Carter Brothers: Eli (Rated R novel)

Chapter 17

A/n Please note that this chapter is super long and the last bit is the key bit. At the ***** take a break or something if you can stand the suspense :) 

Chapter 17

As morning came, things seemed like they were back to usual and Ivy certainly felt much better. She steps out of the shower and wipes the foggy mirror as she vows to herself-no more crying. Today...today she’ll be positive. Today she’ll be strong, for her mother and today, she won’t feel self-pity because...because it could be so much worse and she has no right to complain. Feeling stronger in her mission Ivy slips into her shorts and loose t-shirt, normal standard clothes for her. She runs a towel through her wet hair, the short length meaning it’s already starting to dry. Make-up’s a rarity so as Ivy misses it out, she hardly notices.

“Finally! Jeez, why do girls take such a long, damn time to just shower,” grumbles Eli just having aroused from his sleep, and slumping into the steam pouring bathroom. He wafts away the overpowering scent of the wild flowers and hopes to God they don’t stink up his clothes; that would most definitely not be masculine.

Ivy rolls her eyes and ignores him as she gets starting on breakfast. Discovering his cupboards surprisingly well stocked, she decides on a nice greasy fry up breakfast, to keep them going for the day. She has no idea what Eli will be up to all day but she knows she’s got work.
“Ivy!” comes the annoyed calls of the man she calls her boyfriend. Turning off the tap and wiping her hands she spins around and glares indignantly at him. Only her eyes widen slightly at seeing his appearance. A large, fluffy towel is at his hips, covering those strong legs, the material clutched in one fist, holding the whole thing steady. Water drips off every part of him and Ivy watches momentarily, mesmerised by the droplet that falls off the dirty blonde strand of hair, gliding down his perfect nose and diving towards his chest, where it zigzags down the hair of his muscled pictorials and smooth skates down his lightly defined abs...all the way into the depths under his towel.
“What?” she snaps, a few seconds later with her mouth a little drier.
“The hot water. I can’t get hot water if you’ve turned the tap on. Jesus, woman! If you’re that against me showering, you just had to say,” he mutters with a frown.
“Well, I didn’t know, did I? And look, you’ve dripped water everywhere now!” She retorts, thinking to herself how the floor’s not the only thing that’s now dripping wet thanks to him.
“Whatever, I’ll clean it later,” he mutters turning back and heading to the shower. Ivy gazes down at the trail of water he’s left and sighs to herself, picking up a cloth before mopping it up.

After breakfast, Eli insisted on driving Ivy to work, seeing as he didn’t have anything to do for the day. As he pulls up next to the diner, Ivy turns to head out with a bye and thankyou, when he pulls her back.
“Woah there...don’t think you can get away that easy. I haven’t even got a good morning kiss yet, never mind a goodbye one!” grins Eli.
Ivy smiles back and mockingly rolls her eyes before giving him a quick peck on each cheek.
“There...Now, thank you for the ride but I need to get going.”
“Okay, I’ll pick you up. What time do you finish?”
“You don’t have to-”
“Ivy.”
“7. I’ll be done by 7, thanks.”
“See you at 7 then.”
As she hops out of the car she can’t help but give him a wide grin in return to his own beaming smile, before entering the diner.

