Chapter 46
Forty-Six
ADDIE
Iwoke up with the smallest of hangovers and a pleasant soreness in my body.
Eli had given me an unnecessary hand removing my dress, and the feel of his fingers along my skin had set me alight.
Before I knew it, he had me bent over the edge of my bed, letting me feel every single inch of him as he pounded into me.
It was the perfect end to my birthday.
I had also finally opened the present that Tori sent. It was a collection of Brooks & Draper merch—tea towels, an apron, oven gloves. I felt a momentary pang of loss for Montreal and then a bit of guilt for how infrequently I had been in touch with Tori since I’d been back in London.
Our kitchen needed more tea towels! Thank you!
Surprisingly, she replied immediately.
Everybody needs more tea towels always.
Happy birthday! Hope you had a good thirtieth
There was a party involved and I got a signature cocktail out of it. A fun night was had!
And what is your signature cocktail?
You know, I never learned the components of it. It was rum based and I think there was honey
I’ll ask my dad or Xander and will report back
How are you?
School year has started again and everything feels like chaos as usual
Personally, I am feeling less chaotic
That sounds like balance?
It doesn’t feel like it, but once I get back into the swing of things I am sure it will be great.
When do you start teaching again?
Not until the end of the month. Have entered full prep mode now!
You’re going to smash it
I have to run, we need to schedule a proper catch up!
Yes! Enjoy your day!
Hugs and kisses
I dropped my phone on the bed, and my eyes caught on something new.
A chest of drawers that hadn’t been there yesterday morning.
It matched the rest of my furniture perfectly.
I’d been meaning to deal with the overflowing suitcase full of stray clothes, but it wasn’t high on my list of priorities, and now I didn’t need to do it at all.
With Eli on the brain, I got out of bed and grabbed the first T-shirt and shorts I could find. As I slipped on the T-shirt, I caught traces of the smell of pine in the fabric. When it settled, I realised it was just a plain white tee. And it was Eli’s.
I buried my nose in the fabric before putting on my glasses and heading out to the kitchen.
Eli might have ruined me for all other pancakes.
“These things should come with a warning,” I said, waving my fork around before I dragged my piece of pancake through a pool of maple syrup on my plate.
“I am happy to hear you’re enjoying them,” he replied before he gave his piece the same treatment.
He still hadn’t put a shirt on, and it was alarming how distracted I was by his arms. Although all that bare skin had nothing on the fact that his hair still looked like he’d just rolled out of bed.
It was practically begging for me to sink my fingers into it.
I cleared my throat. “If not pancakes, then what is your hangover cure?”
His eyes flashed with sadness. “It’s something I picked up from Freya, and it really is just as basic as electrolytes. Specifically, one designed for sports players.”
“You don’t talk about her a lot. Or about Manchester at all.”
He blew out a slow breath. “There isn’t much to talk about.
I went there because it was a big city, but it wasn’t London, and I got a job that put me in a kitchen.
But you know what the culinary industry can be like sometimes.
Work was my life. I met Freya by chance, and we hit it off, so she was worth making time for.
But she didn’t know how to deal with my grief.
Even when it was less overwhelming, it was still always under the surface.
It changed who I was, and somewhere along the line, it changed who we were together.
I was working too much and was impossible to talk to, and she sought solace somewhere else.
Once I caught her cheating on me, everything else fell apart pretty quickly, and now here we are. ”
He shoved a too-big bite of pancake into his mouth.
“Well, that’s shitty. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was for the best. It’s given me time to figure myself out and find more balance. A lot of that is thanks to Darren and Xander’s strict working rules. Now I know whoever I date next will get a better version of me.”
The chocolate chip pancake in my mouth soured as what felt like a chasm opened in the pit of my stomach.
“Is that something you are looking to do soon? Date?” I asked.
He shook his head slowly. “Not soon. But eventually. Aren’t you?”
I scoffed. “No, I don’t date.”
And I didn’t catch feelings for the men I entered these kinds of arrangements with.
I had never broken that rule.
And I wouldn’t.
“But you should. Date. You have a lot to offer.”
If overexposure wouldn’t work, then seeing Eli happy with someone who could actually allow themselves to fall in love would nip this crush right in the bud.
Eli laughed lightly. “Does that suggestion not work in direct opposition to the ‘no other people’ rule we have?”
“We can’t have sex with other people. I don’t see the problem with getting to know someone. Dating. Obviously, if things looked like they were progressing to something more, we could call time on the benefits of our friendship and carry on with our lives.”
The words felt like dirt as they left my mouth.
“I will take it under advisement, but I don’t think it’ll come up. What about for you?”
I frowned. “What about me?”
“Do you also need to take it under advisement?”
“Oh, no. Like I said, I don’t date.” I shoved the last bit of chocolate chip pancake into my mouth as I reached for one of the blueberry ones. “Now, you can only eat blueberry or chocolate chip pancakes for the rest of your life. What are you picking?”
“Can I make either?”
I hummed. “Yeah. You just can’t eat both.”
“Blueberry,” he responded immediately.
“Really? Why?”
“Then I won’t have to fight you for all the choc chip ones,” he answered around a smile.