Chapter 10
Kennedy
I was more confident after the hike, having confirmed that Jasper wanted me too.
I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss and what else might have happened if I didn't stop.
It's not that I wanted to, but Elijah was right there, and after the night I'd had with him, I was still a little confused about how a dynamic like this worked.
Was I supposed to tell Elijah I'd kissed Jasper? Or did he already know that was a possibility? Did it matter?
Then I remembered I was just having fun.
I really liked Elijah, but at the moment, all we were was friends with benefits.
I'd be interested in exploring a relationship with him in the long run, but for now I was keeping an open mind.
I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket and then end up being disappointed.
I wanted to take things slower, especially after hearing that Jasper would be open to more after we left here. I was pretty confident Elijah would be too.
So I was happy. Happy that this vacation was going a lot better than I'd ever imagined.
"I'm thinking I could make dinner, but I'm gonna need a sous chef," Jasper said, glancing at me. We were just back from our hike, and I was already starving.
"I could do that. Just let me wash up first."
"Take your time, beautiful."
"I won't be long," I said before heading to the bedroom.
I took a quick, warm shower and got dressed. When I went into the kitchen, Elijah and Jasper were already there. Jasper was already prepping pieces of steak while Elijah sat at the counter trying to open a bottle of wine.
They both looked at me at the same time, small smiles curving their lips while their gazes roamed my frame. I felt even more confident with each step, knowing both of these handsome men wanted me.
This was real. This was happening. Two men who saw me, really saw me, and wanted all of me.
"Great, you're here," Jasper said.
"Yeah, what's my duty, sir?"
"Sir? I like the sound of that."
My cheeks warmed. "Just tell me what to do."
"I have a few potatoes here you could peel. I was thinking we could do some mashed potatoes and then I have some veggies here to go with it."
I nodded. "Yeah, sounds good." I walked to the island where the potatoes were, directly in front of Elijah.
We shared a look as soon as I got there, and I couldn't help the warmth that flooded my body.
"You look nice," he said quietly.
"It's just jeans and a T-shirt."
"I know what you're wearing."
The way he said it made my breath catch. A single glance from Elijah could bring a woman to her knees, and after last night, my knees were getting weak knowing what he was capable of.
"Wine, beautiful?"
I hesitated as I glanced at the bottle. It was one of those expensive ones my parents loved to share amongst themselves.
My parents. Who would be horrified if they could see me now.
"Just a bit," I said.
"You sure? It's really good."
"I'm sure."
He poured it into a glass and handed it to me. When he did, his fingers grazed mine, and I sucked in a breath, taken off guard by the rush of arousal that shot through me.
"Thank you," I said, clearing my throat.
"You okay?" His voice was low, concerned.
"Yeah. Fine."
He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push.
I took a sip to calm myself and then went to the potatoes, doing my best to avoid Elijah's gaze. Every time I looked at him, all I could remember was him being inside me last night, his warm cum filling me, his soft grunts, his touch.
"I forgot to ask if you even liked steak, Kennedy," Jasper said, cutting into my thoughts.
"I love it actually. It's one of my favorite things to eat."
Jasper raised a brow. "We have that in common then."
"How do you like it?" Elijah asked.
"Medium rare," I said without meeting his gaze.
"Me too," he said. "Jasper is a rare guy."
"That I am," Jasper confirmed.
"Bloody," I said with a laugh.
"Hey, rare is the only way to eat steak," Jasper protested.
"If you like chewing leather, sure," Elijah said.
A small silence passed between us before Jasper asked, "So what's the plan when you get back home, Kennedy?"
I shrugged as I peeled the potatoes. "Work more than likely. My dad already has a spot lined up for me at his firm, junior associate."
"Oh, your dad's a lawyer. That explains a lot!" Jasper exclaimed.
I managed a stiff nod. "Yeah."
"Explains what?" I asked.
"Why you're so put together. Smart. Careful with your words."
"I'm not always careful," I said quietly.
"No?" Elijah's voice was gentle. "You seem pretty careful to me."
"There's a lot of pressure then," he added, and that's when I finally looked up at him and saw the genuine concern on his face.
He actually cared. Not about my accomplishments or my potential, but about me.
I nodded. "You could say that."
"Damn. So being a lawyer is something your dad wanted?" Jasper asked, pausing what he was doing to look at me.