She’s the first one in as usual, and after changing, she starts preparing the place for service. A while later Frank arrives and then one by one the waitresses for the morning shift; they’re all surprised by the large smile on Ivy’s face but doesn’t question her cheeriness.
“Hey kid, come here a minute,” calls Frank asking Ivy into the kitchen. Confused but compliant, Ivy walks into the kitchen, just as Frank is getting out his ingredients.
“What is it Frank?” she asks.
“I just wanted to see how you were doing kid. How’s your mom?” He asks concerned. Ivy’s smile falters but she tries pushing it back up. Frank was the very first person her father employed when he built the diner and as such has been one of the few constant figures in Ivy’s life; which is also why Ivy knows he has every right to ask about her and her family.
“I’m fine thanks and mom...she’s back in hospital,” Ivy responds honestly. There’s no point lying to him, especially when he always seems to know when she’s lying.
“Ah, give my regards to her. So how are you holding up? You’re not all by yourself in that house are you? Because you can always come and stay with me and Lana if you want,” he kindly offers.
Ivy shakes her head before responding, “no, no. I’m...I’m staying with a...friend. But thanks, anyway.”
“A friend? Caroline?”
“Uh..no, it’s a new friend,” she mumbles.
“Right...” he drawls with suspicious eyes but Frank knows Ivy’s got a good head on her shoulders and won’t do anything stupid.
“Anyway, we’re having inspectors in tomorrow,” Franks states changing the topic.
“Inspectors? But mom didn’t tell me she’d booked to have inspectors in this week.”
“Maybe she’d done it a while ago?” he suggest.
“Yeah...” mumbles Ivy still baffled. Her mom never forgets to tell her about inspections and always rings them in her calendar that’s hung in the kitchen. Ivy’s almost certain there was no ring about this week and she finds it hard to believe that her mom would have forgot to tell her about it.
Shaking her head, Ivy decides to place the mystery behind her and actually do some work.


As 7 o’clock came, Ivy and Jo-Ann, one of the waitresses were the only ones left. Jo-Ann had offered to mop up so that Ivy could do the inventory. It’s just when Ivy’s placing the float away that Eli knocks on the closed door of the diner. Jo-Ann frowns and points to the closed sign only to have Eli point to Ivy who was checking the register.
“Ives. Do you know this guy?” asks Jo-Ann causing Ivy to look up and break out into a grin at the sight of Eli.
“Yeah, let he’s my ride. You can let him in Jo,” giggles Ivy closing the till and coming to the other side of the counter.
She hears Eli mutter a thanks to Jo before gliding over to her and wrapping her into a hug. His lips descend on hers in a soft peck before he pulls completely away.
“Are you done?” he asks.
“Um...yeah, let me just go change. Jo? You finished?” she says, as her cheeks cool from the blush. She’s never done the whole PDA thing before and it’s embarrassing. Jo nods eagerly, with a sly grin on her face as she follows Ivy into the changing room.

“Who is that?” exasperates Jo-Ann with a teasing grin.
“Oh...That’s Eli...He’s my...boyfriend,” mumbles out Ivy turning around so she doesn’t have to have Jo-Ann witness her bright red cheeks.
Jo-Ann gives a squeak of excitement before gushing, “no way! Damn, he’s hot...Where did you meet him? And can I get one?”
Ivy laughs at Jo-Ann’s questions before she turns around to answer them.
“I actually met him here at the diner.-”
“Oh my gosh! I remember him, now! The one you said stalked you? I knew he was too cute to be some psycho!”
If only she knew...Ivy mentally clips in her mind; imagining if Jo-Ann would still be saying that if she knew Eli is a goddamn werewolf.
“Yeah...He’s also, very, very, persistent,” retorts Ivy.
Jo-Ann just laughs and shakes her head, “so what does he do?”
“He owns a club,” shrugs Ivy, pulling on her shorts.
“Wow, that’s...that’s so cool. You know it’s weird ‘cause I never would have thought he’d be your type....Huh, I guess you really can’t help who you fall in love with,” shrugs Jo-Ann fluffing out her hair.
“...Um, yeah, I guess,” mutters Ivy her heart thumping at the recognition of the word ‘love’. God, she’s never felt like this with anyone. Like Eli puts colour into everything and that he makes her world brighter. She feels like some kind of some bimbo in a sickly chick-flick; sighing and fawning over a guy but she can’t help it. Perhaps it’s not as much as not being able to even breathe without him there but happiness seems to wash through her when she’s with him. Even this morning when he was being a moody dick; he still brings happiness to her.