going to make some food," Alex instructed us brightly.
That was all it took, Eli was on his feet and immediately in the kitchen to help her. It was funny to watch him switch so suddenly from a lazy son-of-a-bitch to the helpful mate. It made me wonder if Charlotte knew Eli's intentions with Alex. He dragged me with him a couple of times to go engagement ring shopping all over the damn city. He insisted that he had to find the "perfect" ring for her, though he hadn’t said anything about an actual plan for his proposal yet. Knowing Eli, he would wait as long as he needed to in order to have the perfect plan. He would never give Alex less than that.
As the two moved around the kitchen, I looked over at Charlotte, who was seated on the love seat at an angle to the couch I found myself on. She was smirking at Eli and Alex, and I knew that even if she knew nothing about Eli's plans, she thought it was high time he got there.
"You guys are like an old married couple," she called to them.
Eli failed to hide his amusement with a scowl, while Alex grinned in response. I was drawn back to the smirk gracing Charlotte's lips. Did I mention how sexy it was when she did that? I wanted to see her look at me like that. I wanted her to tease me, and I've always been one for the sure thing. She made me want for her to torture me with her alluring little body and sexy smirk until I begged. Christ, it made me want her to be my undoing.
Eli asked Charlotte about her new job for a bit while I tried, again, to suppress my overwhelming desire for her. My mind and body were so wrapped up in her that I could not even concentrate enough to follow their conversation. I didn’t jump back into the present until I heard Charlotte say: "I just didn't want to wait to start. My student loan payments are actually going to start being due, and I still have a bit to take care of.”
Immediately, I felt that desire to take care of her again. I had to refrain from asking how much debt she had from school, finding myself actually considering how I could ease that financial burden without her consent. I knew that she would never allow me to just give her a check to pay it all off. Why should she? I barely knew her. Hell, I was asking myself why I even wanted to. Her affect on me already knew no bounds.
"I can help out with some of it," Eli offered.
"No," Charlotte responded adamantly. "You made sure I had money for everything else all those years. You've done enough taking care of me."
Eli looked immediately exasperated with her refusal. "Lottie–"
She cut him off. "No. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of my own debt. Besides, there’s only a couple thousand, and I have years to pay it off. I’m not worried at all.”
Well, no shock there. Charlotte was obstinate about her independence. She would not accept charity. It was so goddamn frustrating, and I barely knew her. Eli had to be well beyond tired of it.
"What happened to all you talk about the loves?” Eli shot at her. “What about Agape ?"
Charlotte looked blatantly unimpressed by his attempt to change her mind. " Agape is random. It is offering up help to people regardless of your relationship to them. You're my brother, you feel obligated to help me because you are my family. You wouldn’t do this for just anyone."
Feeling lost in translation, I looked between them both. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
"C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves . Storge , Philia , Eros , Agape . Affection, Friendship, Romance, Charity. It is an exploration of the four forms of love that have arisen from the Christian tradition. Outside of faith, I think it's a fascinating way to look at relationships."
Eros . Romance. The Greek god of love, if I remembered correctly. The word seemed to stick out in my mind. I could not ignore it, or the innately sensual sound of the word on her lips.
“Of course, it is wrapped in misconceptions. For instance, Eros , as I had to tell my dear brother, is not sex. Philia
That was all it took, Eli was on his feet and immediately in the kitchen to help her. It was funny to watch him switch so suddenly from a lazy son-of-a-bitch to the helpful mate. It made me wonder if Charlotte knew Eli's intentions with Alex. He dragged me with him a couple of times to go engagement ring shopping all over the damn city. He insisted that he had to find the "perfect" ring for her, though he hadn’t said anything about an actual plan for his proposal yet. Knowing Eli, he would wait as long as he needed to in order to have the perfect plan. He would never give Alex less than that.
As the two moved around the kitchen, I looked over at Charlotte, who was seated on the love seat at an angle to the couch I found myself on. She was smirking at Eli and Alex, and I knew that even if she knew nothing about Eli's plans, she thought it was high time he got there.
"You guys are like an old married couple," she called to them.
Eli failed to hide his amusement with a scowl, while Alex grinned in response. I was drawn back to the smirk gracing Charlotte's lips. Did I mention how sexy it was when she did that? I wanted to see her look at me like that. I wanted her to tease me, and I've always been one for the sure thing. She made me want for her to torture me with her alluring little body and sexy smirk until I begged. Christ, it made me want her to be my undoing.
Eli asked Charlotte about her new job for a bit while I tried, again, to suppress my overwhelming desire for her. My mind and body were so wrapped up in her that I could not even concentrate enough to follow their conversation. I didn’t jump back into the present until I heard Charlotte say: "I just didn't want to wait to start. My student loan payments are actually going to start being due, and I still have a bit to take care of.”
Immediately, I felt that desire to take care of her again. I had to refrain from asking how much debt she had from school, finding myself actually considering how I could ease that financial burden without her consent. I knew that she would never allow me to just give her a check to pay it all off. Why should she? I barely knew her. Hell, I was asking myself why I even wanted to. Her affect on me already knew no bounds.
"I can help out with some of it," Eli offered.
"No," Charlotte responded adamantly. "You made sure I had money for everything else all those years. You've done enough taking care of me."
Eli looked immediately exasperated with her refusal. "Lottie–"
She cut him off. "No. I'm a big girl now. I can take care of my own debt. Besides, there’s only a couple thousand, and I have years to pay it off. I’m not worried at all.”
Well, no shock there. Charlotte was obstinate about her independence. She would not accept charity. It was so goddamn frustrating, and I barely knew her. Eli had to be well beyond tired of it.
"What happened to all you talk about the loves?” Eli shot at her. “What about Agape ?"
Charlotte looked blatantly unimpressed by his attempt to change her mind. " Agape is random. It is offering up help to people regardless of your relationship to them. You're my brother, you feel obligated to help me because you are my family. You wouldn’t do this for just anyone."
Feeling lost in translation, I looked between them both. "What the hell are you two talking about?"
"C.S. Lewis' The Four Loves . Storge , Philia , Eros , Agape . Affection, Friendship, Romance, Charity. It is an exploration of the four forms of love that have arisen from the Christian tradition. Outside of faith, I think it's a fascinating way to look at relationships."
Eros . Romance. The Greek god of love, if I remembered correctly. The word seemed to stick out in my mind. I could not ignore it, or the innately sensual sound of the word on her lips.
“Of course, it is wrapped in misconceptions. For instance, Eros , as I had to tell my dear brother, is not sex. Philia
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