Page 97 of Of Flesh & Bone

Suuuuuure it wasn't.But whatever.I don't care now.I get to spend some much-needed one-on-one time with my BB.I still can't believe that Adam is okay with this.

The amazing aroma of Dorito Chicken wafts to me as soon as I enter the apartment.My mouth waters.

"Hey honey, I'm home."I drawl out.

"In the kitchen."He calls back like the good little house bear that he is.

"Mmmm, it smells so good in here!"

"I added a little something extra this time.We'll see if we want to make it a permanent thing or just stick with the OG."

"You know I don't like change."The grimace on my face is meant to show my disdain for the alteration to a good thing.

"First off, don't knock it til you've tried it.Second off, you didn't have me and V in your life and then you did.Awesome change."

He does have me there.He makes the best points.Although, I have to admit that Cotton makes some good ones too.They would really get along.

"Alright fine, lay it on me."

"Patience, young Padawan.All good things take time."

I laugh quietly and smile.

"So."Eli starts and I know I'm about to get hit with the mother of all third degrees."Tell me about this Adam."

I let out a long, slow breath aimed up at my hairline.

"He's...I don't know.He's very different.He's intense."

"Good intense, or it's time to utilize these sniper skills intense?"

"Definitely good intense.It's just my first real relationship, you know, and he's made it quite clear that it will be my last.He was actually confirming that fact within days of our first meeting."

"That's it.That's all I needed to fucking know."

He throws his floral tea towel onto the counter and attempts to rip off his apron that says boobies at the top and features various birds on the front, including the blue-footed booby, the masked booby, and the Abbott's booby.He gets his head tangled in the neck strap and becomes increasingly more frustrated before saying, "Fuck it.It'll be more embarrassing for him to get his ass handed to him by a man wearing a booby apron."

"Whoa there, booby master.It's not like you're thinking.Yes, he's intense and I might even say aggressive, but I feel that way too.I'm just more wary than he is.He's laying it all out and just very open about how he feels.I want to be in this with him though.I'm not being pressured.I promise."

Eli looks me over.He's pensive and worried."I worry about you, Evie Bear."His voice is soft and hesitant.

"I know you do.I appreciate you.I really do."Just thinking about Eli and Vaughn makes my heart swell."The thing is that, now, I have more people who give a shit.You and V are my family.It's just that now I have friends too.There's Adam of course but I wouldn't call him a friend.He's....he's just...I don't know.It's all so intense."I don't know how to process this relationship for myself.I certainly don't know how to explain it to someone else."Then I have Cal, Cotton, and Ada.I've even become friendly with some of the other girls on the team."

It feels good to talk about my friends.There have been so many times in my life that I felt friends just weren't in the cards for me.

"I've learned so much about myself and I've grown more in the past month than I have in the past five years combined.I don't know exactly what's happening, but I do know that it was meant to happen and that it's good for me."

Eli is smiling now.He has this big brother look on his face like he's happy that I'm happy, but he also wants to rip the throat out of the guy who's been sharing my bed.

He turns back to the stove, which looks so tiny compared to him, and puts both hands down on top of it."I'm happy for you, Evie."

"Thanks, BB."

Eli bends down to open the stove with his floral tea towel in hand.As he's pulling the Dorito Chicken out of the oven I say, "Since we're sharing, what's going on with you and V?"

He turns quickly to look at me."Is there something I should know about?"There's more worry in his voice.

He loves Vaughn so much.The mere thought that something could be wrong is sending him into a tailspin.Quickly, I try to reassure him, "Nothing.There's nothing to worry about.We had a conversation recently about the future and I know she sees you in hers."

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