Promises_A friends to lovers romance.

by Michelle MacQueen

  He pushed her up against the fridge and trailed kisses down her neck.

  “Maybe we should stop,” Elijah whispered into the crook of her neck, fighting to keep his self-control.

  “Elijah, I want you,” she said.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, looking down at her.

  “Elijah.”

  Maggie pulled on his hand and he followed her to her room without another word. She turned with the backs of her legs up against the bed.

  “You were right,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. “I do love you. I always have. I always will.”

  “Do you promise?” she asked, smiling against him as his lips touched hers.

  “I promise.”

  Elijah pulled Maggie closer as he woke up. Her body fit against his so perfectly - as it always had. They’d always had a physical relationship, but in a purely platonic way. When they were teenagers, and she’d all but moved into his house, she had often found her way into his bed. Hugging and cuddling were the norms for them. It was how they helped each other make sense of their worlds.

  But... this. This was different. Elijah smiled and rested his cheek against the top of her head. Her skin felt warm against his and he was reminded of the night before when he had kissed every inch of its softness.

  He rolled slightly so he could prop his head up on his arm and look down into her face. The angles of her face were softened in sleep. Her lines were smooth - well, all but her laugh lines. Maggie had profound laugh lines Elijah had always loved. It showed that, even through everything that happened to her, she found something to smile about. Maggie could be stubborn and hard sometimes, but Elijah knew her other side as well.

  The only time he’d seen her smile lately was when she was with Kimberly. Everything from her past was being dragged back into the open. She was handling it the best she could, but Elijah knew it was taking its toll. She tried to handle it on her own, never needing anyone. Maggie would never be one to talk about her feelings. That’s what made the night before so astounding.

  As Elijah watched her breathing evenly, a stab of guilt washed through him. How could he be so in love with her, yet keep secrets from her? He thought of Jason and the letter from Maggie’s father he’d asked him to read. He wasn’t so sure that was the right thing anymore. As soon as he could, he was going to ask Jason to just give her the letter, hoping he hadn’t read it yet. That would fix it.

  “You know, it’s creepy to stare.” Maggie opened her eyes and met his intense gaze.

  “How did you know I was staring?” he asked.

  “I could feel it. You were practically burning holes into my face.”

  “I would never do anything to this beautiful face.” Elijah cupped her cheek and brushed the pad of his thumb across it in circles.

  “You’re so cheesy.” She pushed his hand away and moved to sit up.

  “Don’t you dare.” Elijah pulled her down on top of him and circled his arms around her back.

  Maggie smiled at him shyly and then reached up and ran a hand through his messy bed hair. “I always loved your hair. Remember how I used to play with it all the time when we were younger?”

  “I used to get mad and tell you if you wanted to play with hair, you needed to find a girlfriend.”

  She laughed and Elijah felt it vibrate in his chest.

  “I didn’t want a girlfriend,” Maggie whispered. “I only wanted you.”

  “To be fair, you weren’t much of a girl back then.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Her elbows dug into his chest as she raised herself up to look down at him dangerously.

  “Only that you didn’t act like one,” Elijah laughed. “You were always dirty from playing sports with the boys and, let’s be honest, you’ve never been very lady-like.”

  Maggie rolled off him, but he rolled with her and trapped her underneath him with his arms. “But I’d never do this with one of the boys.” He kissed her. It was slow at first, and then more forceful as he pressed her harder into the bed.

  She scraped his bottom lip with her teeth and he groaned before releasing her mouth and raising himself over her.

  “I want to go back to the people we were when we were younger,” she said suddenly.

  “You mean the little girl who was terrified and lonely every day of her life?”

  “I wasn’t lonely,” she argued. “I had you.”

  “True.” He kissed her again.

  “I want to be that girl who had such hope. I may not have been happy, but I thought one day I would be. I don’t know where I lost that.”

  “Then be her.”

  “That simple, is it?” Maggie reached up and traced the lines of his face with her fingers. She touched the softness of his lips and pulled him down to her once again. Her chest heaved against his and, by the time he pulled back, he was breathless.

  “Just try,” Elijah said finally. “Let’s be those people. With slight... uh... differences.” He smirked down at her, and she laughed.

  They heard a buzz sound through the apartment, and Elijah sighed.

  “The real world awaits.” He rolled off her and sat up, scooting over the edge of the bed. He swung his legs over the side and look back at her with a vulnerability he rarely showed. “Are we...” he stopped and swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. “Are we good here?” He gestured from himself to Maggie. “After last night-”

  “Elijah,” Maggie cut him off. “When everything is going wrong, and it has been, you’re the only person I want with me. You’re the person I could never be without. I don’t know what that means yet, but we’ll figure it out.”

  She sat up and held the blanket to her chest with one hand while reaching towards him with the other. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and stood, letting the blanket fall from his figure.

  “You know,” he said, motioning to where her hand still clasped the blanket. “I saw it all last night.”

  He winked, and she gaped at him as he strode into the hall, bare ass naked. Strode might not be the word for what he did. Strut. Yes, he strutted naked into the hall.

