“Elliot,” she breathes, the color on her face darkening.
“Mystery Girl.” I reach out and touch her jacket-covered arm, like I’m constitutionally incapable of being in her presence without being physically connected to her in some way. Some of my heaviness lifts at the contact. “What brings you to my diner?”
She scoffs, but it’s playful. “Your diner? You don’t own it.”
I shrug. “I guess not, but I’ve been coming here for literally my entire life. My mom has a picture of me as a newborn baby at that table over there.” I point to a booth across the restaurant. “And correct me if I’m wrong, but I introduced you to this place, didn’t I?”
She chuckles. “Yeah, you did. I’ve been coming here a couple times a week ever since. You were right about the cinnamon rolls, and now I’m addicted.”
“Stick with me, Mystery Girl; I’ll show you all the best things.” I can hear the strain in my voice, and I think she does too because she takes a step closer to me, opening her mouth to speak, but Noah walks up and cuts in before she has a chance. “El, are you planning on joining us at the table in this lifetime or do we have to…” he trails off as his gaze drifts to Amelia, massive grin spreading over his face. “Hi, I’m Noah.” He sticks his hand out and Amelia takes it. “I’m this one’s younger brother. Who are you?”
Amelia hesitates for a second, and I can see the change in her facial expression, awhat the hellenergy surrounding her. I don’t know what it’s about, but I like it. “I’m Amelia.”
“Well it’s great to meet you Ame—” Noah cuts himself off so abruptly, his mouth dropping open in a way that has me snorting out a laugh, despite the current chaos of my brain. “Ho-ly shit. Are you airplane girl?”
“Airplane girl?” Amelia asks, looking at me with a wry smile.
I shrug, elbowing Noah in the side. “Please excuse my brother. We tried to housebreak him, but it never took.”
“Wait, fuck,” Noah says, glancing between me and Amelia. “I’m like ten steps behind here, and you know how much I hate not knowing shit. Did you know she was going to be here? Are you together? Did you figure out the professor/student thing? Tell me everything before I die. Wait! Not just me. You can tell us all everything. Jordan and Coop will want to know. Can shesit with us? You have to sit with us.” He turns to Amelia with a pleading look on his face, and she bursts out laughing.
“Does anyone ever say no to you?” she asks with a smile.
He flashes her a grin. “Nah, I’m annoyingly persistent when I want something. Come on, we have a table for six. It’s like fate or something.”
“Or something,” I say under my breath as Noah turns and walks away, confident that we’re going to just follow behind. “Sorry about him,” I murmur to Amelia. “You don’t have to sit with us. I know things are a little weird after our run in with the dean.”
Amelia looks up at me and for a second, I get lost in her brown eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve been staying away. My head’s been in a weird place since then.”
“I understand. I swear I do. I told you I would never do anything to get in the way of your degree, and I meant it.”
She brushes her hand against mine, and I feel that small touch everywhere. “I know you wouldn’t. And if it’s okay, I think I would really like to sit with you and your brothers. If you want.”
“I want,” I say immediately, feeling desperately grateful for whatever it is that’s happening right now, even if it’s temporary. “But Jordan is over there and I’m pretty sure his girlfriend is on her way, too. They know your brother. It won’t be hard for them to put the pieces together. They won’t say anything to him if I ask them not to, but…” I trail off, not exactly sure what to say next.
This time when she touches my hand she links her pinky with mine, smiling as she looks up at me. “I think whatever it is will be worth it for breakfast with you.”
I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding. “They’re really good people. My brothers. The best people. But they’re also nosy and irreverent and rarely, if ever, act their ages.”
Amelia smiles, tightening her pinky around mine. “They sound perfect, El. Introduce me?”
Restraining myself from leaning forward and pressing my lips to hers, I nod and lead her to the table, my hand linked with hers the entire way there.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
AMELIA
“Elliot’s airplane girl is here. This is her.” Noah gestures to me with a massive grin on his face, immediately dispelling the awkwardness I feel standing by the table currently occupied by Noah and two other insanely attractive men, all of them dressed in running clothes, faces still flushed from the cold.
Good lord, the Wyles genes are fucking spectacular.
“Sorry about them,” Elliot murmurs from behind me. “They’re going to be insufferable.” His breath ghosts over my ear when he speaks, and a shiver works its way down my spine.
I turn slightly, suddenly fully aware that if I moved my head one inch, I could graze my lips over the stubble on his jaw and also overwhelmed by the need to do just that. I take a deliberate half step away to try and get a little distance, giving me a full view of him in his own running gear, which does absolutely nothing to dump ice water on my attraction. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll be great.”
He smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes like it usually does, and I wonder if he’s nervous. He’s still himself, but it’s like his volume is turned down slightly.
Before I can ask him if he’s okay, the guy sitting next to Noah lets out a low whistle, his lips curving in a slow smile. “No fucking way,” he says, his gaze drifting down to where my pinkie is still linked with Elliot’s and then up to Elliot’s face, his searching expression giving me the impression that he’s checking to see how Elliot feels about all of this. The protective vibes are strong with this one. I’m almost positive he’s the youngest, but it’s obvious that he misses nothing.
