Chapter Seventeen
ELLLIE
Isnuggled deeper into the pillow beneath me. Why did it feel so … lumpy? Slowly, my brain woke up enough to recognize that the pillow was warm, smelled like cedar and soap, and had a steady thump-thump heartbeat.
Not a pillow.
Drew.
With my face smushed up against his chest, and judging by the damp patch my cheek was stuck to, I had drooled on him.
Fabulous.
“Morning,” he rumbled, his husky tone skipping across my skin and causing goosebumps to appear.
I jerked my head up.
Yup. Drool confirmed.
Yuck.
And worse, my thighs were straddling a situation that was very much not a pillow, either. His voice may have sounded like he just woke up, but his hooded eyes were devouring me, and the steel pipe pressed against my core told another story.
“How long have you been awake?” I whispered, trying to slide off him gracefully. Instead, I ended up grinding against him like a malfunctioning Roomba.
He groaned. “Ellie … ”
Flames raced across my face. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” I bit my lip.
It would be so easy right now to take this further. My brain went rogue. What if I just … shifted my panties and rode him until he forgot his own name?
Nope. Bad Eleanor. Very bad.
That would change things, and right now I couldn’t handle one more change in my life. I liked Drew. A lot. And when this fake relationship ended, we wouldn’t have any reason to continue the physical side with me living so far away.
“Don’t move.” His arm tightened around me, caging me in. “Seriously. Not. Helping. I, uh … damn, this is awkward.”
“I know, this is morning wood,” I babbled. “It’s, uh, totally natural. Happens to every guy. I’m not taking it personally.”
“It’s not that.” He clenched his jaw, looking like he was bargaining with a higher power. I shuddered. His ‘just woke up’ voice was so damn hot. I kind of wanted to make a secret recording and play it when I was sad or horny.
“Not what?” I propped my hands on his chest to look at him while we talked. Which unintentionally pushed our hips further together. I was personally not complaining about this predicament but even I knew we couldn’t go any further.
He hissed out a breath. “Taking it the wrong way. It’s you.”
“Oh.” My eyes went wide. “Like … me-me?”
“Yes, you-you.”
Cue my ovaries swooning like teenage girls at a boy band concert.
He took a steadying breath. “I don’t want you to think I’m trying to take advantage of you.”
“I’d never think that.” And it was true. I trusted Drew. Now, my own body, I’m not sure I trusted it to not take advantage of him.
“I just need a minute to get myself under control and you moving around isn’t helping me do that.”
“What, like this?” I slid my body up.
Crap. Bad Eleanor was taking control.
He sucked in a breath, his muscles tensing. “Really. Not. Helping.”
I kissed the hollow of his throat. He was right, we weren't ready for anything more than what we’d done so far. To save myself, and him, I rolled—literally rolled—off his body.
Too much momentum, though, and I went right over the edge of the mattress with a yelp, thudding onto the carpeted floor.
I popped up, resting my elbows on the side of the bed, hair likely sticking out in one hundred different directions, and managed, “Better?”
“Yes and no,” he groaned, throwing an arm over his face.
“Sorry for breaching the pillow wall last night.”
He turned his head to face me and that sweet, tilted smile I loved curved his lips. “I didn’t mind.”
If he was going to be honest, I should too. “Me neither.” That low hum of sexual tension between us was starting to feel normal and a little exciting.
My phone alarm blared, breaking the spell. I patted the floor till I found it and smacked it silent. Of course.
Destiny had clearly decided our sex life was a sitcom and kept cueing laugh-track interruptions.
I glanced at the screen. Missed call from Mom. “Well, the possible bright spot of today will be if Matt is totally rude to Mom and Celia.”
“Are you sure you want to go alone?” It was sweet of him to ask, but I knew he needed to be at work. There were several meetings he really shouldn’t miss on his schedule.
“I’ll be okay.” I heaved myself up. It was better to just get ready and get today over with.
Although, I did have an extra pep in my step as Drew eyed my body when I walked to the bathroom.
Maybe I needed to lose the rest of my pajamas so I could just borrow his clothes every night.
The second Mom and Celia entered Matt’s diner, I knew.
The door swung open with a gust of cold air, but it wasn’t the chill that made my skin prickle. Even the soft jingle of the bell overhead faded into the background as goosebumps crept up my arms, the fine hairs standing stiff and alert.
They were here.
“Well isn’t this place quaint,” Celia sniffed, unwinding her scarf like she expected it to be crawling with fleas. At least today it was just her, my mother, and me. The camera crew was busy at the inn editing footage of her and Kyle they’d taken just before she’d left for Ruby River.