  The buzz sounded again as Maggie pulled on a pair of sweats and a tank top. She didn’t bother to fix her hair as she ran into the living room. Whoever just showed up in the morning didn’t get her at her best.

  “Hello,” she said into the intercom.

  “It’s your favorite person in the world.” She recognized the voice immediately. “Okay, probably not first on your list. Maybe second to Jason. No, third to Elijah. Oh, what about Michaela? Do you like my sister more than me?”

  “Just shut up and get yourself up here,” Maggie said as she buzzed him in. She heard the shower starting and suddenly regretted that someone else was here. She wanted to join Elijah.

  Just letting herself think like that made her head spin. Last night had changed everything, and there was no going back. But then, she realized she didn’t want to. She wasn’t scared anymore. At least, not of Elijah. She loved the way he made her feel. It had been a while for her since she felt anything for anyone.

  She was snapped out of her thoughts by a knock on the door. When she opened it, she found two men standing in her doorway. Chris broke into a grin and pulled her in for a hug.

  “Miss me?” he asked.

  “Not at all,” she laughed.

  He pulled back and stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. “Maggie, it isn’t nice to lie.”

  She pulled him into the apartment. Chris had been right, he was one of Maggie’s favorite people. There was something so genuine about him. He’d been good friends with Maggie, Elijah, and Jason for years now. They were like their own little city family. Last year, Michaela had joined the family when she moved in with Chris.

  Chris hadn’t lived in the city in months, though, and she couldn’t wait until he moved back. She couldn’t see him living in Connecticut much longer - especially with everything she’d heard about his parents.

  “Hey, Josh,” Maggi
e said to the shockingly tall man beside Chris.

  “What’s up, Maggie?” Josh asked. “Chris and I were bored, so we wanted to see what Elijah had going on at the house today.”

  “You don’t have training?” she asked.

  It was Chris that answered her. “Josh, here, had a bit of a problem during his on-ice workout yesterday.” He slung his arm over Josh’s shoulders protectively.

  Josh was like a little brother to Michaela and Chris. His real brother was Michaela’s ex, but from what Maggie had heard, that guy was a piece of work.

  “I just got real light-headed and felt my heart speed up a bit. It’s no big deal.” He shrugged. “I’ve just been training too hard and decided to take a couple of days off.”

  “Mags,” Elijah called from the bathroom, seemingly unaware of their guests. “Want to join me?” He came striding out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist. He stopped when he saw the three of them in the kitchen, a small O forming on his lips.

  Chris’s eyes widened, and he grinned. “Are you two...?”

  “Elijah,” Maggie said. “Go shower. I’ll have the coffee ready when you’re done.”

  Elijah nodded wordlessly before turning and walking into the bathroom.

  “That’s-” Chris started.

  “Not a word,” Maggie cut him off. She pulled down the coffee filters and set her mind to the task.

  “But, Maggie-”

  “What?” she snapped.

  “I knew it! Well, really we all did, but I said it first.”

  “You guys have been talking about us?”

  “Only all the time. This was so obvious.” He rested an arm across her shoulders as the three of them went into the living room.

  “Yeah, to everyone except me.”

  Chris danced away from her and went and started pounding on the bathroom door. “Hurry up, lover boy. We’ve got some chatting to do.”

  “Christopher Matthews,” Maggie said harshly. “Stop that right now.”

  “Might as well give up,” Josh said. “There’s no telling him what to do.” He laughed, but Maggie cut it off with a harsh glare.

  “Why would I stop when it’s sooo much fun?” Chris asked. “Just admit it, Mags. You looooove him. It woulda been great to see his face when you finally realized it. It’ll stop his mooning over you at least.”

  “He was not mooning,” Maggie said indignantly.

  Chris laughed. “Oh, yes. Yes, he was.”

  Chris came back to the living room and sat down with a grin stretching from ear to ear.

  “You’re an ass,” Maggie said.

  “Yes, but you love me.” He paused, glancing at the bathroom door. “Just not as much as you loooove Elijah.”

  “You may have just slipped below your sister.”

  Chris didn’t miss a beat. “My sister is a lot cooler than me. Nicer too.”

  “And better looking. Don’t forget that.” Maggie laughed at her own joke. Chris and Michaela looked so similar it was like they were the boy and girl version of the same person.

  It was impossible to stay mad at Chris, even when he was being a dumbass. He was too... Chris.

  Elijah came out fully dressed in a pair of torn jeans and a ratty t-shirt. It was basically his uniform for working on the house. He said hi to the boys and then turned a smile on Maggie that would make most girls melt. She didn’t melt so easily, but it did stir a feeling in her gut. He laughed when he realized what he was doing to her.

  Elijah poured coffee for everyone and added sugar before balancing the cups and carrying them into the living room.

  “If you want anything else in it, you have to get it yourself,” he said, passing out the cups.

  Chris jumped up to get some milk, but he didn’t sit when he returned.

  “I have an announcement to make,” he said. “As much as we love that you two are totally doing it now.” He smirked at them, “There’s bigger news afoot. The day you’ve all been anxiously awaiting for months has arrived. I’m moving back to the city!”

