"Pick anything off the menu. My shout Sunshine." A blush spreads across my cheeks as my eyes peek over the menu sheet, stealing swift glances at Elliot's gorgeous face - his pupils skimming over the breakfast options.

My silent admiration is interrupted by the arrival of our waitress, a loose lock of blond hair tangling between her fingers - her perky boobs suffocated by a t-shirt 3 sizes too small. She bats her eyelashes towards Elliot, his eyes continuing to scroll the menu - even the sight of him can make complete strangers faun over him. I let out a faint cough, her eyes not pulling away from Elliot - paying no attention to me.

"I'll have the Golden Pancakes please." I utter, her eyes flutter out of a daze, flicking towards me as they narrow into a pointed glare. She sweeps her eyes over my body, her red stilettos accentuating her height - her eyes connecting with mine - scary. She scribbles down my order in her notepad before directing her attention back to Elliot, his body a flytrap for her gaze. She's stuck; hungry; enticed.

"And what do you want baby cakes?" She leans over slightly, smothering Elliot's vision with her breasts. His eyes flick over to me, a small grin forming as he shuffles closer to the wall. He bites his lip as he looks over her, boosting her confidence with his shower of optical admiration - his slow gaze taking in every inch of her body.

"I'll have the same as him please, Sweety." His nickname for her rolling off the tip of his tongue like a water droplet off of a leaf. Was he just flirting with her, or, is he just naturally charming? With a wink and a smirk, she twirls and struts off.

He notices my furrowed brows and internal dilemma, sliding his hand across the table and laying it on top of mine - his gleaming eyes met by my somewhat forced smile.

"Don't worry Sunshine. I was just playing." The chuckle at the end of the sentence lightens the mood, our conversation fading into chatter.

"So do you got like siblings? Or like step siblings or something?" My desire inspiring the question, steering the conversation. He sighs in response, rubbing his hands together as his eyes glide out the window - glossing over.

"Um. I have 3 sibling, and I'm the legal guardian for them because, um -" A drizzle starts to form outside as the conversation dims into a sombre mood. "My parents crashed during a thunderstorm, and I had to step up and take on the burden. So that's my depressing life story." His avoiding gaze casts the table into silence, the pitter pattering of the rain drops filling the void.

"I'm sorry." The whisper barely leaves my lips, his eyes finally reconnecting with mine.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault." He cups my hand in reassurance - our connected gaze refilling the warmth in his face. The sentimental embrace is interrupted by the clambering heels of our waitress, her stride approaching near and fast - Elliot's hand retreating as he shrugs back in his chair.

"Here's your boys' pancakes." She places the plates down on the table, her eyes still stuck to Elliot - his eyes too busy staring at his food. "And there's also this..." She places a napkin on the table, her number written across it, Elliot unable to miss it as she pushes it closer, his eyes snapping up to hers - his emotions unreadable, perhaps a hint of desire?

"Um, I don't think my boyfriend would be alright with me taking some girl's number." Her jaw drops to the floor, simultaneously with mine at that; his answer eradicating her seductive gaze. She rolls her eyes, pulls her tits back and storms away to the kitchen - the clacking of her heels fading away as we fall into a silence. Did he just call me his boyfriend? My throat tightens as he bites his bottom lip, a confident smirk stretching across his mouth.

"I was just joking Sunshine. No need to look so shocked; I just had to get her and her Double D's out of my face - that's all. " He lets out a small chuckle, oblivious to the effect his 'joke' just had on me. Imagine if I got to dangle him on my arm and call him mine...what a fantasy. "Anyways, eat up because I'm hella tired." His husky voice commands before he starts eating.

**********

"Fuck. That's some heavy rain. I'm drenched." Elliot says as we walk inside his house, the closing of the front door sealing away the tumultuous winds of outside, the heated hallway a contrast against the pouring rain.

"Ugh, I need to get these off me." He starts peeling the layers off his torso: His raincoat; his jacket; his jersey.

My eyes bulge as he rolls his finger under his white singlet, peeling it off slowly, each feature of his abdomen revealing as he inches his singlet up: His V line; his abs; his pecs; his nipples. A smirk peels across his face as he takes in my look of bewilderment - an underlying cockiness.

"Want help taking your clothes off or-?" I blush at his pointed flirtation, unable to reciprocate it as vivaciously - replying with a measly headshake. A flash of thunder outside shatters his confidence, my eyes lured to the pelting rain.

"Uh maybe I should get going or some-"

"Can you stay?" He cuts me off, pupils widening as another wave of light echoes through the sky. "No never mind, you better go." His eyes drop to the floor, hiding from my vision of sight. Our conversation in the diner drifts back to me: thunderstorms.

