Page 41 of Hazel and Elijah Find Out: First They F*cked Around

“Can you afford that?” he asked.

No.

“I’ll be fine,” I answered flatly.

“It’s great how much you care, but you need to take care of yourself, too.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Okay. Can I help with anything?” He put the car into park in my driveway.

I met his eye. “I don’t need any help, but thank you.”

At my front door, he wrapped me in his arms with his chin resting atop my head. It was all so tender, safe.

“Do you want to be alone?” he asked.

“I think I need to be.”

He kissed my hair. “I get it. I’ll bring you coffee tomorrow.”

“Thank you.”

I sank into him, my cheek resting against the soft fabric of his sweater. My shoulders relaxed away from my ears as the hair atop my head tangled in his beard.

But it was my heart that really fell.

Chapter 13

Eliah

“Ohmygod,Elijah.”I liked Hazel moaning my name, even if it was only because of the quinoa dish I’d made for her.

“I’m glad you like it.” I lifted a forkful to my mouth.

Her braid was frizzy and loose, and her mascara was flaking under her eyelashes. She’d taken off her white lab coat when she’d washed her hands, removing most of the pet fur from her body with it—even though there was still plenty on her dark slacks.

And I couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.

Her eyes were lit with excited energy as she spoke. “It’s delicious. Anyway, Brooks has to be so rung out. He was at three different farms today, and each of them had additional unexpected ailments. And seriously, cows and horses are so big, it can be exhausting to work with them. I don’t know how he does it all the time.”

“He’s not that big of a guy, either.”

She took a drink of water, her lips pursed around the straw. “He’s not, but he is freakishly strong. It’s crazy.”

I snorted, wondering what that even meant, but she didn’t elaborate.

“What’d you do today?” she asked.

“Nothing exciting, just a couple or hours of work. Then I made this,” I gestured to the food on the table, “and came here.”

“I feel so spoiled.” She bounced in her seat, taking another bite.

In the past week and a half, I’d gotten used to seeing her more relaxed. The air around her felt lighter. I didn’t know if it was because I made her feel that way, or if she was more confident around me, but either way, I loved it.

“Nothing could spoil you.”

The break room was just big enough for a table for two, a mini fridge, and a microwave. It was a shame it wasn’t a bigger space. The basement had been untapped real estate while my dad owned the clinic—he’d never cleared it from when my grandpa owned the business. Maybe one of the weekends I visited I could help Hazel clean it out. Who knew what the space could be used for?

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