“Find your own seat!” Matt barked from behind the counter.
Celia startled so hard she nearly strangled herself with the scarf. I choked back my laughter.
Mom leaned in toward me and whispered, “Are you sure there’s nowhere else to eat? Somewhere a little … less greasy?”
“Yes, Mother. This is literally the only place in town for breakfast,” I lied, because Ruby River had at least one more option, but Matt’s glare was worth a little dishonesty.
“Why don’t we grab that table by the window.” When Celia pointed at Drew’s usual table, my stomach dipped. Thankfully Matt crossed his arms and said, “That one’s VIP only.”
God bless surly diner owners.
“Thank you,” I mouthed to him.
He gave me that chin nod grumpy guys seemed to have perfected over the years.
Celia rolled her eyes. “I guess we can sit at this one then.” She sat down at the one behind Drew’s.
I didn’t bother reading the menu since I knew what I wanted, and left it sitting on the table while Mom and Celia picked theirs up. That was my mistake.
Celia wrinkled her nose at the laminated page like it had personally offended her. “Do they not have avocado toast? Or anything gluten free or fat free? What even is a ‘lumberjack special’? It sounds like a heart attack on a plate.”
I prayed they’d stop talking.
Celia recoiled from the plastic pages like it might stain her fingers. “They serve pancakes bigger than your head? Is that supposed to be a selling point?”
Mom sniffed.
Celia gestured towards the drink section and frowned. “Do they not do lattes here? Just drip coffee?”
Mom peered over her glasses. “Sweetheart, it’s a diner. We’re probably lucky to get that. It’s probably their specialty.”
Celia sighed dramatically. “Fine. But can I at least get oat milk?”
Mom leaned closer, lowering her voice, “I suppose they do their best out here in the sticks. It’s just … so heavy. Hash browns? Biscuits? People actually eat like this?”
Nora filled our water glasses and cheerfully asked if we wanted to hear the specials.
“Yes, please,” I said, quickly. Anything to get my mom and sister to be quiet. Diners nearby were throwing them looks of disbelief and I had a horrible thought I’d end up in the gossip section of their newspaper by morning.
She rattled them off—cinnamon-apple pancakes, a ham and cheddar omelet, pumpkin bread french toast.
Celia made a strangled sound. “Carbs, carbs, and more carbs. I’d bloat up like a balloon.” She glanced at Mom, who nodded in agreement, solemnly, as though we’d just heard a eulogy.
“This whole town must be obsessed with carbs. Do they think diabetes is a hobby?” Mom asked.
Celia flipped her hair. “I can’t even look at the word ‘gravy’ without gaining two pounds. Do you even have kale?”
Nora’s smile went tight. “The only greens we serve is the parsley garnish.”
“Goodness.” Mom flipped her menu closed with a snap and pushed it towards Nora like it had a disease. “We’ll have egg whites and dry whole-grain toast. No butter. And please make sure the plate’s warm.” Then she peered over her reading glasses at Nora. “You do know what egg whites are, don’t you?”
Celia leaned in, voice syrup-sweet. “Oh, and could you cut the toast diagonally, not straight across? Presentation is everything.”
I nearly slid under the table. Presentation. In a diner. Ugh.
Nora’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyebrows twitched just enough to let me know she’d heard every ounce of condescension.
“Perfect choice, ladies.” She said with a forced smile, scribbling down their order.
Blech. I hoped Nora knew I was nothing like them.
By the time our coffees arrived, Celia had her phone out and Notes app open like a general marshaling troops. “You’ll need to tell Drew you can’t work at all for the next two weeks. I’m going to need all of your help, Ellie.”
I took a breath to steady myself. I could do this. I could hold firm, and I could set boundaries. “I’m not taking two weeks off,” I said, pulse spiking.
“Great. Now that that’s settled … What?” Celia and Mother stared at me like I’d announced I was moving to Mars.
I realized I’d never told my sister no. As a child, she wanted the same dress as me for a party. Okay, it was hers. She didn’t want to go on vacation to New Hampshire like we’d planned. Great, the whole family can go to North Carolina. You want my boyfriend? Fine, I won’t make a fuss.
Bile tried to inch its way up my throat, but I forced it down with a generous sip of water.
“Eleanor,” Mom hissed, “how dare you be so unsupportive? You will take the time off.”
“No, Mom. I won’t.” My voice shook, but the words were out. Sweat beaded my forehead and slid down my back. And God, it felt like ripping duct tape off my soul.
My panicked gaze darted around the room, eventually landing on Matt’s frowning face for a second before Celia pulled my attention back.