Chapter 7
CHARLI
I‘M NOT LOOKING FORWARD to work because I know Eli will be there, He always is. Lurking somewhere, watching me. He always seems to be at the bar when I work. It is like
he felt he
must keep watch over me. My eyes will catch his from
across the bar and he will just stare. I always break contact first.
Tonight, I’m working behind the bar, with Chester.
“So, when are we having that date?”
Chester is nice, but his attempts to flirt with me are endless.
He thinks it will land him a date. I’ve lost count of how many times
he’s asked me now.
“Well, I think you’d should ask Jensen for that to happen,” I
tell him, half joking. Chester went to school with my brother, so
he knows how protective Jensen can be over me.
He laughs, throwing his head back. I’ll admit that he’s
attractive. Nice. He’s someone who wouldn’t treat me like a piece
of ass. He doesn’t sleep around, at least that I know of, unlike
someone else. I think if my heart wasn’t already attached to Eli,
maybe I’d be able to give Chester a chance… but he just isn’t Eli.
“If I was you, Chester, I would stop flirting and stay the fuck
away from Charli,” Eli says.
Chester and I both spin around, surprised at his comment.
Chester gives me a weak smile and heads to the other end of
the bar.
I hear Hunter chuckle behind us. He knew about Chester’s
attempts to flirt with me. He winks at me to lighten the mood. I
give him my best fake smile and turn and glare at Eli. How dare
he say that? What’s it to him, anyway? He doesn’t want me. He
can’t say stuff like that, like he’s staking a claim on me, especially
when he made it quite clear he doesn’t want me.
“What?” Eli asks, his lips curving into a cheeky smirk.
Did he hear me, did I say that out loud? Maybe I should have.
“You can’t say things like that,” I say, placing my hands on
my hips to show him just how annoyed I am.
“Yeah, I can. Chester isn’t good enough for you, sweetheart.”
he says, leaning over the bar.
Sweetheart.
I’m so angry at him, I’m not a violent person but I feel like
slapping him right now.
“And you are, Eli?” I say as calmly as I can, raising an
eyebrow.
My eyes bore into his. He gives me a cheeky grin and leans in
closer to me. He’s so close to my face his breathe blows onto my
skin.
Damn him and his glorious aroma that is seeping into my
skin.
He smells of whiskey, his drink of choice, I’ve been serving
them to him all night.
“Hell
no,
Charli,
but
I’m
a
better
choice than
fucking
Chester.”
What?
“Or any of these other idiots.” He says as he takes a swig off
his glass, his Adam’s apple bulging in his neck.
I smile. He’s jealous. He swallows hard again, he shoves back
off the bar, blowing out a heavy breath as he stalks off.
I watch as he leaves. I can’t keep up with him, one minute it
seemed like he wants me with his actions, then the next he tells
me I’m too good for him and he’s back to being an ass. He’s too hot
and cold. It’s doing my head in, what does he want from me? Is he
not going to be with me but then not allow anyone else to be either?
“You okay, Charli?”
Chester asks me, placing a hand on my shoulder. His eyes go
to Eli. Mine follow his and my stomach turns, there is some chick
hanging off Eli rubbing her hands all over him as he leans in close
to her.
That was fast.
I’m not sure if he’s kissing her or whispering in her ear but
she’s loving whatever he is doing.
I turn in disgust, rolling my eyes as I do.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I tell Chester and saunter off away to where
I can’t see Eli.
I keep busy for the next few hours. I can't see Eli when I look
over at their table again, so I assume he left with the girl who was
all over him.
It’s okay for Eli to be with someone, but when it comes to me,
no one is good enough.
I give up, my heart hurts, why does it only want Eli?
Why can’t I like a nice guy like Chester?
I need a guy who knows what he wants, who knows I’m worth
everything.
Whatever Eli does, as much as he drives me crazy, I know my
heart will always want him.
Why? Why does my heart want him?
The
rest
of
my
night
seems
to
drag.
My
mind
keeps
wandering to thoughts of Eli even though I haven’t seen him since
he left with the skank.
Since it’s late, Chester offers to walk me to my car. As we
walk out I am shocked to see Eli leaning against it. His arms are
crossed over his chest and his eyes are fixed on Chester. He has a
murderous look on his face, like he wants to tear Chester to
shreds.
