38. Chapter 30
Chapter 30
J on woke up Christmas day to the smell of sausage. He sat up in a hurry and immediately paid for it with a throbbing head. He groaned and put a hand to his temple, rubbing. The night before came back to him. Cider. And Elijah. Elijah had done his magic on his leg and then….
He'd kissed Elijah.
That damn hallway, Elijah so close. He'd come on to the kid. Bigly.
"Shit," he muttered.
But when he remembered the kiss, remembered the feel of Elijah under him, his trembling eagerness, the hardness of his erection….
What if I kissed you ?
A hunger stirred in Jon that had nothing to do with the smell of sausage. He put his head in his hands. We can't repeat that. God, I'm so fucked.
But that voice in his head was automatic. He'd been telling himself hands off for two months. Could he resist Elijah now that he knew what it felt like? Now that he had proof Elijah wanted it too?
Yeah, good luck with that one, bro.
Jon cursed himself again.
"You up?" Jolie appeared in the doorway. "Merry Christmas, nephew. I brought sausage." She waved a spatula. "And eggs. And toast made with Samuel's delectable bread. You hungry? You'd better be."
"Very," Jon said dryly.
"Good. Samuel invited us over for breakfast, but I was craving meat. I thought you might be too. We'll go over after and act like we never ate." She frowned. "Do you think they'll be able to smell sausage on us? I feel like a kid sneaking a smoke."
Jon laughed. He looked up at his aunt, fondness coming over him. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me too." She regarded him curiously. "You have a nice time with Elijah last night?"
Jon tried to keep his face blank. "I guess. Same as always."
Jolie laughed. "Nephew, your poker face is pathetic. Elijah's too. The sun was shining out of that boy's eyes this morning."
"Can't imagine why."
She patted his arm. "Okay. I get it. My lips are sealed. I'm just glad he has someone to look after him. He's a rare one, Jon. Special. He'll need looking after. You know that, right?"
She turned to go back to the kitchen.
"I'm not lookin' after Elijah because there's nothin' goin' on between me and him!" he called out after her.
"Whatever you say!" she called back, sounding smug.
Damn busybody. But she'd brought sausage, so he'd have to forgive her.
After their breakfast—which was heavenly—Jolie pulled Jon's truck up to the door and helped him inside. He told her he could walk all of the fifty yards to the farmhouse, but it was icy out, and she insisted on playing it safe, so they drove over.
Jon held a bag of gifts on his lap, things he'd ordered and wrapped in early December. He'd brushed his teeth, slicked back his hair with fresh product, and moisturized his face. He'd put on a red sweater with his charcoal gray sweatpants—anything more structured was impossible with the cast. He felt nervous as a mouse in the road as Jolie helped him inside. He wasn't ready to face Elijah. But he couldn't shirk it, not when the alternative was to spend Christmas alone in his apartment. Besides, he didn't not want to see Elijah.
Samuel, Eddie, Elijah, and Ringo were all in the living room. The tall Christmas tree—artificial because Eddie didn't want to cut down a real one—was beautiful with lights in white and red and ornaments featuring animals, pinecones, mushrooms, owls, and birds. Samuel called it a woodland tree . A fire was crackling in the fireplace and pastries tempted on the coffee table along with a pot of dark brew.
Elijah hurried to help Jon to a seat when they entered, then took his crutch and placed it nearby. He gave Jon a shy glance before returning to his own seat, and Jon felt his body warm.
Damn. This was gonna be complicated. He noticed Aunt Jolie watching him. He stuck out his tongue at her.
"Can we open presents now?" Eddie rubbed his hands together eagerly.
Jon snorted. "Didn't realize you were twelve."
"All day, every day," Eddie grinned. "I'll play Santa."
Ringo, seated between Eddie and Samuel on the couch, gave an excited bark. Maybe he was expecting some treats in his stocking too.
