Elliot turns to look at me. “That’s Liam?” he asks me. “And Anne?”
“Yep. The one you thought I was cheating on you with.”
He flushes red at that, and I pull his lips to mine again. Can’t help it.
“You’re so damn cute.”
He moves to kiss me again, but then Liam is knocking on our window, a crazed smile on his face. Fucker always likes to interrupt. Lives for it, in fact.
“We should get out, or he might break through the window,” I joke, and Elliot’s eyes widen.
A chuckle slips out of me, and I nudge him. “Come on, Eli. It’ll be fine.”
“We’ll see,” he mutters, opening his door and stepping outside.
As soon as I step foot on the gravel pathway, Liam pulls me into a hug, and we slap each other’s backs.
“You’ve been absent for a long fucking time, bro.”
“Had something to keep me occupied.”
Liam eyes Elliot, a knowing gleam in his eyes. “Seems so. Now, tell me about this fancy-ass car, huh? It was so fucking quiet that it just crept up on us. Sneaky,” Liam says, peering in the window and pressing his hands against the glass.
“Would you like to see inside?” Elliot says, clearing his throat.
“Hell yeah,” he says and then stares at the door handles, unsure of how to open them. He presses his finger against it, and then his brows furrow.
“A fucking puzzle, this is,” he mutters.
I chuckle as Elliot shows my brother how to open the door by pressing into it and pulling it out.
“Fancy,” Liam says and slides in behind the wheel. He runs his hands over the steering wheel and whistles. “First Whit and now this dude. My bros sure know how to pick ‘em.”
I eye Elliot, and he rolls his lips between his teeth.
“You’re welcome to drive it if you’d like.”
“Yeah?” he says, and I cock my head at Elliot. Fucker trying to bribe his way into the family. There’s no need.
“Want to meet my parents while Liam fucks around in here?” I ask Elliot and then tilt my head toward the porch where my ma and dad are whispering, their heads bent low, their eyes shifting between Elliot and me.
Elliot gives me a clipped nod. “Yes.”
We leave Liam to continue fiddling with the Tesla as Elliot and I stride up the gravel walkway, our feet crunching softly. I eye Elliot and notice how his eyebrows have dropped, and his gaze has become more serious. His mouth seems to be taking in gulping breaths.
“Luke,” Ma exclaims as we walk up the wooden steps to the porch. She wraps me in a hug, and I pull her into me. “I’m so glad you’re here. We were so worried.”
“I’m fine, Ma. Just fine. See?” I pull away and give my dad a fist bump.
“But your head.”
“Just got caught on something,” I explain and Elliot flushes crimson. Probably remembering what he did to me, smearing the blood around my face like an animal. He bandaged me up real nice though, all professional and shit, just like the first time.
Ma’s eyes move from me to Elliot, and she smiles softly. “And who’s your friend?”
“Guys, this is Elliot…or Eli as I call him. He’s a doctor.”
My ma turns toward him fully and grasps his hands. “Eli, so nice to meet you. Luke has been mysteriously absent, and now we know why.”