Page 86 of Insatiable Hunger

“She’s kind of scary when she gets going.”

“You have no idea.” I laugh. “One of her friends told me the last time they were here a few weeks ago that she once slapped a nurse across the face for hooking up with a patient. Threatened to report her to the nursing board too. I guess the woman ended up stepping down instead.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” he muses.

“What did she say?”

“She reamed my ass for my relationship with you.” The way I get honest to God butterflies from hearing him say“relationship”is absurd. “And she says you deserve better.”

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She’s just pissed off at me.”

“Katie’s right, though.” He holds up his hand when I snap my head toward him, ready to deny. “You do deserve better than what I’m giving you.”

I open my mouth to respond, but end up closing it because I don’t really know what to say. In the back of my mind, I always knew this day would come. The day whatever this is between us ends. Because it obviously can’t last forever. He’s married to my mom, and regardless of how much I care about him, regardless of the chemistry we share, it’s wrong, and doesn’t change anything. It was always going to end. I guess it makes sense for it to be now.

“Elias,” he breathes. “The way I feel about you—”

“You don’t have to say it. I get it.”

His brows dip inward. “Get what?”

“You’re married to my mom, and this always had an expiration date.”

“I…” He rakes a hand down his face, rubbing over his beard. “I don’t want it to have an expiration date.”

His declaration, spoken all throaty and honest, makes my heart gallop in my chest. “What?”

The world is spinning on its axis as I sit here, hearing him say those words to me. Words I never thought I’d hear. Words I didn’t think were true. Words I never allowed myself to even hope to be true.

“Listen, I don’t have all the answers or know how it’s going to work out. All I do know is that an expiration date is the very last thing I want when it comes to you. We can figure this out when we get home, but I just needed you to know that.”

The damn flutters in my stomach return tenfold as I stare at him. “O-okay,” I whisper, afraid my voice will betray me if I speak too loudly. I can’t recall a single moment in my life when I felt both as relieved and anxious in equal measures as I do right now. Relieved to know he feels the way I do, but anxious about what this means for us, and my mom, in the future.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Zeke Alvarez

I swear, between my sister’s death and the impending end of my marriage on the horizon, I’m never going to sleep again. I know I need to sit down and have the uncomfortable conversation with Valerie about how I think we should end our arrangement, but coming up with the right words is proving to be next to impossible.

On top of all that, I also have to, at some point soon, figure out Elena’s estate. As the only family member alive, it’s left to me, but every time I try to think about it, it’s like a knife to the chest all over again.

It’s only been a week since we got back from Miami, and I know I need to give myself a little grace, but I’m aget shit donekind of guy. So, having the answers to none of my problems is fucking with me. And also, maybe, making me a little paranoid. Since coming home, Valerie has seemed weirder and more distant than normal.

I don’t know what’s going on with her, and I can’t help but think I’m imagining it since I have a guilty conscience. I plan to talk to her tonight when I get home, but again, I don’t even know what to say or where to start.

A knock sounds at my door, and I’m reminded I’m still at work and have a load of shit to do after being gone for two weeks. “Come in,” I shout as I sift through my emails.

The door opens and the head that pops through is the last fucking person I want to see right now.

Sitting back in my chair, I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Yes, Jordan?”

“Hi, sir. Welcome back,” he mutters, closing the door behind him and taking a seat in front of my desk. “I’m so sorry to hear about your loss.”

I understand when people say shit like this, they mean well. It’s meant to be sympathetic and kind. But frankly, all it does is piss me off and remind me that my sister isn’t fucking here anymore.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I mutter out a clipped, “Thank you.”

Jordan gives me a sad smile before shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose. I hate that I can’t look at him without envisioning him with Elias, and wondering what Elias was like him.

---