AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh no, that was just to get you to confess. That boy is madly in love with you.”
Those words hanging in my head, I made my way back to the cabin. I could see Elliot in the kitchen still in front of his computer. Just the sight of him gave me butterflies. I didn’t really believe Jillian that he wasmadly in love with me, but feelings were there. That much was obvious.
Opening the kitchen door, his attention turned to me and he smiled.
“I’m going to head out with Jilly, okay?” I walked over, placed my hand on his neck and pulling him in for a kiss. I was starting to really love kissing this man. “Oh, and Jillian knows who you really are.” His eyes widened. I gave him a small peak on his nose. “But don't worry, she won't tell anyone.”
“Oh, um . . . okay,” he whispered as I ran my fingers along his shoulders to head upstairs.
“Hey, Jamie!” I heard another voice, one I didn’t quite recognize. I stopped, coming back to look at his computer screen. Next to the documents from his firm, I saw his phone propped up, a FaceTime open.
“Jamie, Bennett. Bennett . . . Jamie.”
I instantly turned red. “Hi, Bennett.” I waved and then took off towards the stairs, hearing Elliot chuckle.
Having that time with Jillian was something I didn’t know I desperately needed. We walked main street first, stopping at little shops to pick up things for friends and family. I found a few more magnets for Madeline, I still laughed at the memory of her throwing all the magnets away that came from her ex, each one hitting the trash can with a louder bang than the one before. I picked out simple ones that wouldn’t create as loud of a bang, telling the story to Jillian.
“So, even though she hates magnets, you're getting her . . . magnets?”
I shrugged. “It’s an inside joke.”
We went to our favorite restaurant on Main Street and sat and talked—opening up about more than I thought we would. I told her about my health, and how I hated being constantly watched over. She agreed to lighten up, but still be the older sister. I had never thought of my hospital stay from her point of view. Seeing me hooked up to monitors, the constant beeping. No wonder why she became so protective. Jillian was one person, mom was the next. This trip she hadn't been so overbearing when it came to things, maybe it was the fact that Elliot was there with me. That, in her eyes, I was taken care of.
Which led to the topic of Elliot.
Or . . . Daxton.
Jillian didn’t know what to call him. Every time she started saying the name Daxton, she quickly changed to Elliot, finally giving up and calling him “boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend though,” I corrected. “He’s just a friend.”
“With the way he was kissing you . . .”
“You said we were stiff.”
“Jamie, I also said that was just to get you to confess. He was into that kiss.”
I smirked, feeling my cheeks blush.
“You were into it too.”
“Well clearly, I was the one who kissed him.”
Jillian smiled. “And this morning?”
My expression said it all. Less than a week with him and I was already twitterpated. As much fun as I was having with my sister, I couldn’t wait to get back to the cabin to get to know Elliot a little better. There was a dinner planned tonight, and then we were going to go to the opening day of the art’s fest tomorrow. There was still so much to do, and we had two weeks left. The first week flew by, I needed to savor the next two.
“All very . . . very real.” I finally admitted.
Once we got back to the cabin, after a quick hug, we retreated to our respective cabins. I saw Elliot’s Jeep in a different place, fresh tire marks on the snow. I pulled out my phone, thinking maybe he had texted me, but nothing was there. I shook my head at the thought.
The kitchen was empty when I walked in. His computer was on the island, his phone next to it. His shoes were by the door, and the upstairs wood floor was creaking. Taking my coat off and kicking off my boots, I quickly made my way upstairs. My mind began to wander. Maybe he was getting ready to take a shower, or better yet, just getting out. I could just envision him with a towel wrapped around his waist, his skin wet. Ever since I saw him the first morning I couldn’t get him out of my mind. And after last night—touching his skin—I wanted to touch him again. I wanted more of Elliot.
Skipping the demon stair I looked into the loft, gasping when I saw Elliot there in the middle. He stood with his arms crossed, his feet lightly spread standing next to a gorgeous art easel. A blank canvas sat on it, a few more leaned against the wall behind him. A stool sat in front of the easel, an oil paint set complete with brushes on top.
Elliot smiled, clearly very proud of his gift. “I didn’t know what colors you wanted, so I got a bunch, and I wasn’t sure what brushes you would want or need, but the girl there helped me pick a few. We can always go back if you need more . . .”
“Elliot,” I stopped him, walking up to him to slip my arms around his waist. “I love this.”
