28. Ellis
TWENTY-EIGHT
ELLIS
“Is your mother ever going to be ready?” I ask Fefe, who’s happily snoozing in my lap. I swear, the little troublemaker blinks one eye open and squints at me before rolling over and burrowing her face into my shirt.
“Five more minutes,” Scarlet hollers from the guest bathroom.
Despite spending every night since moving in in my bed, she insists on getting ready in the hall bathroom. Something about not cluttering my space and having better lighting.
“You think she actually means five or does she mean fifteen? Maybe even twenty?”
Fefe pokes her head up again and darts out of my lap like an apex predator is hot on her heels.
I can’t help but smile as I watch her. I never know what to expect from Fefe when she gets riled up. The cute little fur noodle is a mega klepto. I'm talking, shoes cables, my wallet once, and socks... so many socks. I'll probably need to start buying them in bulk at this rate.
But she darts into the guest room instead of mine this time, no doubt looking for Scarlet. Except when she returns, it's with something white and lacey clenched between her sharp little teeth.
“Whatcha got there, Feefs?”
I lean down to confiscate what appears to be one of Scarlet's thongs, but Fefe's not having it. She hops back and cants her head away from me, refusing to release the garment.
“C’mon, Fefe.” I yank softly, but she’s not having it.
“Are y'all seriously playing tug-o-war with my panties?” Scarlet snaps as she enters the living room, but there’s no real heat behind her tone. Nope, my girl—and yeah, I’m more than willing to call her that, at least in my mind—is highly amused.
“She started it!” I say, darting my eyes her way. Except once my gaze locks on her, I can't look away. If this was a cartoon, I’d have heart eyes with my jaw on the floor.
Dressed in a cropped black leather jacket over a sheer leopard print top that looks more like lingerie, which is tucked into a pair of baggy, faded black jeans. She looks like sex personified.
“You look...” My mind scrambles to find an appropriate word. “Fucking perfect.”
“You like?” She gives a little twirl, flipping her hair in the process.
“Princess.” I rearrange myself in my jeans. “I love. In fact, let's stay home, order in, so I can peel that outfit off of you and show you just how much.”
Her cheeks bloom the prettiest shade of pink. “We are not staying home, but you can absolutely make good on the rest of that later tonight.”
“Bet.”
Fefe chooses that moment to flee, leaving me with a raging hard on, her panties clutched in my hands, and the promise of a good time hours from now.
Mercifully, Scarlet changes the subject. “I know you’ll be with me, but should we put the tracker in my boots just to be safe?”
“You know it. Want me to help?”
She tucks her hair behind her ear and nods. “Please.”
“Bring 'em here.”
Scarlet pads into the guest room, which may as well be her personal walk-in closet, and returns with both her boots and the tracker.
“Here you go.” She passes the boots and tracker my way. I stuff her thong in my pocket and set to work placing the tracker.
“Did you just...”
“Yup.” I nod once as I make sure the disc is secure.
“I... okay. Sure. Why not?”
“Hey, are you okay?” I can’t put my finger on it, but something’s off. The light in her eyes is still shining, but it’s a little dimmer than usual.
“Yes.” She shrugs and I raise a brow. She shakes her head. “No. I don't know.”
I pat the cushion next to me. “What's wrong, baby girl?”
She sits, and I pass the boots to her. “It's dumb, but I'm nervous...”
“About what? Your stalker? I won't leave your side even for a second, I swear it.”
“No, about...” she glances down at her lap for a moment before leaning forward and shoving her feet into her boots. “Atlas. I’m nervous about seeing Atlas.”
“Ah.” Things definitely got heated with them last weekend at her place. “Did you ever talk to Nora about it?”
She shakes her head and sighs. “I meant to, but everything sort of went to hell, and I... I forgot.”
“Understandable.” I loop my arm around her shoulders, pulling her body into mine. “You know she's got your back.” I lean down and press a kiss to her temple. “And I do, too.”
“God, I don't feel like I can ever repay you for everything you've done for me... Everything you're still doing.” She averts her eyes as her dark irises go glassy.
But I don’t let her retreat, skimming my fingers down her jaw to her chin, I direct her gaze back up to mine. “Good thing repayment's not on the table, huh?”
“I guess.” She shrugs. “How did we even get here?”
“What do you mean?” I tug her into my lap, and she immediately curls into me, resting her cheek on my shoulder.
She loops her arms around my neck, her fingers finding the hair at my nape. “I don’t know. It’s just... everything’s changed, and I’m having a hard time with it all.”
“There’s a lot going on in your life, Scar. No one expects you to have all of the answers, least of all me.”
“No, forget all of that.” She keeps on playing with my hair—though I’m not sure if she’s trying to distract me or herself. “I’m confused about... us.”
