Chapter 8 Eli
Eli
“Sibby!” Tucker bursts through the front door on a mission to find his favorite girl.
Sibyl watches him at the body shop after school most days.
There’s even a little desk at Massy Auto Body where she keeps things for their crafts.
When he has homework, she gets it done with him.
Even on the days when I can get away early, he still asks to go and see his Sibby.
I don’t know how I would have survived without the Massys for the last four years. Tucker calls Sibyl’s dad Papa, and her brother has always been Uncle Kel. The thought strikes me like lightning—he’s never once called her Auntie. Yet he calls both Hazel and her sister, Victoria, Auntie.
I wait in the doorway between the kitchen and the living area, watching my boy get spun around in circles as Sibyl wraps him up in hugs and kisses. “How’s my favorite boy?”
“Dad went on a date today.” Tucker grins.
“Oh, did he?” One dark eyebrow shoots up her forehead. “Did he tell you about it?”
“Nope, but he’s gonna get me a mama. All my friends have mamas.” Tucker’s head cants to the side, and two little lines crease his forehead as he takes in Sibyl. “You don’t have a mama, do you?”
“I don’t. Uncle Kel and I grew up with just Papa.”
“Weren’t you sad not having a mama?”
“Sometimes.” Sibyl kneels to get on his level. “Sometimes it was hard to see everyone else with two parents. But Papa loved us like your daddy loves you. It was more than enough for us. We have the best daddies, don’t we?”
“Yes!” Tucker pumps his fist into the air.
“I’m making your favorite for supper, Bud.” She winks at him, ruffling his hair as she stands.
“Dad! Sibby’s making A’sghetti.”
“Is she?”
“Mhm!”
“Well, why don’t you go put your bag on the hook and wash up so we can eat?”
“Daddy said you’re staying for dinner.” Tucker says it like a statement, not a question. Sibyl grins at him, starry-eyed.
“Yeah, Buddy. I’m staying.” Her gaze swings to mine. There’s something more in that statement—more than just supper. She wants to stay, and I want her here.
“Okay, I’ll be right back!” Little feet tear out of the kitchen and I take my time to prowl toward her. My hands are itching to touch her. The half an hour it took to extricate Tucker from Kellan was too much time away from her.
“He doesn’t call you Auntie,” I whisper, my forehead dropping onto hers.
“He does not,” she whispers back, brown eyes shimmering up at me.
“Has he ever?”
She shakes her head. A slow smile spreads across her lips. “No, I’m just Sibby.”
I slide my hand down her jaw, wishing her hair were down so I could slip my fingers through it again. “There is no just when it comes to you.”
I press a tender kiss to her lips, jumping back when Tucker crashes down the stairs, heading toward our direction.
“A’sghetti!” he screams, slamming his little body into Sibyl’s legs.
She bursts out laughing, scooping him up to burrow her face into his neck. I’m dumbstruck, watching the two of them. I’ve been so busy, trying to make sure Tucker has everything he needs, I never realized the person he needed most has always been here—patiently tending to our needs.
I’m the fool who never recognized her for what she was.
She’s ours.
“Dad, can Sibby read my story tonight?” Tucker grins at me from the table that’s now covered in glitter and crayons.
“Oh, kiddo, I should probably head home.” Sibyl winces, as if the lie tastes sour in her mouth.
“Please? Just one time? You never babysit me at night anymore.”
“Because I have you almost every day.” She giggles, shaking her head at his puppy-dog eyes.
“It’s up to her.” I wink.
“Fine,” she sighs, letting Tucker haul her up the stairs. He chats the whole way upstairs about the book we’ve been reading together.
I load the dinner dishes into the dishwasher, then put away the craft supplies Sibyl and Tucker used for their after-supper adventure time—as Tuck called it.
By the time I make it up the stairs, Tucker’s nearly asleep.
His eyes drooping, one hand wrapped around Sibyl’s, his other arm tucked under his head.
Sybil’s sweet voice flows in a steady cadence, like a song.
I can understand why it lulled him to sleep.
