Page 39 of Not that Impressed (Houston Pumas #3)

ELLIE

Libby and I have never been as close as Janelle and I are, but she hasn’t wanted me to leave her side in the few days we’ve been home.

It’s breaking my heart. She hasn’t talked much more about what happened between her and Grayson, not in so many words.

I haven’t pushed her. That man is lucky he’s in FBI custody.

The first night Libby was home, she insisted Janelle and I have a sleepover with her like we used to do when Libby was little and we were teens.

She forced laughs and smiles, like it was just for fun.

That’s how she ended up in a Libby sandwich, between Janelle and me, our arms wrapped around each other.

When I was sure Libby was asleep, I had let tears slip down my cheeks.

Mom and Dad put their foot down with Victoria—no more filming with Libby this season.

We only have a couple episodes left to fill.

Mom and Dad said they would talk about what happened, but none of us would have to.

There hasn’t been a camera in the house for three days, and it’s been a welcome relief.

I’m happy to be here for my sister, but I miss Will. He’s been busy with practice and extra drills and meetings because he skipped a game that he hasn’t had time to come over. We’ve texted a few times, checked in on the phone for a few minutes at a time, but I’m anxious for real time with him.

I miss him.

That’s not something I’d thought I’d ever say about Will Pemberton.

My chance to see him comes when Mom takes Libby to therapy.

“You could come,” Libby says as I walk her and Mom out to the car. Janelle hovers by the front door.

I put my arm around Libby. I want my sister to know I’m there for her, no matter what. That I would fly to Mexico or around the world for her anytime she needed me. But I also need a breather.

“Mom needs to be here for you too, Libs,” I whisper, looking over her head at where Mom waits by her car, anxious and staring at Libby as though she’ll disappear right out from under her. And who can blame her?

Libby grips my hand the way she did as we drove away from the Winscott, all the way to the airport, all through the flight, and right up until the moment Mom smothered her in hugs when we got home.

“Libby,” I say in a low voice, as firm and comforting as I can be. “This sucks right now. It’s hard, and it’s scary. You will be okay. I promise. And me and Mom and Janelle and Dad are always going to be here for you.”

“I screwed up so bad,” she says in a wobbly voice. She avoids my gaze.

“You made a mistake,” I agree. “But he took advantage of that. You are not responsible for what he did.” She chews on her lip and still won’t look at me. I use a finger to lift her chin and make her meet my gaze. I call Grayson the filthiest name I can think of. Libby’s eyes widen.

“Ellie Bennet,” Mom chides, but she looks more like girls-will-be- girls than anything.

“He’s a trash person, Libby,” I say. “You are not. We’re going to make sure he never hurts another girl again, okay.”

“Okay.” Her voice is quiet, but it’s enough.

“I love you, Libs.” I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. She sniffles into my shoulder and then goes with Mom.

Janelle has joined me on the driveway as we watch the car pull away. “She will be okay, El,” she says, putting an arm around my waist.

“I know.” I lean my head on her shoulder.

“It’s not your fault either,” she says softly.

I don’t answer at first. Finally I draw in a long breath. “I’m just mad I believed him.” Janelle hugs me closer.

“Go see Will. You need him.”

“I do.” I pull out my phone and send a quick text, making sure he’s home. He offers to come to me, but I order him to stay put. And add that if I don’t get out of the house, I might lose a little bit of my mind.

After the longest half an hour later, I’m standing at his door, knocking.

He answers immediately. “Hey,” he says, eyes softening as he studies me. He takes my hand and pulls me inside, then hugs me, lifting me up to my toes. I melt into him. The way he held me together in Mexico, that magic power he had to soothe my fears, works on me now to settle everything.

We hold each other for several moments and then he pulls away to lead me to the couch, where I snuggle up next to him. “You fired?” I tease.

He snorts with laughter. “Your dad doesn’t even want me punished. Coach is trying to be cranky about it, but nobody would have had me do anything different.” He chuckles. “I’m putting in the extra work to make Coach happy, help him feel better about the situation.”

I pull away from where I’m lying on his chest so I can look at him. “Did I ever give you a proper thank you for what you did for us? I wouldn’t have found her without you, Will. ”

“I wanted to help. It felt like I needed to.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I know that. I know it’s complicated. Reporting is hell for the victims. But then they feel guilty because staying silent means guys like Hollis can hurt other women.

