Page 99 of Fate Forever and Always

We walked further into the room when Callie became rigid. She saw Beck joking with Amani and Brielle and looked straightat me. I knew she was silently thanking me for inviting him, so I nodded.

“Hey,” Callie said, walking into the room. Elijah got up and hugged her.

“Damn girl, you smell good.”

“Watch yourself,” I murmured with a smile. Elijah and Callie both let out a laugh.

“Don’t listen to him. You can compliment me anytime you want,” Callie joked and slapped his chest.

Beck stood up and put out his hand to shake Callie’s. “Nice to see you again.”

Callie's demeanor dropped a little. “Can I hug you?” she whispered.

He smiled, “Of course you can.”

He looked a bit awkward and uncomfortable, but she pulled him into a hug and just kept saying thank you over and over again. He got a little more comfortable after she let go. I got the impression he wasn’t used to being praised or thanked for anything.

Once they pulled away, he put both hands in his pockets. “Don’t sweat it.” He shrugged. “It really was nothing. It didn’t take long at all.” He looked over at me. “I am just glad I was able to help when Nick reached out.”

I walked up beside Callie and put my arm around her. “We are both very thankful for you.”

He nodded and went back to his conversation with Amani.

Brielle was making her way into the kitchen, so I followed her. She was looking a little down.

“What’s with the long face, pip?”

She rolled her eyes. “I hate when you call me that. I am not a little pipsqueak anymore.”

“You are to me,” I laughed. “The girls both have a nickname, and you needed one too.”

She looked at me with a sad smile and changed the subject. “I’m just worried is all.”

Concern filled my stomach. “Worried about what?” I was pretty sure it wasn’t my business, but I knew if she didn’t want to talk about it she would tell me to fuck off.

“Eli. He seems so,” she paused. “I don’t know, different. Like he is acting like himself but… different somehow, and a lot more drunk.”

“At least he is a happy drunk, right?”

She gave me a half smile and nodded. “Sure.”

We chatted for a few more minutes until there were about thirty seconds until the new year. I gave Brie a quick hug and headed toward my girl. I saw her standing across the room at the entrance to the hallway, staring at me with a smile on her face. She curled a finger, beckoning me, so of course I obliged. When I reached her, she leaped into my arms and brought her legs around my waist.

“I am glad this new year is starting off with a bang.”

I gave her a sly look and pressed her against the wall, my hardening cock pushing against her. “I'll give you a good bang.”

I took her lips into mine as our friends’ voices faded in the background.

“...Three. Two. One.”

After everyone finished screaming and hugging each other, we sat with our friends and shared our resolutions and what we wanted to gain from the year. Most of the answers were similar. A few people talked about weight loss. Brielle was hoping for a new internship. She didn’t say why, but she made it seem like she wasn’t very happy with her current one. Of course, Elijah said the dumbest thing he possibly could have.

“My resolution is to get in Brielle’s pants.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him as a slight blush covered her cheeks. “Eli, you’re hot, but I wouldn’t even let you in mypants if you were the last man on earth.” She and Aubrey broke out into a laugh.

Brielle was the only one who ever called him Eli. He corrected anyone else who did.

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