I couldn't sleep last night. Thoughts of Elliot standing on her balcony clouded my mind. Even from a distance, I could see it in her eyes. The dynamic between us has shifted and I'm not sure what to do. On one hand, Elliot is incredibly beautiful, and smart, and basically perfect—but she's also Ollie's little sister. Although we've never had that conversation, I'm pretty sure he'd have a problem with me dating her. He flipped his shit when he found out we were running together. I can only imagine what his reaction would be if we fucked around.

Despite my reservations, I promised Elliot I would take her shopping for new shoes today. I think it's just an excuse to have a chauffer take her shopping. I've seen how many pairs of tennis shoes she has.

I'm currently seated outside an obnoxious store next to a model standing in a pair of swim trunks while music blasts in my ear. The things I do for this girl. Twenty long minutes later she emerges with a smile while toting two more bags.

"Find anything good?" I ask, standing to stretch out my legs.

"Of course. I just need to make one last quick stop and we can get lunch."

I internally cringe. She says this after every store we go into.

As we begin to make our way toward the escalator I take the new set of bags from her hand and add them to the others I'm already carrying. She smiles up at me.

"I'm so happy I brought you. You're a very useful shopping partner."

Adjusting my grip on the over-stuffed paper bags, I smile back. "You know how you could show your appreciation?"

"How's that?" she asks distantly while staring into the window of another store.

I laugh, nudging her arm. "You could feed me. We've been at this for hours. I'm starving." When she turns to finally give me her attention, I give her a pathetic face back and she laughs too.

Elliot pinches my cheek. "Aw, you poor baby. It's so exhausting walking around a mall all day." She pulls her hand back and runs it through her hair, a smirk playing on her lips. "No wonder I always run faster than you."

Throwing my head back, I let out a chuckle. "Yeah right. I let you win because I feel bad for you. Losing all the time wouldn't be good for your self-esteem."

Her eyebrow arches. "Is that so?" She moves in front of me, looking directly into my eyes. "Care to make a friendly wager?"

"What did you have in mind?"

The smile on her face turns almost sinister. "When we go for our run later, if I win, you have to sit with me and watch a Gossip Girl marathon on Netflix tonight."

"What about if I win?"

She purses her lips for a moment and then shrugs. "Then we can just watch whatever dumb show you want to."

Although watching that show kind of sounds like torture, I'm stuck on the fact that she's already planning on hanging out with me tonight. Ever since I moved into the guest house, she's been finding more and more reasons to spend time with me. Not that I'm complaining, but the more time alone I have with Elliot, the more I feel like we are about to cross a line we shouldn't be.

Again, against my better judgment, I smile back at her. "Okay, you're on."

She claps her hands together excitedly. "You're so gonna lose." With a wink she practically skips into another store, and this time, I can't hide my smile. She's too fucking cute.

***

The real reason I let Elliot win is because I get to run behind her. It's not as fun right now though because she has us running up some sort of mountain. She claims it's to get a better incline. I'm about to pass out.

Her long ponytail whips back and she shuffles on her feet and runs backwards, facing me. "Come on, we're almost to the top."

She's barely winded and my lungs feel like they're on fire. This girl may literally kill me.

"What do I get if I make it to the top?"

She smirks as her only response and then turns back around. I push through the cramp forming in my leg and pass her just before we crest the peak.

I raise my hands in victory. "Ahh that feels good. Can't win them all, Elle."

She bends at the waist and rests her hands on her knees. "You're savage."

I walk around the top of the clearing and take in the view. It's mostly obscured by towering pine trees but there are several large rocks lining a very steep cliff. "This is cool."

She stands upright and smooths out her ponytail. "Yeah, it's quiet. Not a lot of people come up this trail."

My eyes travel down her fitted black track pants and cropped tank top. "Is that so?"

The look she gives me in return takes the air right out of my lungs again. There's something casually seductive about her eyes. She can smolder you with her stare without even trying. It must be something she was born with, because a look like that can't be taught.

She steps around me and crosses her arms, looking out over the edge. "I love coming up here. Sometimes when I run I feel like I'm never getting anywhere. No matter how far I go, it's an empty victory." She takes a breath. "But up here, I can breathe."

I know the feeling all too well. Until I got out of my relationship with Regan, I never realized how mundane my life was becoming. I was turning into a person I never thought I would be. It's like I was settling for something easy and comfortable so I wouldn't have the urge to lose control. The fear of losing something you can't live without is what drives most people to madness. I can attest to that.

I move to stand beside her. "Is Judah still giving you shit?"

She sighs, glancing over at me briefly. "It seems like he's trying, but I don't know. We were together for over two years, but I never once felt like he was it for me. It always seemed like we were put together to serve a purpose, not for the purpose of love."

"So, maybe you made the right decision then?"

