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"I have a headache" She breathes out a puff off air that hits et you some aspirin and some food in a minute, but only after you tell me that you understand what I just said"

"I understand," she wheezes out as her nails dig into ive her a squeeze, dipout of bed and heading to the bathroo back into the rooer inout about what happened this o to her door and knock twice It only takes a moment for her to open the door, and when she does, her eyesto et back into bed"

"You’re going to take these," I say, handing her two Advil, "and then we’re going to have breakfast After that, we’ll go pick up Hope froet dressed We’ll head out in fifteen"

"I… We’re not going to eat here?" she asks, tugging at the bottoover food you’ll ever have is extra greasy and from a place called Jones’ on Main"

"My diet--"

"Babe" I shakeher off before she can saymy eyes over her I have no idea where this diet shit is coht She’s perfect "You do not need to diet" When my eyes travel up to her face, her cheeks have a pink hue that wasn’t there before and her eyes have gone soft in a way thathard not to lean in and kiss her Clearing rowl over my shoulder, "Get dressed andlike push you back to the bed and show you withher ," as her door closes, I s up her coat and shirt fro her we’ll be there to pick up Hope in an hour or so Then I send a text to Sage, asking how hiswith our client My cousin hates being the one to give bad news, and the news he was delivering thisan affair with her co-worker Obviously, since he hired us to check into her, he had his suspicions, but thinking itproof are two co a response from my mom almost immediately e’s response takes longer, but hisover to his wife’s co-worker’s house and going postal after he saw the photo evidence I can’t i He and his wife have two kids, both under the age of five, at ho hisa quick response, I let hi the paperwork and closing out the case, then tell hi breakfast To that, he responds alain? to which I responded, Fuck off My cousins and Evan had been giving me shit all week about Ellie’s silent treat out of my way, because they kneas likely to blow at any minute

I know she’s downstairs before I see or hear her when her ss I’ve been o and covers up their natural scent, but not Ellie Her scent of vanilla and cherries is so subtle that I crave getting closer to her, wanting to pinpoint where the scent is located on her body, so I can breatheinto the kitchen then frowns, going over to the counter where I sat her coat and shirt "How did this get here?" she asks, holding up her shirt

"You took it off last night when you ca her to be e to lie either

"I took it off down here, ith you here?" she whispers in horror, balling the shirt up in her hand

Moving toward her, I take the shirt froers under her jaw and tilting her head up until her eyesmore than what I would see if ent to a pool and you wore a bikini"

"I don’t wear bikinis" She closes her eyes "I don’t even kno to swis I’ll teach you," I declare quietly

"This is so e her head back and forth and causing her hair to slide over my hand

"Would you feel better if I took offon her chin so she opens her eyes

"I’ve seen you without your shirt," she mutters as her cheeks turn pink

"Well then, we’re even" I s in a lungful of air, she lets it out slowly then nods

"Good" S a soft kiss on herher quick intake of breath or the way her eyes go half-ain to see if I can get the same reaction