Page 26 of Loving the Sinner
She said I should try out an immodest dress on my date with Matt.
The date with Matt was another reason for my sleepless night.
Matt seems like a really great guy, extremely good looking, strong work ethic, so kind. The “settling down with a white picket fence, two-point-five kids, a dog, and a minivan” type.
I know, I know, we haven’t even gone ononedate and I’m already talking about kids, but that’s the kind of mindset I was taught to have growing up. You date to marry, or you’re wasting your time. You marry quickly so you’re not tempted to have sex, but as soon as you get married, you start trying to pop babies.
The point is, Matt is great. And he wants to go out withme.So why don’t I feel more excited?
I don’t want to admit it’s because of Wes. Even though I know in my heart that’s why.
He’s another reason I didn’t get much sleep. At first I chalked my attraction to Wes up to him being the complete opposite of the guys I dated in Utah.
That’s not the case, though. It would be much easier if it were though.
Yes, he is the total opposite of them, but not just in how he looks. My first boyfriend, Brigham, would have thought that helping me unpack furniture in my bedroom was a ploy to seduce him and make him “unworthy of a temple marriage.”
My most recent ex, Packer, would have never shown up to help put together furniture and unpack books without me begging him. It took me two weeks of pleading for him to agree to come to my birthday dinner and we had been dating for almost four months. Otherguys I’ve gone on dates with would take any opportunity to stick their tongue down my throat and dry hump on the first date, or they would refuse to touch me at all. Wes is so easy to talk to and be open with, too. If it would have been anyone else who found the box, I don’t think I’d have gone into detail about it.
So, yeah. Wes is completely different.
Around midnight last night, my phone lit up with a text from an unknown number.
Unknown:Hey it’s Wes. I hope this is okay, I asked Luke for your number. I wanted you to have mine in case you need anything.
Elli:You could have just asked me, silly. But it’s okay. Thank you, I appreciate it, and now you have my number in case there’s something I can do for you. Thanks again for your help today, you have no idea how much it means to me. <3
Wes:Yeah, I know I could have asked you, but it slipped my mind lol. No need to thank me though, I had a lot of fun.
Wes:Shouldn’t you be asleep?
Elli:I had fun too.
Elli:I was about to go to sleep when some guy texted me and interrupted my beauty sleep ;)
Wes:what an asshole…
Elli:I can forgive him. He did help put together furniture all day :)
Wes:you don’t need beauty sleep anyway
Elli:Are you saying I’m too far gone to be saved? :O
Wes:Never. I’m saying you’re beautiful anyway. But you still need sleep. I won’t bother you anymore tonight. Goodnight, Elli. Sweet dreams <3
Elli:Thank you, Wes. And you could never bother me.
Elli:Goodnight <3
If Wes calling me beautiful made me fall asleep with a ridiculously dopey grin on my face and made my stomach flutter, no one will ever know.
When Matt called me beautiful, it felt nice, but it didn’t have the same effect, and he said it to my face and not over text.
I groan and flop back onto the bed, throwing my arms over my face. The mattress dips as Izzy lays next to me and I hear her dramatic sigh.
I move my arms enough to peek at her, “Can I help you?”
She turns and props herself on her elbow. “No, but I can help you!”