Eddie passed around the wrapped packages from under the tree along with the ones Jon had brought over. Jon had gotten Samuel and Eddie a voucher for a date night at a local fancy restaurant, and, for Jolie, a pendulum necklace of rose quartz he'd found online. Jolie got Samuel and Eddie a fancy tea kettle and Jon a photo album of pictures from back home, so maybe you'll want to come back and visit now and then. From Samuel and Eddie, Jon got new mats for his truck, which were awesome. They gave Jolie an Amish cookbook. Elijah bought a board game for Samuel and Eddie and a scarf for Aunt Jolie. Ringo got peanut butter treats.
Jon found himself way more interested in Elijah's gifts than his own. Eddie had built a small pile near Elijah, but he kept delaying opening them. His smiles didn't feel quite right to Jon. He was hiding something. What was going on behind those brown eyes? Probably he was thinking about home, Jon figured. After all, this was his first Christmas away from his family.
"Your turn, Elijah," Samuel prompted for the third time.
"Nah. Jolie, you go," Elijah said.
Jon spoke up. "Nobody's goin' again ’til you open something, E," Jon said, the nickname coming out unbidden. "Open the blue one. That's from me."
Elijah picked up the small package and turned it over in his hand. He bit his lip. "I kinda wanna save it."
"Open it," Jon insisted. "Don't make me get up on my crutch and come over there."
Elijah laughed nervously and began to unwrap the gift. He was slow, untying the ribbon first and carefully lifting up the edges of tape. Eddie picked up another pastry and bit into it as Samuel snuggled up to his side.
The wave of affection Jon felt watching Elijah being so careful and deliberate was a little terrifying.
Elijah held up the packaging with a frown of confusion. "A phone?"
"So I can reach you when I need you," Jon said. "For work. So I don't have to go traipsin' all over the place lookin' for you."
"That's nice, Jon," Samuel said.
"It's too expensive," Elijah protested. "I didn't get you somethin' so costly."
"It wasn't that expensive. It's not the latest model, and it was on sale."
Elijah looked doubtful.
"After lunch, I'll help you set it up," Samuel said. "And we can put your number in all our phones. It'll be good to be able to reach you."
"Yeah, good idea, Jon," Eddie said. "Thanks."
He was glad Samuel and Eddie were treating it like a work thing. It took the pressure off. Elijah put the phone down carefully by his chair, like it was made out of glass, and looked at Jon. "Thank you."
"You're welcome."
"You can open mine," Elijah said. "But it's not expensive or anythin'."
Jon tried to keep his face neutral as he picked up Elijah's gift. He'd saved it for last. It was wrapped in plain white paper with a cloth red ribbon. "To Jon from Elijah" was written on the paper.
Inside the box was a rolled-up tube tied with yet another red ribbon. Jon unrolled it. It was a drawing done with a black charcoal pencil on thick white paper. It showed Jon squatting at one of the pig stall gates. He was scratching Benny behind the ears and the little pig was looking up at him through the bars. The pig's attitude was one of adoration. It was amazing how it came right through the drawing,
"The day I met you," Elijah said quietly.
Jon felt his face burn hot. "Whoa. I, uh, I didn't know you could draw."
"Ja. Dawdi had me draw plants and sometimes wounds and such like. For his records."
"Ah. Well, it's really good." Jon cleared his throat. "Thanks."
Jolie, bless her heart, picked up on the awkward and goaded Elijah to open her gift to him. It was a book on energy work, and the conversation moved on.
Jon wasn't listening. He stole looks at the drawing, still unrolled in his hands. The day we met.
Christ. If Samuel and Eddie didn't suspect something already, they had to now. And what did it mean that Elijah was memorializing the first time he'd seen Jon? He'd probably made the drawing even before that kiss last night. Which made Jon feel worse for having given in to temptation.
Yeah? Well, you bought him a damn phone, so what does that mean?
It meant he was getting in over his head, and he had to slow his roll. He cared about Elijah. He didn't want to break Elijah's heart. And Jon didn't know if he was ready for whatever it was that Elijah expected. He wasn't even over Trish yet.
He rolled the drawing up tight and tucked it back in the box.