The words came out before I could catch them. Jett Reyes-Villanueva didn’t hand people that kind of ammunition.
Ellis went still. Then he lifted his head, those hazel eyes searching my face with an intensity that made me want to look away.
I didn’t look away.
“Jett Reyes-Villanueva.” My full name in his mouth. Soft and wondering. “Who are you?”
“Figuring it out.” I traced his jaw with my thumb. “Stick around, and maybe we’ll both find out.”
His hand covered mine on his face. “Deal.”
My phone buzzed a fourth time. I grabbed it, keeping one arm around Ellis.The Chaos Covenchat.
Calliope:GOOD MORNING! DID ANYONE HAVE A GOOD NIGHT LAST NIGHT? Asking for absolutely no reason.
Raven:She’s been staring at her phone since 7am waiting for updates.
Sierra:Leave him alone. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.
Calliope:I NEED TO KNOW IF GYM BOY STAYED OVER.
Raven:His name is Ellis.
Calliope:I NEED TO KNOW IF ELLIS STAYED OVER.
I grinned and typed back with one hand.
Jett:He’s still here.
The three dots appeared instantly. Then:
Calliope:AHHHHHHHHHHHH
Raven:Finally.
Sierra:I’m happy for you, Jett. Really.
I tilted the phone so Ellis could see the screen. He read it, and that wide smile came back.
“Your friends are terrifying.”
“You have no idea.” I locked the phone and tossed it aside. “Hungry?”
“Starving.”
“I make terrible eggs and decent coffee. Your call.”
“Both.” He stretched, long and unhurried, and something about watching him take up space in my bed, comfortable and unrushed, hit me somewhere between the ribs. “Both is good.”
I kissed him, morning breath and all, because I could. Because he was here and he wanted to be here, and so did I.
Then I rolled out of bed, pulled on sweats, and headed to the kitchen to make coffee for two.
Chapter ten
Two weeks after Ellis stayed the night, my phone became a problem.
Not because of Ellis. Ellis texted like a person who’d been raised right. Good morning messages that arrived around seven-thirty, photos of bad code his coworkers wrote with captions like “pray for me,” and the occasional link to a song that made him think of me. Normal, sweet, boyfriend-adjacent behavior that wrecked me at inappropriate times.
