''Yes please'' He told her as he went to get the milk out from the fridge and placed it next to her.
''Thanks'' She thanked him as she looked shyly up at him and took Alice's mug and muffin and placed them in front of her sister who was chatting on her laptop.
☯
After they had drank their tea and coffee, Desiree got up from her seat and made a gesture for Elliot to follow her into the hall.
''Would you like to take a shower before dinner? My parents will arrive in about an hour so you'll have enough time to get ready.'' She told him.
''That would be great.'' He told her with a smile as she lead him into her parents' closet once again so he could change from his clothes that were soaked with rain water. After a few second he picked out a black v neck and black jeans, which her father rarely wore because they were torn at the knee.
Desiree lead him to the downstairs bathroom and made sure that there was a towel and the essential things.
''If you need anything just tell Alice since I am going to be upstairs, but I think that you have everything that you need, you can put your clothes in the laundry basket so you take them clean at home.'' She told him with a small smile as she started to make her way out of the bathroom, but she was stopped as he grabbed hold of her hand.
''Thanks for everything that you are doing with me, it means alot to me.'' Elliot spoke those word with such honesty in his eyes that she just stood there for a few seconds before she spoke.
''It's my pleasure'' And with those words she left the bathroom and went upstairs into her bedroom so she could take a warm shower and reflect on the events that had happened in just one day.
☯
When Desiree went downstairs after she had showered and got changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a sweater that had belonged to her mother, she found Elliot serving the chicken and the vegetables on plates for them.
She couldn't help but think that he looked amazing wearing all black except for his American flag bandana pushing back his curly locks from his forehead and she was glad to see that he had removed some of the butterfly stitches from his face.
''Dinner smells delicious, I can't wait to eat!'' Desiree said cheerfully as she walked into the kitchen and started to decorate the table. Her parents where going to be back home any minute now.
''You are a good cook'' Elliot praised her as he placed the plates on the table.
''And you're a good vegetable chopper'' She told him with a grin as she lit up the candle in the middle of the table.
He was about to say something when the doorbell rang and both Desiree and Alice rushed to open the door to let their parents in.
They both looked tired but had a grin on their face, like they always did as they hugged their two daughters and kissed the top of their heads before they walked down the hall and into the kitchen.
''Elliot, it's nice to see you again! How are you doing sweetie?'' Amber asked Elliot with a grin on her face as she placed her work bag on the floor and sat down in her usual seat at the kitchen table.
''I'm much better, thank you Mrs.Lock'' He told her with a grateful smile.
''It's Amber, and it's our job to help people.'' She told him as she looked at her husband who was sitting on her right hand side, who was looking hungrily at the food in front of him.
''Who cooked dinner today?'' Rupert asked as he looked up from his plate to look at his daughters who were sitting opposite them.
''I prepared the chicken and Elliot chopped the vegetables.'' Desiree answered as she smiled to her left where Elliot was sitting.
''You make a great team because this dinner looks better than anything your mum has ever cooked.'' He told them with a smile as they laughed while Amber complained.
After the laughter had died down Rupert bowed down his head and his family did the same, except for Elliot who looked confused at Desiree, who motioned for him to do as they were doing.
''Father of us all,This meal is a sign of Your love for us: Bless us and bless our food, And help us to give you glory each day.Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen'' Rupert prayed and after he was finished his family repeated amen and made the sign of the cross before they started to eat.
Desiree peeked at Elliot and saw that he had an unreadable look in his eyes, and she made a mental note to ask him about it later.
About halfway through their meal they heard the doorbell ringing.
''I'll get it!'' Desiree announced as she hurriedly got up from her chair and ran out of the kitchen to open the front door.
When she opened the door she froze as she looked at the person who was standing in front of her with a smile on his face.
''Noah, what are you doing here?'' She asked him with her eyes wide open in shock.
''I'm here to see my baby girl of course!'' He told her with a smile as he leaned in and placed a swift kiss on her lips.
''Desiree, is everything ok?'' Her mum's voice asked from the kitchen, but she didn't reply as she closed the door behind the two of them.
8☕
❝It's horrible when your heart is somewhere your body isn't❞
Desiree still couldn't believe that Noah was there standing in their hallway. Had her parents invited him to dinner without telling her? He was her boyfriend after all, so the fact that he had most probably been invited for dinner shouldn't have surprised her so much.
