out,” he told her. “Things will work out.”
Now she did look at him. “What if they don’t?”
“They just do. Everything works itself out, one way or another.” He grinned suddenly. “Shit, look at me. I was in jail and it looked like they were going to throw away the key. A few hours later, I’m out—free as a bird.”
A quick spark of frustration clenched her stomach. “That didn’t just happen ,” she said.
His expression grew puzzled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, you got out because I did everything I could to get you out.”
Instantly she regretted saying it.
Elijah’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do, Caelyn?”
Her hands clasped one another, fingers twisting as she thought about how to say it without upsetting him. “I did some reading online about parole violations and everything.”
“Yeah…” he wiped a hand across his mouth. “And?”
“And I figured out that if Jayson pressed charges against you, you’d definitely have to stay in jail. So I called Jayson—“
Elijah closed his eyes and pressed his hands against the steering wheel. “You fucking called him?” When he opened his eyes and looked at her again, Caelyn was stunned by the intensity in his dark eyes.
“I had to talk him out of pressing charges,” she said, almost whispering.
“Why? Why would you have anything to say to him?”
“Because. I didn’t want you to go to jail.”
He stared at her, as if totally disbelieving what she was saying. “Caelyn, there’s no way he just dropped the charges to be a nice guy.”
She took a deep breath. “No, he didn’t do it just to be nice. I told him I’d drop the charges against him if he dropped the ones against you.”
Elijah put a hand over his face and moaned. “No, no, no.”
She reached out and touched his shoulder and he suddenly threw open the car door and got out. Before she knew it, Elijah had started walking down the street, away from the truck.
He was walking fast, seemingly trying to get away from her. Caelyn got out and ran after him. “Where are you going?” she cried.
“I can’t believe you fucking did that,” he shouted over his shoulder at her.
“Elijah,” she yelled, breathing heavily as she got close to him. “Stop walking so fast. Hold on.”
“You must want to make me go and kill that scumbag,” he yelled.
She grabbed the back of his coat and he spun on her.
“Elijah—“
He grabbed her by the shoulders, not hard, but his hands felt firm and strong against her. He was staring into her eyes, his lips close to hers. “I would have rather done five years than let you take the fall for me.”
“I didn’t take the fall.”
“You did. You dropped those charges against the guy who raped you.” His face changed to disgust. “Now that animal’s going to get away with hurting you. At least, he thinks he’s going to.” His eyes clouded over, as he seemed to think it all through.
“Elijah, you can’t do anything else to hurt Jayson. I know you’re angry, but it’s over.”
He was still holding her shoulders. His face drew closer, so close that she could smell his breath, his skin, and she could almost fall into his dark eyes. “How can I let him hurt you? I would kill to protect you.”
“I don’t want you to kill for me. I’m okay.”
“Are you?” he said. “Are you really?”
She nodded. “I am now,” she said softly.
And then he was kissing her. His hands moved from her shoulders to cupping her face, as he gently touched his lips to hers.
Elijah’s lips were the softest she’d ever felt. They were like velvet, soft and warm and insistent, but not overly aggressive. He seemed to be happy to kiss her gently at first, as his hands caressed her cheeks and then one hand moved to the back of her head.
The kiss suddenly got more intense, as he pulled her closer to him. The night around her felt completely beautifully, and she told herself she would remember this moment forever and
Now she did look at him. “What if they don’t?”
“They just do. Everything works itself out, one way or another.” He grinned suddenly. “Shit, look at me. I was in jail and it looked like they were going to throw away the key. A few hours later, I’m out—free as a bird.”
A quick spark of frustration clenched her stomach. “That didn’t just happen ,” she said.
His expression grew puzzled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, you got out because I did everything I could to get you out.”
Instantly she regretted saying it.
Elijah’s eyes narrowed. “What did you do, Caelyn?”
Her hands clasped one another, fingers twisting as she thought about how to say it without upsetting him. “I did some reading online about parole violations and everything.”
“Yeah…” he wiped a hand across his mouth. “And?”
“And I figured out that if Jayson pressed charges against you, you’d definitely have to stay in jail. So I called Jayson—“
Elijah closed his eyes and pressed his hands against the steering wheel. “You fucking called him?” When he opened his eyes and looked at her again, Caelyn was stunned by the intensity in his dark eyes.
“I had to talk him out of pressing charges,” she said, almost whispering.
“Why? Why would you have anything to say to him?”
“Because. I didn’t want you to go to jail.”
He stared at her, as if totally disbelieving what she was saying. “Caelyn, there’s no way he just dropped the charges to be a nice guy.”
She took a deep breath. “No, he didn’t do it just to be nice. I told him I’d drop the charges against him if he dropped the ones against you.”
Elijah put a hand over his face and moaned. “No, no, no.”
She reached out and touched his shoulder and he suddenly threw open the car door and got out. Before she knew it, Elijah had started walking down the street, away from the truck.
He was walking fast, seemingly trying to get away from her. Caelyn got out and ran after him. “Where are you going?” she cried.
“I can’t believe you fucking did that,” he shouted over his shoulder at her.
“Elijah,” she yelled, breathing heavily as she got close to him. “Stop walking so fast. Hold on.”
“You must want to make me go and kill that scumbag,” he yelled.
She grabbed the back of his coat and he spun on her.
“Elijah—“
He grabbed her by the shoulders, not hard, but his hands felt firm and strong against her. He was staring into her eyes, his lips close to hers. “I would have rather done five years than let you take the fall for me.”
“I didn’t take the fall.”
“You did. You dropped those charges against the guy who raped you.” His face changed to disgust. “Now that animal’s going to get away with hurting you. At least, he thinks he’s going to.” His eyes clouded over, as he seemed to think it all through.
“Elijah, you can’t do anything else to hurt Jayson. I know you’re angry, but it’s over.”
He was still holding her shoulders. His face drew closer, so close that she could smell his breath, his skin, and she could almost fall into his dark eyes. “How can I let him hurt you? I would kill to protect you.”
“I don’t want you to kill for me. I’m okay.”
“Are you?” he said. “Are you really?”
She nodded. “I am now,” she said softly.
And then he was kissing her. His hands moved from her shoulders to cupping her face, as he gently touched his lips to hers.
Elijah’s lips were the softest she’d ever felt. They were like velvet, soft and warm and insistent, but not overly aggressive. He seemed to be happy to kiss her gently at first, as his hands caressed her cheeks and then one hand moved to the back of her head.
The kiss suddenly got more intense, as he pulled her closer to him. The night around her felt completely beautifully, and she told herself she would remember this moment forever and
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