A/N - - - - Early update! lol I hate waiting if I have the chapter ready! :P
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Autumn has settled it's self in as the tree's became bare and the air was cool. Jeremy slipped on his overly expensive leather jacket over his suit as he was leaving for work. Elizabella and Jeremy's relationship has only grown stronger as the weeks passed. Jeremy was coming to terms with the seriousness of it and he knew that one of these days that he'd slip up and tell her that he loved her. He has almost slipped up several times during sex but he made sure to quickly distract her so she never noticed.
He walked into the main office and was greeted by Hannah. "Mr. Gage." She said sweetly. He nodded with a smile of his own. "It's quite chilly out today." She commented while looking out the window. "Yes, it is." He added even though the cold didn't bother him much. As a werewolf shifter he naturally had a higher body temperature than a normal human. Jeremy made his way into his office and got started with his work pile. He had made a point to show his father ever since his last incident that he was not that type of person and would not repeat his mistake.
Jeremy had plans with Elizabella that night to come meet his friends. He has been putting it off for as long he possibly could but he could tell she was starting to get the idea that he was embarrassed of her or something of that nature. She couldn't be more wrong. He just was uncomfortable being with them with her present. Jeremy has a history that his friends are very much aware of. He doesn't want them to mention anything that Elizabella may disapprove of. He knew Marcus and Kat would be pleasant but he worried about Zachery and Jimmie.
He wasn't even concerned about Shelly, they have become close over the weeks and he has grown to appreciate her friendship. She is always helpful when Jeremy goes to her for relationship advice as he was to embarrassed to go to Zachery or anyone else for that matter.
Jeremy's phone buzzed in his pocket and quickly pulled it out as he got up from his desk.
-Hey, does Liz like pizza? Or should I have Kat cook us up something?- Marcus texted.
Jeremy quickly replied letting him know that Elizabella would be more than happy to eat pizza. In fact it was one of her favorite things to eat. Jeremy has learned this about her as she has been spending more time with him at his flat.
Jeremy entered the break room and started to pour himself a cup of coffee. He realized that the coffee seemed a little off. It was most likely old. He dumped out the liquid from his cup and then started up a fresh batch. Jeremy was waiting patiently for his coffee when Zachery walked in. "Hey mate." Zachery chirped while looking through the box of doughnuts that was laid out on the counter. "What's up?" Jeremy asked as he poured himself another cup. "I finally got a minute to get away from my office. Your father has been working me to the bone today." He whined.
Jeremy chuckled as he sipped his coffee. He felt the hot liquid run down his throat and it soothed him. Jeremy could sympathize with Zachery. "That's my father for you." He said while taking a seat. Zachery grumbled under his breath. "So...you know I'm bringing Elizabella over tonight?" Jeremy questioned casually.
Zachery looked over at him in shock. "For real? Awesome! I've been wondering when you were going to finally bring her around. She had texted me the other day asking if you maybe were ashamed of her or your relationship." He said while chuckling. Jeremy's eyebrows furrowed. "She texted you?" He questioned.
He nodded like it wasn't a big deal. "Well....what did you tell her? Why would she ask you?" He started his interrogation and Zachery rolled his eyes. "Mate, turn down the jealousy. It's not a good look for you. We all know she's yours and besides she probably didn't feel comfortable coming to you about that so she asked a friend who happens to be your best mate." He stated like it was already obvious. "So what did you say?" He demanded. "I told her you were just nervous about us breaking your balls in front of her." He said causally while shrugging.
Jeremy has been doing his best to keep his anger under control lately. "That's not exactly true." He stated through his teeth. Zachery sighed dramatically. "Oh come on mate, don't be such a pansy about it. It was better than me saying that you were ashamed of her!" He said placing his hand flat on the table. Jeremy nodded stiffly. "I think you love this girl." Zachery accused as he got up and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge.
Jeremy stayed quiet and was thankful when Zachery changed the topic. "So you'll both be over at Marcus's tonight?" He questioned while opening up his water. "Yeah, around six." He replied back while finishing off his coffee that was now almost cold. "Cool, I bet Kat is excited. She needs another girl friend to hang around with when the guys hang out. Shelly is not the best company to keep." He said while chuckling.
Jeremy laughed along with him as he knew Shelly got under Kat's skin a lot. "I'll see you later, mate." Jeremy called over his shoulder as he got up and went back to his office. Jeremy spent the rest of the day on his computer. He was glad that most of his work was done for the day so he didn't need to rush and feel pressured. Although Jeremy worked good under pressure he still enjoyed being able to relax and take his time.
