Chapter 17
Wes
“What’s up Robs?” I can hear the pulsing music from the club, and I’m already grabbing my keys because I know she’s going to ask me to come get her.
“You need to come to Midnight Luxuries and get Elli. She hasn’t stopped talking about you all night, and there’s a beefy gym bro who won’t take his hands off of her and I think she would rather be comforted by you than by us or Drew.
” She sounds surprisingly sober, which is unusual when she goes out, so I know she’s being serious.
My heart flutters hearing Elli hasn’t stopped talking about me, and then a white hot rage fills me when I remember some asshole has his meaty paws on my girl. I mean Elli.
The fifteen minute drive to the club feels like hours, and as soon as I park at the curb, I see Robs and Sav huddled around Elli outside on a bench.
Elli sees me first and smiles so big her eyes crinkle in the corners. “Wes!” She stands and wraps her arms around my waist. “I had alcohol.”
I tentatively wrap my arms around her shoulders, “I can tell. I heard some gym bro tried to get handsy with you.”
She leans back so I can see her face. “Yeah, he smelled gross and was really sweaty,” she scrunches her nose, “but I kneed him in the balls.”
I can’t help but chuckle, “Atta girl. C’mon let’s get you home.” I resist the urge to kiss her forehead.
“What about Robs and Sav?”
“Drew just got here, he’ll make sure they get home safely.”
She hums some type of acknowledgment, but doesn’t let go of my waist. I finally break free, but keep my arm around her back to help guide her to the car.
The car ride to her apartment is quiet, and at first I think she’s asleep, but when I turn to check on her, she’s staring at me half-lidded and sleepy.
I don’t want to say anything, not that I would know what to say, because I don’t trust that I’ll be able to keep my feelings in if I start talking, and I definitely don’t want her to be drunk when we talk about that.
Once inside her apartment, I tell her to go change while I set out to get her some type of painkiller and water. I rifle through the kitchen cabinets and find a bottle of Advil, and then I hear a groan coming from the direction of her room.
Then, “Weeeees. Help meeeee.”
I take the glass of water and the Advil with me, and I don’t know what I’m expecting to find, but it’s definitely not Elli tangled up in her shirt. She already has her skirt off, so she’s just in a pair of panties.
“Whatcha doin’ Elli?” I lean up against the doorframe, trying not to laugh or stare at her bare thighs.
Elli stomps her foot like a toddler throwing a tantrum and grumbles, “I can’t get my shirt off. It’s too confusing. Help me, please?”
“Alright.” I set the water and Advil on her nightstand and go stand behind her, feeling a sense of de javu.
This shirt is confusing, but I figure if I pull the big knot in the back, I can unwrap her, like a present.
Pushing that train of thought out of my head, I succeed in getting the strappy piece of fabric undone.
I assume Elli’s going to hold it to her chest until I’m out of the room, but she lets the fabric fall to the ground.
I swallow thickly, looking around the room at literally anything other than Elli in only panties.
I hear her dresser open and shut, and when she comes back into view she has on the shortest shorts known to man, and a tank top.
“C’mon Elli, we gotta take your makeup off.” I say, holding out my hand.
Jess instilled in me the importance of a skincare routine, especially for someone who wears makeup.
She taught me how to braid hair when I was younger so I could braid my hair because I didn’t ever want to cut it, and the proper way to clean your face so you don’t get acne.
After seeing the various skincare items Elli has, it’s clear this is probably something super important to her.
“Nooooo. I wanna go to bed.”
“Uh uh, skin care is important.” She reluctantly puts her hand in mine and I drag her to the bathroom.
I sit her down on the toilet and then gather all of the necessary skin care things she says she uses.
I crouch between her legs and hold her chin gently with one hand while the other one softly runs the cotton pad over her eyes to remove the makeup there.
I clear the little makeup she has off of her face, and then I apply the various serums and creams in the order she tells me to.
I make her brush her teeth while I brush her hair and put it in a simple braid, then follow her back to her room.
Elli sits on the edge of the bed while I make her take the painkillers and drink the entire glass of water. Tucking her into bed, I give in to my impulse this time and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Wessss. Stay with me.” She pleads, and god do I want to.
“Not tonight, baby. I want you to remember the first time I’m in your bed. Sweet dreams, sweet girl.” I whisper against her hairline. The nickname slips out involuntarily, but she doesn’t seem to notice. Maybe she won’t remember it in the morning.
“Night Wes. Thank you. You’re the best.” She mumbles as her eyelids grow heavier.
I wait until her breathing becomes heavy so I know she’s fast asleep, before I leave to refill the glass of water. I leave her a note next to it with instructions for the morning so her hangover isn’t terrible, then I head back to my apartment.
Once I’m home, I decide it’s time to put my plan into action. I know I said I would wait until this month is over, but I don’t think I can anymore.
I want to be the one she dances with in the club. I want to hold her all night so I know she’s breathing and to make sure she doesn’t have bad dreams. I want to be there the morning after she gets plastered to make her coffee and take her to get a greasy breakfast.
I want her to be mine.