Page 57 of Past

I can't help myself when she stands in front of me, and I pull her into a kiss as I'm so desperate to taste her. I want to shout how much I love her, but I know it's too soon to repeat that. I still can't get my head around her amazing tattoo and the knowledge that I will always mean something to her. I’m fucking hoping it means she loves me, but I can't help but be a little disheartened that she hasn't said it back. I’m seriously turning into the girl in this relationship.

"Hey, you." She purrs, pulling back from the kiss so she can look up into my eyes.

"Let me show you around my new place," I say with a grin.

"I'd like that, and then I have to tell you something; nothing bad, I promise." She smiles, making my heart beat faster. I walk around my new home with her mentioning things she likes and me telling her about the bits I like in here.

"So what do you think?" I ask a little nervously. I want the girl I love to like it, at least, because I want her spending more time here with me.

"It's really wonderful; it's close to work for you, too, so that must help,"she says.

"It is one of the reasons I even looked at this place, but I feel at home here," I tell her and pull her into my arms.

"Won't Harley and Luke miss you? Everyone seems to be moving out," she says into my chest.

"I think Harley needs the space, and Luke is, well, Luke." I laugh, knowing that Luke will be here anyway because he’s always around.

"So shall we christen your new place?" Allie asks, running her hands up my chest. I stop her even though she is turning me on.

"Sweetheart, Sebastian, Maisy, and Jake are on their way over. I know you haven't had much time to see them, so I thought I'd cook. Didn’t you have something you wanted to tell me?" I ask, watching as her cheeks go red, and she looks up to me.

"That'sreallysweet, Elliot," she says in a gravelly voice, which urges me to take her on my bed right now.

“Stop that, before I forget my brother and his family are coming over,” I warn her, and she grins.

“I dropped out of university,” she blurts out.

“I wasn’t expecting you to say that, can I ask why?” I reply.

“Harley offered me a full-time dancing instructor job. There have been lots of sign-ups for more classes,” she tells me. I wonder why Harley didn’t mention this to me.

“Harley would have let you finish university first, if that’s what you wanted,” I tell her, knowing my brother wouldn’t have pushed her into anything.

“I didn’t. I chose that course because my dad told me I needed to do something other than dance. I respected him so much back then that I listened and got into a course I don’t like or have any interest in,” she says, and I link my hand with hers. “He is going to be so mad, but I don’t have the respect for him anymore. I don’t care anymore, is that horrible? I don’t care what my dad thinks anymore because he isn’t who I thought he was.”

“It’s not horrible. I used to love my dad, once, before I realised who he was. I still cared about him after every beating, and I hated that. I hated that I still cared about him when he didn’t give a shit about me.” She doesn’t say anything as I continue. “You know what I realised?” I ask her, and she shakes her head. “Once you love someone, no matter what they do, part of you will always care about them.”

“That makes sense. Who knew Elliot King was the smart brother?” She laughs, and I pick her up over my shoulder and throw her onto my bed.

“Cheeky little–” I say and laugh as she rolls herself off the other end of the bed and holds her hands up.

“If it helps, you’re also the hottest. Like, totally drool worthy,” she says, and I laugh with her this time.

“It helps,” I eventually get out.

"Do you want me to cook?" she asks, walking toward the bedroom door. My eyes watch her pretty, little bum sway side to side in those tight, yoga trousers of hers.

I have to clear my throat before answering her. "No, you’re relaxing, and I'm cooking dinner tonight."I put everything in the fridge when I first got here, and the apartment is full of cooking shit, which I bought online.

"Yum, that sounds good. I can be your dessert." She winks at me before making her way back to the lounge.I have to wait for my tented jeans to go down before I can even think of leaving the bedroom to cook.

The buzzer goes off not long after I finish the pasta sauce, and I let them in. Maisy gives me a hug while Sebastian holds Jake in his arms.

Jake starts babbling."El, El, El," he says, with his chubby hands trying to grab me. I chuckle, taking him off a proud-looking Sebastian.

"Hey, my favourite, little man. I know someone who has missed you," I say, taking him into the kitchen where Allie squeals and comes over to hold Jake. Jake takes it in stride as Allie cuddles him, and then he looks back to me.

"El, El, El," he whines a little, and Allie grins.

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