Page 57 of Savage Vicious Heir: Part Two

“I’m happy for you,” I reply, unsure if it’s the answer she’s looking for but unwilling to give her anything else. “I’m going to get a drink.”

I excuse myself and head for the sleek kitchen in the corner of the open-plan room.

I’ve been here enough times now that I know my way around even if I never truly feel at ease here.

“I would have gotten that for you,” Elliot says from behind me as I root around in the fridge for a can of pop.

“I’m capable of getting myself a drink,” I retort, unable to keep the exasperation out of my voice.

“You’re angry at me.” He moves closer, coming right up behind me and resting his hands on my hips. My heart flutters wildly in my chest, my skin vibrating at his touch.

“I’m not, I just… I don’t know what you want from me.”

He drops his head to my shoulder, his lips brushing my neck. Once. Twice. Sending a wave of shivers through me.

He isn’t playing fair. Elliot knows exactly what he’s doing and I both hate and love him for it.

“I think you’re lying to yourself, Red,” he murmurs against my skin. “You know exactly what I want from you. You’re just too scared to give it to me.”

“I’m not scared.” I twist in his arms. “I just don’t know if I can trust you anymore.”

His eyes flare with irritation but he doesn’t argue. “I know I fucked up. But I want to fix it… Just give me a chance to fix it. Please.”

Elliot drops his head to mine, not caring one bit that our friends can see us.

I shouldn’t cave, I know that.

I know it with every fibre of my being. But I’m so tired of hurting. And being with Elliot, it makes all the pain and grief go away.

It shouldn’t. But it does.

Without overthinking it, I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him closer.

We don’t kiss.

We don’t do anything except stand there, holding each other.

Wishing it can be as simple as me forgiving him.

We spend the day at the Chapel. Hanging out, taking it in turns to play the boys on the Xbox.

I don’t join in at first, letting Raine and Liv tag team Theo and Oakley. But the third time Reese asks if I want to join in, Elliot plucks me off my position on the end of the sofa and pulls me down between his legs and thrusts the controller at me.

“You can take over for me,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and easing me back against his chest.

It’s intimate, too intimate given we’re with our friends and we still haven’t defined what we are to them—or each other.

But I don’t argue, trying desperately to focus on the television screen and not Elliot’s hand as it slips beneath the t-shirt I borrowed from Tally to caress my skin.

“Is this okay?” he whispers, his warm breath brushing the back of my neck.

“That is very distracting,” I admit.

“Let the girl breathe, Eaton,” Theo teases. “Or she’ll stand no chance at kicking Oak’s arse.”

I blush at his insinuation, but Elliot doesn’t seem to mind.

In fact, he seems completely at ease.

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