Chapter 27
Syrup pooled in the small bowl while Elowyn stared at it with complete concentration.
Her phone, lying face-down on the wooden table, vibrated with a sharp, insistent buzz that made the cutlery rattle. She didn't have to look at the screen to know it was Daniel. He hadn't missed a morning since the weekend started, his check-ins arriving with reliable, brotherly precision.
"I'm eating, Dan," she said, her voice bright enough to keep him from worrying.
"Just making sure," Daniel's voice came back, sounding relaxed and casual. "You know how you get when you're left to your own for too long. Ended up creating any art projects with household appliances yet?"
Elowyn let out a laugh, finally taking a bite of her breakfast. "No. Just the waffles. Are you doing anything fun today?"
"Nah, just work," Daniel sighed, his tone shifting into a familiar, long-suffering drone. "I'm currently staring at a spreadsheet that's been trying to ruin my life since Monday."
"Sounds thrilling. Maybe you should take a break and color," Elowyn giggled. "It's very relaxing."
"I think my boss would have a stroke if I started using crayons at my desk, but I'll consider it. Look, I've got a meeting in five. Eat your waffles, don't burn the house down, and I'll talk to you later?"
"I promise. Bye, Dan."
"Bye gremlin, I love you."
"Love you too," Elowyn replied before hanging up the phone and reaching for her juice. But before she could take a sip, the phone buzzed against the table again.
"Elowyn, stop whatever you're doing and tell me you're not currently sipping tea because you are going to spit it out!" William's voice came through the line, bubbling over with wicked, unrestrained laughter.
"I'm sitting here at the gym, and the universe has just provided the absolute best comedy sketch. You know that 'alpha' guy I fucking hate who's always prowling around, acting like he's God's gift to the weight room? The one who loves to hover and give unsolicited,
unwanted 'advice' to everyone in a sports bra? Well, he was trying to do this incredibly showy, dramatic demonstration on the bench press- really puffing his chest out for everyone to see- and I swear, he tried to hop off with that arrogant little strut,
but he tripped entirely over his own shoelace! He went down- hard, just completely face-planted right into the mat with a sound like a wet sack of flour. I'm literally sobbing, he was so busy trying to look impressive that he didn't see the floor right in front of his own nose!"
Elowyn just sat there, listening to the familiar, rambling cadence of his voice, a small smile tugging at her lips. She leaned back in her chair, letting him continue telling his story.
Finally, William slowed his pace, still breathless from laughing. "Anyway, I think he's officially retired from his 'alpha' strut for the rest of the day. But enough about his public tumble. How was the rest of your week, babe? Did you survive the solitude?"
"It wasn't really spent in solitude, but yeah, I enjoyed my week."
"You went to Miss Loretta's often, didn't you?"
"No, I only went once. I was with Seraphina."
"You were with Seraphina?" William's voice shifted, the earlier amusement vanished, replaced by an urgent, electric kind of energy. "At your place or at Miss Loretta's?"
"Both," Elowyn said, swirling her fork through the last of the syrup.
There was an immediate, sharp intake of breath on his end, followed by the sound of him walking briskly- his keys jingling, the ambient noise of a busy street already picking up around him.
He didn't sound annoyed; he sounded like a man who had just stumbled onto the most delicious secret imaginable.
"I'll be over at your house in five minutes," William said, his voice buzzing with a frantic, delighted anticipation.
The line clicked dead before Elowyn could even take another bite of her waffle. She stared at the phone in her hand, the sudden dial tone hum echoing in the kitchen as she realized he was already on his way.
Exactly five minutes later, the front door swung open and William strode in with his signature restless energy. He held a cosmetics bag in one hand, his eyes scanning the living room with the intensity of an investigator.
"Sit," he commanded, gesturing toward the sofa before he even fully stepped inside.
He didn't wait for her to ask why, spinning around to head back out the door only to return carrying a heavy, large rectangular cardboard box that he deposited with a thud in the entryway.
"Found this sitting on your porch," he said, wiping his hands on his jeans.
"What is that?" Elowyn asked, getting up to inspect the box.
"A coat rack," William read the label out loud, looking back at the empty bare wall where the previous one was supposed to be standing. "Did you toss the old one?"
Elowyn's shoulders slumped, her gaze dropping to the floor. "It's a long story."
