We have a minute of quiet until I slide under the covers, and she sets her supplies on the side and looks at me as I sit up. “Is this us fighting? Because I don’t want to.”
A smirk dances on my lips. “Then we don’t. Only trying to have a realistic conversation. We didn’t fight. It was a small argument.”
“You’re right. It makes no sense for me to hold off if we already know that we can be something.”
“Good. I’ll end the lease for you.”
She breaks out into a wide smile. “I’m sure you already wrote the email.”
I dive to wrap my body around hers. “You know it.”
We kiss, and this has all been what I needed to hear.
“Make-up sex?” she initiates.
Another way to my heart. “You don’t even need to ask.”
It’s a long night.
But then morning comes,and our usual routine comes to a halt when I walk into the kitchen and find her leaning over the counter, staring at her phone, and fury on her face.
“Your lawyer emailed me.”
I search for the coffee beans, surprised that Elodie hasn’t used the machine yet. “Oh yeah?”
“I didn’t check my email last night.”Her voice chokes off, and I can hear something is horribly wrong.
Giving up on the coffee, I turn to face Elodie, who looks up with tears pooling in her eyes. “The trust papers. We discussed that, so fine. But then he added something, and it got me thinking about what you said last night about how I wouldn’t like your answer if I said we had no future.”
I’m cautious to approach her; something in my chest pings, and it hurts.
She swallows. “He sent me custody papers. Was that your plan all along?”
It takes me a few seconds to dissect what she just said, then it hits me what exactly she means and that a serious error happened. My entire stomach sinks, because this wasn’tsupposed to happen at all. The lawyer was told not to send those because they are no longer relevant. Now he has completely pissed me off, and Elodie is an emotional wreck. Holding my hands up, I’m quick to try to stop her from misunderstanding. “Elodie, listen to me. He sent those by mistake.” And is now officially fired.
“Who the fuck cares. They were obviously on your mind.”
Shaking my head fervently, I’m trying to disagree. “No.”
“If I denied what was happening between us, then you would play hardball and resort to legal means? I mean…” She laughs sadly. “You think we couldn’t even find an understanding as two normal adults?”
“We would.”
“Have you just been… gosh, is this all to ensure that you have the fine print signed? I mean, you have rights, so you could. But I thought…”
I rush to her and grip her arms to ensure she looks at me. “I’m telling you. He sent them by mistake,” I seethe out as our eyes meet in an intense stare. “I’m madly in love with you.”
Her breathing is heavy as her anger is apparent. “Congratulations. Now we are really fighting. I need space.”
And she storms off, leaving me to slam my hand on the counter. Angry she won’t listen, furious with a stupid piece of legal paperwork, and worried that this is going to push Elodie and me back a step.
But I’ll respect her wish for space—until I can’t.
24
ELODIE
“It wasn’t the best morning,” I relay to Savannah and Sutton as I peruse my old apartment to survey the work that has been done. A distraction from me reeling for the past two hours. I’ve noticed that I subconsciously keep saying “old” apartment as if it were part of the past.