When the work day was coming to an end Jeremy's father came in. "Son, as you know you're mother will be having a little get together on Halloween. She....we would like for you to bring that girlfriend of yours. You know your mother has been dying to meet her and we both agree that it would be the perfect time to introduce her." He said awkwardly.
Jeremy contemplated his father's request for a moment. He figured it probably was a good idea. Elizabella could meet his friends and family and then everyone would get over it. They wouldn't be on his back anymore about it. "Yes, of course. I'm sure Elizabella would love to meet the family." He said to his father in a formal tone. He nodded stiffly. "Good, I'll be sure to let your mother know." He said and turned on his heel and left Jeremy's office.
Jeremy finished up with his work and then packed up his belongings for the day. As he was driving home he dialed Elizabella. "Hey babe, how was work?" She asked sweetly as soon as she picked up. He smiled to himself, he found comfort in hearing her voice after being away from her for long periods of time. "It was OK, so are you ready for later? You know we don't have to go." He said in a hopeful tone even though he already knew there was no way he was getting out of this one. "Jeremy, we are going! You're not going to make us ditch out this time like you did for Mark's wedding!" She said sternly. He chuckled. "It's Marcus, and I didn't make us ditch. I was simply ill." He said calmly. She snorted loudly in disbelief. "You were not ill, Jeremy." She retorted.
Jeremy sighed in defeat. "Are you ready, love?" He asked softly. "Yup!" She chirped. "Good, I'll pick you up at quarter to six." He said. "I'll be here!" She sang while hanging up the phone. Jeremy made his way up to his flat so he could shower and get dressed. He was trying his best to keep his nerves at bay. He knew if he kept worrying about it he would only end up finding a way to ditch out on their plans. He knew he could easily use sex as his weapon, Elizabella was a sucker for it. He loved that about her though because he knew that he was the only who could do that to her.
Jeremy laced up his boots while he sat on the edge of his bed. They were actually starting become a little worn from all the use. He would have to remind himself at a later time that he should pick up a new pair. After he was done dressing himself and making sure that he looked good he walked out into his living room.
He quickly flipped through the mail that was on the coffee table, it was nothing of importance so he threw it away. He checked his fridge and realized he would need to pick up some more orange juice later. Elizabella loved orange juice, she could drink it whenever where as Jeremy only preferred to have some with his breakfast.
He looked down at the watch on his wrist and saw it was still only half pass six so he didn't need to leave just yet so he spent an extra few minutes writing a grocery list. He never use to shop at all unless it was something he actually needed otherwise Mrs. Davis always made sure to keep up with it. Elizabella is quiet the picky eater when it comes to snacks so he has now picked up on the responsibility of grocery shopping. He wanted to make sure that Elizabella felt comfortable when she was here so he made sure she kept spare clothes in his bedroom and anything else that she would want or need..
Most would ask why she hasn't just moved in then but he didn't want to make her feel pressured and he wasn't so sure if he was truly ready for that step himself even though the thought of it pleased him. He would love to come home to her but when they were ready.
He was still working his way into convincing her to quit her lousy job. She hated when he would talk badly of it but he thought maybe she would eventually cave for him and quit. He didn't care if she found another job hell he would hire her to work in his office if she wanted a job that bad. Though he would almost feel guilty about replacing Hannah but not that bad as to where he wouldn't do it.
Jeremy folded his list and shoved it in his back pocket and went over to put on his jacket. He grabbed his keys and made sure he had his phone and wallet with him. He strolled out of the building and hopped into his car. He made sure to turn the heat up so it was warm for when Elizabella got in but he also kept his window cracked slightly.
He pulled up to Elizabella's building and texted her letting her know he was out front waiting. He skimmed through the channels on his radio in till he found something he liked, he kept the volume low though so it was more or less background noise. Elizabella slipped into the passenger's seat. "It's bloody cold out today!" She whined as she buckled herself in. Jeremy smiled over at her as he took in her appearance. She was wearing a light gray sweater dress with tights and black flats on her feet. "You look nice." He commented before pulling away from the spot he was parked in. "Thanks, you got this dress for me." She said while smirking at him. "Oh did I?" He played stupid. She snorted. "Yeah it's probably the most expensive thing I own apart from my phone which you also paid for." She said in a sarcastic tone. He chuckled. "What's wrong with buying you things? I am not allowed to do that?" He questioned her while raising an eyebrow.
