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A smile strikes me. If the stories Eliza has told me hold any truth at all, then Cary Pierce will party harder than anyone else tonight. It’s possible he won’t make it back home at all until morning…
Leaving Eliza home alone all night long.
* * *
I poke out a finger,being careful not to drop the cups of coffee cart brew in my hands as I push the doorbell. It rings loudly inside, echoing off the bare walls for several seconds before falling silent once more. I wait a few long moments, listening hard for any movement before tapping the bell again.
Still, nothing stirs inside.
I balance both cups in one hand while reaching for my phone with the other.
Answer the door.
I send the text and drop the phone back into my pocket before kicking the door with my foot.
Finally, I sense movement on the other side; the gentle tapping of little feet on the stairwell.
“Ellie!” I shout, kicking the door a few more times.
“Junior?”
The door opens quickly and Eliza stares out at me with hard, suspicious eyes. Her face is slightly paler than usual but that just makes her blue eyes stand out more.
“What are you doing here?”
“We won the game,” I answer.
“I heard.”
“So, I came to see you.”
“I told you I was sick…” She slinks back a little in the door frame. “If you came here to collect, I need a rain check.”
“Relax, Ellie. I didn’t come here for sex. I came here because Grant told me you got sick at rehearsal and I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Skepticism screws up her face. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m fine,” she says, fighting the blush in her white cheeks. “Just a little stomach bug going around, I think.”
“Good. That you’re fine,”I add quickly. “Not the stomach bug part…”
I stare at her peaked face, holding back every urge I have to risk catching whatever she has. Somehow, she’s just as beautiful in a dirty tank top and flannel pants as she is in her collection of short, come-fuck-me skirts — possibly more so.
I hand her a cup. “Think you can stomach some coffee? Black, as you like it.”
“Thank you. Maybe…” She brings it to her nose to inhale the scent through the hole at the top. “Mmm… That’s the first smell in like twelve hours that hasn’t made me nauseous…”
“And…” I reach behind my back and grip the soft plush hiding in my belt. “I thought this guy might make you feel better, too.”
She smiles wide as I hand her the teddy bear. “Aww…” she laughs and hugs it to her chest. “Thank you. That’s so…”
“Thoughtful?”
“Yeah.”
I pause, completely fixated on the glee trembling her cheeks. “Can I come in?”
