Chapter Twenty-Eight #2
“Absolutely not.” I tilt his head back to rinse the suds away, and his eyes close on instinct. A frown settles over his full lips, and I can’t resist the urge to lean down and kiss them, even as all I can taste is shampoo.
“Why not?” he asks.
“Seriously? Because their top waiter tried to fuck you after making me sound like a fucking creep.” My tone is snappy and forced, but Elijah just chuckles softly.
“Ah, leave him be. He’s just a small-town guy trying to win a war he wasn’t aware was rigged the whole time.”
Now it’s my turn to frown as I ring out the excess water from his curls and his eyes find mine again.
“So it doesn’t bother you at all that he bad-mouthed me? You’re ready to be friends with him again?” I ask.
Elijah stares at me for a moment before grinning widely.
“It does bother me, and if I hear it again, he’ll be hearing from me, I promise you that. I have no intention of being friends with him. Cordial? Yes. But, Rowan.” He leans into me, one hand snaking around my body to rest on my lower back. “Are you jealous?”
“Yes?” I ask, my tone letting him know I think the question is ridiculous. “You just went on a date with him!”
Elijah grimaces. “It was a shitty date, there toward the end. Remind me to get rid of Felix.”
“Felix?”
“The stuffed bunny that Bennett won me.”
I say nothing. A hot, angry burn is spreading throughout my entire body, and I don’t trust a single word that wants to escape from my throat. Instead, I shampoo my own hair and focus on that task.
Elijah laughs. “Rowan! Stop being like this. It was just a bunny.”
“How did he win it?” I question him.
I can’t see him with how my eyes are closed, but I know for sure that this little asshole is grinning.
“A test of strength.”
“As soon as I can see again, I’m spanking your ass,” I threaten, and Elijah squeals as he jumps out of the shower.
“Noo! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
I focus on rinsing my hair, and by the time I’m done and climbing out after him, I find he hasn’t gone far. Leaning against the sink with a towel around his waist, Elijah is smiling at me.
“Come here,” I tell him, and he giggles some more.
“Rowan, no! Pancakes! I demand it!”
I have him snatched around the waist a second later, landing a soft smack onto his clothed ass as he laughs hysterically.
“Fine,” I concede, pulling him against my chest. “But if he stares at you for too long, I’ll go into a greatly detailed explanation of how it feels to have my dick shoved down your—”
“Okay! I get it!”
We take my truck into town since Elijah left his car at his apartment. Tabitha’s Place is decently busy for a Saturday morning, and we take a seat at the booth by the window that Elijah loves so much.
He basically vibrates in excitement at the thought of his pancakes, and it takes away some of the nerves I have from being here.
Since meeting Elijah, I have been in town more than I have been in my entire adult life. I can’t help but wonder what the locals think. The stares are still frequent, but no one directly says anything.
In some ways, I guess he acts as a barrier. Or maybe Elijah is my new impenetrable shield, the one that now serves as my protector from the world that surrounds me.
“Oh shit.” Gone is the boy who radiates sunshine in the shadow of oncoming breakfast delights, and in his place is slight anxiety and darting eyes.
I am absolutely positive that I know what he sees; I have no reason to look.
Instead, I lean my cheek into my palm, my elbow propped on the table between us, and give him a lazy smile.
“Just ignore him. If he takes our order, pretend you don’t notice the tension,” I instruct.
Elijah nods briefly at my statement and doesn’t turn away from my eyes as Bennett approaches our booth.
“Elijah, there you are! Are you okay? You ran off from our date yesterday and I was worried about you. I really should get your number, that way next time I can just call,” he rambles.
Next time?! Does this jackass not see that we are literally on a date right now?
“Bennett,” Elijah begins before I can speak. “Thanks for your concern, but I’m alright. I’m just deathly terrified of heights, so that tower ride was a very bad idea for me. No worries, though. I’m fine now. Could I get a sweet tea?”
