Seventeen
Elias
My mom hugs me awkwardly at the door, pulling me inside, and when my gaze meets my dad’s, his face brightens.
“Elias. My long-lost son.” He throws his arms around me, squeezing me so tight I can’t get a word out.
“He’s a lot of things, but lost isn’t one of them,” Amy says, squeezing past me and dropping her keys in a tray on the entry table. “Come on, cabrón . You grew up here. Act like it.”
My mom shoots her a disapproving look and Amy waves her off. “Oh Amá , you know it’s how I show my love. This pendejo knows it.”
“And I think we just solved the mystery of why you’re single,” I spit out.
She laughs, giving me a side hug while ruffling my hair. “ Te extrano , you know that?”
“I do, and I’ve missed being called every bad word in the dictionary in a span of thirty minutes.”
My dad chuckles. “How long are you planning to be here, mijo ?”
“Only today, for the party. I have to fly back out tomorrow evening.”
“So technically, two days,” Amy says. “You’ll be here for breakfast and lunch. Plenty of time for us to gossip about everyone we see tonight and how they’ve changed for the worse.” She slings her bag higher up her shoulder.
My mom smacks her arm. “Amy, behave yourself. Your cousins aren’t that bad.”
“Yeah, only about half of them are,” my dad adds.
I shake my head. “Either way it’s nice to be home.”
“It’s nice to have you home.” My mom’s eyes water and I can tell she means it with all her heart. I’m sure it’s hard to look at your son who survived the crash when he looks almost exactly like the one who didn’t.
“It really is, hijo . I hope this means we’ll start seeing you more again.”
“It better.” My dad shoots me a stern look.
“It will if I have anything to say about it.” Amy winks.
“Now come help me pick out my outfit for tonight. Rita’s husband is bringing his brothers, and I hear they’re all single.”
“Good to know you’re not taking the recent breakup too hard.” I follow her up the stairs and she sighs.
“Eh, he’s not wasting emotions on me, so I shouldn’t waste mine on him either.”
If only it were that easy. Trailing behind her to her old room, I look at my phone, smiling at the incoming message.
Arien : We’ll have to read more of that book later. We were just getting to the good part.
Me : This isn’t the Monster Match app.
Seconds later another notification comes through and I laugh, switching tabs.
Purple Lover: Laugh a little harder so I can read you the next chapter.
Amy shoots me a curious expression, her brows pushing together. “Who you texting there? That cute little demon from the coffee shop?” Her bag drops to the bed from her hand.
“Aren’t you supposed to be finding something to wear?”
“Yes, but that can wait. So, have you two been out on a date yet?”
A long breath escapes me. “Yeah, a few.”
She holds her hand to her chest and squeals. “So it’s going well then?”
I give a half smile, nodding. “Yeah, really good.”
“You wanted to bring him, didn’t you?” Her eyes are sympathetic.
“I did, but I already knew it wasn’t possible.”
“Do you still get to see him while you’re here anyway?”
“Yeah, during cataplexy and REM episodes. I saw him for a short while I was on the plane and then at the baggage claim.
She gives me a dreamy look. “That’s so fucking cute.” I let out a yelp when she slaps my shoulder. “Like, really cute. Better than a Hallmark movie. He’s kind of the man of your dreams, in a sense.”
“You read way too many romance novels.” But I guess she’s not wrong about either of the above.
“Hey, at least they’re full of men who will never let me down.”
I chuckle, holding back a little, and I pinch the skin of my arm. Stay here. You can be like everyone else for at least for your family. Stay here. The last thing I need is them worrying about me more.
“There’s always that,” I finally say. “As long as it only involves the kind who bring you HEAs.”
“And those are the only ones worth my time.” She spins around, moving back toward her bag, and pulls out five different outfits. This is going to take a while, isn’t it?
“And now for outfit number one,” she calls out, gathering all her clothes in her arms as she walks into the bathroom.
Looking at Arien’s last message again, my heart dances, and I lower myself onto the bed as my knees wobble.
“I think the boyfriend is up to no good, don’t you?” A sweet whisper enters my ear and then the door snicking open has me blinking my eyes rapidly.
Amy spins out of the bathroom in a red floral dress, reminding me a lot of my mother when she was younger. Her dark brown hair is braided down her back and she straightens the pearls at her neck. “What do you think?”