“You want me to make him leave?” Chester asks, looking
down at me. I shake my head, telling him no. It’s Eli. He won’t
hurt me, well, not physically anyway.
Eli pushes off my car with force. Making his way to me with
a purpose.
Chester and I say our goodbyes and I start my walk towards
Eli, cutting him off halfway before he can even think of going after
Chester.
I unlock my car and Eli jumps in the driver’s side.
I roll my eyes at him. I’ve been doing that a lot lately, and he
brings it out of me.
I rip open the passenger side door with more force then I
intended to and slam it shut as I plonk down in the seat.
Eli either doesn’t notice or doesn’t care. He simply holds out
his hand for the keys. I shove them into his palm and glare out the
window as he cranks the engine.
“Seatbelt,” he demands.
I roll my eyes at him, but click my seatbelt into the buckle,
anyway.
He pulls out of my parking space. The silence in the car is
deafening as we drive to my apartment. I’m thankful he isn’t
talking to me because I’m not sure I’d be nice if he did. He had
gone off with that woman and now he was here giving me a ride
home or more so driving me home in my own car, like he’s my
babysitter. Does he think I’m a child?
My stomach rolls as the realisation sets in that I’ll never be
enough, I’m not like those other women, he will never see me like
that. I’ll never be able to please him the way they do.
He pulls into my spot in front of my apartment neither of us
saying anything. He stops the car and gets out, leaving me
wondering what the point of this is.
I slowly get out, he locks the door behind me and he stalks to
my apartment door, like he’s on a mission. He looks back to make
sure I’m following him, when I don’t move he raises his eyebrow
at me. It’s a challenge.
I hold the eye roll, I so desperately want to give him and make
my way towards him.
“You’re cute when you’re mad,” he drawls.
His voice is like a thick wave hitting me. Why is his voice so
damn sexy?
I storm past him and I stand there waiting for him to open
my door since he still has my keys.
He stands next to me and I can feel the heat from his body. I
smell him, there’s nothing to compare it too, it’s his own smell he
doesn’t wear aftershave it’s all him and its intoxicating.
His arm brushes mine as he puts the keys in and opened my
door. He pushes it open and holds his arm out for me to go ahead.
“Ladies first,” he says
“You can leave now,” I deadpan.
My heart is beating so hard, I feel like I need to nail it back
into my chest.
I feel him behind me, his hands grasp my waist as he spins
me around.
My eyes go wide with shock.
“You can hate me all you want baby, but we both know what
you want”, he says, pushing me back into my kitchen bench.
He growls, his lips crash on mine. It takes me a moment to
realise what’s happening, but as soon as he slips his tongue
between my lips asking me to let him in, I open up for him. He
twirls his tongue around mine. My body is on fire, his powerful
fingers grip my hips as he pushes his hard length into my stomach,
making sure I can feel just how much he wants me. He pulls me
up, sitting me on my bench. His hands travel up my legs between
my thighs, I open them wider for him and he lets out a growl of
approval. My skin feels electric from his touch.
The moan that slips from my throat as his fingers gently
press into me, Fuck has me so worked up but then he stops, I’m
taken back as he pulls away. He’s panting hard, I open my eyes to
see him a few feet in front of me pacing.
The distance making my heart hurt, I want him close to me
again.
I close my legs feeling a little vulnerable, my lips are swollen
from our kiss and I can feel how flushed I am.
Eli gives me a pained, almost desperate, look.
“I shouldn’t have done that, I’m sorry,” he says as he starts
for my door.
I sit on my kitchen bench staring after him, not sure what to
say. What do I say to him? He closes the door behind him and I’m
left sitting here, my cheeks flushed, my body craving him, hating
him yet again for doing this and then acting like it is a mistake. Is
it possible to be in love with someone, but hate them at the same
time?
Eli confuses me, my head is all over the place, I can’t keep up.
His words say one thing while his actions say another.
Do I bore him, am I not experienced enough for him, can I not
give him what the girls at the bar can, is that what it is?
I jump down from my bench after I’m sure he’s gone. I head
to my door and lock it behind him. I change into my pyjamas and
curl into bed crying myself to sleep.
I just want Eli to give me a chance, to give us a chance?