Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80197 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 401(@200wpm)___ 321(@250wpm)___ 267(@300wpm)
Elias laughs out loud at my compliment; it's such a great sound that I feel like crying. In all the years I've known Elias, he rarely laughs.
He takes my hand. "You're pretty too, Celine. Obviously not as pretty as me…"
I struggle against his grip, pretending to be offended. "That's it. No more sex for you."
He fixes me with a pretend enraged stare. "Don't go joking about that."
I purse my lips, remembering the fun we had. "It won't be the same without Travis."
As the words leave my mouth, I fear Elias will be offended. I don't mean that he's not man enough for me. Of course, he is. He rocks my world every time. I just mean that most of our time together has been as a foursome, and I've gotten used to being surrounded by them. I've gotten used to them working together, laughing and joking, vibing off each other. I'll miss that.
Elias doesn't reply either angrily or with understanding. He just focuses on the road to take me back to my dorm, lost in his thoughts.
My phone rings from deep within my purse, and I hunt for it, surprised when I see Dad emblazoned across the screen. He's seriously calling me now, after all this time.
Maybe he's found out about the video.
The thought sends my stomach through the floor of the car. "Dad." I don't even say hi. I'm so fucking out of practice at talking to him.
Elias's gaze whips to me before refocusing on the road.
"Celine. I'll be in town tonight. I thought we could have dinner." Tomorrow night, I promised to go with Elias to the hospital. I can tell he's daunted at the idea of going alone, and there's a chance his dad will be there. If he sees that man, he won't be able to hold onto his rage, and that's not something I'm prepared to risk.
"I'm sorry, Dad," I say. "I have other plans."
Elias hisses 'go' at me, but I ignore him. "What do you mean you have other plans?" Dad's voice is angry and weird. "I'm in town for one day, and you can't cancel your plans to spend a few hours with me?"
"I can't. I'm sorry."
"You know what, Celine. You've been using my credit card like it's crack. I know you're failing. I've been considering withdrawing my funding for next semester on the basis that it's a bad investment."
"A bad investment?"
Elias can hear the conversation, and he turns again to send my phone a look of withering disgust. "You're obviously focusing on other things and not your work. Why should I go out of my way to facilitate you wasting more of your time."
"You know what, Dad? You do whatever you want. You always do." I hang up and throw my phone back into my purse.
"Jesus, Celine."
"It's nothing. Don't worry about it."
"You should go. Call him back and tell him."
"No way. I'm coming to the hospital with you. That's my priority. My dad's flying surprise visit when he's basically been ignoring me is not."
He's quiet for a while, but I can practically hear his brain turning. He's wondering how I can turn down seeing my dad and risk my financial support for him. He doesn't realize that I know he'd do the same for me if the situations were reversed.
Elias is more important to me than my dad, and it's nothing I'm going to be embarrassed or sorry about. People do what they want, and my dad has proved he doesn't care about being a father to me. Elias proves over and over that he's a good person who cares about me.
He's worth any sacrifice.
When we arrive, he leans over to kiss my lips softly. "I can't believe you did that," he says.
"You'd do the same, wouldn't you?"
We're so close that I can feel his breath on my lips and see the little scar he has on his eyebrow. He rests his hand against my cheek so tenderly that a knot of emotions ties tightly in my throat. "Don't worry about Eddie," he tells me. "He'll pay for what he did, one way or another."
"I don't want you to do anything. I mean it." I especially don't want him to think he owes me something now because I turned down one ridiculous dinner offer.
He blinks his long, dark lashes, and I can tell he hasn't heard me. I'd rather leave Eddie to remain unpunished so that Elias doesn't get into trouble. My desire for revenge has withered behind my care for this man.
"Please. Don't do anything."
He kisses me again and reaches across me to open the door. He's telling me to get out without saying the words. "I'll see you later."
"Okay. Call me."
As soon as I'm out of the car, I miss him. I watch him drive away in his rust bucket that makes a strange noise and belches out a cloud of toxic fumes, wondering what we're doing. I don't think either of us knows.