Noah and Desiree had been together since they were 10 years old, thanks to their parents who had encouraged them to start seeing each other, since they both came from good families.
Before Desiree even knew it, she found herself dating Noah not even knowing what the word dating meant. She didn't feel the butterflies in her stomach whenever he kissed her or comforted her, although she did love him in a way so she thought that there was something wrong with her.
''Desiree, are you ok? You look a little pale.'' Noah told her as he looked down at her with concern.
''Yeah I'm fine, did-'' She didn't have time to finish her sentence before her father appeared into the hallway to see what was taking her so long.
''Ah Noah, it's good to see you son! Please, come join us in the kitchen!'' Rupert told him with a bright smile on his face as he lead him to the kitchen.
''I'm sorry I came a little late, but I had to stay an extra hour at the animal shelter.'' Noah told him with an apologetic smile.
''Don't worry about it, voluntary work comes before dinner!'' He told him with a smile before he started to ask Noah a thousand questions on how he's doing with his studies to become a vet and offering him help and advice.
When the two men entered in the kitchen with Desiree behind them, Elliot immediately looked up at the new guest. He was the polar opposite of him with his professionally gelled back hair and wearing one of those hideous men cardigans, he instantly didn't like him.
Noah noticed Elliot's presence when Desiree left his side to go and sit in her empty seat next to the grimacing boy who looked like he was going to kill him any second.
''I'm Noah, Desiree's boyfriend and you are?'' Noah introduced himself with a fake smile as he took out his hand for Elliot to shake.
Elliot's eyes travelled briefly to Desiree who was looking down at her plate to avoid both of their eyes.
''I'm Elliot, the guy who Desiree saved.'' Elliot told him with a proud smile as he shook hands with a tight hold, to his satisfaction Noah grimaced a little and removed his hand from Elliot's tight grip immediately.
''Nice to meet you.'' Noah told him before he sat down opposite him.
That evening was spent retelling the story of how Desiree had saved Elliot, who had been badly beaten up, and Noah pretending that he was interested in what they were saying, he couldn't wait to have some time alone with his girlfriend, he hadn't seen her for a whole week and the week that they had been apart a new guy had walked into her life, an obstacle.
''Thanks for dinner, Amber and Rupert but I must go now 'cos it's quite late and my dad would be wondering where the hell I am
.'' Elliot said as he got up from his chair.
''It was a pleasure having you here with us Elliot, if you need anything we are here for you.'' Amber told him with a smile. ''Dessie, please show him the way to the front door.'' She added.
Desiree immediately got up from her seat and made her way to the front door with Elliot following close behind her as Noah looked at them with a displeased expression, he didn't like that Desiree was friends with those kind of people.
''Bye Desiree.'' Elliot told her as he walked out of the front door.
''Wait, when will I see you again, I mean if you would like to?'' Desiree told him as she followed him out of the front door.
''I don't know.'' He told her with a harsh tone.
''Elliot, what's wrong? You know that you can tell me everything, right?'' She told him as she walked closer to him.
''Nothing's fucking wrong ok! I'll see you around, goodnight and good-luck with your boyfriend.'' He told her in a sharp voice, that hit her like a slap across her cheek as he started to walk away from her.
''Goodbye Elliot.'' Desiree told him in a sad tone and she walked slowly back indoors.
She didn't want to let him go but she knew that there was nothing that she could do to prevent him from leaving her.
Elliot looked one more time at the Locks humongous house before he started to run to the place where he knew that he could let out the anger inside of him. He couldn't believe that the girl that he instantly liked had a boyfriend! A guy with a bright future in front of him and Desiree, the things that Elliot didn't have and most probably would never have.
After about ten minutes of running in the dark streets of the village he saw the bright sign of the bar signalling that it was open and he walked in and sat on one of the bar stools as he ordered his first drink of the night, he was soon joined by his friends who had been waiting for him since he had text-ed them to meet him there so they could have some fun.
Thirty minutes later Elliot was drunk like never before and didn't know what he was doing as he sat with some of his friends smoking a cigarette and drinking more alcohol.
