Truce?: Hating Elijah Monroe

by Amelia Kingston

  “Fine. I technically own one, but—”

  Charlene asks, “Isn’t it a pool party?”

  “Yeah, but I’m not going to prance around in a bikini in front of half the senior class. The popular attractive half.”

  “Why not? You’re beautiful,” Charlene adds definitively.

  “I’m really not.” I walk away, escaping back to my room. I flop down on my bed as Marcus starts rooting through my drawers.

  “I’m with Charlie on this one. You’ve got a hot little bod.”

  “How’d you know? You’re gay.”

  “Honey, just because I’m not making a purchase doesn’t mean I can’t window shop. Hot is hot. Now, where’s that bikini?”

  I pout and throw a tantrum, but Marcus ignores my drama while Charlene offers gentle encouragement. Fifteen minutes later I’m opening the slider into the backyard in nothing but my bright yellow bikini. A dozen sets of eyes snap to us as our uninvited trio make our entrance. I look over at Elijah and see his scowl is firmly in place.

  I force a smile and say, “Let’s take a dip.”

  Charlene, Marcus, and I are silently banished to the deep end of the pool, very clearly not part of the party.

  “Guess we’ve been quarantined,” I joke. “The uncool juniors.”

  Marcus and Charlene give me a pity laugh. They don’t seem to mind the distance. It gives them the perfect ogling perspective.

  “Hey,” Liam calls out to us with a wave.

  “Hey.” Marcus and I sing out in unison, only his version is sultry.

  “I’m Liam.”

  “Harper.”

  “Marcus.”

  “Charlene.”

  Liam nods and smiles at all three of us.

  “Careful, we’re contagious,” I deadpan. Liam looks at me, confused. “You might catch loser-itis.”

  “I’ll risk it,” Liam quips with a smirk, swimming up next to me.

  Elijah’s voice echoes in my head. They’re just doing it to piss me off. I look across the pool at him. Yep, it’s working. He’s leering at me, lips pursed, brow furrowed, eyes squinting. I ignore him. I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m swimming in my pool in my backyard. He’s the one who invited all these people over. He only has himself to blame.

  Liam and I chat about nonsense, not saying anything that means something. Charlene chimes in about Ms. Reynolds’ English class. Marcus is shockingly quiet, happy to stare at a half-naked Liam in silence. The boy practically has cartoon hearts in his eyes. I’ll have to remember that trick. The only way to shut Marcus up is to put a half-naked man in front of him.

  I watch Elijah out of the corner of my eye. He’s talking to Bethany, another senior and one of the prettiest girls in school. She’s doing most of the talking, but Elijah isn’t pulling away when she leans in. I wonder if they’re a couple. They can’t be. The whole school would know if Famine had a girlfriend.

  Marcus’ gasp brings my attention back to our little foursome. His eyes are darting between me and Liam. Charlene is biting her lip and nodding. I definitely missed something.

  “What do you think?” Liam inches closer, a mischievous grin on his lips.

  “About what?” I ask.

  “About going out with me.”

  Charlene giggles with excitement. Marcus whines with something close to jealousy. My eyes shift between the three of them, unsure of what to say. My eyes dart to Elijah. I watch him get out of the pool and storm off into the house. Bethany follows him. My stomach twists into a giant pretzel. I jump out of the pool, nearly kicking Marcus in the face in my hurry.

  “Sorry. I’ve really gotta pee,” I say with an awkward smile. Overshare much?

  I lock the door to the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. I’m starting to turn an unattractive lobster red. Must be too much sun. I turn on the faucet and let the water run until it gets cold. I splash my face and neck, trying to cool off. It doesn’t work.

  My mind races with images of Elijah and Bethany alone together. I’m bright red from head to toe. I turn away from the mirror, annoyed at my own reflection. Leaning against the sink, I cross my arms and stare up at the ceiling. Elijah’s room is directly above me. I bury my head in my hands and will myself not to cry. I have no idea how long I’m standing there when a knock on the door startles me.

  “Harper? It’s us. Are you okay?” Charlene asks softly from the other side of the door. I unlock it and she and Marcus join me in the crowded bathroom.

