The Expansion of the Universe

Twenty-Six | "You'll hyperventilate."

They watched all three of the Hangover movies, since Elijah insisted she needed to see them in order to widen her "entertainment horizons." During that time, Liza hadn't gone into the kitchen, but their universe had widened to include the half-bath that was located just off the living area.

Thankfully, she'd found it clean and smelling lovely.

But, while her needs were taken care of, she realized as the end credits to the last Hangover movie played that Milo hadn't been out since before they'd left her condo. The dog was laying on the floor beside the couch, his eyes trained on the front door longingly, and Liza knew he needed to get outside.

"Elijah?"

"Yeah, doll?" His breath was warm as it drifted against the back of her neck, and she couldn't fight the shiver that crawled down the back of her spine at the sensation. Somewhere between the first two movies, Elijah had complained that his legs were cramping, which had somehow led to the two of them lying across the couch cushions, her back pressed to his chest. One of his arms was pillowing her head, while his other was draped across her waist, where he'd been rubbing shapes absently into the fabric of her old college sweatshirt.

Overall, she was warm and happy and didn't want to move, but she knew she needed to.

"Milo needs to go out."

"Oh. Well, shit."

Confused, she turned her head to find his dark eyes analyzing her carefully, his lips forming a frustrated frown. "What is it?"

"Well, babe, in all my excitement, I forgot I don't have a fence like you do." Even as he helped her off the couch, her mind was trying to digest his words.

No fence. Right, okay. That was fine, right? She would just need to walk Milo. Or, she could bring him back to her condo and let him out in her backyard.

Except, she couldn't.

"I can't go outside," she confessed, ashamed. She'd made it to his house, and that was an accomplishment, but the very thought of leaving had her brain nearly crumbling in on itself. Her mind was fragile; she couldn't handle more excitement or 'expanding' of her world for at least the rest of the day.

Even the idea of leaving his condo within the next week to return to her own was panic inducing.

Elijah's smile was understanding. "It's fine, doll," he soothed, reaching up a finger to play with her hair.

It was almost funny, the fact that she'd never thought of her hair as anything spectacular until she'd met him and he'd shown his love for it.

"Is it alright if I take him out? I'll just go to the bottom of the street and back."

She shuffled on her feet uneasily. Since she'd gotten Milo, she had never, not once, allowed another person to care for him, and that included walks.

Milo was her protection. He was part of her world.

But now her world had extended just enough to include Elijah and parts his condo, so she nodded once. "You'll be quick, though." It wasn't a question.

The man in front of her was nodding before she'd even finished the sentence. "I'll be quick," he assured. "Just enough to get the guy some time to do his business."

"I need to lock the door."

"That's okay, Liza," Elijah agreed easily, releasing her hair only to lean forward and dust a kiss against her temple. "I'll knock when I'm back—three times, just like always—and you can let me in if you still like me."