Page 41 of Loving the Sinner
“C’mon Elli, we gotta take your makeup off.” I say, holding out my hand.
Jess instilled in me the importance of a skincare routine, especially for someone who wears makeup. She taught me how to braid hair when I was younger so I could braid my hair because I didn’t ever want to cut it, and the proper way to clean your face so you don’t get acne. After seeing the various skincare items Elli has, it’s clear this is probably something super important to her.
“Nooooo. I wanna go to bed.”
“Uh uh, skin care is important.” She reluctantly puts her hand in mine and I drag her to the bathroom.
I sit her down on the toilet and then gather all of the necessary skin care things she says she uses. I crouchbetween her legs and hold her chin gently with one hand while the other one softly runs the cotton pad over her eyes to remove the makeup there. I clear the little makeup she has off of her face, and then I apply the various serums and creams in the order she tells me to. I make her brush her teeth while I brush her hair and put it in a simple braid, then follow her back to her room.
Elli sits on the edge of the bed while I make her take the painkillers and drink the entire glass of water. Tucking her into bed, I give in to my impulse this time and place a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Wessss. Stay with me.” She pleads, andgoddo I want to.
“Not tonight, baby. I want you to remember the first time I’m in your bed. Sweet dreams, sweet girl.” I whisper against her hairline. The nickname slips out involuntarily, but she doesn’t seem to notice. Maybe she won’t remember it in the morning.
“Night Wes. Thank you. You’re the best.” She mumbles as her eyelids grow heavier.
I wait until her breathing becomes heavy so I know she’s fast asleep, before I leave to refill the glass of water. I leave her a note next to it with instructions for the morning so her hangover isn’t terrible, then I head back to my apartment.
Once I’m home, I decide it’s time to put my plan into action. I know I said I would wait until this month is over, but I don’t think I can anymore.
I want to be the one she dances with in the club. I want to hold her all night so I know she’s breathing and to make sure she doesn’t have bad dreams. I want to be there the morning after she gets plastered to make her coffee and take her to get a greasy breakfast.
I want her to be mine.
Chapter 18
Elli
As soon as I open my eyes I regret it. The light is too bright, my head is pounding, and my body feels like I’ve been run over by a tractor.
I’m never drinking again.
I notice a glass of water and some Advil on my nightstand with a note.
It’s not my handwriting. It could be Robin’s or Savannah’s, but that doesn’t seem right either.
I check my phone and see that it’s just past eight. I feel sweaty and gross, and decide that a shower is in order, especially if someone is coming over with breakfast.
Stripping my clothes, I realize I’m not in my contraption of a shirt anymore, and I don’t know how I got out of it. I look in the mirror, expecting to find a mess of makeup and wild hair, but my face is bare and my hair is in a loose braid.
I don’t remember taking my makeup off or braiding my hair.
Standing under the hot water helps ease the tension in my body, which helps lessen my headache some, and now that I’m more awake, the memories of last night hit me like a truck.
Robin kissing me on the way to the club, the delicious pina coladas that I apparently had too many of, the tequila-gag-dancing with that stranger, him trying to get handsy, kneeing him in the balls and then leaving with Wes.
Wes.
Wes brought me home. He helped me take off that awful shirt and he did my skincare routine for me, brushed and braided my hair. He tucked me into bed. He must have written the note, placed the Advil, and then left.
I think I remember asking him to stay. Would he have stayed if I did? Why didn’t Drew bring me home? DidIcall Wes?
My headache starts getting worse with all of the questions, but I’m not going to figure anything out in the shower, so I hop out and wrap the towel around my body. I towel dry my hair, apply my skincare, and moisturize my body before slipping on my pink satin robe.
Izzy calls me on my way to the kitchen, her chipper voice is a lot on a normal day, but hungover it’s amplified tenfold.
“You alive, Els?” She’s mocking me.
