Chapter 20
Denial.
“Get your ass out of that bed.”
Esther’s voice cut through my half-asleep haze like a damn airhorn. I groaned and pulled the covers over my head. “Leave me alone.”
“I’m not repeating myself.”
I rolled over, turning my back to her, hoping she’d take the hint and disappear.
“Girl, do you think I’m playing with you?”
“I said leave me alone, Esther.” I snapped, my voice muffled by the pillow.
“Who the hell are you yelling at?” she shot back. “You’ve been in this bed all damn day. Get up!”
I sat up just enough to glare at her. “What’s your problem?”
“You. At the moment.”
“You two are being very loud.”
I looked over to see Hope calm and almost bored. She sat on the edge of the bed, legs crossed, looking like she had better places to be.
Esther frowned. “Why are you even here?”
“I want Ellie to do my hair for this birthday dinner I’m going to tonight.”
Esther scoffed. “The salon is closed on Sundays, idiot.”
“Duh. Do her hands stop working on Sundays, too?”
“This ain’t the damn salon!”
And just like that, they were off, arguing like kids in the backseat of a long-ass road trip.
Their voices rose, clashing over each other, but I was too drained to care.
I groaned and shoved my face into Esther’s pillow, wishing I could suffocate myself with it long enough for them to leave me alone.
Then the doorbell rang.
Esther huffed. “Can you at least get the door while I try to get her out of bed?”
“Hell no,” Hope said, leaning back on her hands. “This is your house.”
Esther clenched her fists like she was about to wring Hope’s neck, but instead, she let out a frustrated groan and stormed out.
“I have to do everything around this motherfucker!”
Hope barely reacted. She just turned to me with an expectant look. “So… no on the hair?”
I lifted my head just enough to glare at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine.”
A minute later, Esther came back, looking… hesitant.
“Um, Ellie? El’s here to see you.”
I groaned and flopped onto my back. “Tell him I’m busy.”
“Are you crazy?” Hope gaped at me. “Tell him to come up!”
Esther scowled. “Will you shut your thirsty ass up?”
Before we could argue about it, footsteps started climbing the stairs.
“Elliot? You up here?” El called out.
No way.
My eyes widened as I sat up and whisper-yelled, “You let him in any way?”
Esther gave me a blank look. “What was I supposed to do? Shut the door in his face? I left him sitting on the couch.”
“Elliot?” he called out again. His voice was closer now.
I grabbed Esther’s arm. “Get rid of him. I’m not in the mood for this.”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” she whisper-yelled back. “Do I look like your personal bodyguard? Get up and handle your shit.”
I squeezed her arm. “No! I want to be left alone!”
Hope rolled her eyes and called out, “She’s in here, El!”
“Hope!” I snapped, whipping my head toward her.
“What?” She shrugged. “This is pointless and childish. If you want him to leave, just tell him.”
“For once,” Esther muttered, “I agree with her.”
Before I could even react, El appeared in the doorway. Hope’s eyes practically glazed over with lust at the sight of him, but he didn’t even spare her a glance. His eyes were locked on me.
“I’ve been calling you.”
I shrugged. “My phone’s dead. I didn’t bother charging it.”
“Why are you still in bed? It’s two in the afternoon.”
“Exactly,” Esther muttered.
I shot her a sharp look before turning back to El. “I’m not feeling well.”
He stepped inside, ignoring my excuse. “Well, get up. I want to take you out.”
Hope perked up. “Where are you gonna take her?”
“I want to go to the beach,” he said, still looking at me.
I stared back at him, expression flat. “Absolutely not.”
Esther yanked her arm free of my hold and crossed them. “Yes, you need to get out of the house.”
“I said no.”
Esther’s eye twitched with annoyance. “Elliot, I swear—”
“Why don’t you want to go?” El’s voice was softer than Esther’s, but there was no mistaking the persistence in it.
I didn’t look at him. Instead, I ran my fingers over the tag on the pillow and repeated myself. “I’m not feeling well.”
“Liar.”
I finally glanced at him, narrowing my eyes. “You’re one to talk.”
He scoffed, but there was amusement in it.
I sat up, and that’s when I caught him staring.
His eyes never left my face. I knew I looked crazy—hair tangled, half of it shoved into a puff on top of my head, barely held together with a patterned silk scarf.
I was still wearing the Cookie Monster pajamas I stole from Esther’s drawer because I was too lazy to go to my own room after using her shower.
They clung a little too tight since she was smaller than me, but El didn’t seem to care.
Even now, disheveled and sulking in bed, he looked at me like I was the most beautiful thing in the world.
