Page 100 of Eight Steps to Alpha

Chapter 37

The TV was stillon when she opened her eyes the next morning. Stuck, frozen in time to the opening credits of Jurassic World. She wasn’t even sure when she fell asleep last night, or how long she’d laid in Colton’s lap before she’d drifted. But somehow, she had…and somehow all she remembered now were the clips or dreams that had haunted her all through the night.

There was one dream in particular she couldn’t shake…. It was about Elliot, taking all of his things and stacking them in boxes by the front door. The piles grew bigger and bigger, but all she did was watch. She didn’t ask questions. Didn’t argue, because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to open her mouth to tell him to stay.

She leaned forward, reached for the remote to click off the TV, then pressed the heel of each hand into her eye sockets. She felt barely rested, almost not herself, but she sat up, placing both feet on floor, and found Colton beside her, hunched over in the arm chair, fast asleep. His long legs were sprawled out in front of him, his large body hunched over, hardly fitting in the seat.

She gave his knee a firm shove, and waited for his eyes to open. “Have you been sleeping like that all night?” she asked.

A sleepy grin formed at the corner of his mouth and he nodded. “Yes ma’am.”

“Why didn’t you wake me?”

He shrugged once, but a slow mischievous grin curved at the corner of his mouth. “I thought about takin’ your bed, but if I’m ever lucky enough to sleep there, I guarantee I won’t be alone.”

She raised one brow, but couldn’t quite hold back a laugh. “Nice try, lover boy.” She rose from her seat, stretching her arms overhead, but froze when she saw Elliot’s jacket on the floor. It was just thrown there, crumpled, discarded, which was out of character for him. The sight of it abandoned, like he didn’t care about it at all, stirred up a multitude of feelings she wasn’t ready for. Because she was sure he was upset when he’d entered the apartment last night, and she was positive that everything between them was about to change...

But…he’d come home. Her heart locked onto that fact, and she closed her eyes. He’d come home.

Glancing back to Colton, her chest aching and constricted, she found him watching her, bracing his forearms on his knees. She pushed her hair back behind her ear, and straightened her shoulders. “You can have your spot back. I’m not really tired anymore.”

His nodded his head, sat up, then sprawled out on the couch and pulled up the blankets. “I thank ya kindly.”

In the kitchen, Fe grabbed the coffee carafe, and began grinding beans to make a fresh pot. Elliot would be awake soon, and she was determined not to be there when he got up. It was better for now. Better to avoid him until things could settle. Until they found their new normal.

But as soon as she placed the pot under the faucet, the patter of bare feet sounded on the tile floor behind her.

“Hey,” Elliot said softly, his voice grabbed, like something was holding him by the throat.

She spun around, sloshing water to the kitchen floor. “Damnit.”

Setting the carafe on the counter, she reached for a towel, but it was too late, he was already hunched over on the ground, cleaning up her mess.

Her heart was pounding so hard that was all she could hear any longer. She glanced down at him, finding him wearing the multicolored superhero pants she’s purchased for him at Christmas. “I was just making coffee,” she stated.

He stood up, pushed himself from the floor, and placed the wet towel on the counter, “I assumed as much.”

She nodded, feeling like an idiot. Of course she was making coffee. What else would she be doing? She turned around, dumped the now ground beans into the filter, poured the remaining water into the machine, and focused on her breathing “How’d it go last night?” she forced herself to ask. “With Mary?”

He leaned against the counter, and kicked out his legs. “Good, I think. She’s makin’ me dinner tonight.”

“Oh.” Fe swallowed. “That sounds nice.” She forced a smile, then opened the cabinet above her head, and pulled out a mug. But the news about Mary hit her so hard, she almost dropped it. “Will you excuse me.”

She turned to the living room, intending to lock herself into the bathroom so she could cry in peace, but before she could step around him, he stopped her. “What happened last night?” he asked.

She blinked a couple times before looking up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Between you and Colton?

“We watched a movie.” She laughed.

“And?”

“And he’s a nice guy. What do you think happened?”

“Do you like him?”

Her eyes drifted to the floor, and she knew he wanted her to say no. That he didn’t want her to like his brother, but they would never move on if they didn’t stop this dance. “He’s growing on me,” she lied, forcing her face upward.

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