“I am.” Because his old ways had never really been the real him to begin with. I knew that with every fiber of my being. Eli was this amazing person, caught up in a world that didn’t fit him. But I fit him.
“So how do you feel about Eli? Are you in love with him?”
It took everything in me not to openly gawk. As if I would utter those words for the first time in a musty closet, with a ring light shining on my face, to a man who wasn’t even Eli.
“We’re falling for each other,” I said instead, something I had already admitted.
As the interview dragged on, however, I thought about that other question. What evenwaslove? Other than my family, I had only said those words to Michael. We had been together so long, it felt like I had always loved him. I could barely remember the falling part.
Eli, on the other hand, sent a thrill straight through me every time he walked into a room. He was the only person I wanted to talk to. When I thought about all the new things Iwanted to try or experience, I only thought about doing them with him. My biggest fantasy was simply curling up with him on some sofa we’d picked out together, sharing our writing, in a house we called ours. Did that mean I was in love with him?
I might have said I was falling, but I was pretty certain I had already crash-landed.
Chapter Twenty
I stretched,and my groggy mind started to come into focus. When I blinked a few times, registering my suite, I sat up in bed. Morning light crept through the drapes.
Last night had been my first dreamless sleep since I had arrived. It made me feel at peace.
The view out my window faced east and the sun had just finished clearing the first mountain range in the distance. This whole process had weighed me down with overwhelming emotions; until today, I’d never been able to just wake up and truly appreciate the serenity and the beauty of where I was.
Brushing my hand against my lips, I thought of Eli rapping urgently on my door before bed last night. After interviews were over, we hadn’t been reunited as a group. We’d just been sent to our rooms with dinner. I’d swung open my door to find Eli standing there, out of breath. I had heard Shay yelling at him in the distance.
“Hey,” he’d said, before dipping down and kissing me. His soft lips moved over mine before he broke away. “I’ve been thinking about doing that all day.”
“Same.” I’d leaned against the doorframe, looking up at him like a fool in love.
“Since we didn’t get any sleep last night,” he’d said, winking at me. “I just wanted to say I’m probably going to pass out now. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
That was all he’d managed to say before Shay came over, red-faced, and dragged him away.
The time on the bedside clock told me it was still a little too early for breakfast, but I still threw on leggings, an old graphic t-shirt, and a cardigan. I washed my face and applied some blush and mascara before I was out the door.
The lounge felt eerily quiet with no workers, crew, or cast up yet. They’d be here any minute, though. Crossing the length of the large room, I stood by the large windows and looked out onto the patio, remembering the conversation Eli and I had by the fire pit one of the first few days.
Strong arms wrapped around my waist and I let out an involuntary yelp of surprise. Spinning around, I saw Eli staring down at me, his eyes bright.
“Morning, beautiful.”
I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You scared me. I thought everyone was still sleeping.”
“I woke up an hour ago and all I could think about was seeing you.”
“You’re so cheesy,” I said, still beaming up at him.
Maybe love was this subjective thing that no one could really define, but there was no way the pure bliss I felt right now could be anything else.
“What the hell, guys?” Brady rushed into the lounge. “I just got an alert that someone was out here. It’s too early.”
Eli grinned. “Whoops.”
Brady rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever. After tomorrow, Ino longer have to corral all of you. Just go wait for everyone in the dining room.”
“Yes, sir.” Eli saluted him, a smirk on his lips.
Less than thirty minutes later, we sat with the rest of the cast around the long dining table for what could be the last time. We all knew the finale was tomorrow, but we weren’t sure what the filming schedule would be.
“You two ready to get out of here?” Grant asked me.
