Authors Note: Iâve been loving all the feedback! Theres no hambone action in this chapter but the characters are getting somewhere. I think you all will enjoy it.
A night out with Tre was a lot for Elle to reconcile. Her first crush, the only man sheâd truly admired. The way heâd always made her feel smart - even when he was the genius. The way he always listened. Her hand goes to the bracelet, a totem of his appreciation. The alcohol makes for a stir of emotions.
âIâm sorryâ she blurts as they walk the strip.
âSorry for what? Are we not having an amazing time?â Tre asks. Heâd never seen this side of Elle. The grown up head turner, impressive at holding her liquor.
âAbout reacting so poorly to Lily, mistrusting you when youâve always been thereâ Â Elle speaks looking down at the pavement.
Tre sighs looking down at Elle. Sheâd always been a sweetheart. âThatâs not the kind of relationship weâre going to have. Youâre entitled to your feelings. I dropped the ball and I wonât do it again. Weâre here nowâ his eyes are decisive.
Overwhelmed and validated Elle breathes needing reprieve for the influx of very real feelings.
âI donât know, itâs just the way you look at me. It makes me feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Thereâs nothing you say that doesnât come true so a relationship - I donât know Tre it makes me excited about something.â She shrugs tucking her hair behind her ears. âYou have all this stuff going on and youâre here with meâ
Tre  stops sitting on a bench inviting Elle to do the same. Elle talking about her feelings was a rarity. It wasnât something they were brought up doing.
âStopâ Elle laughs hiding her face. There was so much Tre had to say. Heâd always loved her but somewhere between going away to college, starting the company and then the girls going away to college and Elle getting in a relationship heâd missed out on the woman sheâd become.
âI know you thing words are cheap Elle but Iâve never felt how I feel about you with anyone else. Everâ he articulates. âAnd youâve always been right here and itâs been a long time and Iâm impressed and interested, I want to know everything, if youâll let meâ he confesses making Elle smile.
The sparkle in her eye returns and Tre leans in for a quick kiss.
âNow lets have some real fun and outdrink everyone hereâ She smiles standing with her coquettish demeanour.
Elle couldnât stop smiling as her and Tre chugged the south beach delicacies, dancing on the makeshift dance floors and going in and out of the clubs on the strip making friends everywhere there went. She was still that happy girl turning heads and making people smile, the life of the party and down for a good time. He could see the lust in the eyes of other men but she was his - he could feel it. Her eyes never lingered on anyone else and their connection remained strong as so many times her eyes asked him for permission, for another cocktail, to salsa with one of the bands, to karaoke.
They were polar opposites but Elle had always taken him seriously and make him feel like a man.
âTreâ she hiccups sloshed, it was a miracle she was even standing upright while in four inch stiletto sandals.
âWanna know one of my favourite song interludes? Its pretty sexy and I think about it when Iâm with youâ Elle says breathy with low eyes, finally feeling the after effects of a tequila high.
âWhat is it?â He asks ushering her towards the car.
âNo canâtâ she giggles self conscious and barely making sense.
âCome onâ he smiles getting a side eye.
âTre, Iâm drunkâ Elle giggles wrapping her arms around his neck and his hands hold her waist as he looks down to kiss her.
âTell meâ he smiles knowing the drunk never lie and sheâd never share it sober - not yet at least.
âKiss meâ Elle pouts coyly. âKissing after might be kind of dangerous?â She hiccups again. Bowing his head Tre brings his lips to hers tasting a mix of vanilla and tequila - she follows his lead with an expertise in teasing, charging him up as she lets him take control pulling away first with a fuller pout. Her hands go from around his neck to her sides before she holds one of his arms standing beside him.
âI had a visionâ Elle speaks. âA vision of my nails in the kitchen.â She continues looking up at him her eyes filled with innocence and lust. âScratching counter tops, I was screamingâ she smiles looking away as she reaches to hold his hand. âMy back arched like a cat, my position couldn't stop you were hittingâ she sings giggling just a little.
âAnd I shouldn't cry, but I love it, Starboy
And I shouldn't cry, but I love it, (I love it), Starboy
And I shouldn't cry, but I love it, Starboy
And I shouldn't cry, but I love it, Starboy â she finishes swaying slightly as she sings the very visual and sexually charged lyrics.
The car comes interrupting the moment and Tre lets her in the door first.
âYou like that?â He asks seeing another side of her.
âI think Iâd love it a lot with youâ she smiles not playing fair.
âWhatever you wantâ he promises kissing her neck.
âPromise?â Elle whispers.
âPromiseâ he asserts.
The car comes to a stop in front of the apartment complex.
âI think I want to live in Miami, here.. up thereâ Elle specifies getting out of the car.
âWhat else?â Tre asks intently walking her into the elevator.
âGo to the beach in the day, swim people watch, paint, writeâ she shrugs standing against him and he takes the opportunity to hold her close as the elevator ascends.
âYou sure, thats it?â
âWhat am I missing TreTre, tell meâ Elle turns tilting her head and tempting his true nature.
âItâs your hearts desires, I donât know what they are you tell me and we make them happenâ
âOkay genieâ Elle giggles walking out. âSo I can have this place?â
âGoodâ Elle plops onto the couch taking off her heels.
