Chapter 12
“You’re not paying attention,” I groaned.
“Have you organized all your books alphabetically? No, that can’t be right, are they in order based on series?”
In keeping up my trend of making bad decisions, I brought Elliott back to my apartment after our eventful shopping trip.
Running into Maya and my ex-boyfriend was an amuse-bouche compared to the piled-high main course that was going to be my mother on Thursday night.
When I brought Daniel home for the first time, my mother integrated him so much that he nearly passed out from dehydration from forgetting to take a sip of water between questions.
She scrutinized every answer, every story, to decide whether he was worth associating with.
Funny how the second she learned about Daniel’s father’s 250,000-acre ranch, and his lucrative boarding houses for horses, she more than willingly welcomed Daniel with open arms.
The difference being that the relationship was real.
There was no need to lie about anything, or panic whenever anyone asked me Daniel’s favorite color or how he took his coffee, because those answers came to me as easy as breathing.
Elliott, on the other hand, was a total mystery to me, and I feared that one wrong question, one wrong slip of the tongue, would be enough for my lie to come tumbling out.
A humiliation I wasn’t prepared to face.
“I think you’re freaking out over nothing.” Elliott remained focused, surveying the bookshelves. “Just because he looked back doesn’t mean he knows we’re lying.”
Plonking myself down on my bed, I tucked my legs beneath me. “You didn’t see the look he gave me.”
“Yes, I did. I was standing right beside you, and honestly, Livi, I think he looked more pissed off than suspicious.”
“After all the shit he has put me through, why the hell would he be the angry one?”
“From what you told me, he cheated on you, broke up with you, and then moved straight onto your sister before his side of your bed was cold.”
Well, ouch. Don’t hold back on my account…
“He never had to get over you, not when he was too busy getting under your sister.” Elliott’s shoulders tightened. “Sorry, that was too harsh of me.”
Fuck me, I’d had bikini waxes that stung less.
“You think?”
“I only meant that maybe seeing you today with another man stirred something in him,” he said, softer this time. “Regret, guilt, maybe even some jealousy?”
I scoffed. “I doubt it. Daniel was never the jealous type.”
“If I were you, I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss the idea that seeing you moving on from him might have awoken a certain green-eyed monster.”
Impossible.
The three years we were together, Daniel never once got jealous.
Elliott didn’t know Daniel the way I did. And I found it hard to believe Daniel might’ve suddenly grown a jealous streak, especially over the woman he dumped.
The same woman who hadn’t been with another man since the break-up. I won’t lie, the first couple weeks of Maya’s and his relationship, I did honestly think he’d realize his mistake and end things with her—not that I would have taken him back, fuck no.
Damage was done.
But I had hoped that the guilt and regret that he never showed would manifest into existence and drive him away from our family for good.
That he’d finally do the right thing.
However, nearly a full year had gone by and none of that had happened.
I guess I couldn’t be surprised. After all, no one held him accountable. My family, his own family, the friends we shared together, they all simply accepted that he had found love with the other Garcia sister.
I was collateral damage, a road bump in their love story.
So, I didn’t hold out any hope for him growing a conscience anytime soon.
The good and kind-hearted Daniel I fell in love with was gone, and I didn’t put it past him to try to humiliate me once again.
Elliott pulled another book from the shelf and leafed casually through the pages before slotting it back into place. “Are they categorized based on your favorites?”
“They are in color order. You can’t appreciate it up close, but if you step back, it’s a book rainbow.” I patted the bed heavily. “Now, can you come over here so we can go through these answers together?”
“We’ve already come up with our ‘how we met’ story; that’s the hardest part.”
“That’s the easiest part!” I exhaled dramatically. “The hard part is the whole you know, acting like we actually know and like each other.”
“That’ll be a walk in the park.”
“Elliott, I don’t know a single thing about you except that you’re a chronic and self-aware workaholic, you’re the third brother of four, oh, and that you moved to New York seven months ago.”
“That’s three things right there.” His lips curved into a small smile. “You already know more about me than two of my own brothers.”
Groaning, I buried my head in my hands. “You’re being impossible.”
“There sure are a lot of romance books here.”
