Widow at 22 (on indefinite hiatus)

Chapter 3

"I'll talk to you later, Brooke!" Trish yells from across the school parking lot, waving her phone in the air.

I cup my hands around my mouth. "Have fun on your date!"

She winks in response before getting into the passenger side of a car I've never seen before. It probably belongs to the boy she's seeing tonight. Hopefully, she stays safe and makes good decisions.

Speaking of making good decisions... I guess I should grow up and face Eli before this escalates.

Almost as if on cue, my phone vibrates in my pocket. I already know who it is before I even check it.

I'm in your room. Your mom let me in.

Another text comes through before I even have a chance to respond.

And I brought us dinner, so hurry back.

I send him a text letting him know I'm on my way home before getting into my mom's car, which I borrowed for today.

***

"Brooke, is that you?" my mom calls out from her office.

I remove my shoes and place them on the rack near the door. "Yep."

"Eli is—"

"I know, he texted me. I'll be upstairs, too."

She pops her head out of her office. "Sure thing. But, hey. When Erin gets home, we're going to the mall to pick up some things if you two wanna tag along."

Erin's barely ever home, anyway, so I'm surprised she'll be getting here before nine. Sure, we're sisters, but I have no idea what she does when she's out. Maybe I should tag along since it's been a while since we've talked.

"'Kay, thanks!"

I walk up the stairs one step at a time, careful not to let my clumsy nature shine through in such a dangerous spot.

When I get to it, my door is slightly ajar, so I push it open with my fingertips and see Eli sitting on my bed with his back against the wall, looking at his phone. I close the door behind me.

"Ah— Hi, how was your day?" he asks, standing up and giving me a hug and a kiss.

His lips taste like... chicken? I glance at my bedside table and see that he's already started eating the tacos he brought for us. He couldn't wait?

He notices my reaction and gives me another peck on the lips. "Sorry, you took too long."

I know I'm pouting, but I don't care. "It barely took me fifteen minutes to get here...."

"It's fiiine. Let's cuddle, I missed you," he says to me, pulling me with him to my bed.

I push his chest and he releases me. "Listen, Eli... Can we talk about yesterday?"

He frowns and exhales. "You're still worked up about that? Brooke,come on. I told you, it's only three months."

"I... I know that. I do" I vert my eyes and pick a spot on the wall behind him to stare at. "It's not just that you'll be gone for so long. We said we'd get a place together after graduation, but instead, you're leaving. It's like you're... avoiding the situation."

Eli chuckles and grabs both of my hands, placing them over his heart.

"That's silly. I'm doing this for us. With the money I make doing this, we can afford a place when I come back. We're never gonna be able to with me working at the shop and barely making anything. Trust me, I'm not running away."

I furrow my brows and look deep into his brown eyes. Even with thick frames covering his face, he's still so handsome. They compliment his olive skin well.

"Brooke, after I come back, I'm planning on making sure you're mine and mine alone. We'll be together forever. We'll get a place, get married, have kids... anything you want, okay?"

I sigh. He always knows how to talk his way out of everything when it comes to me. Funny thing is, I always let him, too.

"Now, onto more important matters," he says with a smirk, pushing my shoulders back until I'm laying down on the bed.

His lips caress my neck as he makes his way down to my collarbone. My body shivers in response to his hand also traveling up my shirt to cup one of my breasts.

"Eli— no," I say in between short gasps. "My mom is downstairs and— and my sister and Kevin should be— home soon."

"Better keep your voice down, then," he says, kissing me with each syllable.

He starts unbuttoning my pants with his other hand and taps my butt. That's his signal of "lift your butt so I can pull off your pants."

I do as I'm told and before I know it, I'm wrapping my arms around his mid-torso, squeezing him close to me. One of my hands moves up to caress his short, coarse hair.

He chuckles into my ear. "Can't fight it anymore, huh?"

I close my eyes and give in to the moment.

***

My phone vibrates, startling me awake. My eyes scan the dark room, trying to get my brain to wake up and recognize where I am.

Crap, I wanted to go to the mall, but we must've fallen asleep. Oh, well. Maybe we can go tomorrow.

I feel Eli shuffling beside me. I hope my phone didn't wake him.

I peek over my shoulder, keeping my head down just in case.

Phew. He's still asleep. The text is probably just Trish letting me know how her date went.

Although I'm still a bit sweaty from our earlier activity, I pull my cover over my head and unlock my phone to read her message.

If only it had been Trish, though. The text from the unknown number that came through caused chills to run up and down my spine.

Sup, it was nice talkin to you again. We should hang out again sometime, I miss us chillin