Page 24 of That Emerald Vow

She grabs it from me and shakes it with barely a sound.

“I think ‘almost empty’ may be pushing it,” I tease.

Sticking her tongue out at me, she proceeds to try to coat the milkshakes. After two failed attempts and me silently smirking at her, she tries again, frustrated. Charlie gasps and jumps back as spurts of whipped cream fly everywhere but the glass. We both look at each other for a long moment in shock before bursting out laughing.

“I told you I was a disaster in the kitchen,” she says between laughs.

I take a step towards her. She looks ridiculous with random spots of whipped cream on her face. The laughter slowly subsides with our close proximity. “You’re not a disaster,” I say, wiping the whipped cream spots with my thumb and bringing it to my mouth. “Tasty, maybe.”God, what I would do to taste her. Just once.I look down at her mouth and back up at her eyes. She parts her lips, and I can tell she’s as flustered as I am.

Embracing the electricity that’s surrounding us, we both lean a little bit closer to each other. “Oh, I’m definitely tasty. Even without the whipped cream exploding on me.” There’s that confident girl.

“Oh, yeah?” I rasp, inching even closer—now a breath away from her.

Maybe just one kiss won’t hurt.

She closes her eyes, and I do the same, both of us deciding to let this moment guide us. Before we can close that final gap, the oven timer goes off, startling both of us.

Charlie leaps back a step, and I grunt as I go to turn off the timer and oven. “I guess it’s time to eat.” I turn around after taking the snacks out of the oven.

“Uh, yeah. Let me just go wash my face.” She gives me a small smile as she walks out of the room.

“Okay. I’ll, uh, finish up here and start cleaning.” I start plating the wings and fries.

“Day?”

“Hmm,” I mumble, ignoring the confusion forming inside from the choice of nickname.

“Thank you for this. I really needed it.” Without another word, she leaves the kitchen again.

I grab a french fry and pop it into my mouth as I realize I needed this too. Not just tonight, but her. Getting to know Charlie is slowly healing a part of me I didn’t allow myself to think about. Two people called me “Day” today, but only one pissed me off. When Char said it, it made me have a feeling of belonging and care. Hearing it from her lips . . . it felt right.

Imake it to the master bathroom and shut the door, leaning on it for stability. Looking up, I see my reflection, there are whipped cream specs all over my face. I walk to the faucet and turn the cold water on as I begin to lather cleanser on my face. The circular motion slowly drifts me into a distant memory I’d rather forget of the last time I was close to a man whom I trusted. And I can feel it . . . I’m starting to trust Damon.

I finish washing my hands in Elias’s bathroom and plop down next to him on his bed. “Hey, I think I’m going to leave in like thirty. It’s getting late.”

We started dating junior year but decided to break up recently, a few months shy of graduating. When we first started, it was a whirlwind. I finally felt safe—protected. It was the first time I truly trusted someone after what my uncle did to me.

Sadly, our demons were too much for us to handle, and as much as we care for each other, being together had become more harmful than helpful. He has his own things he had to work through, and I have mine. That doesn’t stop us from sleeping together from time to time because it is just easier—safer. But recently, I’ve become sick and tired of the cycle and am ready to move on.

Elias smirks at me as he grabs his semi-hard cock through his pants. “Iknow what we could do.”

I force myself not to frown before saying, “I’m not in the mood. Maybe we can watch something until then.” What I should have said was that I didn’t want to do this anymore. That if we are going to be friends, that’s all we should be. But I don’t want to hurt his feelings.

“Baby, I can help you get in the mood. Come on!” he says, leaning over and kissing my neck. My body is used to his touch being sweet and warm, but something about this time fills me with an underlying discomfort.

I lie frozen in place, my back on the bed as he undresses and takes my pants off. It all happens in slow motion and too fast all at the same time.

If I just let it happen, then it doesn’t count . . .I try to tell myself.

My body goes through the motions, but I feel like I am floating above my body. Not really there.

I want this to happen. This is Elias, and it’s like every other time.

My body goes limp as he goes in and out, grunting in pleasure while a steady stream of silent tears fall from either side of my face.

I don’t sob. I don’t scream. I don’t say a word. I feel so fucking numb to the whole experience, willing it to be over.

I’m not even sure he realizes as his face is buried in my neck.

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