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[ 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑 

𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑧𝑒𝑘𝑒? ]

ELEANOR

eight years before she met Tony.

'Morning, gorgeous.'

I smiled on instinct into my hand, my natural drive to feel entitled to accept comments. I kept my eyes on the divots of the mattress between us, my fingers continuing to trace the dents as if they were miniatures valleys. I felt his warm hand over my cheek to push a tress and watch my smile build a fraction. I finally looked up at him and he let out a breath that he had been holding for so long.

'Good morning,' I whispered in pretence, my voice hoarse with the morning rasp. 'You stayed the night?'

'I did. But, Maddie popped in to check on you and I had to hide,' he shared, shooting me a caustic look. 'I felt like a seedy bloke with a fetish.'

I muffled my laughter into a pillow, imagining the situation behind my eyes. Zeke scrambling to the closet upon hearing my mother's footsteps, her confused stare upon my nearly naked body under the sheets. I peered up at him with one eye, my hand reaching out to let his lips part between my thumb. I had an overwhelming urge to kiss it, bite it, taste it and I didn't have the courage to look up into his eyes again. I felt like I would find myself questioning if I really did love him. So without wanting this moment to end, I kept my focus peeled on his pouting lips.

'I almost forgot,' he murmured, leaning away from my touch to gather his forgotten trouser at the edge of the bedpost and sifting through the pockets to produce a thin envelope. 

I lifted myself off the covers to inspect closer. I held the duvet over my chest as he passed it to me with a secretive smile. He quietly watched me flip it over and over for any sign of what could be inside.

'It's an early birthday present,' he explained. 'Go on. Open it, love.'

'My birthday is months away,' I chuckled. 

'I'd celebrate you every day if it were normal.'

I leaned in to press a kiss on his cheek. 'Thank you.'