She pursed her lips at him. "No... I am not saying that, babe. I appreciate how much you spoil me but you know cheaper gifts wouldn't bother me either." She said while shrugging her shoulders. He nodded while smiling. "OK, I'll keep that in mind then for Christmas." He stated while glancing over at her. She smiled up at him with one of her breath taking smiles. Jeremy then noticed she was not wearing a coat. "Love, why do you never wear a coat? You're going to get sick." He stated in concern. She blushed lightly. "I don't have one that would match this outfit..." She said softly. "Who cares if it matches? It's better than you getting sick." He pushed.
She just shook her head slightly which made the curls in her hair bounce. "Coming from the man who looks like he stepped out of one of those fancy magazines. I swear I don't think I have ever seen you dressed in something that doesn't look good." She said in a playful tone. He laughed loudly. "Baby...you look perfect in everything. In fact I think you should try to down play it if that's even possible. You're starting to take away the spot light from me." He teased. She gasped and slapped his arm. "I swear if your ego got any bigger your head just might explode!" She exaggerated.
When they reached their destination Jeremy helped Elizabella out of the car and they walked in Marcus's building hand in hand. As they were getting closer Elizabella squeezed on Jeremy's hand tighter. "I hope they like me. I know I am not exactly from the same crowd. I just hope they don't look at me funny or something." Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "Well Zachery is going to be here. You know him well and Jimmie seems to know of you. They will all love you, I'll kill them if they don't." He said as he squeezed her hand just as tight. She smiled up at him. "Always so protective." She said softly. "It wouldn't be any other way, love." He replied as he knocked on Marcus's door.
Kat was the one to open the door. She smiled widely at them both. "Oh my God! This is her? She's beautiful!" She squealed while pulling Elizabella in for a hug. Elizabella was shocked but she awkwardly hugged back with one arm as Jeremy was stilling holding on to her hand. Kat pulled away. "I'm so sorry. My name is Kat, I am Marcus's wife. Please come in." She said with excitement.
They followed her in to the kitchen. "It's nice to finally meet you. I am so sorry we didn't attend the wedding. I would have loved to have been there." Elizabella said politely. "Oh that's fine, love! I'm just happy Jeremy decided to bring you along with him tonight." Kat replied while pulling out some plates from the cabinet.. "Yeah besides the gift made up for it!" Marcus chimed in as he entered the kitchen.
Kat frowned at Jeremy. "That was too much, Jeremy." She scolded. "It was the least we could do since we were not there for your guy's day." Jeremy said to Kat while giving Elizabella's hand a quick squeeze. Kat smiled at them both. "You guys look so good together, Liz...may I call you that?" She questioned and Elizabella nodded for her to continue with a small smile. "Ok, I wasn't sure since Jeremy here always reefers to you as Elizabella but anyway really Liz....I am so happy that he has finally found someone to tame him. He needed someone steady." She said while placing her hand over Elizabella's free one.
Jeremy felt a little nervous as Kat said this but Elizabella smiled. "I am glad I can be that someone for him." She said while looking over at him. He returned the smile. "Oh come enough with the lovey talk. Where the hell is the bloody pizza?" Marcus groaned while he grabbed some beers out from the fridge and offered them to everyone. "It should be here shortly. You're not going to die. Besides we should wait for everyone else to come." Kat said while carrying the plates over to the dinner table.
Zachery and Jimmie showed up together quickly after the pizza came. "Fucking finally!" Marcus whined which made Kat shake her head. Elizabella giggled. "Liz you're actually here! I thought fuck face was lying." Zachery teased while punching Jeremy's arm. Jeremy faked a laugh and it sounded awkward coming out. "Yeah he couldn't keep me away forever." She said while getting up to hug Zachery. Jeremy wasn't pleased about that either. "Hey, I'm Jimmie. We met a few times back in Uni." Jimmie said politely while holding out his hand.
She smiled and nodded. "Oh I remember, I'm surprised you actually own clothes." She teased while shaking his hand and everyone laughed apart from Jeremy. He hated feeling out of the loop. Everyone besides Kat knows Elizabella from college and even though it shouldn't bother him, it does. Jimmie noticed Jeremy's uncomfortable stance. "Yeah, well props for tying this guy down. I thought he'd never find a girlfriend....considering his standards."
She laughed while taking her seat again next to Jeremy. He quickly grabbed her hand under the table and pulled it into his lap. She looked over at him and gave him a reassuring nod. "Yeah great, we're all friends. Ha Ha. Now let's eat!" Marcus stated impatiently while opening one of the pizza boxes. "This man acts like he hasn't ate for days." She sighed while everyone took their seats.