“What can I say, I like to read books where men know how to treat women without being told.”
He ran his finger along a couple spines. “I take that back. There is nothing except romance books.”
“Hey, don’t judge me and my books.”
“No judgment.” His smile grew as he held his hands up in surrender. “Simply an observation. Do you read any books without half-naked men on the covers?”
“Oh, let me guess, you only read non-fictional medical books or some boring history ones about war and famine?”
A low chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Medical textbooks, sure, because I have to for work purposes. But war and famine? Why would I read to be depressed? Books are about escapism, getting far away from the harshness of reality.”
“And yet you stand there snubbing my romance books?”
“I wasn’t snubbing them, far from it. In fact, I am a firm believer that you can tell a lot about a person based on the books they read.”
“Go on then, what’s your favorite?”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “It would be too easy to say The Hobbit.”
“?Oh Dios mío! How did I know you were one of those fantasy nerds?” I teased. “Please tell me you were one of those kids who showed up to the movie midnight releases dressed up as a wizard or some mythical creature.”
Elliott held up one finger. “Firstly, who would want to be a wizard when Elves exist?” Another finger popped up. “Secondly, it cost me four months’ pocket money to convince Jaxon to take me to the midnight release of Two Towers. Worth every penny.”
The very image of him dressed up and excited, while blackmailing one of the broodiest men I knew to take him, was so freaking sweet that I swore my shitty ovaries quaked.
He held up a third finger as I bit back my smile. “And lastly, I said it would be too easy to pick that book. It’s a classic, of course, but I don’t think it’s my all-time favorite.”
“Then what is?”
“You’re only going to make fun of me again.”
“Probably.”
Hazel eyes narrowed behind his lenses. “Then I am not telling you.”
“Okay, fine, I promise not to make fun of you.” I ran my index finger across my heart with a smirk. “Now tell me.”
“The Great Gatsby.”
“A story about a man forever chasing the unachievable, while battling with his own identity. Quite the cliché choice, Dr. D.”
“Cliché?” He feigned offense. “Now who is judging?”
“If it’s any consolation, my favorite book is a cliché too.”
Folding his strong arms across his chest, the muscles straining against the cuffs of his T-shirt stole my attention for a split second too long. “Can I take a guess?”
Peeling my eyes from his arms and the oh-so-strong, veiny hands attached to them, I nodded.
“You’re a romantic at heart, that much is obvious.” He motioned to the countless romance books lining my shelves. “But you don’t strike me as the kind of woman who willingly sits around waiting for some gallant knight to come and rescue her.”
“A gallant knight doesn’t sound too bad right now.”
“Afraid you’re stuck with me.” Long gone was his small smile, with a what could only be described as a panty-dropping one taking its place.
“You’re strong, you’re independent, you’re obviously smart, and I’m guessing you want the people in your life, including whatever man you trust your heart with, to see that too. ”
His attention remained focused on me and only me. The whole room fell away, my body thrumming to life under his hazel gaze.
Suffering hell, when did it get so hot in here?
“My guess is Pride and Prejudice.”
My mouth gaped open. “Hold up. How the freak did you know?”
“What can I say, you seemed the type.”
“I don’t know whether you’re insulting or complimenting me right now.”
“Take it whatever way you wish, Peaches. But the fact you have six different copies, three of which are annotated, on your bookshelf was sort of a dead giveaway.” He chuckled deeply, dodging the pillow I chucked directly at his head.
“This is exactly why fictional men like Mr. Darcy will always be superior to you real men.”
“Whatever you say.” He caught the next pillow I threw. “But hey, look at that. You now know four things about me.”
It didn’t feel close to enough, and not just for our lie.
It also wasn’t enough for those little flutters of damaged butterflies lying limply in my soul that tried to take flight around Elliott. They wanted more. They wanted to know everything about the man threatening to give them life again.
But I’d learned my lesson before.
There wasn’t a chance in hell those silly flutters were taking control of me again, not when my heart had barely healed.
I mustn’t forget my first and more important rule: don’t fall in love again.
I mean, I was better off being alone anyway. It was safer that way.
After all, there was no way to get your heart broken if you never gave it to anyone except yourself.