Desolation (New Rochelle Mafia #1)

32. CHAPTER 32

CHAPTER 32

ELODIE

H oly shit.

Standing in the shower with Drake, hot water sluicing down my body, I try to catch my breath. What was that? I mean, it was good; damn was it good. But what the hell.

Clearing my throat, I look at Drake. “You okay?”

He grunts.

Turning me around, I hear him open the shampoo bottle as he puts some in his hand and then feel him start shampooing my hair and scalp. God that feels good.

He still doesn’t speak.

He rinses my hair and then on goes the conditioner. While that sits, he starts washing my body, still not speaking. Turning me to face him, he leans my head back, rinsing the conditioner out until the water runs clear.

I grab his body wash and begin washing him like he did me. He closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. “I don’t know what came over me, but I couldn’t wait one more minute to be buried inside of you,” he says quietly, eyes shut tightly.

“If you think I’m upset with you, I’m not. Sitting in that room, making all those plans, I realized that some of the people in that room may not come home tomorrow. I get it. You needed to feel alive, and feel me here, just like I needed you too,” I say.

He opens those crystal blue eyes and stares at me for the longest time, throat bobbing as he swallows whatever words he can’t force out.

Finally, he says, “After tomorrow you won’t have to worry anymore. After tomorrow you can have your life back, whatever that looks like for you, but I hope that there is a place for me in it.”

Wait, what? “What do you mean you hope there’s a place for you in it? Do you not want me here anymore?” I ask. I’m so confused right now.

“I rescued you from your parents, and then while you were recuperating from the abuse, you gave yourself up to save Reba. Then you were gone for a year and lost your scholarship. We rescued you again, and you’ve been trapped inside here, again, for your own safety. That won’t be an issue after tomorrow, and I don’t want to force you to stay if you don’t want to,” he says.

Ah, okay. I see what this is about. “So you think I think I’ve just been trapped here? You silly man. If I haven’t made it clear, I love you, you big dummy. So unless you don’t want me here anymore, this is where I’m staying.”

The relief that comes across his face almost drops me to my knees. So, he was sitting in that meeting knowing he was going to risk his life, but thinking I might leave him afterwards.

Pulling me to him, we stand there under the hot water until he feels like he can breathe again. We step out and Drake hands me a towel and we dry off. He hands me my robe and grabs his off the back of the door. Stepping back into my room, we lay down on the bed and stare at the ceiling, holding hands.

“You know, the day you came to the diner and asked me to be your friend, I thought I was going insane because all I could think about was how bad of a girlfriend I would be for you. You only asked to be my friend, and my dumb brain had me thinking thirty steps ahead,” I say, laughing.

“Well I mean, that was what I really wanted to ask you but it seemed a little weird to not start with friends first,” he says, and I punch him in the arm.

“I still think you can do better than me. But it’s too late for all that now. You’re stuck with me forever Drake Bianchi. Just because I’ll be able to move around after tomorrow doesn’t mean I want to move away from you,” I say softly. Turning to my side I look at him. His blond hair is damp and the curls are sticking to his forehead. His tattoos look bright after just being wet and his muscles make my mouth water. I run my fingers up and down his arm in a soothing motion.

How has he been around for so long but I never let myself believe we could ever be here? All the years wasted. Him wanting me, stalking me from the shadows, protecting me. Me oblivious but yearning for him from afar, trying to stay invisible to everyone but him.

The only person who has ever really, truly seen me.

Touching his face, I lean in to kiss him and he pulls me to him and we start all over again, and again, and again, all through the night.