Page 102 of Until Tomorrow
“Long night?” I asked. Pushing the box against his stomach, I gently ushered him back into his apartment while still kicking my phone.I deserved a damn award for these antics.Thankfully, Elliot picked it up for me and tossed it on the couch.
“Yeah, I drank too fucking much.” He scrubbed his hands over his face and drew in another long breath. His shoulders squared off as he faced me. “I’m sorry.”
“For drinking too much? I think you’re the one paying the price for that, not me.”
“No,” he said. “For trying to kiss your husband.”
“Oh,please,” I scoffed. Heading straight to his kitchen, I dropped the box on the floor. I planted my hands on my hips as I faced him. “I don’t care.Well, I don’t care anymore. Past Eva was pissed off and considered strangling you with your scrotum.”
“I don’t think that’s possible,” Elliot muttered.
“Oh, baby boy, I would’ve made it happen,” I assured him with a big smile.
“You’re kind of scary like that.”
“Good, but I’m not mad anymore.”
“Eva.” He let out a heavy breath, shoving his hands in the pockets of his sleep pants. “You have every right to be mad. I need you to know that I’d never do anything to jeopardize your marriage.”
“I know—”
“And I know drunkenly trying to kiss Logan doesn’t exactly prove my point—”
“You’re fine, Elliot,” I interrupted, but he shook his head.
“I’m not fine, Eva.” The quiet dejectedness in his voice broke my heart.I knew this part was coming.I shoved the box aside and went straight to him, hugging him tight around the middle. He groaned but wrapped his arms around my shoulders and rested his chin on my head. Comfort hugging someone over a foot taller than you was hard as hell.
“It was easy to love him when you knew you never had a chance, wasn’t it?” I said softly, and Elliot froze. Before he could say anything, I plowed on ahead. “I know, Elliot.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He pulled away as he shook his head. I let him put distance between us, and I recognized his need for space.Not that I blamed him.Somewhere in the middle of all our life chaos, I’d missed it, but it was clear as day that Elliot had been in love with Logan for a long time.
“Elliot—”
“Eva, that’s not—”
“Elliot!” I exclaimed over him. “I know! I know, Elliot. Iknow. I’d be an idiot not to see it. I’ve been the idiot who hasn’t seen it.”
“Does Logan know?” Elliot asked in barely a whisper. The anguish on his face was heartbreaking.
“No. My sweet but sometimes oblivious husband hasn’t figured it out.”
“Please, don’t tell him, Eva. I can’t handle… I can’t…” He choked up. His hands fell to his hips as he stared down at his feet, and I gave him another minute. He cleared his throat, nodding. The resolve on his face when he finally looked at me tugged on my heart.My poor Elliot.“There’s no reason for Logan to know. It wouldn’t change anything, and he has someone. I’m fine, Eva. Really.”
“I’ll see you when I see you,” I said, quoting his last text to Logan. “Most days, you two can’t go a few hours without talking to each other, and you see each other every couple of days.”
“He’s pulled away recently.”
“I know, but now you are.”
“I just need a few days to get my head together, Eva,” Elliot told me. “I just need to process and let go and… yeah. I’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Okay, well…” I bent down to rummage through the box I’d brought, pulling out a bag of flaming hot Cheetos and peach rings. “You and me, we’re going to mope and talk about whatever you want.”
“You hate both those things,” he pointed out.
“I do. And that’s why,” I reached back into the box to grab a bag of Fruit Loops, “I have my own snack.”
“You don’t have to do this, Eva.” He gave me a small smile, his gratitude clear on his face. “This has to be weird for you.”