Her shoulders shrug slightly, but she doesn't look at me this time. "Do you think you did?" When I don't answer right away, she looks over at me. "With Regan, I mean. Do you miss her?"

I shove my hands in the pockets of my track pants. "Sure I miss her. It would be hard not to after all the time we spent together, but I knew she wasn't the one for me." I meet her eyes again. "It would be cruel of me to hold on to something I knew I didn't want to have."

She smiles, dipping her head slightly. "Well, I think the next girl will be lucky to have you. Any girl would be."

The emotion her words stir inside of me is startling. Every moment I spend with her builds onto the next until I have a series of memories stacked up that I want to play in my head on repeat. How this girl can't see that she's worth so much more than she lets herself have is beyond me.

I throw my arm over her shoulder, hugging her to me. She wraps her arms around my waist in return. "Same goes for you, Elle."

Placing a kiss in her hair, I rest my chin on the top of her head. I already feel lucky, and she's the reason.

***

We make it back to the house a little after dark and Oliver is seated at the breakfast bar eyeing us with suspicion. "Where were you two all day?"

Elliot walks past him and grabs a water from the fridge. "We went shopping and then went for a run." She pauses and leans back against the counter. "The better question is, where are you going? You smell like you just stepped out of an Armani ad."

Oliver smirks. "Just dinner. With Jill."

Elliot rolls her eyes. "A date?"

Oliver scoffs. "Not a date, just dinner." He fumbles with the buttons on his shirt and Elliot bursts into laughter.

"I'm going to take a shower. You have fun on your date." She pats him on the back as she walks down the hall. She turns back and shoots me a wink before disappearing up the stairs.

Oliver returns his attention back to me. "Don't be stupid," he says in a low voice.

"What are you talking about?"

He narrows his eyes at me and I flinch.

"Okay, you need to elaborate a little further."

Oliver rolls his eyes. "I'm not an idiot. You've been spending an awful lot of time together."

I shake my head. "No, Elle and I are just friends. She's having a rough time right now and I'm just trying to make her feel better."

"That better be all it is," he grits out.

I hold my hands up in defense. "Ollie, I swear to you. Nothing is going on."

"Don't lie to me motherfucker, I mean it." His typically calm expression is replaced by one bordering on menacing. It surprises me.

I work to keep my voice even. "I promise."

He gives me a stiff nod as he grabs his keys off the counter. "I'll be back late but tomorrow I may have an interview for you. It's not at Central but it's only a twenty-minute drive."

"Sounds good, man. Have fun."

He laughs as he makes he way out of the door. I wait until his taillights are no longer visible before taking the stairs to Elliot's room. She seated on her bed with her damp curls flowing around her. I knock on the open door, and lean against the frame.

"You still up for hanging out or are you too tired?"

She smiles at me, standing up. "No, I was just sitting here wondering what boring, guy show you're going to make me watch."

It's my turn to give her a wicked grin. "I guess you'll have to wait and see."

Two hours later, I throw my hands up in disgust. "How can you be in love with this? Their relationship is total bullshit."

Elliot scoffs from her spot beside me on the couch. Her hair is wild in a messy bun and her face is free of make-up. I've never seen her look more beautiful.

She motions dramatically to the screen. "Seriously? Chuck and Blair are the greatest couple that ever lived. Their love will carry through to generations."

I can't help myself, tilting my head back and laughing loudly. When I stop to look over at her, her expression remains serious. "Oh my God, you were actually serious. They do terrible things to each other all the while claiming everlasting devotion." I lean back into the cushion and laugh again. "It's the most toxic thing I've ever seen."

Elliot smiles wistfully, tucking her legs underneath her. "I think it's beautiful."

I reach my hand in the popcorn bowl between us and take handful, throwing it at her face. "You're deluded. That's why girls today have such a poor sense of what a relationship is supposed to be like. Their minds are poisoned by crap like this."

She brushes away several stray kernels with a laugh. "You're such a guy. If you watch this long enough I bet, you'll change your mind. Girls wants a guy that drives them insane with rage, but makes their heart beat faster all at the same time." She moves her hand to her waist. "That feeling in your stomach where you think you might throw up, but you also feel kind of amazing. That's when you know."

Her viewpoint intrigues me, so I press further. "When you know what?"

She shrugs. "That you found the one you can't live without."

My stare falls to her lips for a moment before drifting back up to her eyes again. "How do you know what it feels like if you never felt it before?"

I see her chest rise and fall before she turns away from me and back to the screen. "I'm still waiting," she says causally.

Even though I know she's trying to come off aloof about this, I can tell that it bothers her. She's spent the past few years trying to please everyone around her, but never really took the time to make herself happy. I'm glad that she's here with me. At least I know that she's somewhere her presence is cherished and not made into the object of someone's desire. A prize that they never really deserved to win. If I'm really being honest, I'm glad she's here for me too. For the first time, I don't feel so alone.