“Us?”
“Is there even an us?” she asks, her voice small.
I roll her question around in my head, clearing my throat to buy myself a little time. “Do you want there to be?”
She shrugs. “I mean, I like this thing we’re doing. But I don’t know how serious it is or—”
“You pretty much live with me, Scarlet.”
“Temporarily.” Her protest is weak, and we both know it.
“You sleep in my bed every night. And sure, it hasn’t been all that long, but I...
” I suck in a deep breath wondering if I’m really about to drop this particular truth bomb on her right now.
After a minute or two of deliberating, I decide to go for it.
Fuck knows keeping it to myself for so long certainly didn’t do my any favors. “I wanted you long before I hated you.”
She gasps. “You wanted me?”
I nod. “The night we first met you, I was so fucking into you. Then you chose Atlas.”
“I did not!” she practically shrieks. “It was you I was interested in. I was asking him about you when you walked in with a whole new personality.”
“Well, damn, Princess.”
“Damn is right.” She nuzzles into the crook of my neck. “You really hated me?”
“No.” I wrap my arms around her. “Not really. More like hated you were always around when I couldn’t have you.”
“Well, shit.” She snorts out a laugh. “Talk about time wasted.”
“Nah, everything’s working out the way it’s meant to.”
“Hmm.” She sits up straight. “You think so?”
“I hope so.” I press her hips forward, silently urging her to stand. “Only time will tell.”
“Enough sappy shit.” She pops to her feet. “We’re going to be late if we don’t hurry.”
“In a rush to face Atlas?” I’m mostly joking, but damn if tonight hasn’t already been an emotional roller coaster.
“In a rush to get it over with. And excited for some steak.”
“Amen to that. Let’s roll, Princess.”
“Wanna take my car or yours?” Scarlet asks, and then her face crumples. “Ha. Never mind.”
“Even if yours wasn’t in the shop, I’d say mine,” I say playfully, trying to bring her back from the brink. I know she’ll be furious if she cries and ruins her makeup.
“Is there something wrong with my car, Ellis—you know, other than obvious?”
“No.” I rock back on my heels. “Other than the fact that it’s fun-sized, nothing at all.”
Her eyes brighten as she laughs at me. “Let me put Fefe up, and we can go.”
“I’ve got her.” I stride past her, into my room. Unsurprisingly, the little fur noodle is conked out right in the center of my pillow. “You’re a menace,” I tell her as I scoop her up, cradling her to my chest. “But a really cute one, so I’ll let it slide.”
“You’re really good with her,” Scarlet gushes.
“Loving her is easy.” Something about those fours words causes me to stumble. Am I talking about Fefe or Scarlet?
I shake off the weird feeling and quickly add, “It doesn't hurt that she's obsessed with me.”
Scarlet's lips twitch as if she's trying not to laugh.
“You know it's true.”
“Yeah,” she says, pressing her lips to the top of Fefe's head before I put her away for the night. “She really is.”
“I have it on good authority her mama is, too.” I wink, and she scoffs. “Oh, Princess, you wound me.”
“Puh-lease, Sunshine. Your ego is bigger than the Grand Canyon.”
“Oh, you are saucy tonight, huh?”
“Must be getting hangry.” She pats her stomach. “Let's go.”
I press a hand to the small of her back, guiding her toward the door. “Let me set the alarm real quick.”
I arm the system, and it emits three rapid chirps, letting me know it's set. “That’s our cue.” I usher her out the door, locking it before hitting the remote start for my truck.
Scarlet immediately commandeers the radio, connecting her phone to my Bluetooth so she can blast some nineties girl-power country anthems.
She hums along to every song, but when “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!” comes on, I belt it out at the top of my lungs right alongside her.
“Parking lot's full,” she says as The Creek comes into view. “I was expecting it to be a small crowd since it's invite-only.”
I shrug scanning the lot until I find Atlas’s truck. “Atlas and Nora are already here.”
“Who's watching James again?” she asks, angling her body toward mine.
“Sydney from her foundations of learning class.”
“That's right.” Scarlet's shoulders curl in, putting me on high alert.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing.” She turns back to me. “I promise. I'm just caught up in my own head about stupid things.”
I reach across the console and cup her cheek. “Nothing you think or feel is stupid, Scarlet.”
She presses her cheek into my palm, nuzzling me sweetly “I’m just nervous about meeting her school friends. It's dumb. I know...” She blinks rapidly before forcing herself to continue. “I know I'm a lot and that not everyone likes—”
My chest tightens as the realization that I'm the reason she thinks she’s unlikeable crashes into me with the force of a tsunami. “Fucking hell, baby girl. I am so, so sorry.” Fitting, since the guilt might actually drown me.