“You are? Why didn’t you say so? I never would have dragged you on that ride!” Bennett exclaims, and it seems he still has yet to notice I’m here.
Or, rather, he refuses to acknowledge that I’m here.
“I tried to say so. I said several times that I didn’t want to ride that ride. I even asked the guy to let me off, and you wouldn’t let him,” Elijah states matter-of-factly.
“What?!” I all but shout, turning my newly formed glare onto Bennett, whose eyes are still locked onto Elijah.
“I just thought you were nervous. I’m so sorry, Eli. I promise that will never happen again.” He pauses for a moment, and then a small, cheeky smile forms over his pink lips. “I hope Felix was able to comfort you while you recovered.”
“Felix?” Elijah feigns confusion, cocking his head to the side as he peers up at Bennett. A brief appearance of slight irritation flashes over Bennett’s features, but then he returns his charming smile and his kind blue eyes.
He adjusts his backwards baseball cap and nods. “The bunny I won for you. The one you kissed me on the cheek for.”
I know I must look like a possessive teenage boy with the way I’m glaring, but the thought of Elijah’s lips being anywhere near this asshole has a fire igniting in me—and not the kind of fire that normally leads to Elijah crying out in pleasure.
“Ohh,” Elijah concedes, his fingers fiddling with the wrapped silverware on the table in front of him. “That Felix. I think I left him in my car?”
I’m unsure if that’s true or not; it’s obvious he’s just trying to get under Bennett’s skin.
“Can we order now?” I interrupt, and finally, Bennett’s eyes fall onto me. “We have things to do.”
“Rowan,” Bennett greets, and his voice is laced with venom. “I’m surprised you’re not sitting in your truck outside. That’s where you like to sit, right? When you’re taking unauthorized photos of innocent people?”
The worst part of this whole situation is that I think that Bennett genuinely believes he’s protecting Elijah. Our entire lives, he’s thought I was weird and snobby, and now he’s caught me borderline stalking the guy. So all of his anger and pettiness are valid in his eyes.
But unfortunately for him, I find it difficult to sympathize with his point of view when he’s constantly trying to take Elijah from me and forcing him to do things that make him uncomfortable.
“Sometimes I stand behind trees,” I counter, and Elijah stifles his laughter behind his hand.
“Charming.” Bennett glares.
“I’ll take a water," is all I say in return.
He nods as he turns and leaves, heading to the drink station. We have no time to debrief before someone else makes an appearance.
“Eli! How are you, cutie?” Kandi, whom I recognize as the grocery store owner’s daughter, though I’ve never directly spoken to her, appears from thin air.
“Hi, Kandi,” Elijah smiles sweetly. “I’m doing great. How are you?”
“Good!” Black-lined brown eyes turn to focus on me, and she grins even wider. “Is this your boyfriend? I didn’t know you were dating a local.”
She must know who I am as well, and from her appraising look, I don’t believe she shares the same prejudices as the rest of the town.
“Paws off, Kandi,” Elijah jokes, and I flush at the realization that he didn’t discount her boyfriend comment.
“No worries,” she giggles. “I have a man on campus. Rowan is quite the looker, though, lucky you for snagging him.” Kandi pats Elijah’s shoulder before shooting me another wide smile. “Have a good breakfast!”
Then she’s off, and Elijah is sighing.
“Maybe I come here too often. Everyone seems to know me.”
“Maybe,” I shrug. “I guess you’ll need to be chaperoned from now on.”
“Oh, really?” Elijah leans onto the table, a mischievous smile working its way over his pillowy lips. A singular dimple begins to make itself known, and it feels like I’ve won a prize.
“Yep. I think I’ll need to follow you around permanently. Ya know, for safety reasons.”
To this, Elijah laughs loudly. “Still planning on taking sneaky pics of me, Row?”
“Am I allowed to?”
“Now,” he starts, waving a disapproving finger at me. “When did my opinion in the matter ever hold any weight for you?”
