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CHAPTER25

Reese

TRACK:Sam Smith, “Stay With Me”

Idon’t want to let Eli go. I want to live here, up in his arms, forever.

Eli’s arms are so solid around me, his voice so steady against my body, shaking with adrenaline.

“You did it, baby. You did it.”

“I survived,” I whisper, my feet still dangling off the floor.

“You did more than that, Reese.” He pulls back, brushing my hair from my face. There are tears in my eyes. Tears in his eyes. “You showed them everything I see, and they loved it.”

When he finally lets me go, I’m swarmed. Eager people shaking my hand, patting my shoulder. Telling me how amazing that was. Young musicians asking me how I made my voice do that and made my old beat-up guitar make those sounds.

When I get back to our table, Nora throws her arms around me. “The world isn’t ready for you, Reese.”

I squeeze her so tightly I’m sure I’m going break her tiny frame. “But I’m finally ready for the world, Nor.”

She nods, tears brimming.

We stay for a few more songs, me sitting next to Nora now and Jude and Eli deep in conversation. The music ranges from very good to ear-scratching, but we cheer exuberantly at them all.

Finally, I lean into Eli and whisper, “Take me home, Eli. I want to end this night with you, in your arms.”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. Eli’s up on his feet, arm hooked around my shoulder, and a moment later we’re outside, tromping through the snow, laughing and singing—me passionately, Eli hilariously off-key—I honestly had no idea he couldn’t hold a tune to save his life. We barely make it through the door of my apartment, peeling off each other’s clothes right there in the hallway, and Eli chases me into bed, shrieking and laughing and not caring about waking up my neighbors.

Not caring about anything at all except this night, and this man, and this life.

When I wake up in the morning, the sun is streaming through my open curtains. I blink, throwing my arm over my eyes. Did I forget to close those last night? I pinch my lips, holding in a laugh. The neighbors would have gotten a show given all the exuberant lovemaking Eli and I got up to before passing out sometime in the wee hours. My inner-thigh muscle is strained, somehow.

But when I stretch my other arm out for Eli, my arm pats nothing but empty sheets.

I fling my arm off my eyes and sit up on my elbow, furrowing my brow. “Eli?”

“Morning, gorgeous.”

I turn to see Eli sitting in the chair next to the window, setting his phone down in his lap. He’s wearing his jeans, but no shirt, his hand distractedly stroking behind Rufus’s ear.

He looks sexy, with his rumpled hair and scruff. But more than that, he looks like he belongs here, with Rufus.

With me.

But it’s then I notice his knee bouncing, and the jerky movement of his arm as he runs his hand over his jaw. He glances down at his phone, then back at me.

“Eli? Everything okay? You look like you drank a whole pot of coffee.”

“I went over my limit a bit,” he says sheepishly. “Took Rufus out for a little walk.”

“Did you forget your shirt?”

Eli looks down. “Oh…yeah…just wore my jacket.”

I smile, confused. He’s so distracted. I see him glance at his phone again, and a spike of worry goes through me. I open my mouth, but Eli smiles, his eyes meet mine, and he comes over, sitting on the edge of the bed. “First, this.” He leans in to kiss me.

For a moment I’m distracted by the sensation of his lips on mine, the quick sweep of his tongue, his hand clasping my jaw.