Page 21 of Until Tomorrow
“I’m fine,” I scoffed. To prove my point, I dropped off my stool, and my knees just kept on doing their thing. Elliot caught me before I went down completely, hauling me against him to hold me up.
“Jesus Christ, Logan,” he muttered. He was unbearably close—practically nose-to-nose with me. Somehow, the dim bar lighting made him more handsome. I didn’t need to be noticing that.
There was a fraction of a moment where my heart beat a little faster in my chest. That almost kiss moment came back to me—memories hitting like a fucking truck. I shoved Elliot away, unwilling to go down that avenue all over again. It was the whole reason I was so goddamn miserable.
If he’d never tried to kiss me, I wouldn’t be where I was. I’d be at home with Eva.
“Get off of me,” I snapped. “I can walk on my own.”
“You fall one more time, I’m throwing you over my shoulder and carrying your sorry ass out,” Elliot told me.Damn it.I didn’t need the image of being tossed around by him in my head.
“Fine,” I grumbled. Unsteadily, I trailed after him until we were outside. The cold night air was a stark contrast to the heat inside the bar. I paused on the sidewalk, breathing in deeply. I stared at the sky, wishing for the stars that I’d grown up with. Small-town life had its perks over the city. Stars were one of them. “I’m so fucked up, Elliot.”
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” he replied, and I frowned. “Come on, Logan. You don’t think I’d notice you’re practically drunk every night?”
“That’s not…”Was I?I didn’t have a clue.
“Come on, bud. Let’s get you home.” He took me by the shoulders and steered me toward his truck. “We’ll talk about all this shit in the morning.
“Nah,” I muttered. “I don’t want to.”
“You need to.”
“Nope, not going to.”
“I swear to fuck, Logan—”
“Why is it swear to fuck?” I interrupted. “Who thought that was a good phrase?”
“In,” Elliot ordered when he yanked open the door. Instead of listening, I rotated on my heels to stare at him. “What?”
“Am I a bad guy?” I asked.
“No, Logan.” He sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. “Divorce almost always sucks. At least for one person involved.”
“Divorce fucking sucks,” I agreed. “And it’s my fault.”
“Look, I want to push your buttons and make you tell me what happened between you two, but you’re not sober, Logan,” Elliot said. “Get in the truck, and let’s go home. We’ll talk when you’re sober.”
We wouldn’t. We both knew it. I couldn’t tell my best friend I wanted that stupid kiss we’d almost had. I couldn’t tell him how fucking scared that thought made me, or how I’d let it ruin my marriage.
Nope. Couldn’t do that to Elliot.
Chapter 15
Eva
“Y-M-C-A,”Ibeltedouttoo loud and too off-key in the elevator. My body was buzzing, my head was floating, and I had a birthday crown from the ever-impressive Miss Foxy Moxy. I danced around—maybe stumbled around, but I was still fabulous. I’d been told so many times tonight. “One little, two little, three Macarena… four little, five little, six Macarena… seven little, eight little, nine Macarena. Hey-M-C-A!”
“Those are not the lyrics at all.” Elliot laughed as I shimmied happily off the elevator toward my door. “Likeat all, short stuff.”
“It’s my birthday!” I threw my arms out. “I want a hug—you bought me flowers!”
That last bit came out in a squeal as I took in the hallway full of flowers. There were a lot of flowers. Way too many flowers.
“You bought me flowers!” I said once more, poking him in the stomach with each word. He let out a dry laugh and took a step back, shoving his hands in his pockets. “That’s so many birthday flowers, Eli! How’d you get them here?”
The hall swayed slightly as I studied the dozens upon dozens of arrangements gathered outside my door. I frowned.How had he gotten them there?Elliot’s truck wasn’t big enough for all this. And why had he put cards in every single arrangement?
