Our Deep End | ✔️

CHAPTER 51

Christian's POV

Conveniently, as I lost part of the freedom I had living alone ever since my dad came back, Elle's parents have been real busy. For the past few days we've been able to spend quality time together at her place, because of how empty it's been.

I can't even lie, having my dad home is weird as hell. Mainly because I forget he's there half of the time. I stay in my corner. He stays in his. We occasionally have awkward hallway encounters, but remedy those with a quick head nod before returning to our own spaces.

There's always been a disconnect between us because of how much time he puts into work instead of our relationship, but with everything I now know, that distance only expanded.

Most of the time I don't mind, but with a dead mother and pretty absent father, it's sort of hard not to feel upset that you lack a proper support system.

Luckily, these days I've come to the realization that I actually do have a support system...A girl who's love fixed me when I didn't even know how broken I was.

The same girl who's hands currently tug at my hair as we stumble through the front door of her house, our lips moving rapidly against each other.

This basically sums up our after school routine. We say goodbye to our friends, leave, get to Elle's house and well...the rest is pretty self explanatory.

"Did...you...have...a...good...day?" I question between kisses, realizing that I failed to ask earlier. The impact of her tongue dipping into my mouth reaches the bottom of my spine, causing me to pull her in close.

"Yeah..." She answers breathlessly, softly panting against my lips. "Did you?"

Both of our school bags and jackets were already on the floor, victims of our impatiently entangled bodies.

As we reach the kitchen, I take her by surprise and hoist her up on the counter.

"Yes." I stand in between her legs. "And I sense that I'm about to have a better one."

Elle looks at me with her typical gorgeous smirk, before eagerly pulling me in by the shirt for another kiss.

I allow my lips to travel from hers, to the side of her neck, swiping my tongue across slowly. Her light, soft panting quickly turns into long, drawn out breaths as she clutches the back my of head, keeping me in place.

This reaction causes me to drag my tongue lower. And I go lower and lower until...

"CONGRATULATIONS!" Shouts a chorus of voices from behind us, scaring the shit out of me. Elle practically falls off the damn counter in shock, lucky enough that I was there to catch her.

The mortified look on her face is enough to make me turn around to see what she was looking at. When I do so, I can't exactly confirm that I know what's going on.

Before us is Elle's mom, dad and sister with the widest smile on their faces. I have no idea where they came from, but they've all got on sweatshirts that say 'Columbia University' on them, and in Audrey's hand is a large folder with the words 'you're in' printed on it.

Suddenly, I make the connection of what's happening.

"You got into Columbia!" Audrey squeals loudly, approaching Elle with the folder.

"What? No I didn't." Elle quickly gets defensive, grabbing the content from Audrey's hands. She pulls out what I assume to be an acceptance letter and after she's done reading it, her hands cup her mouth in shock. The good kind of shock.

Her tearful mother takes this opportunity to wrap her arms around her, as the four of them now rejoice loudly.

Unfortunately, in this happy moment, joy is the last emotion I'd be able to feel. Am I proud of Elle? Of course I am. Does she deserve to have all her dreams come true? For sure. It's just that her getting accepted to Columbia completely erases our plans of going to California together.