The jab should sting—I should be concerned that he thinks I don’t value his opinion. But the twinkle in his eyes tells me he’s not serious.
“Valid point. Then yes, I do.”
Elijah shakes his head, grinning down at his hands as a soft blush begins to dust his cheeks. It appears he’s not opposed to the idea.
I know he said he isn’t fully convinced that we are reincarnated lovers, and I can still sense a bit of hesitation as if it’s wrapped around him like a security blanket, but there is one thing that I know for certain: Elijah and I are together in one way or another.
He has fallen for me, and we are moving rapidly toward a life together that is full of light and laughter and is so incredibly long.
Bennett stops by again, gently taking Elijah’s order and demanding to know mine. Then he drifts away again, leaving behind a glare and a huff of disapproval.
“So,” I say, breaking our newfound silence as we wait for our food. “Now that we’re basically together, I guess it’s about that time.”
“About what time?” Elijah questions, and I can’t help but smirk at his semi-worried stare.
“About time for you to meet my family.”
“I’m sorry—what?!”
Ah, he’s so cute.
Elijah is completely flushed now, his hazel eyes wide and terrified as he gapes at me. And as much as I find his outburst to be amusing, I also find it to be a little rude, all things considered.
“I was under the impression that you understood me, angel,” I say, and I don’t bother to mask my disappointment.
“What does that even mean?” he demands, and I shake my head softly.
“It’s just that I have every intention of marrying you someday, so I figure you might as well go ahead and meet my family. I figured this wouldn’t be such a shock to you.” Before he can speak, I add, “Oh, and I’d like to meet yours as well.”
“Okay, slow down, cowboy,” Elijah interjects, raising his hands almost as if in defense. “I was being serious when I said I wanted to try this out, but meeting each other’s families? Doesn’t that feel like a bit much straight out of the gate?”
“No,” I deadpan, my expression stern and unrelenting. “I’ve been waiting for you my entire life, Elijah. Nothing about this is rushed for me.”
“Well, it kind of is for me,” he says nervously. “I mean, I don’t have these quote-unquote memories you speak of, so I’m really going off of feelings and blind faith. And we both know I’m not the best with either of those things.”
“Sure, I get that.” Elijah seems to relax slightly at my placating tone, but I continue to speak. “So that’s a no?”
“Yes, it’s a no!” he all but yells. I can read from his expression that he’s extremely embarrassed—as if the prospect of introducing each other to our families is like looking them in the eyes and screaming, we’re having sex!
“Hmph.” I cross my arms, leaning back in my booth.
Elijah’s serious facade cracks, and he grins in amusement at my public display of discontentment.
“Let me adjust, okay? Give me just a little bit of time. As soon as I’m a bit more sure of everything between us, then I’ll be more than happy to mingle with our families.”
I concede with a sigh, mostly content to take what I can get. “Okay, okay. But you’ll be making this up to me—I’m very disappointed.”
An evil little grin curves at the corner of Elijah’s mouth, and he leans forward as he wiggles his eyebrows. “And how would you like me to do that?”
I meet him in the middle of the table, my fingers tracing the inside of his wrist softly. He shivers at this touch, and I smile.
“I can think of so many ways to make myself feel better, all of them involving you. And your body, of course,” I tease.
“Rowan, you dog.”
“Woof, woof, baby.”
“I want to just—” Elijah starts.
“Your food.” Bennett drops my breakfast sampler onto the table with more force than is necessary, and Elijah flushes even further at having been caught red-handed in such an intimate conversation.
I think we both forgot where we were for a moment.
As Bennett places Elijah’s pancakes on the table, Elijah gives him a half-smile and says, “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Bennett does not stick around to attempt to speak with Elijah again, and he barely glances at either of us during the exchange.
After he’s walked away, I turn my grin back onto a flushed Elijah and chuckle lowly. “Think he’s curious as to what it is you were about to say?”
Elijah groans. “Eat your damn eggs, Rowan.”