Elliott
“I think that’s a record for the fastest sex we’ve ever had,” Nicole says. She gets out of bed, and with her underwear in hand, she stomps to my bathroom. She’s pissed.
I took her to dinner to make up for the other night, but leave it to me to still blow the evening. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t seen Sailor with her body wrapped around Jake minutes ago.
I want Sailor happy. I truly do, so why is it bugging me so much to see them together? It’s more than bugging me; it’s pissing me off.
Nicole comes out of the bathroom and picks her clothes up off the floor.
“You don’t have to leave.”
“Yes, I do. I had to drag every word out of you at dinner, but I will give you credit for making me come in record time. Too bad that’s not what I wanted.”
“What do you want?”
“To not seem like a chore to you. You have a wall up I can’t get past, and your mind is always a million miles away.”
“Nico—”
“No,” she snaps as she pulls up her shorts. “You’re going to hear me out. Maybe time apart is what you need to decide if you love me or simply like having me around for sex.” Hastily, she finishes dressing and grabs her purse.
I can’t lie in bed while she walks out on me, so I swipe my khaki shorts off the floor and pull them on. I follow her to the door, and after she opens it, I clasp her arm.
“Nicole, wait.”
Sighing, she turns around and gazes up at me with her hazel eyes.
“Elliott, take some time to figure out what you want. I’ll wait for a while, but I won’t wait forever. Call me in a month or something.” Giving me a kiss on the cheek, she starts out the door but comes to an immediate stop.
I hear Jake’s voice, so I step into the hallway, too. He’s at the top of the staircase, carrying Sailor in his arms.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“We discovered that a bottle of wine doesn’t mix well with piggyback rides. She feels sick, so I’m putting her to bed.”
“Is she overheated? It’s humid today.”
“You tell me, Doc. Heading out, Nicole?”
“Yep.”
“Have a good night.”
“You, too.” Without a backward glance, Nicole jogs down the staircase. Sailor’s eyes are closed as she and Jake pass by me, and unable to resist, I follow them into her room and watch as he lays her on top of the bed.
“I’m going to go grab a bottle of water,” he says.
Opening and closing her eyes, Sailor groans with her hand over her stomach. I glance around her room and catch sight of something silver and shiny.
On her dresser is a stuffed animal, but it’s the anchor pendant around its neck that catches my attention. She kept it. I can’t believe it. I squat down next to her bed, wondering if she’ll bite my head off if I speak.
“Sailor, I need to make sure you’re OK.”
Opening her eyes, she focuses on my face.
“I’m fine. I just drank too much wine.”
I touch her forehead and lightly grasp her forearm to feel her skin. I can’t seem to let her go. She looks at my hand and then my bare torso before her eyes meet mine.
“You kept the necklace I gave you.”
“Of course.”
“I figured you got rid of it or lost it in the fire.”
“The penguin and necklace are the only items my friend grabbed for me before she ran out.”
“Why would she do that?”
“Because she knew they were more important to me than anything else I owned.”
“I thought you hated me.”
“I could never hate you. I only hate what you did to me.”
“Two bottles of water coming up.” As Jake walks in, I release Sailor’s arm and stand. “I brought an extra in case you need it tonight.”
“I think hydration and sleep should cure her,” I say before I give Sailor one last look, “but I’ll be right down the hall if you need anything.”
“Thanks.”
Maybe she feels too bad to push me away, but whatever the reason, I’m glad she doesn’t seem angry. “Good night,” I say before I leave the room. Once I’m back in mine, I pick up my phone off my nightstand and make a call.
“Mom, hi.”
“Elliott, hi. How are you?”
“Good. I need a favor. Do you think you could spare a couple of your interior designers this week? I’d need them to swing by during the day tomorrow and then do a job on Friday. They’d have to work fast.”
“You have me intrigued. Give me the details, and I’ll make it happen.”