I eyed him warily. “How?”
He held out his hand. “Pass me your phone.”
I hesitated, then unlocked my phone and placed it in his outstretched hand. He didn’t say anything—just got to work, his brows furrowed in quiet concentration. I watched his fingers move quickly across the screen then after a minute, he handed it back.
“There.”
I looked down at the screen, confused. “What did you do to it?”
“I added the app for my Dexcom.”
I blinked. “What?”
He nodded. “Now you can track my blood sugar any time you need to feel reassured. Okay?”
I just stared at him.
“It’ll even send you notifications if my blood sugar drops too low or spikes too high.”
Silence.
“And it’s real-time, so you don’t have to wait for results.”
Still, I said nothing as something heavy settled in my chest and stomach.
“Elliot?” he asked, his voice softer now, like he wasn’t sure if he’d just crossed a line or built a bridge.
I swallowed, pressing my fingers to my temples.
“I’m sorry, I just—” I exhaled sharply, then looked ahead of me. “I lost my train of thought.”
The ocean stretched out before me, endless and darkening as the last slivers of sunlight faded into the horizon. The breeze was cooler now, carrying the salt and the soft crash of waves against the shore. I inhaled deeply, letting it settle in my chest and stomach, replacing that unfamiliar, heavy feeling entirely.
“Thank you for this,” I said finally. “It eases my mind.”
“Of course. I should’ve thought of it sooner.”
I turned to him, only to find he was already watching me.Always watching. It made my throat swell up.
I swallowed hard. “When you look at me like that, it makes my heart feel like it’s coming out of my throat.”
His gaze was steady, his expression unreadable—until his ocean eyes flickered down to my lips. “When I look at you like what, Peanut?”
The air grew heavier, and the shift between us was subtle but undeniable.
“How do I look at you, Elliot?” he pushed softly.
I went silent. He leaned in slightly, and instinctively, I turned away, fixing my eyes back on the water.
“Never mind,” I murmured. “We should go. It’s getting dark.”
El didn’t move.
“Upstairs has a bedroom,” he offered. “We can stay the night.”
I let out a slow breath. “Hm. I don’t think that’s a good idea. For either of us.”
His brow lifted, eyes narrowing just enough to suggest he already knew the answer. “Why not?”