His little fingers loosen on her arm, and Sibyl’s gaze moves from the book to Tucker’s face.
She leans forward, pressing a kiss to his cheek, wiggling out of his grip.
She sets the book on the nightstand. A smile splits her lips when she catches me watching.
“Hey,” she whispers.
“Hey,” I murmur into her lips, pressing mine to them in a chaste kiss. “C’mon.” I tug her hand, pulling her down the hall with me.
As soon as the bedroom door is closed, I haul her into me, devouring her mouth in a hungry kiss. My hands work to get her bun down, fingers slipping through the silky strands.
A sigh brushes my lips as she melts into me. I back her up toward the bed, stopping for a second to remove my shirt, before I’m back to kissing her.
We topple over as the back of her knees hit the bed. A giggle comes from her sweet lips as I work to get her skinny jeans off.
“Shh,” I warn. “I might actually die if we get interrupted, Sibyl.”
Her giggle is quieter this time, eyes hungry beneath me.
“Shit.” I hop out of my jeans, making my way to lock the door, in case Tucker decides to get up and ask for water. She watches me stalk toward her, teeth sinking into her pouty lower lip.
My eyes draw down to her mouth before I rip another condom open with my teeth and climb onto the bed next to her. Covering my cock with the latex, I jerk my head toward it. “I wanna watch you ride me.”
Her eyes widen, a slow smile crossing her face. She climbs on top of me, straddling my lap. Hovering above me, she shifts forward to press a kiss to my chest, then sinks down, taking my length in one swift go.
We groan at the same time, adjusting to the feel of each other as our breath syncs. Hands on my chest, Sibyl lifts, swirling her hips before she drops back down. I nearly burst right then, hanging on to her hips for dear life.
Sibyl slams herself onto me, taking me like I was made for her. She’s barely even blinking while I feel as if I’m rearranging her insides. She settles on a rhythm, swirling and rocking her hips. I let my hands wander, touching every inch of skin I can reach.
I can’t take my eyes off her chest, watching her bounce above me.
I curl myself up, capturing a nipple with my teeth.
A muffled cry spills from her lips. Sybil covers her mouth with her hand.
Her eyes glaze over with lust as I work her nipple over.
Moving to the next one, I give it the same treatment.
Muffled moans make it hard for me to concentrate on holding myself back. Sibyl reaches for my hand, pressing the pad of my finger into her clit. She covers her mouth again, her head dropping back as her inner walls pulse around me, drawing my release out with hers.
I watch her face, her eyes closed, lips parted in ecstasy. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
And just like that, one thought, and guilt barrels through me like a freight train.
I used to say the same thing about Lara. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever met. I could watch her come apart for hours and never grow tired of it.
Never wanted to be anywhere else.
And now I’m here—in her house. In her bed. With someone else. Someone who is not my wife.
Panic swells inside of me. My grip tightens painfully on her hips.
“Eli, you’re—oh.” Pain morphs into worry when Sibyl looks at me. “Oh God,” she whispers, her tone watery.
“Sibyl,” I try to reassure her, but my voice sounds as panicked as I feel.
I don’t know how to manage the way I’m feeling. Don’t know how to separate the past from the present. I’ve fucked people in the last four years, but I’ve never done this. Never made love to someone whom I could also fall in love with. Someone who could be more. Who could replace Lara.
It feels like cheating. It feels…
Sibyl slips off of me, rolling away from me, shoulders shaking.
I know she’s crying. But I can’t make myself go to her.
Instead, I end up on the other side of the room, yanking my jeans on, desperate to get out of this situation—to forget that any of this happened.
That I let myself feel this again. I already had my person.
I already got my happily ever after. You aren’t supposed to have those twice.
I’m not supposed to have these feelings for someone other than Lara.
“I’m so sorry,” Sibyl whispers, slipping into her clothes as tears track down her cheeks.
This is wrong, all of it is wrong. I should hold her. I should tell her it’s okay. I can make this be okay.
I should do a lot of things, but I don’t. Because what I do is the absolute worst option.
I look the second-best thing that’s ever happened to me in the eyes and tell her to leave.