“I like it, but it’s a little too summery. Let’s see the next one.”
Her hands fall to her sides and she lets out a breath, rushing back into the bathroom and acting like she doesn’t love the extra attention. She steps back out and I tell her the second one is too formal. The next reminds me of something someone would wear on a hot date, so of course that’s the one she lands on.
Hours pass of us catching up and her showing me pictures of her work trip to Miami. My mom calls us down for lunch and we all sit at the table in silence before a knock comes, but the person at the door is in no way a pleasant surprise. Amy said he had to work.
“Brody. You were able to make it after all,” my mom exclaims.
“Yeah, and a little early too,” he sing-songs. “Didn’t want to miss out on your famous empanadas.”
Amy’s eyes slide back and forth as she mimics his words, shoving a bite of rice in her mouth, and I choke on a laugh.
“Well, come on in,” my dad says. “Come say hi to everyone.”
Brody steps inside, looking around. “Everyone. Did Amy bring a friend?” His eyes freeze on me and he slows his steps.
“No, Elias is here,” Mom says, closing the door and moving back toward the table.
“Hey,” he says, sounding like he has a crick in his throat.
“How’s it going?” I say back.
“Not bad. Managed to get the next few days off, which worked out perfectly since I wanted to be here for the party. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Yeah, I wasn’t sure I’d be here either, but then I worked everything out with my employees.” I shuffle in my seat and Brody sits across from me.
“I’m glad to hear that. I know your parents really missed you.” He pauses. “I’m happy to see you’re doing good.”
“And I’m happy to know I’m doing good,” Amy says, playing hero, and I send her a silent thank you, clearing the rest of my plate.
Brody directs the convo to my dad about the new fence out front, and they go on, getting lost in conversation about other random topics, and Amy says more things that make my mom hold back from doing the sign of the cross.
Almost laughing too much, I excuse myself and wash my face in the bathroom sink. Face dripping and eyes fading, I lean on the counter and make myself laugh some more. It doesn’t work, though, so I think about Brody being here and anger sets in.
“Hey, Ellie.”
Oh great, a new nickname. At least it’s never been used by anyone else before, and he makes it sound cute too. Never did I think I’d be using such a ridiculous word to describe a demon, but alas, here I am.
“How’s the visit going?” His eyes lower. “I’m sorry.” His hand rests on my shoulders. “I wish I could make it better.” He rests his face against my chest, stroking my back.
He may not realize it, but making things better for me is exactly what he’s doing at this very moment. I take the scent of him and the sound of his voice back to the table with me, and they stay with me when the party starts and when Amy talks me into dancing too. Brody asks to cut in, smiling at me warily, and I need the memories of Arien more than ever.
We dance for two songs, and he rambles on about his new condo. He talks about how well his new business is going and how he would love to come out for a visit one day to check out my new coffee shop.
“Yeah, you should,” I say, hoping he doesn’t take me up on it.
“Yeah, I should. Amy keeps going on about how good it’s doing and about all the new drinks you keep adding.”
“Yeah, she mentioned that you two have remained in contact.”
“Yeah. I think we should too after today. Only if you’re okay with it. I’d really like to have you in my life again . . .” He swallows hard. “You know, as a friend.”
That word would have slayed me weeks ago, but now all it does is aggravate me. People can’t go from sharing all the love and hate we did to being just friends.
“Yeah . . . uh . . . sorry, I think I hear Amy starting a fight with one of my cousins. I better stop it before she takes her shoes off.”
He laughs stiffly. “Of course.” He drops his hands and I walk inside, rushing up to my old room. Legs shaking, I take a few breaths. Why did he have to come? Amy told me he couldn’t make it after all, and I’d been counting on her being right. I rub my sweaty palms onto my jeans and stand up, swaying from side to side. I sit back down and my head drops forward.
Seconds later, a hand is lifting my face up, and purple eyes are staring deeply into mine. “Hey, Ellie. Want to dance with me?”
I want to say yes but I don’t know how we could. I’m unable to stand.
Answering my question for me, he lifts me up and rests my body against his, slowly moving us side to side. His hums turn into cheeky lyrics about how I smell like cake and he wants to taste me, not at all rhyming like he usually does.