  “I’m totally fine.” My voice is too high-pitched to be telling the truth. Marcus and Charlene share a knowing look. “God, was it that obvious that I freaked out?” I plop down on the edge of the bathtub and bury my head in my hands.

  Charlene takes a seat next to me and squeezes my shoulder. “It wasn’t that bad. If one of the hottest guys in school asked me out, I’d freak out too.”

  I look over at her, confused. It takes a few minutes to realize they think this is about Liam.

  “He seems really sweet, though. I think you should say yes.” Charlene gives me one of her rare megawatt smiles.

  I shake my head, looking at Marcus.

  Marcus sits down in front of us cross-legged. He squeezes my knee and adds, “You totally should say yes.”

  “But, you like him.”

  Marcus waves his hand dismissively. “He’s gorgeous. What’s not to like? But I’m not the one he spent the whole party chatting up.” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Come on, let’s get back before he thinks you’ve got diarrhea and changes his mind.”

  The three of us pile out of the bathroom just in time to see Bethany strutting down the stairs looking like the cat that ate the canary. She was up in Elijah’s room this whole time. Long enough to…

  I feel sick to my stomach. Someone shoved a hot poker into my heart. Hate surges through my body as I storm out into the backyard.

  I march up to Liam and practically yell at him, “I’d love to go out with you. How’s Friday?”

  Liam looks up at me with a casual smile and says, “Friday’s perfect.”

  Now…

  I’m stupid excited for the dinner party Friday night. I haven’t been to a grown-up party in a long time. I spent the past hour curling my hair and putting the finishing touches on my outfit. I want to look hip, but mature. I settle on black leggings, a sheer white blouse, and heels that match my red lipstick. I feel fierce.

  Marcus’ house on Maple Street is beyond adorable. The giant trees with their sunset leaves are as beautiful as I remember. I park in front, grab the expensive bottle of Napa Valley Chardonnay from the passenger seat, and make my way to the front door. It’s a quaint two-story house, painted a soft yellow with white trim. Inside the white picket fence is a plush green lawn and a small flower garden. It’s the house out of a story book, the type of home I imagine eventually settling down in. A quick wave of jealousy washes over me. Marcus has a life and someone to share it with. I take a deep breath, smooth down my shirt, and knock on the door. When it opens, Elijah seems unsurprised to find me standing on his porch. Wish I could say the same.

  “Sorry. Wrong house,” I squeak before turning in my red heels and bolting back down the sidewalk to my car.

  “Harper. Jesus, you’re fast.” Elijah grabs my wrist just before I’m able to get out of the yard. “You’re at the right house. Marcus and everyone else are already inside.”

  My heart is racing and not from my escape attempt. Elijah Monroe is touching me. His thumb gently sweeps the delicate skin on the inside of my wrist. I turn toward him, my eyes lock on his fingers. He drops my wrist and shoves his hands deep into the pockets of his black slacks. I stare at him in the soft twilight. I wish he wasn’t so beautiful. My eyes shift between Elijah and my car, deciding between the two.

  “You look nice,” Elijah croaks. His voice is hoarse, like it pains him to say the words. Still, the lazy compliment makes me blush like a schoolgirl.

  “You too.” I stare up into his green eyes and come undone.
“Truce?” I propose, holding out my bottle of wine to him in offering.

  I take a stumbling step forward on wobbly legs. Elijah draws me to him without saying a word. He shuffles closer, our bodies separated by only an inch. His head tilts, his eyes dropping to my lips.

  “Truce,” he whispers as he starts to lean down, inching closer to the imaginary boundary that has always separated us.

  I lean into him, his chest brushing against mine. My breath catches in my throat and I close my eyes. I’m going to let Elijah Monroe kiss me.

  “Harper! Get your ass in here,” Marcus shouts from the porch. I screech and jump back from Elijah.

  “I brought wine,” I shout as I practically sprint back up to the front door, happy to leave the temptation of Elijah Monroe in the dark behind me.

  “Delicious. Are you playing nice, Eli?” Marcus calls out.

  “Always, Marcus.” Elijah has an easy smile on his face. Of course our almost-kiss was a joke to him. He’s Famine, always leaving you wanting more. No thank you, Mr. Monroe. You can keep your kisses.

  “What’s everyone doing in the front yard?” another voice calls from the doorway.

