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“I can, and I will,” he replies. “It has nothing to do with what happened in class, though it didn’t help. I inherited the money from the sale of the house, and I never spent it. I was thinking of buying a car and driving up to the lake and making peace. Will you come with me?”
“Summertime,” I tell him. “Please finish the semester. I’ll stick by you, and you can stick by me. In the summer, we’ll make our plans then.”
Chapter Twenty
Olivia
Summer Break
Elijah frowns. “It's not how I remember it.”
Elijah and I stand on the deck of a newly constructed rental house by Lake Mahopac. The field of long grass where we used to play is now a housing development. There’s a Dunkin Donuts on Main Street, and further out, there’s a Super Walmart. Elijah had held onto the money he inherited from his mother with the intention of returning to Mahopac. Despite the changes, I’m glad we came.
“It’s nothing like I remember either.” I frown.
Elijah laughs, pulling me into his arms. “I think it’s better. The memories have been bulldozed out of sight.” He motions to the house. “It’s all ours, Livi.”
Every time he smiles at me, my knees melt. He presses his lips to my forehead, and I hug him tight. I’m glad we returned together to replace old, and sometimes painful, memories with better ones. And neither one of us won the photo competition, but that’s okay because I’d rather be here with him for the summer.
“Hey, don’t forget we’re going into town.” Amanda runs up the stairs and onto the deck. She stands at the edge, admiring the view. “This is such a great house. We deserve a vacation after that crap apartment.”
We gave up our lease on the apartment, and with Elijah, we’ll rent a decent house a few blocks away from the engineering school. It’s a little odd being in that neighborhood. Lucas transferred out of Wakehurst after his parents got the charges dropped. He may have been able to convince the judge, but society found him guilty.
“Hey, do we have enough food?” Amanda asks. “How many guests are we expecting?”
I wiggle out of Elijah’s hold but give him a quick kiss, eager to come back. “I asked the entire lacrosse team, so that’s my guest list.”
Amanda eyes me. “Even that girl?”
“Are you talking about Nikki?” I ask. “We’re cool now that we won the state championship.”
Amanda holds out her hands. “Well, I need the car keys. I invited the drama club, and they’re expecting ranch Doritos with their plant burgers.”
Amanda pulls the used Toyota out of its parking spot by Elijah’s Camaro. He pats the hood of the matte black muscle car affectionately. I think it’s as dark as his somber personality, but he’s slowly changing.
“What are you smirking at?” he asks from the bottom step.
I smile, standing at the top. “She’ll be gone for at least an hour.” My fingers hook into the straps of my sundress, and I pull it down off me, exposing my bare breasts to him and the sun. My body responds whenever he’s near, and I feel the wetness starting between my thighs.
He won’t always make the first move. I have to offer myself to him. My hands clutch the rail, and my legs press together as he walks back up the steps, staying in control. I grab the hem of his t-shirt and pull it over his head, revealing a solid chest.
“It’s a big store.” My finger draws lines across his chest. “And if we need more time, I can text her and tell her to pick up more ice.”
I step toward the door that leads into the kitchen. But before I step inside, I reach out and hook my fingers in the waistband of his jeans. He follows me inside. I lean my bottom against the kitchen table, aware that our guest could appear at any time and see us through the patio window. I push my toes into the floor and hoist myself up on the edge of the table, holding my legs apart. Smirking at me, Elijah is patient, but I’m not.
He walks toward me, and his finger runs through a drop of sweat beading up between my breasts. He leans in closer and sniffs my skin. Elijah always tells me he gets off on my scent. I whimper with need, inching my legs farther apart, placing my fingers in between my thighs as a suggestion.
His gaze lowers, and when Elijah looks up, he kisses me. His hunger never wanes as he pushes his fingers into my hair and takes my mouth. Gradually, all of me submits to him.
“No bed this time?” he whispers.
I trail the tip of my nose along his cheek. “I don’t want to waste a second of our time alone.”
Elijah smiles as he pushes his shorts down his muscular legs and steps out of them. I’ve seen him naked a hundred times, and I’ll always want to see him. His hands grip my ass, and he pulls me forward. His tip carelessly rests against my slit. My mouth opens to sigh, and he claims it, tangling his tongue with mine.
He grips a drawer on the island and pulls it open. Shamelessly, we keep condoms stashed all over the house. Elijah holds it up, and I slip it out of his hand. I place the latex on his tip, and his eyes flutter shut as I roll it down.
Gripping my thighs, he pulls me forward, lining himself up with my slit. My nails press into his back as he teases me until I whimper for more. He slips in inch after inch as we lean into each other as close as we physically can. I hold his face in my hands and stare into the eyes of the man I love, the one who I always wanted and desired. The one that gave me a second chance.