William held up a hand, dropping the subject instantly. He didn't care about the furniture; he wanted the details he had been promised. Walking over to the sofa, he sat directly behind her, pulling a brush and a length of silk ribbon from his bag.
"Let's skip the furniture drama," he said, his fingers working with practiced, nimble speed. "Tell me everything about your adventures with mommy Monroe..."
While he talked, William parted her hair, expertly gathering the top half.
He secured it with the ribbon, his hands moving with a fluid precision that took no more than a few minutes.
Without pausing his interrogation, he set the brush aside and got on the floor, opened the cosmetics bag and pulled out his nail supplies settling in to start on her nails while he waited for her to spill the truth about Seraphina.
"Do I start with the movie night?"
"What do you mean 'do I start with the movie night?' Were there other nights?! Start from the first time you saw her this week."
"The first time I saw her this week was at the mall."
"Yes, I was there with you," William shook his head. "Start from the next time you saw her after that."
"At Miss Loretta's."
"Of course. Back to the first place you laid eyes on each other," William placed his hand over his heart. "How romantic."
"She's a hypocrite."
"What?"
"She's a hypocrite," Elowyn repeated truthfully.
"Please tell me you didn't say that to her face," William stared in horror.
"Of course I did. It was the first thing I told her," Elowyn rolled her eyes.
"Elowyn... are you trying to offend the woman?!" William gasped.
"No. But it's not my fault she's that way, I was just telling her the truth."
"And what exactly did she say or do to make you verbally attack her like that?"
A deep sigh left Elowyn. She could feel herself getting all worked up again thinking back to that whole interaction.
"She told me I should always accept payment for my work, but then Miss Loretta was trying to pay her for the work she did at the bookshop, and she didn't accept it. She just said no."
William sat back on his heels, his mouth slightly agape. "And she didn't get angry?"
"No," Elowyn confirmed. "She just tried to explain her reasoning, but I still think it's dumb."
"Okay, so what happened after that?"
"We sat down to eat with Miss Loretta, and when that was finished we went to go wash the dishes."
"How domestic," William sighed dreamily.
"Then I asked her if I could touch her."
William didn't respond right away, he just sat there trying to process whether he heard his best friend right.
"What do you mean? Did the topic come up naturally, or..." William said anxiously.
"I just asked her," Elowyn shrugged.
"You just asked her?! Like straight up?!"
"That's what you told me to do."
"No Elowyn. Not like that," William dragged a hand down his face. "I meant you could ask her discreetly. You probably looked like a little pervert walking up to her!"
"I'm not a pervert," Elowyn frowned. "And I didn't walk up to her, she was already standing beside me."
"Okay, we'll come back to that, please continue. How did she react?"
"She seemed a bit confused, I think? I mean, I don't understand what was so confusing, I was very straightforward."
"Too straightforward," William cut it. "Go on."
"She asked why I needed to touch her, so I told her that I needed to see if I have a crush on her."
A strangled noise left William as he dropped Elowyn's hand.
"Elowyn," he whined.
"What?" She asked, getting increasingly annoyed by his constant interruptions.
"Why? Just why?"
"Why, what? You're the one who told me to do this!"
"Yes, but again, discreetly! You can't just march up to a mommy and ask to feel her up to see if you're attracted to her!"
"I already told you, I didn't march up to her! She was standing next to me!" Elowyn snapped.
"That's not the point here!" William argued.
"You're making me not happy." Elowyn sneered.
"Not happy? You mean angry?" William taunted.
"You know what? Yes! You're making me very angry!"
"What's that?" Will pointed to her curled fists, still taunting with a smirk. "You're gonna punch me?"
"If you don't be quiet and let me tell my story, yes. And it's going to hurt."
"Hurt?" The man scoffed. "Hurt me or you pip-squeak?"
William's bright laughter bubbled up as Elowyn launched herself at him. He didn't fight her off with strength, letting her tackle him purely for the sake of the spectacle.
He collapsed onto the rug with a theatrical groan, his limbs sprawling as Elowyn scrambled over his torso, her fingers tangling in his shirt.
"Oh, the ferocity!" William wheezed, his eyes sparkling as he held his hands up in mock surrender, his wrists easily resisting her attempts to pin them.
He could have tossed her off with a flick of his shoulders, but instead, he let her attempt to hold him down, his grin widening.
"You're absolutely vicious, Ellie! My poor, delicate life in your hands!"