Chapter 18 #2
“Charisma,” Chelsea clarified.
“Oh, I know what it means, but why are you talking like an adolescent?”
Chelsea didn’t bother to answer. She stuck her tongue out at Tanya.
“He makes you happy,” Yancy said, echoing the words Lucy used earlier in the day. “We can all see it. As long as he keeps doing that, he’ll be welcome around us. But if that changes…”
“Then I’ll have Chris kick his ass,” Lucy said when Yancy trailed off.
Yancy rolled her eyes, and the rest of us laughed. Chris was a shark when it came to business, but he wasn’t the type to get into a physical altercation.
“What? He will!” Lucy insisted.
“That’s sweet, Lucy, but even if Eli and I don’t work out, I don’t want Chris assaulting him on my behalf,” I stated.
“Why not? I have a couple of ex-boyfriends I wouldn’t mind Chris beating up,” Chelsea said.
“Because it wouldn’t make me feel better. If I want him to suffer, I want to be the one to cause the suffering.”
All four of my friends looked at me as though they’d never seen me before.
“That is absolutely vicious,” Tanya said. “And I love it.”
“Damn, you’re more gangster than I thought, Gigi.” This statement came from Lucy.
“Why are you calling her that?” Yancy asked.
Lucy’s answering grin was full of mischief. “That’s what Elijah calls her.”
“Awwwww.” The sound came from all four of them simultaneously.
“Zip it,” I commanded, finishing off my wine.
“It’s cute,” Chelsea insisted.
They spent the next fifteen minutes teasing me as we all paid our checks and walked out to our cars.
“We need to do this more often,” Tanya said. “Especially before the baby comes. Once she’s here, I know I won’t have the time or energy for a while.”
“Agreed. Charles and I have been talking about giving Carolena a sibling, and I know the baby fever will hit full force when your little nugget is born.”
We all gaped at Yancy.
“But you just got married,” Chelsea said.
Yancy shrugged. “I’d like to have one or two more kids before she gets much older. I want them to be pretty close in age.”
“That settles it,” Lucy said. “We’re going to do a dinner or a brunch at least once a week until Tanya has her baby or isn’t able to. Then, we’re going to go to her house and get baby snuggles and have girl nights in.”
I grinned. “I like the sound of that. I’ve missed spending time with y’all.”
“Then, it’s settled. We’ll figure out what day and time works for everyone, and we’ll take turns picking the places. Since I picked this one, we’ll let Grier pick next.”
It was just like Tanya to take charge, but I didn’t mind. It was nice to have someone else make decisions once in a while.
“Sounds good to me,” I said.
We all said our good-byes and agreed to text each other when we arrived home. I’d just walked in the door and shot off a message in the group chat when my phone rang.
Elijah’s name flashed across my screen, along with a picture of the two of us. It was a selfie he’d taken last week when we went out to dinner. As I looked at it, I had to admit Lucy and Yancy were right. I looked really happy with him.
I lifted the phone to my ear. “Hey, Eli.”
“Hey, Brown Eyes. How was dinner?”
I walked through my living room without turning on any lights, heading straight for my bedroom.
“Fun,” I answered as I flopped down on my bed and kicked my shoes off. “I missed spending time with them.”
“I’m guessing my name was mentioned.”
“A few times,” I admitted. “Why? Were your ears burning?”
“Only a little. Did they try to convince you to dump me?”
“Nope. They said that you were welcome as long as you keep making me happy,” I answered.
There was silence on the line for a moment.
“Do I make you happy?” he asked.
I sighed. “Yeah, you do.”
“Good. That’s all that matters.”
“I wouldn’t say that. I mean, you should be happy, too.”
“Oh, I am,” he murmured in my ear.
His deep voice rumbled and brought a shiver to my skin. He didn’t sound happy. He sounded turned on.
“I can think of a couple things you could do to make me happier,” I teased.
“Oh, really? Like what?”
“Well, that first time you came to the gallery after Lucy’s wedding…I really liked what happened after dinner. That would make me happier.”
His chuckle vibrated through the phone, and I felt it all over my body.
“I miss you in my bed,” I admitted, my voice softer.
It was hard for me to admit it, to make myself vulnerable.
But Lucy had been correct that morning. It was time for me to open up and go along for the ride.
There was always a possibility that Elijah could hurt me again, but that was a risk in any relationship.
At some point I was going to have to let go and take the leap.
“I miss that, too,” he answered.
“Then, maybe you should come over.”
My stomach clenched when his end of the line was silent for a few seconds.
“I would like nothing more than to drive over there right now,” he finally said. “But not tonight.”
I sighed in disappointment.
“If you still want me to tomorrow, I’ll bring dinner over after work. And stay.”
“I’m not going to change my mind,” I said.
“Then, you can tell me that tomorrow.”
I snorted. “You’re so damned stubborn.”
“I know. You love that about me.”
My brain froze at his words. I’d been falling for Elijah since the night of Lucy’s wedding. Deeper and deeper.
Until this moment, I hadn’t realized that I was in love with him. That I’d been headed in that direction for a long time. And that’s why it hurt so badly when he told me he didn’t want anything more than a casual fling.
Before I could even process all these thoughts, much less come up with something to say, Elijah spoke again.
“It’s getting late, Brown Eyes. We both need our sleep. I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay,” I murmured, my voice subdued.
“Sweet dreams, Gigi.”
“You, too, Eli,” I replied.
There was a click as he disconnected, but my eyes were fixed on my bedroom ceiling as my mind raced.
I’d finally fallen in love, but I was terrified that, despite what he said, Elijah might not be able to love me back.