I roll over in bed and look at Elliot; he's softly snoring beside me. His brown hair has fallen over his forehead and brushes against his closed eyes. His expression is relaxed, happy almost, as if he's deep in a good dream. I gently brush his hair from his face and kiss his cheek. I smile and slip out of bed, trying not to disturb him. I enter the bathroom and turn on the water, undressing myself while letting it warm up. My reflection in the mirror dissipates as it's clouded with steam. Towels are still nicely folded and stacked on the shelf. Though now his lonely tooth brush had been joined by a spare, the one I'd use when spending the night. I step into the shower and let the warm water run down my body. I close my eyes, holding my face up to the direction of the shower head, my wet hair clings to my face. I sigh and lean against the shower wall. I think about our first time in this shower together, being pressed against the wall, his wet body against mine. I remember the thrill

I place a cup of coffee on Julia's desk and collapse into the chair across from her, letting out a deep breath. "Long weekend?" she questions, bringing the coffee to her lips. "Perfect weekend. I didn't want it to end." I smile, thinking back to my time with Elliot. My boyfriend. "Oh?" Julia raises an eyebrow at me. I nod. "You remember that date I mentioned that I had brought to the wedding?" "Mhm? But I thought you said- –no insisted- –that they were just a friend," Julia hums, placing her coffee down. She leans forward, positioning her elbows on her desk, lacing her fingers together, and resting her chin on her hands. "Well... we're officially together. We've known each other for a couple of months now as... friends. And now-–" I grin, feeling like a school girl talking about her first crush. Julia squeals, she covers her mouth in embarrassment and peeks out of her office door. No one else has seemed to notice, unphased by her excitement. "Kris, that's amazing," she says i

"You know... I don't think I want to go back home tomorrow." I laugh, folding up some of my clothes and placing back into my bag. The last day and a half has flown by. We spent the majority of our Saturday at a local park with Raymond, Allison, and the kids. Ending the evening with a dinner in the city with Elliot's parents. "Weekends here go by too quickly." Elliot agrees. I nod and change into my pajamas, tying my hair up in a bun on the top of my head. Elliot walks up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist, his nose nuzzling the back of my head. "I told you that you would be completely fine with my family. They really like you." He murmurs. I rest my arms on top of his and lean back against him. "I'd take them over my family any day." Elliot laughs and spins me around, lightly caressing my face. He's quiet for a moment before his lips twist into a mischievous smile. "I think everyone is asleep." He whispers. "

I lay on top of Elliot in stunned silence, pretending to be asleep despite my eyes being t wide open. I try to keep my breathing steady, but my heart races. His words echo in my head. He's falling in love with me? Do I say it back? Am I ready to say it back? Fuck. My phone begins to ring on the table, the vibration against the wood makes me flinch. I take in a deep breath, acting as if the call had woken me up. I reach for it and see Kate's name on the screen. "I'll be right back," I tell Elliot as I ease myself off of his warm body. I enter my bedroom. Closing the door behind me, I answer the call. "Kristine! Oh my god! Are you okay? What the hell happened?" Kate shouts. "Slow down, what? What are you talking about?" I sit down on my bed and run my fingers through my hair. "There's a video of you on the fucking news. They're saying that some maniac showed up at the county office. The clip that's circling around shows some guy throwing a bottle of booze at the officers, while

Elliot rises from the chair across from me, fixing his tie and brushing crumbs from his suit jacket. He lets out a sigh and looks down at me and I know that our office lunch date has come to an end. "I should be getting back to the office," he says. I pout and nod. "I know but I don't want you to." Elliot gives me a sad smile. "If I had my way, neither of us would be at work today." He leans over my desk, giving me a quick peck on the lips. "But I'll see you tomorrow for dinner with Kate." "I'm looking forward to it." I hum. Elliot tucks a strand of my hair behind my ear and turns to leave. I watch as he exits the office, admiring his long strides and firm backside. I drag my bottom lip through my teeth, thinking about what he looks like under that suit. That's all mine. Once he's out of sight I slump in my seat and cross my arms over my chest, looking at his empty seat on the other side of my desk. I never thought I would be this girl, sad and disappointed when I wasn't spendi