  Maggie just stared at him without cracking a smile. She tilted her head to the side and stayed silent. Chris looked around the somber room, his smile faltering.

  “Uh...” he started. He didn’t know what to say to their lack of reaction.

  Maggie started laughing suddenly, and Elijah and Josh followed suit.

  “You should’ve seen your face,” she said. “Of course we’re happy. This is awesome. We’ve missed you around here.” She got up and walked over to him for a hug.

  “I’ll call Jason to have him and Michaela come to the house tonight,” Elijah said, slapping Chris on the back. “We’ll get the grill set up and celebrate on my new deck.”

  “Sounds great, man.” Chris said, still grinning.

  It would be good to have everyone back together again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The sun was sinking between the houses as Elijah and Jason got the grill going. Maggie was showing Chris around the house and Michaela, Kimberly, and Josh were lounging on the brand-new deck furniture.

  By the time Maggie and Chris stepped back outside, the sweet smell of steaks permeated the air. There was chatter in front of the grill as the boys discussed various grilling techniques.

  Boys will be boys, Maggie thought.

  “Well,” Chris started, slapping Elijah on the back. “The rest of the house looks like shit. But I can see why you started with the deck. This is summer.” He gestured around to the group and grinned.

  “Gotta enjoy it while you can,” Elijah replied.

  The yard looked amazing, and the deck was perfect for them to just hang out together. Maggie had been skeptical at first. She’d thought there were more important things that needed to be done to the house first. Chris wasn’t wrong. They had a long way to go. The wood flooring was finished in the downstairs, and all the bathrooms were in working order. The electrical problems had also been fixed although those hadn’t been too bad to begin with. Thank God.

  But other than that, not much else had gotten done up to this point. Elijah was working hard, and Maggie was actually surprised how quickly he was doing things, but there was just so much to be done. A place for him to sleep would be a start. He was lucky she didn’t mind having him as a roommate, but he was more than just a roommate now, wasn’t he?

  Heat rushed to Maggie’s face, and she was suddenly thankful for the disappearing light as it would hide the sudden color in her cheeks. She was not a blusher. She usually had more control than that. Until recently, it had been a while since she had anything to blush about. But last night...

  Chris knew, so Maggie was positive that meant they all did. Jason and Michaela just had more tact than to mention it outright in front of everyone, but if Maggie knew her cousin, there would be a talk.

  “I’m going inside to get the rest of the food set up,” Maggie announced suddenly, glancing at Elijah quickly before turning away.

  “I’ll help you,” he said.

  “I’m sure you will,” Chris’s voice followed behind them. “Just an FYI, you don’t want to surprise Maggie and Elijah in the morning - unless you want an eyeful of Elijah in a towel, that is.” There was laughter all around, but it muffled as Elijah slid the door closed.

  They knew full well the smirks they left behind.

  Neither of them said anything as they set out the food they’d bought at the store. The awkwardness had been there ever since Elijah got out of the shower that morning. This was new territory for them, and they almost didn’t know how to be around each other. They’d crossed the line. They were no longer just a pair of lifelong friends. It was more than that now. And with that came added pressure and expectations, but also questions.

  For most people, it would be too early for the ‘what are we?’ conversation. But Maggie and Elijah weren’t most people. Maggie was starting to realize these feelings for Elijah that she thought were new may have been there the entire time.

  Elijah walked up behind Ma
ggie and put his arms around her. She stiffened as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

  “It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s still just me, Mags.”

  Hearing him say her name sent a warmth through her, loosening her muscles. She relaxed into him and he tightened his hold on her.

  “I know,” she sighed. “I just feel like there’s suddenly this gulf between us that was never there before.”

  “You mean I make you nervous now.” He chuckled softly, and she felt the vibrations of his chest on her back.

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “But it’s what you meant.” He paused. “You forget that I know you better than you know yourself.”

  “You do not.” Maggie pulled away and spun to face him.

  He moved closer, smirk firmly in place. “Are you nervous now?”

  “Screw you, Elijah.” There was no venom in her words as they shook coming out of her mouth.

  Elijah positioned his face in front of hers, eye to eye. “Nervous?” His voice grew huskier the closer to her he got.

  Maggie swallowed hard, her breathing rapid. She shook her head, but just as she tried to speak, Elijah muffled her words with his lips. She felt the kiss all the way down to her toes. Through no will of her own, her arms snaked themselves up around Elijah’s neck. He pulled her to him with one arm as his other hand latched itself onto the back of her head, tangled in her hair.

  All the worries and fears flew out of Maggie’s head when her lips were touching Elijah’s. This part, they did well.

  Her heart pounded against his chest as he finally relinquished her lips in a desperate search for air.

  Still holding onto her, Elijah’s cheek was scratchy against hers, sending tingles down her spine.

  “Still nervous?” he whispered, his breath hot on her ear.

  “Not at all.” This time, she meant it.

  The food was good, the company was better.

  Everything had been cleaned up, and they were just hanging out under the stars. It was a clear night, and the air had cooled considerably.