Now
I woke up in Elliott’s bed with a massive hangover. It took me a moment to piece together the events of the previous night. Fuck—Michael.
“Well, good morning, beautiful,” Elliott said, walking in with a coffee in hand. He leaned against the door frame, a warm smile spreading across his face.
“Good morning,” I croaked, my voice raspy and worn as if I’d smoked a thousand cigarettes the night before.
He sat on the bed beside me and started brushing back the hair in my face. “How are you feeling?”
I smiled and let out a laugh. “Like hell,” I admitted.
He gave me a slight frown as he paused. “Why didn’t you call me the second you heard from Michael?”
I shut my eyes tight and sighed. “Because I didn’t want to burden you with this.”
As I opened my eyes, Elliott was shaking his head.
“Jacqueline…you will never be a burden,” he said softly. “Don’t you realize how much I care about you?”
I blinked away tears and shook my head. “I care about you so much. That’s why I’m scared. I’m scared that I’m going to lose you and I’m scared of what Michael will do to us,” I admitted as I sat up, my head throbbing.
He gazed at me for a while, seemingly in deep thought. “You will never have to be scared with me. Trust me, Jacqueline.” His voice was low and deep and sent a wave of desire throughout my body.
I nodded. I believed him.
“I’m going to figure out how Michael got your contact information. We’ll go from there.”
I looked down at the ground, confused. I looked back up at him with a wary smile. “How are you going to figure that out?”
Elliott hesitated. “I’m…I have some contacts that can help with that,” he assured me.
I raised my eyebrows. “Oh yeah? Some fellow therapist contacts?”
He laughed and nodded. “Something like that.”
* * *
Elliott went into his office to take some video sessions with his clients. He told me he didn’t want to leave me so he was going to work from home. Luckily, I had the day off so I slept for a few more hours while he worked. I didn’t bother to turn my phone back on; the only person I wanted to talk to was in the next room anyway.
When I woke up, I felt significantly better. Elliott’s voice drifted in from the other room, reminding me that I was safe. My luggage, now tucked in the corner, served as a stark reminder that I was moving in with him. It was surreal—just two weeks ago, I had met the Nice Hot Older Guy on the plane, and now here I was, about to fucking live with him.
He wasn’t just any guy; he was the guy, or at least, I was convinced he was. But the reality of moving in with him scared me. Things couldn’t always be this perfect, and I feared the moment he’d discover my darker, clingy side. I’d been meticulously hiding that part of me, but living together meant it was only a matter of time before it surfaced.
Elliott seemed so put-together—his own house, a stable career. I couldn’t help but question what I had to offer. What if he saw me as nothing more than a hopeless mess? What would I bring to the table?
“Hey.” Elliott walked in, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts. “You okay?”
I blinked, trying to think of an answer. “I’m sort of freaking out about staying here. I mean…I am freaking out. What if you end up thinking I’m a lunatic and then you’re just stuck with me?”
He paused and then smiled. “I’m well trained to handle lunatics,” he teased.
I smiled but quickly shook my head and raised my shoulders, tense as I stood up. “Seriously. I am definitely like, sort of a lunatic. I’m gonna be needy and need constant validation and I will probably annoy you with how much I stare at you because you’re so fucking gorgeous.”
He started to walk towards me, his gaze tender and reassuring. “I love all of those things about you, Jacqueline.” He placed his hand gently on my cheek, his smile soft and sincere.
My heart sank to my belly. “Even the staring?” I joked quietly, too mesmerized by his eyes and the fact that he said he loved things about me.
“We can have a nightly staring contest,” he teased back.
“I’d win, for sure,” I quipped.
He smiled and pulled me in for a kiss—a tender, sweet, and loving kiss that made my heart skip a beat. As his lips met mine, a warm wave of bliss enveloped my entire body, melting away all my doubts and fears. His kiss was soft yet full of an indescribable depth. When he finally pulled away, I had to catch my breath, my cheeks flushed and my pulse racing. It was possibly the best kiss I had ever experienced, and I found myself craving more.
“At least let me pay rent.” Of course, I had to ruin the moment.
He seemed to think for a moment, his gaze softening as he looked at me. “I’m not going to take your money,” he said sweetly, his tone reassuring. But I couldn’t let it go that easily.
“Please. I don’t want you to think I’m taking advantage of you, or for me to just… feel guilty about this,” I insisted, shaking my head. “I want to contribute in some way. It’s important to me.”
He licked his lips and glanced out the window, his expression thoughtful. Then he took my hand and guided me to the bed, sitting down and drawing me onto his lap. As he settled me against him, he gently rubbed his hand over my thigh, his touch soothing despite the visible scars. He didn’t even seem to notice them.
“You won’t budge on this, will you?” he asked with a teasing smile, his fingers tracing comforting patterns on my skin.
I shook my head with a smile of my own, feeling a warmth spread through me. “Nope.”
He sighed. “Okay. Will you still…sleep in this bed with me?” he asked, almost shyly.
“I would love that.” I grinned, then glanced at the bed. “You sure you’re okay with me taking this side?”
I wasn’t sure how to phrase it—whether he was ready for me to share the space that had once been Kate’s. I didn’t want to intrude on the memories.
He nodded as our eyes met.
“I’m ready,” he said softly, as if he understood my unspoken concerns.
I gave him another one of our sweet, tender kisses that gradually heated up; I wrapped my leg around him, straddling him as our kiss deepened. But just as things were getting intense, he pulled his lips away.
His eyes were filled with a mix of vulnerability and determination. “Before we go any further, I need to tell you something,” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “And I don’t want to scare you off, but… I need you to know this.”
My stomach tightened, the warmth between us suddenly overshadowed by the weight of his words.
“I love you, Jacqueline. You don’t need to say it back. I just needed you to know, because I’m not going anywhere.”
There was an immediate lump in my throat. Thank God he said it first . I was overwhelmed with relief and love, and I must have looked like a lunatic, grinning through my tears.
“I love you too, Elliott.”