It sucks, and I hate it. Anna’s devastated over what happened to Libby, and she shouldn’t be.

” He rubs a hand down his face, and I wrap my arms around him, snuggling up against him.

“There isn’t an easy answer,” I say into his shoulder.

“No.” He kisses the top of my head and then we stay like that for a long time, both of us wishing things could be different.

When I can resist him no longer, I shift so I can reach his lips, and I kiss him.

“Trying to distract me?” he murmurs.

I smile. “Trying to convince myself this is real.” His hand is splayed across my back and the tips of his fingers lying gently there sends shocks of electricity at every point where he touches me.

He studies my face, grazing a finger along my cheek and then shifting some hair out of the way.

“I don’t know when my frustration with you turned into admiration.

Or when your fierceness became my addiction.

But I’m bewitched by you, Ellie. And I’m completely in love.

I don’t want you to think what I did was out of guilt or responsibility.

It was because I’d do anything for you.”

The tender way he spoke has my insides melting. “I know the moment I fell in love with you,” I whisper. “When you dropped everything for me and wouldn’t let me talk you out of it. Stubborn man.”

“Have to be,” he growls. “I’d have never won you over if I wasn’t.”

I smile as I lean in to kiss him again. He puts his hands on my hips and lifts me effortlessly into his lap, then wraps his arms around me to hold me closer as we deepen the kiss.

Fire races along every inch of me. I grip his biceps, reveling in the strength there, and not just the physical strength, but what it represents.

Who he is. The man who stood steadfastly beside me during the most terrifying two days of my life.

I’ve fallen in love with Will so quickly, but perhaps the seeds were there all along, waiting for me to recognize his importance to me.

When I’m not wrapped in his embrace, I’ll think about our history and see it all in a new light.

I slide my fingers around his shoulders and then up his neck. He murmurs my name against my lips and then trails kisses along my jawline, leaving me completely breathless. He slides one of his fingers up my spine, trailing electricity that pulls a shiver from me.

My lips find his again, and he tightens his hold on me.

A man has never kissed me the way Will does, fully invested, so all-consuming that I forget everything.

Maybe it’s because Will’s kisses are a promise I know he’ll keep.

It’s not just how he helped Libby that has shown me his steadiness, but knowing who he is and how he takes care of me—even when I’d rejected him.

How he saw the possibilities between us when I thought we didn’t make sense.

I can’t imagine misunderstanding him anymore, though there will be small moments in our future where something he says comes out wrong and I react too quickly.

He will only need to kiss me like this and forgiveness will come instantly.

I have to leave Will too soon, especially since I want to spend every second with him. But Libby and Mom are on their way home, and Libby will want me there.

He walks me down to my car, leaving me with another searing kiss, even though it’s brief. It sends bolts of electricity from the tips of my fingers to my toes.

“Dinner tomorrow night?” he asks as he opens my door .

“At my parents’?” I reply tentatively.

“Fine with me.” He doesn’t even hesitate. My parents love him, so there’s nothing for him to worry about.

“I love you, Ellie,” he says.

I put my hands on his chest and lean into him.

He already told me that he’d fallen in love with me, but this is the first time he’s saying the words to me.

“I love you too, Will,” I say softly. I put a hand on his cheek and leave a lingering kiss there, because if I start kissing his lips again, I might never go home.

He hugs me from behind when I turn to get in my car, dropping a quick kiss on my temple before letting me go. He stands in the parking lot and watches me as I drive away, and even when I’m at the light, a block away from his apartment, he’s still standing there, watching me.

I grin, roll my window down, and wave enthusiastically as the light turns green. He laughs but doesn’t move. He’s still standing there when I have to turn and lose sight of him.

I have a feeling that Will Pemberton is always going to be standing somewhere for me, watching and not wanting to lose sight of me. It’s the same for me.

Colin Hurst

Congratulations! Looks like you and Will Pemberton are Official. I’m so happy for you.

And Isla says that Janelle and Charlie Baldwin are a thing too. So exciting.

We should do some kind of cool couples collaboration!

Ellie?

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