Page 84 of His Every Move

“I love you, too, Eli.” He shot a glance down at the floor. I couldn’t even look at Zack. “Now, let’s get the police here so we can explain what happened and get us out of here.”

“Good idea,” I said. “I really don’t want to be here anymore.”

“Go wait outside. I’ll keep an eye on Zack until the cops get here.”

He squeezed his hand around mine. I leaned up and stole another kiss before I left the room. I stepped into the hallway. A couple of actors were milling about, likely trying to listen to what was happening in the room. It probably sounded like a wild audition to them.

I walked out of the building and sucked in a breath of fresh air for what felt like the first time in years. The sunshine was bright, the city loud. Everything felt so much morealive.

Well, I didn’t get the dream role, but at least I got the dream man.

Chapter31

Benji Morrison

The apartment had never been quieter.

The city’s sounds still filtered in—sirens, car horns, the occasional bark from a neighbor’s dog—but inside, everything felt still. As if the walls were holding their breath along with me.

Eli was in the shower. I could hear the faint rush of water through the door as I stood in the kitchen, staring at the half-full bottle of wine I’d left on the counter.

I didn’t want it. Not anymore. Not after everything that happened. Not with the weight of reality still pressing down on my shoulders like an invisible elephant.

I ran a hand through my hair, gripping the strands until it hurt. Fuck, these last few weeks had been a fucking whirlwind. And then it all culminated with Zack. What he did… what healmostdid—I’d seen some unhinged shit in my years, but watching someone I had zero suspicion of, someone Eli trusted, unravel like that?

It shook me.

I’d let my guard down one too many times. I’d seen the path of destruction the bottle led my mother down. I had stepped onto that path myself.

No more. Day one started now.

I twisted the cork out of the wine bottle and dumped the rest of it down the drain.

That felt… good. Cleansing. A small act of control. I rinsed the bottle and dropped it in the recycling before turning off the kitchen light and moving to the living room.

It was a small step forward, but it was a step none-the-less.

The apartment smelled like Eli. Like his cologne and the minty balm he put on his lips. He’d been staying here these last couple of days, the two of us cocooned in here with a never-ending supply of greasy delivery food and shows we’d been meaning to watch but never had the time to start. Lucky was curled up on the couch, one ear twitching as he adjusted to a new position, but otherwise still as a statue.

I sat down, letting my body sink into the cushion. It had been two days since everything went down. Since Zack was taken into custody. Since Eli collapsed into my arms.

And still, I hadn’t let myself fullyfeelit. Not yet.

The bathroom door creaked open and Eli stepped out, a towel around his waist, another rubbing at his hair. His skin was flushed from the heat of the water, eyes pink at the corners. He looked tired, but better. Whole.

Also so damn fucking sexy.

“Hey,” I said softly.

He gave me a genuine smile. “Hey.”

“How was the shower?”

“It was great. I didn’t take too long did I?”

“Not at all,” I said, a sense of peace and contentment filling me as I watched him in my space.

He crossed the room and dropped onto the couch next to me. Not quite touching, but close.

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