Page 33 of The Storms Between Us
twenty-seven
I don’t knowhow Elijah reads me so well. Even though our time together has only been a few months, I feel like he's always been a part of me. How he knew I needed Kelsea by my side right now, I don’t know. I'm just so incredibly grateful he put this trip together, no matter how short it’s going to be.
To anyone else, it may seem like a crazy idea to move in together so quickly. But for me, it's inevitable. We spend every night together already. Most of my wardrobe has made its way into his room, and we’ve already been technically ‘living together’ for months now. Now we’ll just have the luxury of living together totally alone. As we make our way back towards to beach house, I find myself feeling completely at peace with my life and my decisions. Even though I still have plenty of doubts and fears about the situation with Justin, I know Elijah would never let anything happen to me. I won’t let Justin take away any more of my happiness.
We walk up the stairs leading to the back door, hand in hand. Now that the sun has set completely, the breeze coming off the water is chilling against my wet skin. Being kissed by the sexiest man alive in the waves? Definitely an incredible experience. However, the aftermath of jumping into the ocean fully clothed is not so fun. I shiver as Eli pulls me closer to his side, rubbing his hands down my arms to warm me up.
“Sorry, babe. I just got a little carried away,” he says, and I know he’s not really sorry at all.
“It’s okay. I just didn’t expect it to get so chilly. After the 90 degree heat all day, 75 feels ice-cold,” I say, wrapping my arms around my body and rushing across the deck to the back door.
Everett, Rory, and Kelsea are all spread out on the large sectional in the living room watching some reality dating show. I know from experience, those shows are Kelsea’s guilty pleasure, and Everett teases her mercilessly about them.
“Really guys?” I ask, not wanting to listen to the two of them bicker again. “You thought this was a good option for everybody?”
“Hey, Everett loves this show,” Kelsea says, a playful smile spreading across her face.
Everett looks back at us, giving Eli a questioning look, and Eli nods in return. Suddenly, Everett jumps off the couch, clapping his hands.
“This seems like a cause for celebration,” Ev says, walking into the kitchen and pulling 5 shot glasses down from the cabinet. I can only assume he already knew what Elijah was going to ask me tonight.
“She said yes?” Rory says, leaning over the back of the couch excitedly.
“Woah, woah, woah, what am I missing here?!” Kelsea says from across the room. I see her gaze quickly flick to my left hand and back up to my face.
“Elijah asked me to move in with him,” I blurt out, not wanting her to say out loud what I already know she’s thinking.
“Oh,” she says, turning back around to watch her show, “I thought you guys were already kinda doing that.”
“I asked her to move in toour placewith me, instead of sharing an apartment with these two,” Elijah says, motioning to our siblings. The way he calls the plantation ‘our place’ brings me a sense of happiness I didn’t know I was missing.
Everett starts singing the shots song from the kitchen and we all roll our eyes at him. The idea of taking a shot right now makes me feel a little queasy. Something about the rich seafood we had for dinner and the salt air around us has my stomach turning. Maybe I swallowed a little too much ocean water on our walk. Whatever it is has me running to the bathroom. I barely make it before emptying the contents of my stomach into the toilet. After cleaning myself up, I sit down on the edge of the tub to relax for a second. Kelsea knocks on the door before coming in. She hands me my cozy pajamas and I change quickly as she grabs a washrag out of the closet and soaks it with cool water. Her face is full of concern as she hands it to me and I wipe my face, enjoying the refreshing feeling.
“What the hell was that?” She asks, plopping down onto the floor beside me.
“I don’t know. My body and mind are just overwhelmed, I think. I’ve been trying to put on a good front for everybody else, so they don’t worry. But I'm still freaked. I’m constantly looking over my shoulder every time I leave the house. The stress and anxiety of all of this is giving me nightmares, Kels. I’ve never felt so helpless in my life.” I stand to wash my hands and face.
She steps beside me, pulling me in for a hug as we watch our reflections in the mirror. “You know what I see here?” she asks. I shrug, tears stinging my eyes.
“I see a woman who is strong, Ember. She’s brave and capable. I know because she’s taught me to be the same way over the course of our friendship.” She gives me a small smile and I let the tears fall freely. “You may feel helpless now, but you’re not. A helpless person would collapse under the weight of this pressure and you’ve never been one to quit. We’re gonna get through this. That asshole is gonna get what he deserves, I promise you that,” she says, squeezing my shoulder reassuringly.
“Thanks, Kels. I love you. I’m so glad you’re here.” I wrap my arms around her tightly. “I really have missed you so much. It's been a big change not seeing your face every day. But I’m sure Jake has been happier that he hasn’t had to share you,” I joke, wiping my eyes.
“Actually, we broke up,” she says, her eyes dropping to the floor.
“What?! Why didn’t you tell me?!” I ask.
“Because you have much more important shit going on here! I think creepy stalker trumps boyfriend problems any day of the week. Jake was a self-centered dick. I saw it in the beginning and I thought I could change him, which is incredibly stupid of me. Won’t be making that mistake again,” she says, shrugging like it's no big deal.
“Well, I still wish you would have told me. Your problems are just as important to me as mine are to you,” I say, taking her hand in mine and squeezing it. She gives me a small smile, nodding her head. A knock on the door pulls us from our emotional moment.
“Hey, everything okay in there, Sunshine?” Elijah asks through the door. My smile widens at the sound of his voice.
“Yeah, we’ll be out in just a second,” I reply. Kelsea looks me over with a grin that tells me she’s got a lot to say about the man on the other side of the door.
“What?” I ask her, “just say it.”
“I like him. He seems really good for you,” she says. “When Everett called and suggested this weekend, I thought you guys were moving a little fast. But I can see why. He’s amazing, Em, and you deserve the absolute best. Does he make you happy?”
I smile instinctively, thinking about all the ways Eli makes me feel happy and satisfied. “Yeah, he really does. When he asked me to move in with him tonight, I didn’t feel a second of hesitation at all. I love him so much and I know he loves me. The world just seems right when we’re together.”
“Then that’s all that matters, babe,” she says with a smile. “Besides, there’s no way a man can look that incredible and not have a big dick to back it up.” I feel my body heat with embarrassment over her words, but I know she’s not wrong. She takes my silence as confirmation, and we both dissolve into a fit of laughter.
