addiction

THURSDAY

Even in someone else's bed, I slept more comfortably than ever. I have now officially concluded that the common denominator is Elliot. There's no denying it at this point. Each night I've spent with him has felt so warm and inviting and just, safe.

But then again, that's how I always feel around him—day or night, my bed or his.

I glance over at the clock next to the TV and my eyes widen.

"Crap. I have to be at work in twenty minutes." I say and jump off of his bed. I grab my clothes off the floor and change before Elliot even stands up.

His eyes squint as he stretches, reaching his arms up and revealing the tattoos just above his hips. He shakes out his hair and licks his lips slowly. He looks absolutely beautiful. I realize that I've stopped trying to tie my shoes, entirely distracted by Elliot.

I shake my head and finish the task at hand before standing up. "Are you staying with me at work today?"

"I can't. I have something I need to take care of this afternoon, but I'll be there to pick you up and we can both get Levi." Elliot says as he stands up, walking over to me and putting his shirt on that I wore last night. I pretend not to notice that he hugs it to his chest as he pulls it down his torso.

"His babysitter is picking him up today." I say and pull my hair to one side.

Elliot furrows his eyebrows. "Why aren't you getting him?"

The questions catches me off guard, but I suppose I should've seen it coming. I bite my lip and look away from him. "I don't know. Maybe he wants to see her or something."

"But, you're his sister. He'd pick you a hundred times over that babysitter."

"Yeah, I don't know." I state, perhaps a bit too abruptly seeing as how the air between us grows thick and tense. "I'm just not going to get him."

Elliot takes the hint and decides to drop the topic, but he looks very concerned. "Okay well, I'll come get you after work and we can decide what to do then."

I nod quietly, though my stomach feels uneasy.

Elliot narrows his eyes at me and I try to keep a straight face. "Are you okay?" He asks me softly and I relax a little, telling him I'm fine. He nods before leaning in and kissing my forehead slowly. "I'll just put my shoes on and I'll take you to work."

I utter a quiet thank you and stand by the door waiting for him, letting out a heavy sigh. This is not going to be easy.

*   *   *

Today actually goes by rather quickly, and I'm thankful for that. We have a Buy Three, Get Three Free deal on Thursday's, so I guess today was a good day for people to go thrift shopping. Elliot shows up promptly at three and waits for me to finish up with the customers in the store. As the last one leaves, I let out a deep breath and sit down behind the counter.

"So, where are we going today?" Elliot asks as he spins around in a rolling chair, bouncing a ball up and down.

I bite my lip and look down at my hands, suddenly finding my nails very interesting. In the back of my mind, I knew this question would come up again, but part of me was still hoping to avoid it.

"Tess?" Elliot calls and I look up at him. He furrows his eyebrows. "Did you hear me?"

I nod quietly and sway back and forth in my chair. "I know I should've said something this morning, but I can't hang out with you after work today."