Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45045 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 225(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Mom’s reaction hadn’t been tears of happiness, though. I’d figured that out years later once I learned the real reason she left him. The real reason he came home late all those mornings and was in such a good mood.
Eli’s arm tightened around my waist, reminding me that I wasn’t a little girl anymore. His body spooned mine, our legs tangled together in a delicious echo of what’d happened last night. His solid bulk was comforting, and the gentle rise and fall of his chest reassured me that all was good.
Safe.
Funny how that worked. There wasn’t another person on Earth with the power to piss me off like Eli could. Yet when shit got real, we stood together.
Always.
We kept each other’s secrets, and while I loved torturing him, I was protective, too. Watching his court case had been like a slow-motion car crash, and his refusal to take my help cut me. Deeply. I’d hated him for it.
I’d also written to him in prison and sent care packages.
Downstairs, the kitchen door thudded as it closed, reminding me that I had unfinished business with Gus. He’d used Eli to save his own ass, something Eli seemed willing to leave in the past.
Very Christian of him, but I was feeling less saintly about the situation.
Eli shifted, rolling onto his back. Moving carefully, I started untangling myself. I hated to leave him, even for a minute. This still felt like some kind of crazy dream that might evaporate if I wasn’t careful, but putting things off with Gus would only make it harder in the long run.
I padded to the door, instinctively avoiding the board that creaked. The bedding rustled. I glanced back and saw that Eli had rolled into the warm spot I’d left behind.
His eyes were still closed, and his lips had parted just a bit. He looked so young and innocent…almost sweet. He wasn’t innocent, of course. Eli had suffered more as a small child than most people did their entire lives. He’d survived, though. Survived and then sacrificed himself to protect the only family he had left.
Downstairs, I found Gus mixing the waffle batter, whistling a little song to himself. The sound was happy. Cheerful.
“Morning, Peaches,” he said, like nothing had changed last night. I suppose that, in his mind, it hadn’t. He had no clue that I knew what’d really happened. “Coffee is started. There are fresh strawberries in the fridge if you want some with breakfast.”
Walking over to the coffee maker, I pulled out two mugs, filling one for myself and one for Gus. He sprayed the waffle iron, carefully spooning the batter onto the griddle.
“Doesn’t look like you slept on the couch last night,” he said. “Suppose that means you and Eli—”
“I overheard your meeting at the Starkwood last night,” I said, cutting him off. He didn’t respond for a moment, just stared down at the waffle iron. “It’s time for you to tell me the truth.”
He turned to me, his face serious. “Peaches, it’s complicated—”
“Is it? Because it seems pretty simple to me. You threw Eli under the bus to save your own ass. You fucked me over, too, but that’s kinda minor in comparison. You say it’s complicated. Great. You can take as much time as you want to explain it. But I’m not leaving without answers.”
“You don’t know what you’re asking,” he said.
“I know Eli won’t buy the bar until this talk is over,” I countered. “I’m not five years old anymore, okay? I’m an adult. Enough of one to manage your bar for you. So, talk to me.”
Pushing off the counter, I held a mug out to him. He took it, and for the first time in my life, I saw his hand shaking. Like an old man’s hand, the skin like parchment.
“Let’s sit down for this,” he said, turning off the waffle iron. I followed him out of the kitchen to the table. We sat down, and I took a sip of my coffee, waiting for him to say something. He didn’t, and the silence grew more and more uncomfortable. Finally, he spoke.
“You aren’t going to make this easy for me, are you?”
“That’s a matter of perspective,” I said quietly. “Eli spent five years in prison, covering your ass. Pretty sure this conversation won’t take nearly that long.”
He swallowed. “I’m afraid you’ll never forgive me.”
“That’s a valid concern,” I said quietly. “I can’t see myself forgiving you. At least not anytime soon based on what I know right now.”
“You never pull your punches, do you?”
“Either you tell her, or I will,” Eli said, startling both Gus and me. I looked over at him. He’d pulled on his jeans to come downstairs, but nothing else. His chest was bare, and his hair screamed “sex.” I imagined mine did too. Just seeing him made me feel stronger. Safer. Like the two of us could take on the world. He came to stand next to me, resting a hand on my shoulder.