“Come with me. Please.”
I sighed, already knowing he wasn’t going to let it go. He’d press and press until I gave in—wear me down with that patient persistence of his. Fighting it would only drag things out.
“Fine,” I muttered.
“Hey! Can I come?” Hope piped up, her voice a little too chipper.
El looked over, visibly holding back an eye-roll. “Actually, I just wanted to spend some time with Elliot—”
“Sure! Why not?” I cut him off with a too-sweet smile, my tone passive-aggressive in all the right places.
El frowned. “Peanut…”
Esther groaned. “Girl, can’t you see they want to be alone?”
I shrugged. “I’m fine with it.”
Hope smirked. “See? Elliot’s fine with it.”
Esther rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m coming too so I can keep an eye on your trifling ass.”
Hope shot her a middle finger. Esther flipped her off right back, and just like that, they were arguing again.
I ignored them and got out of bed, brushing past El to head to my room. As I walked by, his hand wrapped around my forearm, stopping me.
“You’re punishing me,” he said, his voice low.
I smirked, not bothering to look at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He let me go, exhaling through his nose. “Yeah, right.”
?
We all piled into the rental, and El drove us to the beach.
The drive was filled with Hope and Esther bickering over music choices while El kept stealing glances at me from the driver’s seat.
I pretended not to notice, scrolling through my phone like I had important business to tend to.
Every now and then, he’d drum his fingers on the steering wheel like he was waiting for me to acknowledge him.
I didn’t.
When we finally pulled up, I was expecting the usual sight of umbrellas, towels in the sand, maybe a rented lounge chair if we felt fancy. But instead, El parked in front of a sleek, modern beach house nestled just off the shore.
I raised an eyebrow. “We breaking in somewhere, or?”
“No, Peanut.” El chuckled as he cut the engine. “I rented it for the day.”
Esther let out a low whistle. “Damn, Big Money.”
Hope looked just as impressed. “For the day?”
I stayed quiet, stepping out of the car and taking in the house. It had floor-to-ceiling windows, an expansive deck overlooking the beach, and private access to the water. The waves crashed just beyond the deck, the scent of salt thick in the air. It was gorgeous.
El glanced at me. “You like it?”
I shrugged, keeping my tone cool. “It’s okay.”
He smirked like he saw right through me, but he didn’t push. Instead, he led the way up the steps, unlocking the front door.
Inside, the house was bright and open, the walls painted in soft shades of blue and white, giving it an airy feel. The deck doors were already open, allowing the ocean breeze to filter in.
I trailed behind everyone, my fingers brushing the wooden railing as I stepped onto the deck. It was beautiful. I hated that he was right. I liked it.
El was still watching me. “You wanna pick a room, or—”
I cut him off, turning toward Esther. “We should lounge out here for a while. Maybe read a little.”
Esther immediately perked up. “Now that’s a plan I can get behind.”
El exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. “Are y’all really just gonna sit and read when the weather is this perfect?”
“Yes.” I smiled sweetly. “Yes, we are.”
Hope plopped down onto a chair, already rummaging through her bag for sunscreen. “Well, that sounds boring. I wanna do something fun.”
El took the opening immediately. “I was thinking of playing volleyball. There’s a group that plays just down the beach.”
Hope shot up like she’d been personally invited to the Olympics. “Yes! Let’s go!”
El looked at me again as if expecting me to change my mind, but I just adjusted my sunglasses and settled into the lounge chair.
He sighed, raking a hand down his face. “Alright. You two enjoy your book club.”
Esther waved him off. “Don’t let Hope break a nail, or we’ll all be hearing about it.”
He shook his head with a scoff, and Hope flipped her off. Defeated, he looked at me one more time before heading down to the sand with Hope right behind him, practically buzzing with excitement.
I tensed at the thought of the two of them being together alone, but Elliot was ignoring her presence so far. I doubted that would change outside of him needing a volleyball partner.
We sat in silence for a while, but the sound of the waves kept our company. I was just starting to get into my book when Hope came running back up the deck, still slightly out of breath from the game.
“Ellie, did you tell El about me yet?”
I hesitated for half a second, resting my opened book on my stomach. “Tell him what?”
Hope’s face tightened. “That I’m interested in him? I just tried to make plans with him, and the man looked at me like I was crazy.”
I bit back a laugh. “Oh… I forgot. Sorry.”
It wasn’t a complete lie. I had forgotten, but only because I didn’t want to think about it.
“Why can’t you talk to him?” Esther asked lazily from behind the pages of her crime thriller.