Elliot #3
Needing to leave this room before I’m the one that erupts, I stand from my chair and toss my napkin on the table.
“You know what? Maybe I’ve changed my mind about what I want.
” Clearing my throat, I continue, “I don’t think I have any room for dessert.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find my fiancée, and we’ll be leaving. ”
“Elliot…” my mother says as I breeze past her.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I’m just not in the mood to listen to my father attempt to dictate my life any more tonight.”
My feet carry me down the hallway toward the bathroom that I know Dilynne is in, and luckily, she steps out just as I reach the door. “Elliot?”
“We’re leaving,” I say, nearly out of breath because my heart is beating so violently right now. I knew coming here tonight wasn’t going to end well, but I was more worried about Dilynne. Turns out, my father had a few choice words prepared for me as well.
She reaches up and cups my face. “You’re shaking.”
“I’m fucking pissed,” I say, resting my hands on her hips and my forehead on hers.
“Take a deep breath.” Her words come out as a whisper, which is such a rare thing to hear from her. But there’s a calmness in her tone that instantly makes my shoulders fall. “In…and out.”
“I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have brought you here.”
“It’s okay. Trust me, I honestly didn’t think it was as bad as it could have been.”
“That’s because they waited until you left to really voice their opinions.”
Her face falls. “Oh.”
“Don’t worry, I made sure they knew my opinions too.”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “Well, that’s reassuring.”
I drag my nose along her cheek. “Fuck, I—I can’t get my heart to calm down.”
She rests her palm on the center of my chest. “Stop talking and breathe, Elliot.”
With my forehead back on hers, I inhale deeply and exhale for just as long, repeating the process about five times before I finally feel like my breathing is starting to regulate.
After a few more minutes, I say something out loud that surprises me because I don’t talk about it that much. “My dad brought up my grandpa.”
Dilynne leans back slightly until my eyes lift to find hers. “Okay…”
“He was my favorite person in the world, my role model, and…”
“Let me guess. Your dad is nothing like him.”
I nod. “Yeah.” My thoughts snap back to the picture of him in my father’s office and in an instant, I’m leading Dilynne in that direction with her hand in mine, just a few doors down from where we’re at, stepping inside and shutting the door behind us.
I lead her over to the wall where several photos are hanging—one of my dad and his father, one of my grandparents together, and one of my grandpa and me.
Dilynne grins. “You look just like him. I—I don’t think I’ve ever seen a picture of him before.”
“Probably not, but again…it’s not like you and I were spending too much time together before, right?”
Her smile is soft when she looks up at me. “Right.” Then she turns her head around the room. “Where are we?”
“My dad’s office.” Releasing her hand, I walk around and find myself being hit by dozens of memories of being in here as a young boy, looking up to my father in so many ways, aspiring to be just like him, and my grandpa.
But if I knew what I know now about my dad, I’m not sure I’d still feel that way.
My eyes land on his desk and a few papers scattered on the surface. One of them catches my eye as I blink several times, wondering if I’m seeing things.
“What the hell?” I mutter as Dilynne makes her way over to me.
“What’s wrong?”
Before I can answer, I hear footsteps outside of the room. Not sure if someone is about to walk in on us, I pull Dilynne back to the door and press her up against it. She peers up at me, confused, but I press a finger to her lips.
Recognition dawns on her as she nods against my hand.
And even though I know it’s fake, the feel of her pressed this close to me goes straight to my dick, something I’m sure she can feel since my body is pressed tightly against hers.
The footsteps trail off, and before we get caught in here by someone like my dad, I gently move Dilynne to the side, peek through a crack in the door to make sure the coast is clear, and then lead her out of my father’s office and down the hallway to the front door.
Once we’re safely inside of my truck and off my parents’ property, I blow out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Elliot…”
I reach for her hand as I drive. “I’m okay.”
“Are you sure? I can drive if you need me to.”
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure.”
She nods, and then after a beat asks, “What did you see on your father’s desk?”
The image is still so prominent in my mind, but I wish I had thought to take a picture of it. “It was…my grandfather’s will.”
“Oh.”
“But it was different.”
“Wh—what do you mean?” she asks with a shakiness in her voice.
“It’s not the one I remember seeing at the reading. This one was longer.”
“Why would your grandfather have two wills?”
“I—I don’t know, Dilynne. But I’m wondering if it has something to do with my father and Tori scheming behind my back.”