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Elliot:How’s the Jeep – I’ll Venmo you gas money.
Elliot:Ah Oregon… I can’t wait to get home to you.
I pulled up to my apartment complex later than planned, and tired as hell. I wanted my bed more than anything, although maybe not as much as I wanted Elliot. But the moment I locked my doorand went to my bedroom, I plopped down on my bed, closed my eyes, and instantly fell asleep.
The loud ringtone woke me a second later. The living room light was still on, but the daylight that came through the living room told me it was the next day.
“What the . . .” I grumbled, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I reached for my phone.
Elliot’s name lit up the background, and my heart fluttered. I answered, clearing my throat before trying to talk.
“Hello . . .” I said, sounding like a frog, “Oh geez . . . hi . . .” I cleared my throat again.
“Well good morning, sleeping beauty. I was wondering how many phone calls it would take to wake you.” I could almost hear his smile.
“How many times did you call? What time is it?”
“This is the third try, and it’s ten.”
“TEN!” I shouted.
“You didn’t have to work today, did you?” Elliot asked, a chuckle to his voice.
“No, thank the Lord. But tomorrow is back to normal for me.” I looked down at my legs, still in the leggings I had worn the day before. I was honestly surprised I had taken off my coat before I hit the bed. At least remembered to do that. “Where are you? The hotel?”
“No, I’m at the label.” His voice dropped. “Everyone else is inside but I’m on the street. I needed to call you before I went in.”
I took a deep breath. “Why? Get in there? Sing those songs and get that deal.”
“I just . . . I need to tell you something or it’s going to continue to eat at me the entire time I’m here, and Jamie . . . I can’t wait until Wednesday.”
Elliot . . .
“Nope. Don’t screw it up for you. You need to concentrate . . .”
“Jamie. I’m going to tell you and then you can hang up on me if you want to, but I want to . . . need to tell you. So please . . . justlet me say the words and then I can go in there with confidence and land this, but I need you to know this.”
I stayed silent. I wasn’t sure what to say. I wanted to hear him say those words, and I desperately wanted to say them back to him, but a part of me still thought it was too soon.
“Jamie…you can hang up the phone after I say it.”
I swallowed. “Okay.”
“I love you, Jamie. I have ever since I first saw you in the Piano Bar. Even when you were dancing with Clay. Even when you ghosted me for five months and then again for another week. I loved you when you sang during karaoke, and when you kissed me. Then when you asked me to make love to you . . . Jamie . . . I love you.”
I took a deep breath, my heart racing a million miles an hour and then I lowered the phone and hit the red button . . . ending the call.
Chapter Forty-Three
-Elliot-
The line went silent and when I looked at my phone screen all I saw was my home screen—my apps staring me in the face. I didn’t know what I expected, I told her she could hang up the phone, but I guess a small—okay, not so small—part of me wanted her to say it back.
But she wasn’t ready.
She said it herself; it had been only three weeks for her. Even though, for me, it was six . . . going on seven months of thinking about Jamie and how to get the nerve to drive over to her house to ask her out, wanting so much more than just friendship.
I stared at my phone screen, my guitar case firm in my other hand, the weight of it becoming more and more heavy with each passing second.