  “Eli was making himself the personal welcome party for our little Harper,” Marcus retorts.

  My eyes take in the newcomer to our outdoor tête-à-tête. Marcus sees the surprise register across my face.

  “Harper, I believe you know my boyfriend, Liam Davis.”

  I let out a crazy sounding cackle. My first boyfriend, Liam Davis, is gay. That makes sense. I always wondered why a guy that smart, sexy, and sweet would date a loser like me in high school. It sure as hell wasn’t for my killer sex moves.

  “Liam, you look great.” I try to recover from my less than graceful initial reaction and pull Liam in for a hug.

  “You too, Harper.” He gives me a good squeeze. He always was a good hugger.

  “Are we ever going to eat, or is this more a metaphorical dinner party?” Eeyore Eli gripes from behind me.

  “Don’t be a dick,” Liam barks. “Dinner is almost ready. I’ll open this bad boy up right now.” Liam takes the Chardonnay from Marcus and saunters back into the house.

  “Boys,” Marcus teases before following behind him.

  Elijah startles me by placing a guiding hand on the small of my back. My eyes snap to his face, searching for a smugness I don’t find. His eyes are on the ground, his brows are pinched together, and he is almost frowning. He looks nervous. I’ve seen Elijah angry, frustrated, sad, pouting, happy, and smug. But never nervous. It’s unsettling. I pull away and scamper into the house.

  The inside is just as charming as the outside. The living room is painted a warm beige with white trim. An overstuffed chocolate-colored sofa dominates the room, begging to be lounged in. A bookshelf is nestled in the corner with an entertainment center just next to it. The space is cozy without being cluttered.

  I follow the sound of laughter to the kitchen. It’s a sleek open space with a large island made for entertaining. The house is old, but Marcus has taken a lot of care in restoring it. It’s fresh without losing the charm of the cottage feel. I pull up a bar stool at the countertop, amazed at how put together Marcus seems to be. I can hardly believe we’re the same age.

  “This place is beautiful, Marcus.”

  “That’s all Eli,” Liam chimes in. “He turned into Mr. Fix-It after he bought the place.”

  Elijah shrugs. “That’s why they call it a fixer-upper.”

  “I thought this was your place…” I gesture between Marcus and Liam.

  “It’s a double-master. We’re renting. Until we’re able to buy our own love nest.” Marcus croons. Liam gives him a sweet smile. They make a cute couple.

  “This is your house?” I marvel, pointing at Elijah.

  “Don’t sound so surprised, Short Stack,” Elijah huffs. “We can’t all live at home.”

  “Hey, I told you to behave,” Liam reprimands, throwing a dish towel in Elijah’s face.

  “She started it.”

  “I did not!” I retort.

  “Jesus, some things never change.” We all turn to see Jake Miller leaning against the doorframe. Bethany Hooper is standing next to him. Figures Bethany and Jake would end up together. They were the biggest flirts to ever grace the halls of Weaverton High School.

  I grab the wine glass Liam is holding out to me with a meek smile. I take a long swig, not caring how much I spent on the bottle or the oaky buttery notes I’m supposed to taste.

  “Oh, I just knew you guys would end up together,” Bethany jabbers on as she wiggles her manicured finger between Elijah and me.

  I almost do a spit take with my fancy wine. Instead, I choke on it, coughing so hard I can’t even laugh at the ridiculousness of her comment. I look over at Elijah, psychically pleading him to correct her while I finish my choking fit. Instead, he takes a sip of his beer.

  “Excuse me?” I croak out.

  “I told Jake all that fighting was just foreplay.”

  My cheeks flush. I’m bright red. Elijah is laughing beside me, beyond amused at my embarrassment.

  “And I told you the whole brother-sister thing is creepy.” Jake shakes his head.

  “Stepbrother,” Elijah corrects. That’s what he chooses to clarify?

  Liam adds his two cents with, “Who gives a fuck? After the whole Game of Thrones thing, no one’s going to bat an eye as stepsiblings knockin’ boots.”

  “Unless hell froze over since the last time Elijah’s been there, that isn’t going to happen!” I correct them all.

  “So, you’re not together? Then why did you dress to match? That’s a couples thing,” Bethany asks.

