Page 12 of Elas

“Elas, please,” August begs, and I snarl as he reaches for me. He swallows with an audible gulp as he nods nervously and lets his hand fall back to his side. “Please, you misunderstood. I just… I don’t want to be an imposition. You put your neck on the line to get me out of the prison, and now I’m invading your living space. Yourprivacy.”

Hazel eyes lock onto mine, and they’re so damn earnest I physically feel my defenses lowering. “How could I possibly accept when you’ve already done so much for me? I’m just… I don’t want you to resent me,” he adds, his voice dropping low. “I don’t think I could stand it.”

Thick silence falls between us. “Oh,” I finally say.

He offers me a hesitant smile, the hint of a dimple digging into his cheeks. “Why are you being so good to me?”

I bite at my lip, but decide that I don’t want to lie to him. “It was my last promise to my best friend. All these years, I’ve kept every promise I made to him, and I have no intention of stopping now… even if he’s never able to see it.”

“You’re a good person,” he says softly, and that simple statement feels like the highest compliment I could receive.

“Yeah, just don’t tell anyone.”

“Secret’s safe with me.” He grins, and I grin back far too easily.

“Come on,” I say as I gesture inside, dragging my eyes away from his. This weird tension between us is making me jittery, and I need to get a break from it. “After you.”

It’s strange seeing August here in my apartment. Aside from Ronan and a few other occasional friends, I don’t like having people in my space. Even with casual hookups, I insist on meeting at their barracks. Having others here, inmytiny sanctuary, has always felt invasive, but I find I don’t mind his calm company.

“I hope the couch is okay. There’s only one bedroom.”

“It’s more than okay—a million times better than sleeping on the hard floor of that cell.”

“Kitchen’s over there,” I say as I gesture across the open living area. It’s nothing fancy—a small fridge and stove, a few cabinets and a sink, and a two-person round table pushed into the corner. “They’ll feed you lunch at the clinic, and I normally grab dinner from the galley. It won’t be a problem for me to bring an extra plate for you. If you need anything specific kept here, let me know.”

“Can I leave this apartment when I’m not working?”

“If I’m with you, yes. You are not allowed to be anywhere alone, and right now I’d argue it isn’t safe, anyway.”

He nods, gaze drifting over the room. “That’s fair.”

He falls in line behind me as we step into the cramped hallway. “My bedroom is through that door, if you ever need me. The bathroom is here.” I frown as I let my eyes drift over him again. “You’d probably appreciate a shower right about now, wouldn’t you?”

His hazel eyes light up as they move up to mine. “I would do unspeakable things for a shower, yes.”

A quiet chuckle leaves me at his excitement. “Why can’t I imagine you doing anything unspeakable? Have I even heard you curse yet?”

“I can curse,” he insists with an adorable scowl as I laugh. “I can! It’s just that certain words are more impactful when they’re used sparingly.”

“Does the F word bother you, doc?”

“Of course not,” he mutters, a pretty blush forming on his cheeks.

“Say it,” I tease, and his nose wrinkles as he attempts to glare at me. “I want to hear you say it. C’mon… tell me to fuck off.”

“No, thank you.”

“Come on, August… it’ll be good for both of us. Do it! Fuck off, fuck you, fuck this… there are so many options for you to choose.”

“You are a menace,” he grumbles, and I throw my head back in a laugh as he blushes deeper. This is fun.

“Alright, alright,” I chuckle, walking in to my bedroom. He stands in the doorframe, watching as I dig through my drawers. I pull out a pair of sweatpants and a plain white undershirt. “They’ll be providing you with a few uniforms.”

“Uniform?” His eyes dart up and down my frame, but I shake my head.

“Not like mine. You aren’t military, more like a civilian contractor. They wear scrubs in the clinic.”

Relief smooths the stress wrinkles forming on his forehead. “Those I’m used to. I’m not sure I could pull off the leather quite as well as you.”

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