Page 122 of Dare To Fall

Chapter 81

Eli

After changing the tire, Kellan announces we need to stop for gas. That turns into grabbing something to eat. Of course, Kellan isn’t satisfied with something from the gas station. He wants to find a restaurant, which means we have to drive into the next town we reach. And when we finally leave the restaurant, and get back on the road, we hit a traffic jam caused by a crash further up the road.

By the time we pull up to the gates of Churchill Bradley, it’s after midnight, and I’m grinding my teeth in frustration. It takes another fuck knows how long to get our cases to our room. I’m halfway out of the door when Kellan calls my name.

“Where are you going?”

“To let Ari know we’re back.”

“Eli, it’s almost one-thirty in the morning. Let the girl sleep. You’ll see her tomorrow.”

“But—”

He raps his knuckles against my forehead. “Start thinking with this head instead of the little one.”

I scowl at him. “It’s not little, thank you very much.”

“And I’m sure Bella thoroughly enjoys what you do with it, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’ll be asleep, and you can’t just go waltzing up there to announce yourself.” He leans forward and inhales. “Plus, you stink of dirt and car fumes. Take a shower, then go to bed.”

“But—”

“You said that already.” He steps past me and closes the door. “Don’t make me lock it and swallow the key, Eli. I’ll do it, and then you’ll have to listen to me bitch about it until I shit it out.” He leans against the door, folds his arms, and cocks an eyebrow. “Well?”

I glare at him for a moment longer, then blow out a breath. “Fine!”

“That’s a good boy.” He pushes away from the door and pats my cheek. “We will housebreak you, even if it kills us.”

I roll my eyes and throw open a suitcase to pull out clean clothes, then head into the bathroom to take a shower. I leave the door open, so I can talk to Kellan while I wash.

“Did you give Miles the cell for Ari?”

“No. I thought you’d want to give it to her.” He snickers. “Like I’m sure you’ve been giving everything else to her this week.”

“You’re such a fucking child sometimes.”

“It stops you from turning into a broody, miserable fucker. Without me, you’d be less of a person and more of an antisocial monster.”

“Thanks.”

Kellan using the term ‘monster’ doesn’t bother me the way it does when anyone else says it. And he’s not wrong. Without him around, I probably would have truly become the monster they call me a long time ago.

I come out of the shower, a towel wrapped around my waist and rub at my hair with a second one. Kellan is sprawled on his bed, messing with his cell. His gaze lifts and scans over me, and a smile tips up his lips.

“Nice war wounds.”

“Hmm?”

“Those little teeth marks covering your ribs. She’s a biter, I see.”

“Oh.” I laugh. “Yeah, she bites. But that’s okay, because so do I.”

***

“Fuck.” A thud joins the curse, and I lift my head off my pillow to search out the source of the sound.

Kellan is hopping around the room, dragging on jeans.

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