Page 104 of Eight Steps to Alpha

He clenched his jaw, took the remote from the coffee table, and clicked off the TV.

She swallowed hard, smoothing her nerdy sleep shirt over her breasts. “Wh—What’s happening, Is everything okay?” she stammered out.

“You’re a good woman,” he said to her as he came closer. “And you’re nice to me.”

She backed away, her head shaking, but there were tears glistening in her eyes. “This isn’t funny, Elliot. What are you doing—what happened to Mary?”

“I love you, Fe Porto, and I think you love me.”

Her eyebrows pinched together, but she only shook her head. “Of course, I love you. You’re—you’re my best friend.”

He adjusted his stance when he was only a few inches away, bracing one hand on either side of the wall that she’d backed herself into. He looked into her eyes. “That’s not what I’m talking’ about, and you know it.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, but she couldn’t run away from him anylonger. He had her trapped, and he wouldn’t let her go until he said all he needed to say.

“I love you.” His words were raw, almost choking him, but he wouldn’t let his own pride and fear of rejection hinder him anymore. His brother was right. If he didn’t go after her, he’d lose her, and he knew he’d never be able to live with himself. “I love you.” He repeated. “I have for a long time, but this is me, finally being man enough to say it out loud.”

Her lip quivered, and she closed her eyes. “Elliot—“

“I went to Mary’s apartment,” he said, interrupting her, needing her to know what happened. “My intention was to forget about you. To forget about last weekend, about the last four weeks, about the last five years. But you’re a part of me, Fe. Not just another person, but a piece of my soul. You’re the person who knows the best and the worst of me. Who knows me better than I know myself. You can fill me with joy, or rip my heart out with a simple glance, and honestly, I don’t ever want to forget any of it.”

“Elliot.” Her back was tense, and she was shaking her head, almost pleading for him to stop.

“What are you afraid of?”

She was breathing heavy, and he knew this was hard for her, but he needed to push her, to get things out in the open, once and for all. He wouldn’t let her go, wouldn’t let her run, not without knowing where they stood.

His hands moved to her arms, smoothing over them, until he took both of her hands in his. “What are you thinking?” he whispered.

A mixture of laugher and sobs rolled from her mouth as she looked up at him. “That I’m terrified. That I’m afraid I’ll lose you.” Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen. “I can’t lose you,” she finally whispered.”

“You won’t,” he said softly back.

“Statistics prove otherwise.” She shook her head. “Relationships fail, marriages fail… My brother—”

He held one finger to her lips, shushing her. “Since when do you listen to your brother?”

A sob and laugh, came out at the same time.

“Listen to your heart.” He laid one hand on her chest. “Listen to your head.”

He took her fingers and kissed them. She was his best friend, the girl he laughed with, and joked with, and wanted to spend the rest of his life with. “I love you, Fe Porto. I love you so much, it hurts.”

“What about Mary? I thought she was your dream girl?”

“Mary is strong, and beautiful, and intelligent, but she’s not you. She’ll never be you.”

Fe began to cry, looking up q5 him with tear streaked cheeks. “I’m scared.”

“Me too.”

“But—”

He took her face between his hands, brushing her tears away with his thumbs. “This is us, Fe. Us. We’re different, just like you always tell me. All I’m afraid of right now, is that some other guy will get to be your John Wayne before I do.”

She was crying harder, her chin wobbling, but she lifted up on her toes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and crushed herself to his chest. “I love you, Elliot Prescott. I love you so much.”

Everything within him burst at the same time. His heart, his head, all the weight he’d been carrying around for his whole life. He picked her up, cradling her in his arms, and settled his mouth upon hers. “God, I love the sound of that.” He kissed her hard, with all of his heart, with all of his soul, and when he almost had his fill of her, he kissed her again.

When their mouths finally parted, she placed one hand on his jaw and pressed her forehead to his. “We have chemistry, Elliot Prescott.”

He grinned. “We do.”

“I love you very much.”

“I love you too.”

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