A fire roars inside me as he keeps going, and he moves us a little faster, resting his face on my chest. He doesn’t stay as long as I want him to—he never does—but he keeps giving me pieces of him to focus on when everything else becomes too much.
Leaving the bedroom after he disappears, I spend the rest of the night talking with my cousins, who I haven’t seen in years, and sipping slowly on my margarita. When the party ends, Brody hugs me goodbye, putting his new number in my phone. “Take care, Elias, and let me know how you’re doing.”
Why does he suddenly care, when he’d left me falling to my knees, crawling to reach him again. I force a smile, waving him off before getting in the car with my sister.
“Ready to go to sleep to see your boyfriend?” Amy nudges me as the engine roars to life.
“I don’t sleep at night,” I bark.
“Not even when you’re up all day?”
“Unfortunately, no. I get restless at night mostly.” With the occasional dozing. But the sleep I get doesn’t usually do much for me the following day, when I end up walking around like a damn zombie still needing more rest.
“That sucks. You’ll still get to see him here and there, though, right?”
“Yeah.” I smile. We always find a way.
When we reach her hotel, we take turns using the bathroom to dress down for bed. As I lie awake in one of the two queen beds, I remember how Brody put his number in my phone and frustration rattles inside me.
I move my eyes to the side as my muscles go slack, and Arien is lying beside me with my book in his hand. “Now, where were we?” He eyes a snoring Amy in the other bed and then turns his gaze back to me. “Ah, that’s right. Chapter four.” He begins reading and my body relaxes more. He sprinkles dust over me, and I fall into a dark hole, leading me to where all the light is.
We’re sitting under some shade on a dock, and he continues where he left off in the book. In between him flipping the pages, we check the poles when the lines jump, and we catch different creatures from last time. Some have three heads, others have spikes, and then there’s two with glowing skin.
I read to him for the rest of the time I’m sleeping, and he catches some small hopping creatures, hugging them to his chest before letting them go. A large flower opens its petals and teeth come out, crunching down when one hopper lands too close.
Jumping, I drag Arien away from the flower, and he ends up making me chase him through a colorful forest with swinging branches that have bouncing twigs that latch onto my hair. Pulling them off, I laugh, and Arien runs toward me, spiraling around two large dragons flapping their shiny wings as their scales flash multiple colors in the light.
Spinning too much, we crash into each other in a fit of laughter, and the last thing I feel before I wake up is his smile pressed to mine. My eyes blink open and Arien is reading a dramatic scene between the two MCs, humming ominous music in between. My laughter keeps me with him longer, and so does his skin heating mine in the most wonderful way.
When daylight comes, I have breakfast with my family and skip lunch to nap so I can feel settled before my flight. We don’t finish the book on the plane or during my ride back home, and I can’t read it without him. I try several times while I’m sitting on my couch for over an hour, but I end up turning on the TV instead.
My phone buzzes, and instead of smiling at the silly, sweet hellos from my demon, I see Brody’s name. Going rigid, my jaw clenches.
Brody: I hope you don’t mind but I decided I’d text you first, since I know you were never a fan of being the first to start a conversation.
I do mind. My mouth remains locked together as I write and delete my message several times before hitting send.
Me: Not at all. How’s it going?
Brody : Good. Make it home safely?
Clearly I did if I’m writing back.
Me : Yeah, about to turn in.
Brody : Pleasant dreams, then. I’m sure you need the rest with all the flying you’ve done in the last two days.
Me: Yeah, flying really does wear me down. Night.
I don’t sleep. Instead, I message Arien, telling him I need him so I know what happens in the next chapters of my book, and then I jerk off in the shower, waiting for him to come. His reaction to having to bring a book near steam and water has me smiling on the inside.
“You just had to choose here, didn’t you?” He swipes a hand down my stomach, collecting my cum before it can be washed down the drain. In between reading, he sucks on his fingers, and when I lose him, I trigger more emotions by going through pictures of the fishing trip that took place the same day as the car crash.
Arien rubs my shoulders, crouching down beside me, not saying anything. Showing me he’ll stay for the bad as much as the good, being someone I can lean on as I freeze up from the pain. I needed to see these; I’ve been avoiding them for so long. With the images in front of me spread out on the floor, I see what a good day my brother had, and hope it was the last thing he thought of right before I ruined it.