretty faces and sexy bodies,” Reese says.
“Truth,” Theo mutters.
We spend a few minutes catching up on each other’s lives before we grab the meat the girls brought and head out to the back garden to fire up the barbecue.
The hot summer sun blazes down and the trees and flowers filling the garden blow in the light breeze.
Happiness and contentment settle over me as the girls’ voices float through the air from outside furniture we chose that now sits proudly on the large patio area.
The last year of our lives has been unexpected but in the best kind of way.
Only a few months ago, I never would have believed that I wouldn’t be heading to SCU in a few weeks with my boys. But it’s the right thing to do.
I want to support Abigail through her second attempt at year thirteen. I also want to be here for Raine and Millie in Theo’s absence.
Then next September, Abigail and I can follow them. Although, not to SCU. We’ve already agreed that we’re going somewhere else. We’re yet to decide where, but we’ll figure it out.
There’s no rush, and for the first time in my life, there is no pressure.
We can take life at a pace that suits us and allows us to navigate it as a couple.
“I need to take a piss,” I say before pushing to my feet and heading inside.
Even after shutting myself in the bathroom, my friend’s happiness and laughter float around me, and when I look up into the mirror as I wash my hands, I find myself smiling as if I don’t have a care in the world.
I don’t. Everything is fucking awesome.
Pulling the door open, I come to an abrupt stop when I find Reese loitering outside, obviously waiting for me.
“You okay?” I ask, not liking the crease between his brows.
“Yeah, um…”
“What is it?” I ask my heart rate picking up pace.
“Nothing. It’s just…” He hesitates and I panic.
“Spit it out,” I snap.
“Okay, so… I saw your mum.”
My heart sinks.
There was a time after everything that happened when I hoped she’d reach out. There was no way she’d have agreed with how Dad reacted to my relationship with Abigail. But I knew better than most just how much control he had.
“Right?” I ask coldly. It’s been too long for her to try and reach out an olive branch now.
I’m done.
“She wanted me to give you this.”
He pulls a small flat gift from behind his back. There’s a card taped to the front with Mum’s handwriting across it.
The sight of Abigail’s name written by her makes my blood run cold.
Even that is closer than I ever want her to be to any of my family now.
“Not interested,” I say, dismissing it and attempting to walk away just like she has.
“But—”
Spinning back around, I stare Reese dead in the eyes.“I don’t give a fuck what it is, Reese. It doesn’t have a place here. This house, it’s for my family. She no longer counts.”
Ripping it from his hand, I march into the kitchen and dump it into the bin.
“Okay then,” he muses, watching my every move.
“I mean it. That part of my life is over. This,” I say holding my hands out. “And everyone under this roof, that’s all that matters now. My future is here.”
Reese shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips.“I’m so fucking proud of you, man.”
“Yeah, well, I’m proud of us all. We fucking killed it.”
We walk out to the garden side by side. All eyes immediately turn our way as Reese rushes over and grabs a fresh drink and lifts it in the air.
“To our future reign,” he says with a wild grin.
Abigail stands and rushes to my side. She wraps her arms around my waist as I pull her in as tight as I can.
“To our future,” I repeat before ducking low and claiming my girl’s lips.
Time for the next chapter of all our lives to begin.
Everything might be unknown right now, but one thing is certain.
Whatever it is, we’ll all embrace it together.
As a family.