Chapter 16 #3
Ellie watched Alba go, her shoulders slumped, then proceeded to angrily make two cups of tea. The sound of the kettle filled the space, but it didn’t drown out the thoughts running through her mind. God, she was seething with Audrey’s remarks as she carried two cups through to the living room.
She always kept most aspects of her life calm, and that would never change, but how dare Audrey say what she had to Alba?
Not only the threat to ensure that Ellie was aware of who Alba was—whatever the hell that meant—but to claim Ellie would never be interested in her?
Oh, no. That wouldn’t wash with her. Not in this lifetime.
In fact, as Ellie lowered herself to the couch beside Alba, close enough to feel the warmth radiating from her, it only made her want to examine everything that was going around in her head even more.
Ellie knew this was attraction that she felt, but she had to work out whether Alba felt the same way.
There was a connection; neither of them could deny that, but that didn’t mean Ellie couldn’t read into all of this wrong.
“First of all,” Ellie said as she lowered the cups to the coffee table.
“Please don’t worry about the silly comments Audrey makes.
If she thinks for one moment that she’s going to get close enough to me to say a single thing or cause any trouble at all, she’s sadly mistaken.
” That garnered a small smile from Alba.
One that Ellie was quickly becoming accustomed to.
“And secondly, who the fuck does she think she is to tell you or me whether we’d ever be interested in one another? ”
Alba’s brows lifted. “To be fair, she’s not wrong about that.”
“Alba—”
“I would be an idiot to think that we could ever be a thing, but I know that. I’m not fucking stupid.
” Alba chewed her lip, her words hanging over them.
Ellie didn’t know how to approach that particular comment.
She was still working everything out in her head.
“But I need you to know that who she claims I am and who I actually am are not the same person. I’d never sleep my way to the top of anything. I…don’t matter that much to people.”
“You don’t need to defend yourself to me, and you absolutely do matter.
” Ellie turned side-on and propped her elbow up against the back of the couch, angling herself towards Alba without even realising she’d done it.
She stared back at her, her pulse pounding in her ears when Alba held her gaze.
What exactly was Ellie going to do? Tell Alba here and now that she had some kind of feelings for her?
No. This was not the right time. “Audrey has actually made me feel good about myself. I mean, to accuse me of sleeping with someone like you?” Ellie grinned. “I should be so lucky.”
Alba regarded her with a shy smile. “Please be careful around her. She’s far more dangerous than you realise.”
“And you? Will you be okay?” When Alba nodded in response, Ellie shifted closer and opened her arms. “Come here. It’s nothing a good, decent hug can’t fix.”
She melted into Ellie, and the moment their bodies met, everything heightened.
The warmth, the closeness, the way Alba fit against her like this was something they’d done a hundred times before.
It only strengthened what Ellie was feeling tonight.
She heard Alba sniffle, felt the small tremor in her body, but Ellie chose to tighten her arms. In the quietness of Alba’s home, minus Colin and his snoring, Ellie felt safe and content. She felt…happy.
Alba drew back and looked her in the eye, her arm hanging loosely around Ellie’s waist. The spark Ellie had felt on more than one occasion now reared its head again, far stronger this time, her palms clammy as she lifted one hand and cupped Alba’s cheek.
She brushed her thumb against her skin and smiled.
“You are ten times the woman Audrey Seddon will ever be. Always remember that.”
Alba gazed into Ellie’s eyes, subconsciously—Ellie imagined—licking her lips. Either way, Ellie had caught her doing it. And then she felt Alba’s arm tighten around her waist, almost as though she was pulling Ellie in closer.
Was this the moment when Ellie would kiss another woman for the first time in her existence?
God, she hoped so. Because whenever she was alone with Alba, and whenever Alba looked at her with those soft brown eyes, Ellie found it hard to concentrate on anything else.
If Alba did take the lead here, Ellie wasn’t going to back away.
Just last night, she’d lay in bed wondering what Alba would feel like against her and how her lips would taste. If this was happening, Ellie was ready.
Alba’s warm breath washed over Ellie’s lips, a multitude of emotions rushing within her…and then something flickered in her eyes, and Alba drew back slowly. “Thank you.”
Fucking hell. Ellie’s heart was beating rapidly. If that’s what an almost kiss felt like, she didn’t know what the hell she would be feeling if the moment ever came. She quickly kicked those thoughts out of her mind and cleared her throat. “F-for what?”
“Not freaking out about what she said. You know, about us. Anyone else probably would have…and then run a mile.” Alba took Ellie’s hand and stroked a thumb across the back of it, but the sensation it caused only had Ellie’s stomach in knots.
Good knots, of course. After all, she still had the whisper of Alba’s breath on her lips.
“I hope you know that’s not why I invite you over here. ”
“Well, I think if it was why you were inviting me over…we wouldn’t be sitting here fully clothed right now.
” Ellie winked and reached for Alba’s cup of tea, grateful for the distraction before her thoughts spiralled too far.
She handed it over and then retrieved her own before settling back on the couch again, though the air between them still felt different.
“Seriously, don’t worry about it and don’t let her get to you.
If I was uncomfortable, I wouldn’t be here. ”
“Why are you here?”
Ah. Ellie had hoped Alba wouldn’t ask that.
Just…bend the truth a little. Ellie lifted a shoulder and brought her cup to her lips, the scent grounding her as she decided humour was the best bet for this evening.
Even if only to calm the raging thoughts going through her mind.
“Oh, I thought maybe we could try out the kitchen counter tonight. See how sturdy it is. Since it’s apparently what we do… according to your ex-wife.”
Alba spewed her sip of tea back into the cup and down her chin. “Pardon?”
“Sorry about that.” Ellie quickly took a tissue from her pocket and wiped Alba’s chin. “Humour is my go-to when things are sometimes awkward.”
“Well, I appreciate that. It’s better than sitting here in silence, wondering if we’re still friends.”
Ellie took Alba’s hand and brought it into her lap, her fingers closing around it with more certainty this time.
She’d had her fun, and now she would be honest about her reasons for coming over.
“I’m here because I enjoy spending the evening with you.
I haven’t seen you since Monday morning at the staff meeting, and I… was missing you, I guess.”
“We’re okay, yeah?”
“More than okay.” Ellie would get to the bottom of the supposed contacts Audrey had at Park Haven, but for now, she was going to enjoy the wonderful place in her head.
A place that included Alba…and only Alba.
She leaned in towards Alba’s ear, close enough that her breath brushed against her skin, and whispered, “I think Colin wants to watch his favourite show.”
“Fine. Squirrels Caught on Camera it is!”