AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Elowyn raises her eyebrows, giving me a once-over. “You’re lucky you didn’t trip.” She laughs at her own joke, wiping at her eye with the back of her hand. “Oh man, I crack myself up. It wasn’t even that funny. I must be super tired.”
“C’mon. I’m being serious.” I take her by the hand, leading her to the couch and the open laptop on the coffee table, pushing her down gently by the shoulders to get her to sit. “Just sit down and look.”
She stares at the screen in confusion, and then her eyes widen, scrolling quickly through the page with her mouth hanging open. “Oh, my god. What is this? Is this—I mean, I make one comment about doing this for friends for free—”
“Listen to me.” I can’t let her get scared or overwhelmed. Not now. Not when I can see her happiness hovering right in front of her. “I think you can do this. I totally believe in your ability to start your own business. You don’t want to sling beers and shitty two-for-one hot wings forever, right? At least it sounded like that when we talked about it before.”
I realize, looking at the pharmacy name tag still pinned to her chest, that it’s not fear I should be worried about. It’s guilt. Elowyn sees this as a threat to her time with her family followed close behind by the fact that her family is really important to her, which is the last thing I want to enter her head. She doesn’t need to feel bad for doing something she loves. She wasn’t placed on the earth just to please other people and meet their expectations. “This doesn’t have to replace helping your pops. Not at all. And if it doesn’t work—so what? I already paid for the domain name.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start,” she stammers, nervously chewing on her cheek and fidgeting with the tab of her soda can.
I place her hand in mine, looking her dead in the eyes. “Yes. You would. You have a talent. A really weirdly specific talent that nobody I’ve ever met in my life seems to have. You’ve already got everything you need.” I gesture toward the closet. “And it makes you happy. And look! You even have your first order.”
She peers over my shoulder with wide eyes. “I do?”
I scroll down to the pending order screen and read the request aloud. “Some dude in Frostvale needs a birthday gift for his mom. How hard could it be to help him out?”
“I didn’t agree to this.” Despite her insistence that it isn’t the best idea, there’s a tiny smile forming at the corners of her mouth. There might even be a spark in her eyes. I think I made the right move. This woman makes me feel ten feet tall and bulletproof with every little thing that I do for her. Like I matter in this world. Like if I died, someone would actually be sad. “Now I have an order? I don’t know whether to kiss you or kill you.”
Even if she’s excited about this, she needs some time to process how she really feels. More than that, she needs time away from me, so she doesn’t feel obligated to act thankful about it regardless of what she really wants. Which would be just like her.
“I’m gonna shower while you figure it out.” I peel myself off of the couch, stretching my arms toward the ceiling for a second before heading toward the bathroom. “Really rooting for option number one.”
Even the bathroom in the apartment is small. The toilet almost touches the bathtub, which is probably the single shallowest bathtub I’ve ever seen in my life. If I wanted to bathe in there, my knees would be sitting under my chin. As it is, the showerhead sits pretty low, and the water pressure isn’t very high, so I’m already crowded up under the trickle of lukewarm water trying in vain to get a lather going on my head when the shower curtain slides open beside me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
Elowyn’s hand slips around my waist, rubbing soft circles along my stomach with her pink nails. “Give me a minute. You’re a smart guy. I think you’ll figure it out.”
Chapter Thirteen
Elowyn
Weston continues to surprise me. From being my knight in a tight black t-shirt, to listening and paying attention to me in ways that no one ever has. The website made me nervous at first, but with Weston’s support, I think I’m willing to give it a try. I might even be excited. If I let myself. So I decide that Weston deserves a surprise in return. Not that I’m using sex to express my gratitude or anything; it’s not like that. He just makes me feel so good about myself that my body starts buzzing and begging me to mesh with him in the most intimate way possible.
He doesn’t hear me come into the bathroom over the sound of the loud old pipes and the vent fan, especially not with his head stuck under the showerhead. Even though he’s notthattall, he resembles a giant trying to fit into a dollhouse. I take the opportunity to watch him through the semi-sheer curtain, admiring the lean, cut shape of him. Eden was right when she saw him out there doing Tai chi that very first day. He really is hot. And now that I’ve gotten to know him better…
I take my uniform off as quietly as I can, folding it and setting it on the edge of the counter. I know that clutter drives Weston crazy, so I’ve tried to be as neat as possible while he’s staying with me. I don’t want to startle him, so I grab the shower curtain firmly, climbing in behind him.
He asks what I’m doing, and I can’t believe he needs me to spell it out for him, so I slide my palm around to his stomach, lingering on the feel of his toned abdominal muscles. Soaking up the warmth of him since his large body blocks the water, I let as much of our skin touch as I can. Our first time was fast, frantic, raw, and rudely upended by the smoke alarm, so I want to enjoy this as much as possible.
I can feel every inch of him, both of us so close that I can hardly tell which breaths are his and which are mine. My hands wander up toward his arms, and I trace my fingertips lightly over the smattering of tattoos that cover them. Without thinking, I dip my head to lick one; it tastes salty and sweet in a way I’d never imagined.
Weston shifts under me as if he’s not sure what to make of this new sensation, but he doesn’t stop me—instead letting out a low moan when I move on to the next piece. Curiosity bubbles up inside me.
“Um… Weston? What’s the deal with all of these?”
As he shares stories about each image, I drink in every detail, his voice vibrating deep through our bodies as he speaks.
When he gets to the thick tribal band around one bicep, Weston hesitates for almost a full few seconds.
“This one...” he says, trailing off. His voice is shaky, and he looks away from me. I can feel the tension in him growing, but I still want to know more about this tattoo and why it’s so special to him.
“Yes?” I ask gently, tracing my fingertips down his arm and back up again. He takes a deep breath before speaking.
“It’s a reminder,” he begins, “to stay strong no matter what life throws at you.” He pauses for a moment as if gathering his thoughts before continuing. “I had it done shortly after I graduated high school, when things were really tough for me. The lines represent how tough times will come and go, but we can remain strong if we remember why we’re still here.”
As Weston finishes his story, I feel a wave of emotion swelling within me—admiration for his strength and resilience. I’m getting to know so much more about this man as time passes, peeling back all his layers one by one. I can’t wait to know even more.