âAnything else?â Tre asks removing his shoes.
âSounds like you have the ideas?â Elle turns as he sits allowing her to rest her feet on his leg.
âI donât hear anything about me in that plan?â Tre massages her feet. Elles eyes roll shut at the sensation of him relieving so much tension.
âYouâre always going to be a part of my lifeâ her words and eyes are sincere. âWhats your plan? Youâre the smart one who makes things happenâ Elle muses sleepily.
âWell, if you move here iâll probably start to shift business here so I can be here more.â He says tentatively.
âMhmmâ she responds closing her eyes.
âMaybe in a year or so I can step down from day to day and do strictly the development of the new stuffâ he adds. âYou, Gina and our Moms will be set. I wake up beside you at least three days a week, maybe you have a rock on your ring fingerâ. Tre smiles at the thought but Elle doesnât respond. Tre smiles when he sees sheâs asleep carrying her to bed to sleep comfortably.
The sounds of Tre working out wake Elle up. She smiles sitting up in her clothes from the night out and seeing water and tylenol on the bedside table.
Way to go Ellie. She thinks to herself rolling out of bed and heading to the bathroom to freshen up. The place was incredible with twin everything except for the large tub by the window overlooking the city.
Once dressed and refreshed from her shower she follows the sounds finding Tre in a fitness room sheâd failed to discover yesterday. Focused and sweating he puts himself through some kind of torturous work out like the madman he is.
âGood-morning, how are you feeling?â He removes his ear pods. His concern is genuine.
âFine, that wasnât even tequila Tina - I was a pretty good girlâ Elle laughs tip toeing to peck his lips.
âTequila Tinaâ he side eyes amused repeating her words.
âYou remember everything?â He asks sitting to continue doing crunches.
âI remember we had a lot of fun, we talked , you werenât controlling and I liked that.â She shrugs heading to the windows to look at this sides view.
âYou sangâ the revelation startles Elle.
âYeah karaoke, then I might have been a little Tina, Iâm a shameless drunkâ she explains.
âNot just thatâ he mutters with an amused expression.
âOh lord? Whatâ she cringes leaning on the glass window to face him. He stops getting his phone with a smirk. Stargirl Interlude plays. Lanaâs lyrics are unmistakably lusty, The Weeknds harmony only serves to feed her desire.
Elle lets out a nervous laugh with an oops expression.
âI think its cool, you also said you want to live hereâ he reminds branding her she reprieve from the tension.
âSee, Iâm an honest drunk. Tequila Tina has no inhibitions. This place is incredible.â Elle acknowledges.
âNotedâ Tre smiles, Elles thoughts take a turn making her stand.
âIâm going to order up, want anything?â She asks trying to put distance between herself and the sexy sweaty man.
âIâm good my stuff will be here soon. I can make you breakfast - I thought youâd be asleep longerâ he explains.
âYou finish your workout, Iâll be fineâ Elle dismisses herself scrolling through the delivery apps and finding a good old West Indian breakfast.
Her thoughts run away from her as she accepts Tres breakfast from the doorman before hers arrives. Sheâd been open last night. Atypical behaviour.
Theyâd kissed, a lot. She remembered that. Heâd even danced with her to the latin music so other men wouldnât. Heâd been the perfect gentleman, never pushing too far. She could feel herself letting go of the notion that being with him wasnât feasible.
âWhatâs the plan today?â Elle asks once he emerges all fresh and sweat free from his shower.
âI made us reservations at the Versace mansion since you were interested last night. Aside from that, todays what you want it to beâ
âTre youâre not playing fair, the Versace mansion?â Elle asks.
âI have a little under forty eight hours to win you overâ he shrugs always competitive.
âWe could do the museum district since its not that warm outâ
âIâve never beenâ he admits guzzling the green smoothie.
They silently coordinate sharing breakfast eating from each others containers the things they like until the food is finished. Tre sits with his arm around her running his hand up the back of her arm in thought.
âWhat is it?â Elle asks softly reading his contemplation. Looking up there are pieces of the Tre sheâd known in adolescence. Worry, stress and some insecurity. He smiles when he canât find the words he wants to say.
âIâm happy I agreed to come here with you Tre. Iâm going to pick and outfit and we can head outâ Elle sits up holding his torso. He pecks her lips some of the worry behind his eyes gone.
âMe tooâ he agrees but theres no toothy grin. âI realize I mightâve lied to you back at the houseâ he admits startling her.
âHuh?â Her face is full of concern as he wears guilt.
âUnintentionally, I promised it was your choice but I genuinely donât think I could stop trying to fight for and us Elle. Our chemistry is one of oneâ he explains better than most men, honest to a fault, capable of self assessments and communication.
He looks at Elles eyes that say it all by her level of amusement at his transparency. Theres no anger or frustration just endearment as she chuckles to herself standing.
âYouâve dominated qualifiers - why psych yourself out in finals?â Elle asks speaking athlete speak and leaving him to get ready.
Authors Note: Thanks for reading how do we feel about them finally getting some time together? Their bond, how they feel about each other. And the four letter G character was left out of this one for the most part.
Let me know your thoughts and thanks for reading! xx.
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