They all enjoyed the pizza while chatting about all the good times in college. Jeremy stayed quiet for a lot of it. "Jeremy, remember that one girl...oh fuck, what is her name? She was from America....shit." Jimmie trailed off. Jeremy felt his stomach drop. "Casey." He said flatly. Marcus joined. "Oh shit yeah! Casey! I loved her accent." he stated while taking a sip of his beer. "Casey that's it! Man she was crazy...in a good way! We all wanted her and of course Jeremy had to make us all look like wankers and got first dibs." He teased. Jeremy felt his jaw tense and his free hand clenched tightly.
Kat raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Hmm." She said unamused. Marcus smiled over at her. "Before you babe. Don't worry she was lousy." He stated and she smiled. "That's what I thought!" She chirped. Zachery laughed. "I never got dibs simply because I found her utterly obnoxious." He stated. "Like oh my God! That's totally cool, you guys say wanker!" Zachery mocked in his best female American accent. Elizabella burst into a fit of laughter. "She said that?" She questioned while trying to contain her laughter. He nodded with a smile. "She found everything we said amazing." He stated and Jimmie nodded his head. "Yeah especially Jeremy, she all but had a heart attack when he would refer to her as love." He added in.
Jeremy knew this would happen, them bringing up things that happened in college. "Oh I can believe that! Jeremy is quite the charmer." She mused while looking at him and everyone laughed. "Sure he is." Zachery teased. Jeremy laughed dryly while sipping his beer. He wasn't the least bit amused by any of it. "Zachery, you said you didn't get dibs....now if I remember clearly...correct me if I'm wrong...but I have this odd memory of Casey giving you head in our dorm room shortly after I had finished with her." Jeremy stated in a dark tone not even trying to sound playful.
Jimmie and Marcus roared in laughter while everyone else remained quiet. Zachery narrowed his eyes to Jeremy. "I guess I forgot about that." He stated calmly. Jeremy nodded. "Good thing I have an excellent memory then." Jeremy retorted. Elizabella picked up on the negativity and quickly changed the topic. "So, do you two have girlfriends?" She questioned Jimmie and Zachery while giving Jeremy a hard kick underneath the table. Jimmie shook his head while Zachery and Jeremy were still glaring at each other. "I like this one girl...but I honestly don't think it'll go far." Jimmie replied to Elizabella's question. "Oh...well you never fully know!" She said with a small smile. "And you Zach?" She questioned again.
Zachery stopped his glaring and turned to Elizabella. "No...no girlfriend yet. She's out there." He shrugged and she nodded in agreement.
Shortly after they finished dinner Jeremy wanted to leave and Elizabella didn't put up a fight. They said their goodbye's and quickly left. Jeremy felt much more relaxed once they reached the car. "That was really fun, you're friends are nice! Especially Kat, she seems so sweet." Jeremy nodded as he pulled away. "What's wrong?" She questioned. "Nothing" He replied dryly. Clearly something was wrong, he couldn't fool her. "Are you seriously mad about what happened during dinner? They were only joking around and you had to turn around and be a jerk to Zach." She snapped and turned to look out the window.
Jeremy sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Elizabella...I'm sorry... it's just... I...fuck." He cursed under his breath. He always seemed to lose his words when it came to situations like this. "You just what, Jeremy?" She pushed while still staring out the window. "I just....I was a different person in college...hell I was a different person until... I met you. I just don't need them giving me reminders on who I use to be...especially in front of you. I don't want....I don't know." He trailed off. He was becoming angry with himself that he couldn't seem to find the right words.
Elizabella looked over at him and her features softened. "We all were different in college. Jeremy. Everyone grows up and moves on. Well most people do." She said softly. "That's not the point. I changed...because of you and I can't...lose you because of my past." He whispered while gripping the steering while tight making his knuckles go white. She placed her small hand on his thigh and squeezed slightly. "You won't." She said in a sincere voice and for the first time in his life he felt vulnerable.
He looked over to her and he let his eyes burn into hers. He could feel the words in his throat as she stared at him with wide eyes. He opened his mouth to let them out but before they could escape he quickly shut his mouth and turned his gaze back to the road. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips and kissed her palm softly. "Are you coming home with me or shall I drop you off?" He asked softly changing the topic. She sighed. "I want to go home with you." She said while giving him a small smile. He returned the smile, he loved when she stayed over. He loved waking up to her but he loved watching her sleep in his arms more. It gave him comfort and he was able to truly admire her without her being aware of it.