"Well, I've always loved the idea ever since I was a little girl. I've always wanted to be like my dad, but families like mine care a lot about tradition and passing down legacies. Subconsciously, I've always known what was expected of me."
"Expected," Elijah repeated. "That's a heavy word."
"It is what it is."
"Is it what you want though?"
And I had to pause to think about it. "I do. I just… sometimes I think about working alongside my father, and it doesn't give me as much excitement as I'd want to feel."
The truth. I'd never said it out loud before.
"Then don't do it," Jasper said simply.
"It's not that easy."
"Why not?"
"Because he's my father. Because he's been planning this since I was born. Because—"
"Because you're afraid of disappointing him," Elijah finished quietly.
I swallowed hard. "Yeah."
"You don't have to live in his shadow your entire life, Kennedy," Jasper said.
"You also need to speak up and tell them how you feel. Holding in stuff like this will always feel suffocating. You might even eventually grow to resent your dad in the process."
My throat tightened as I nodded.
"Yeah, this is your life, Kennedy. You should live it the way you choose and not give a shit about what anyone has to say about it."
I couldn't help myself. I choked up and began crying. It just all felt overwhelming, but I felt relieved at the same time, knowing there were people who understood me and actually considered my wants.
Not what I should want. Not what would make me successful. What I actually wanted.
"Hey, hey," Elijah said softly.
Elijah got up from around the counter and walked toward me with his arms outstretched. I walked into them, my head pressed against his shoulder while I sobbed. He held me closely, gently comforting me, one hand smoothing my hair while the other rested carefully on my lower back.
"I've got you," he said, and I sobbed even harder because deep down it was true. I'd only known him for a few days, but he made me feel safe, protected.
"I've just always lived my life to—to please people, y'know, and now it feels like I can finally breathe. Like someone else understands me…" I said shakily, my words muffled against his chest, interrupted by hiccups.
"You don't have to please anyone but yourself," he murmured into my hair.
"I know. I just... I don't know how."
"You'll figure it out. We'll help you."
I stayed there in Elijah's arms for what felt like forever, though it was probably a few minutes. I didn't want to let go, but when I did, Jasper was there with a gentle expression on his face.
"Come here," he said quietly.
I walked over to him and hugged him once my tears subsided. He kissed me on the top of my head and used both his hands to hold me securely against him.
"We've got your back, Kennedy, and I mean that."
I withdrew from him, nodding, using my hand to wipe my tears. "I really appreciate that. Thank you."
"Don't thank us," Jasper said. "Just... be yourself. That's all we want."
"I'm trying."
"You're doing great."
The mood lightened drastically shortly after. Jasper started sharing jokes about when he was in high school, and I couldn't contain my laughter.
"So wait, how did you guys meet?" I asked between giggles.
I could see the way Jasper's eyes lit up. "Do you want to tell the story?" he asked Elijah, who shook his head.
"Nah, you tell it best."
"Because I actually remember the details," Jasper said.
"You remember your version of the details," Elijah corrected.
Jasper cleared his throat. "So it's funny actually.
I was the quarterback for the football team and was basically the king in high school.
Girls fawned over me, every guy wanted to be my friend—I was on top.
Then this guy comes along—a transfer student—and all of a sudden the noise quiets down for a bit.
He's wearing a leather jacket, already looks like he's worked out at the gym, and he rides a motorcycle… "
My mouth fell open as I looked at Elijah, who nodded proudly. "No way!"
"Way," Elijah said.
"I swear it was like something out of those cringey teen fictions. And to top it off, he was smart—he just didn't look like a nerd."
I laughed hard, and Elijah chuckled.
"So he's already got the attention of almost everyone, coming to school in the middle of the semester, he's good-looking, whatever. I saw him as a threat, but when he tried out for the team, I knew we'd have problems. I hated him even more when he joined the team and took half the girls."
"Only half?" Elijah asked, amused.
"Fine. All of them. Happy?"
"Very."
"Here comes the fun part," Elijah chuckled.
"It was some months later, and we had a game with our biggest rival, and yet my biggest threat wasn't another team—it was this asshole here.
We're on the field, and some asshole does a bad tackle and crashes into me.
Elijah comes to my defense and starts pounding on the guy.
Hell breaks loose, everyone's fighting. Right there I knew this asshole would have my back forever. "
"Aww, that's so sweet."
"Jasper still gave me hell after, but I didn't back down," Elijah said.
Jasper shrugged. "You know I couldn't go too easy on the new guy."