"No. It's alright. I can stay." His face brightens, this time his eyes ignoring the roaring thunder outside as my fingers wrap around his. "Anyways, all I wanna do is lowkey sleep, especially after that meal we just ate." He chuckles and pulls me along, his arm leading me into his bedroom - how come every time I go to someone's house, I just end up going to sleep?

I lay on top of the neon duvet, the warmth of the house enough to cozy me into a comfortable sleep. My eyes betray me and wander over Elliot's back as he types on his phone, unaware of my admiring stare taking in every inch of his body. His eyes light up as he jumps on the bed, a laughter following after him as he snuggles in to the blanket.

"Are you gonna leave your jeans on?" I ask curiously as his leg rubs against mine.

"Well I suppose so. Do you usually sleep naked with other people? Or do you want to see me naked?" My mind freezes - I guess Casey and his nudity has just become the new normal for me; well, the old normal.

"It was just a joke haha." I feign as his arm wraps around me, his fingers trailing over my jersey string - slowly tracing down my body: past my jersey; past my stomach; past my belt; stopping at my groin - a tingling sensation arising at his touch. I gulp loudly, his warm breathing tickling my neck.

"Um we are just sleeping right?" I push up out of his grasp, staring down at him - startling him.

"Oh yeah; of course." His hand retreats up its path, laying around my stomach; his soft breaths turning into soft snores, the thunder outside unable to penetrate our embrace as we drift off to sleep.

**********

"Ah shit, is that the time." My eyes snap open as Elliot runs around the room, rummaging through his closet for an outfit - the storm replaced with a beaming Summer glaze. "Oh afternoon sunshine. Sorry this is becoming a trend but I gotta go pick up my siblings." He chuckles as he continues pacing around, the excitement in his vibe breathing life into me.

"It's alright." I stretch out, twisting sideways - the satisfying popping sounds of my back confirming my joyful slumber. "I betta get home, my brother will probably be wondering where I am, so I better start walking."

"Oh nah it's alright I'll drive you, that walk's hella far anyways. And I'm not letting you walk home this time." He smiles kindly, unaware of the fact that I didn't walk home last time - flashes of Casey popping into my thoughts.

I follow him outside, a single puddle the last reminder of the thunderstorm; the pelting rain that forced us to run through the front door gone; vanished. My eyes wander aimlessly as I enter his car, the remnants of car trips scattered here and there: a drink bottle, a burger wrapper, a nerf gun, a condom packet, a first aid kit...a condom wrapper?

"Alright. What's your address?"

*********

The car comes to a halt beside my mailbox, my body not wanting to leave his company.

"Um, I guess I'll see you later then. Text me." He places a kiss on my cheek before I hop out, his car speeding off into the distance - my smile stalking after him.

My view is cut off by the rumbling of a car, Casey pulling into the driveway; climbing out with a gym bag slung over his shoulder.

"Your boyfriend drop you off home now? That's pretty cute." He remarks as he walks past, his eyes avoiding mine as he manoeuvres to the front door.

"Shut up asshole." I retort wittily, pausing him in his tracks, his back muscles rising from his deep, heavy sigh.

"Okay geez sorry." He twists the handle and walks inside. Did he just apologize for something not that serious? And, did he just back down to me? I follow after him, his slouched back a contrast to his general confidence.

"Are you alright?" He pauses at the bottom of the stairs, turning around to face me - the spark gone from his eyes, from his whole demeanour.

"Don't pretend like you care about me. I get it. I'm a dick. I'm an asshole. I treat you like shit. You're angry at me. Heck, you fucking hate me. But, don't do this thing here. Don't talk to me and ask me how I'm doing, after inviting me over here just to break my heart on that front porch we just walked in. Don't do it Danté because it really fucking hurts, and I'm tired of being really fucking hurt all of the time. Just leave me alone."

I'm speechless as tears well at his eyes - his changed demeanour chilling the room - the silence suffocating us; our eyes locked in a stand still. He disrupts it, storming up the stairs; the slamming sound of Harvey's bedroom door sending a tear down my cheek - breaking the mental dam holding back my flow of tears.

Wow.

A/N

Wow. My author's note is wow. That was one rollercoaster of a chapter tbh.

I'm sorry for the wait, I usually update every 2-3 days but Christmas interrupted that and, honestly, I've been doing a lot of nothing and I really liked it.

The character arcs are developing nicely, I think, and I'm proud of the chapter even though it is so heavy in multiple parts. I have sympathy towards all my characters and it's becoming hard to write about them, because I am invested in them.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the chapter! Leave me your thoughts in the comments! :D

P.S. I read the fan theories in the comments on the last chapter and some of you actually changed the plot of the book! And, some of have guessed what's going to happen before I have even written it! So well done! :-P

Also, there was a lot of #TeamCasey and #TeamElliot, but then people started writing #TeamThreesome; and it was honestly one of the funniest comments I've ever read!

- YOP