  Elijah’s in black slacks and a white button-down shirt, the sleeves rolled up his tan forearms. Other than my red heels, we do look like we match. Everyone else seems to think it’s hilarious. I sigh and take another swig of my wine.

  “Let’s eat,” Liam interjects, much to my relief.

  The six of us take our seats at the dining room table. Two couples, Elijah, and me. I smell a set-up.

  “Where is the fourth horseman this evening?” I ask.

  “Noah’s on shift,” Elijah answers from across the table. “At the firehouse.”

  “Did all of you end up being kitten-in-tree savers then?” I joke.

  Liam needles Elijah, “Nah, some of us work for a living.”

  “Single-handedly keeping every donut in Weaverton from going stale,” Jake mocks.

  Elijah joins in with, “Says the guy who plays Monopoly all day.”

  “I’m a bank manager. The money I play with is real,” Jake counters.

  Before the testosterone chokes us all, Bethany changes the subject. “Harper, what brings you back home?”

  “She’s only here for the summer,” Elijah and Marcus sing out in chorus before I have a chance to answer. Elijah with a scowl. Marcus with a smirk.

  “I’m running a school program for the summer. But I’ll be teaching elementary school in the fall back in San Francisco.”

  Bethany places her hand on her heart and smiles wide. “How fun. Those little ones are sweet, but they must be exhausting. I don’t know how you have the patience.”

  “Easy. I’ve lived with Elijah Monroe. There’s no better practice for dealing with immaturity.”

  Liam and Jake laugh. Elijah rolls his eyes.

  “Told you she starts it,” he grumbles.

  Three glasses of wine into the night and I’m feeling a bit looser. We’ve finished dinner and moved the party into the cozy living room. Bethany is curled in Jake’s lap in a recliner. Marcus is cuddled up with Liam on one side of the couch and Elijah is lounging on the other side. Having doubled back to the kitchen to top off my wine, I’m the last one to find a seat. I have two options, the floor or next to Elijah. I stand in the corner, glancing back and forth between the empty seat next to Elijah and the hard floor.

  “He doesn’t bite. I promise,” Liam offers, tapping the seat between hi
m and Elijah.

  “I’d like to see him try.” I plop down next to Elijah. He straightens up and pulls away, receding deep into the corner of the couch.

  “Tempting.” Elijah hums next to me in a gruff tone that sets my body on fire.

  I turn away from him, pretending he doesn’t exist.

  “So, how long has this”—I wag my finger between Liam and Marcus—“been a thing?”

  “Officially? Three years,” Marcus sings.

  I tilt my head. “And unofficially?”

  Marcus side eyes Liam, who confesses, “About seven years.”

  I gasp and lean back in shock, making contact with Elijah’s firm body. I resist the urge to jump off the couch. I expect Elijah to pull away, but he doesn’t. He drapes his arm along the back of the couch, like he’s daring me to lean into him. Challenge accepted, Mr. Monroe. I stay focused on Liam, treating Elijah like so much couch cushion. I make a show, exhaling and throwing my arms up, before settling back into him.

  “We were dating about seven years ago,” I confront Liam, but my attention is focused on Elijah’s hard chest behind me.

  “Don’t feel bad, sweetie. He was deep in that closet. It took me four years to drag him out.” Marcus chuckles.

  “Me feel bad? You’re the one who ended up with my leftovers,” I retort with a sassy head wobble.

  The room busts out in laughter. I can feel Elijah’s chest shaking against my back. His arm slides down onto my shoulder. The light touch sends a jolt down my spine.

  “We all know your heart was somewhere else.”

  My eyes shoot to Marcus, wide and desperate. Don’t you dare say it.

  “San Francisco,” he says flatly.

  Elijah stirs beside me.

  “I’m going to start cleaning up.” He stalks off to the kitchen.

  “The cleaning has started. That’s our cue, babe.” Jake taps Bethany on the thigh. She stretches and stands up. Marcus and Liam follow suit.

  Bethany hugs both Marcus and Liam. “Thank you so much for tonight. It was a blast.”

  “From the past,” Jake adds.

  We say our goodbyes and Marcus follows them to the front door. Standing in the living room with Liam, I debate between making my exit and finding Elijah.