There seemed to be something extra handsome about Elijah that day, watching him drive with one hand on the wheel, his thumb bumping against leather to the beat of the song playing on the radio. His lips moved to the lyrics, but just barely, and only the occasion line would come out despite seeming to know the entire song.
He'd look at her from the corner of his eye every minute, keeping his attention on the road, but stealing the ever brief glances. What took him to new heights that day wasn't their long drive to her parents' home, but when he'd come out of the shower.
It was then she saw him come out of the bathroom, steam radiating from his bare chest that had done Madeline in. Not because of his body, which was glorious but what was on his body.
The North Star, etched into his skin for all of time, was just slightly to the left of his heart. Madeline had laid her hand against it, rest her head upon it, so many times without ever knowing it was there. If she wasn't certain how much she'd meant to him in his absence, there was no denying it now.
When Madeline asked about it, he'd told her the story behind it. Elijah had just been released from jail for the third time, and knew his life was spiraling out of control. That's when he thought of her. What she'd think of him. If she'd fear him. If she'd be ashamed, or just disappointed. He'd gone and gotten it the next day, as a reminder to live a life he could be proud of, and a life she'd be proud of him for.
"You're staring at me," Elijah pointed out.
Madeline wasn't concerned with being caught. Never had been. She'd caught him staring at her plenty of times before the kiss. "So? What are you going to do about it?"
A wicked smile played at Elijah's lips while his eyes remained on the road. "Pull the truck over and do ungodly things to your body."
Her skin burned as the words sank into her, and Madeline licked her lips. "I thought you said no sex until a date."
"I did say that," Elijah confirmed. "There are still plenty of other things I can do to you."
Before Madeline could so much as think of a retort, her phone sang out into the heavy air of the truck. When she looked down and saw her dad's cell number on her screen, she pressed 'accept'. People seemed to have an uncanny ability to interrupt them just when things were getting interesting. "Hey, dad."
"Your aunt Sadie is fighting with Shawn again."
"Okay?" Madeline wasn't certain where he was going with that. The newlyweds were pretty much doomed from the start. "So?"
"So, she isn't going to his family's for Thanksgiving. She's coming here. Do you mind if I look around for a hotel for you and Elijah? If I can't find one, she can always sleep on the couch."
"A hotel room for me and Elijah?" Madeline repeated, so the gorgeous man next to her could hear.
"I know he agreed because he didn't realize what he was getting himself into with the whole family, and he didn't want to disappoint your mother and I. He'd be happier in a hotel where he could get away from the crowd at the end of the night. Ease himself into this, you know?"
"I get it," Madeline told him. "Truth was, he admitted as much to me last night. I think a hotel would be the better option."
"And there's that other thing, of course," her dad added. "I don't want him being by the house longer than he has to. You might be his dream catcher, Maddie, but I'm guessing there's only so much you can do when his childhood home is only twenty feet away."
"That's a damn good point," she agreed. "Yeah, look around for an available room and message me with the details if you find it."
"Will do, kiddo. How far out are the two of you?"
Madeline checked the GPS. "About an hour yet."
"Sounds good. If I haven't gotten a hold of you by then, message us once you've hit town. See if your mom needs anything."
"Alrighty. Call you in a little bit."
Madeline ended the call, feeling Elijah's watchful gaze.
"I noticed you didn't tell your dad that you and I have evolved since you talked to either of them last."
"We'd be sharing a bed no matter where we slept," Madeline pointed out.
Elijah let out a low chuckle. "Ahh, but there's zero chance I'd disrespect your parents in their own house by having my way with their daughter. A hotel room? That's fair game."
Although she'd told him she'd decided against sleeping with Marty on graduation night, Madeline hadn't gone into detail about her lack of sex life before, because before it hadn't really been any of his concern. But now it was a different story.
It was crazy, since if he would have allowed it in the early morning hours, Madeline would have jumped at the chance without a second thought. After all, she'd been saving that experience for someone special, and there was no one in this world more special to her than Elijah. She was ready for the step, but it was a little disconcerting how she would have taken it without so much as going on a date with him first.
Not that they didn't spend their every waking moment together, outside of work and school. "Elijah?"
"Hmm?"
Madeline twisted the bottom of her sweater around finger, watching the fabric stretch out. "There's something I should probably mention."
His eyes drifted over to her only for a moment to judge her own expression, then landed back on the road. "Okay?"
"I haven't..." God, she didn't even want to say the words. Madeline wasn't ashamed of it by any means, nor did she wear it with pride. It's just something that was. "I've never-"
His heavy sigh told her she didn't need to continue on. "You're a virgin." It wasn't a question when he spoke the words, already easily piecing together the prior comment with her flustered behavior. "Did you think I'd be upset by that or something?"
Madeline shrugged. "Weirded out, maybe."
Then a smile took over his face; one that deepened with each moment that passed until his body shook with a laugh he was clearly trying to hold in.
"What?"
Elijah was almost turning red by the time he could respond. "I'm actually feeling bad for Martin Martin. I wouldn't even feel right punching him in the face anymore; not when I'm already going to be handing him the biggest 'fuck you' imaginable. Eva's going to be sorry she missed this weekend.
Madeline swatted his arm. "You're terrible."
"I'm okay with that."