A busty blonde girl barely wearing any clothing approached him and sat on his lap as she started to trail kisses down his throat, he met her eager mouth with his lips as his friends cheered and wolf whistled.
The busty girl who was instantly moaning at his touch got up from his lap and took him to the bar's bathroom from where one could hear moans of another girl calling 'Michael' repeatedly.
Elliot lifted the girl with ease onto the sink and lost himself in her for the night as he tried to forget about Desiree and everything that had happened that day.
9☕
❝Just when you think it can't get any worse, it can. And just when you think it can't get any better, it can❞
After Desiree had finished having dessert with her family and Noah, she went upstairs with him close behind her. He had told her that he wanted to talk to her about something important in private.
When they walked into her bedroom she closed the door behind her and sat down next to Noah on the bed who was playing with his hands, he always did that when he was nervous.
''So, what do you want to talk about?'' Desiree asked him curiously.
He didn't answer her, instead he kept avoiding her gaze and looking down at his hands.
''Noah, if something is wrong you need to tell me right now.'' She told him as she moved closer to him and took one of his hands in her.
''Do you like him?'' He asked her quietly.
''What?'' She asked him because she wasn't sure that she had heard him right.
''I asked you if you like him, that... that punk! Desiree you shouldn't be hanging around with people like him I thought that you knew better!'' He yelled as he got up from the bed and stood in-front of her to have control over the situation.
''What are you talking about, I just met Elliot! You are making a fuss over nothing, as usual'' She added the last part in a hurry, hoping that he wouldn't hear it.
''I'm not making a fuss over nothing Desiree! I'm trying to protect you from that rouge and people like him!'' He continued yelling at her.
Desiree couldn't stand him yelling at her like that and she got up from her bed and faced him.
''How can you judge a person without knowing them! Get out of my house, I am so mad right now!'' She yelled as she grabbed a pillow from her bed and threw it against the wall.
Noah looked surprised at her, she had never acted like that before in the seven years that he had knew her. At that moment she wasn't the sweet lovable girl that he loved, instead she was a furious girl. Maybe she was right, maybe he was overreacting.
He went behind her and took the pillow from her hand before she threw it against the wall. She turned around to face him with a frown on her face.
''I am so sorry, I was wrong to judge a person before I even knew him and I'm sorry that I overreacted and thought that you liked him. Please, forgive me.'' He told her in a sincere voice as he looked down at her, pleading with his warm brown eyes to forgive him.
She let out a sigh and looked up at him.
''I forgive you, I just over reacted as-well, I shouldn't have acted like that.'' She told him as she met his eyes.
''It's fine Des, it was my fault in the first place.'' He told her as he lowered his face to be at eye level with her and before she knew it their lips touched.
It was a kiss like no other that they had shared before, it was sweet yet comforting and for the first time in seven years Desiree felt a faint flutter of butterflies in her stomach. He pulled away and leaned his forehead against hers, he smiled a sweet smile making him more adorable than he already was.
After a few moments of them just looking into each others eyes Noah had to leave since his mother had left him five text messages and two voice mails asking him where he was at that late hour.
''Goodnight Desiree, sweet dreams'' Noah told her before he leaned for another sweet kiss before he got into his car to drive back home.
''Goodnight Noah, see you next week after work.'' She told him with a smile after they broke the kiss.
''See you then, if you need anything feel free to text me, I love you!'' He told her as he got into his car and waved at her before he drove away, not giving her a chance to answer him.
''I like you too'' She said with a sad smile as she started to climb the stairs to the front.
That night before she drifted off into a peaceful sleep she couldn't help but replay the 'date' she and Elliot had had at her favourite cafe and their moment in the bookshop. She knew that there was something special and more powerful than what she had with Noah.
She drifted off to sleep wondering where he was at that late hour and what he was doing...
10☕
❝If I told you my secrets, you'd never look at me the same again❞
The next morning Elliot woke up in an unfamiliar bed and with a splitting headache. He had no idea how he had arrived there and what had happened last night after he had left Desiree. What was she doing at that moment?
Elliot felt someone shifting next to him on the bed and when he saw the messed blonde hair of the naked girl laying next to him the events of the night came crushing down on him. He immediately got up from the bed and dressed in his clothes that were scattered all over the floor. He had promised himself that he would try to change, but he had failed, he was still the same guy.
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