Page 5 of Stopped

“Thanks,” he oozed, full of boy next door charm and sex appeal. My scowl grew deeper. He spun the chair around and straddled it with ease, his arms folding over the top and his knee bumping mine for how far his legs had to spread to accommodate the back of the chair. “This looks like an important meeting. Hope I'm not interrupting?”

“Not at all, sugar.” If Ashley batted her eyes any harder, her false lashes were liable to flutter away of their own volition. “We’re helping Elijah plan his campaign for Town Supervisor.”

William’s liquid honey eyes found my gaze with a crooked smile. “I heard about that. Good luck, EJ.”

“He’ll need it,” Brent quipped from the other side of the table. “Not because he’s not qualified, but…”

He shrugged and retrieved his teacup.

“I feel ya. Tough crowd.” Will bumped my knee again with his. Lionel, in his exceptionally close position, caught the movement and slowly eased back into his own chair. The smirk on his doll-like features had no right being so smug.

“You want to help?” Lionel shifted until he could prop his elbow on the table and stare at Will with a devious glint in his eyes. “I'm sureEJwould appreciate it.”

“Sign me up.” William drummed out a little rhythm on the back of the chair as he sat up straight. “Speaking of help… how’d it work out with those brake lights?”

My cheeks grew so hot I was sure there were flames shooting from them. “Uh… it's… on my to-do list.”

Everyone’s eyes bounced around the table in confusion as Will smiled, slow and smug. “Five o’clock. Your place. I'll bring my toolkit.”

“No! No, I—”

“Six?”

Lionel kicked my ankle under the table and interrupted. “He’ll be there. Five thirty.”

With a nod and his insufferable dimpled grin, Will unfurled his frame from the chair to loom over the table. “Sounds like a plan. Y’all have a good one. I'll be seeing you around.”

Everyone said pleasant greetings as he tucked the chair under the table and sauntered away. Everyone but me. I scowled extra hard at his broad, bulky back as he left. He really did look all dolled up in a fitted black t-shirt and sinfully fitted dark-wash jeans. Stupid Will with his stupid smile. Stupid jeans. Stupid sunglasses. Stupid golden brown hair and stupid ass I wanted to bite just to see if it was as firm as it looked. Purely for science.

“Jeez, Elijah. Do I need to call animal control? You're foaming at the mouth.” Brent snickered into his teacup.

“Screw you,” I muttered, turning back to glower at my cousin’s smirking expression.

“But really… EJ? No one calls you that.” Lionel cupped his chin in his palms with an angelic smile. “The way he kept looking at you… swoon.”

“Wait, is he…?” Ashley blinked her eyes and cocked her head in confusion.

“Not for us to theorize.” Sally wagged a finger with a stern voice. “But if I had to guess, I smell a second chance romance in Elijah’s future.”

“Oooo, yes. Get it, boy.” Ashley shimmied her shoulders with a giggle of glee. “I remember the rumors in high school. God, how positively adorable!”

“All of you can shut it now. He's an insufferable prick with an egotistical attitude, and I don't have time to bother with the likes of him. Not after what he did.”

“El, it was ten years ago. He’d just lost his mom. You really need to let it go.” Brent eyed me over the rim of his glasses. “Will’s a good guy. I get that he hurt you, and that's totally fair and valid. But he’s not the big bad wolf you're making him out to be.”

My shoulders sagged as my chest deflated. As much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I'd been carrying this grudge for so long that I didn't know how to put it down. Maybe it was time I learned.

“Swoony. And he’s going to be at your house!” Lionel reached out and ruffled my hair. “You need to make yourself beautiful and get a charcuterie board.”

I blinked at my best friend, baffled and stifling snickers. “A cheese board?”

“Yes. Get the beer cheese. He seems like a beer cheese and cured meats man. You know, a het-passing gay boy with lots of muscles and an affinity for sports?”

We all erupted in laughter that garnered too much attention to the fluctuating crowds.

“That would almost be offensive if it weren’t so on the nose.” I booped Lionel’s nose with the tip of my finger.

After a brief detour into teasing me about imagined chemistry between myself and Will, we spent the rest of the morning discussing plans for my campaign. I had six short weeks topull off a miracle, but by the time we were wrapping up, my confidence had started to grow. It was amazing what a good group of loyal friends could do for my outlook.

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