My grandmother and Eli fit together like two peas in a pod.

One moment, I was being embarrassed by old stories about me running around naked through the front yard, the next he was spilling his guts to her about his hopes and dreams.

It would've worked as a distraction, too, if that night were normal. Instead, we had been bombarded with random phone calls, text messages and social media requests like never before. Or at least, I would have, if my phone were working. I got all that from peeking over Eli's shoulder after he let me log into my accounts through his phone.

I had never been more relieved to have private social media across all platforms than I did in that moment. On the upside, our band fan page was going out of control with new members, and our Youtube videos were blowing up. Seeing the brighter side? Being optimistic? Yeah, I could totally do that.

"I think it's time I retire to sleep tonight, you two. You got a room for the night, right?"

"Already ahead of you on that one. I booked it while V was in the restroom a few hours ago. I assumed you didn't want to go back to the school tonight, right?"

Powerful flutters attacked my stomach as I realized he had actually booked us a hotel room in the same hotel my grandmother was staying.

We had been eating pizza and trying to take our thoughts off of the mind-fuck events of the evening, decompressing after everything had happened and just...getting to know each other.

I had learned all about my grandfather, who hadn't been able to come because of his heart condition but I would be able to see him again for the first time in years once I took my first proper trip to New Jersey to visit them.

I learned about some of my second and third cousins, great aunts and uncles that were part of my extended family that I had never even met before, and I was slowly starting to become angrier and angrier at my father, who had kept this entire family away from me, isolating me so that he was the only thing I could have and depend upon.

Suppressing a yawn, I took in my grandmother's tanned glowing face and noticed the bags had become more purplish and mottled beneath her eyes, a sure sign that she was tired, and agreed wholeheartedly that we should pack it up for the night.

"Of course. No use going back to campus to face the wolves so soon, anyway. We'll meet up for breakfast, before you fly back home?"

"Of course, dear. You two just...have a good rest of your night, even if it didn't start off the right way."

I gave her a swift hug and Eli followed suit, his arm hanging low due to his injury that he sustained, something that he still hadn't brought up, nor the circumstances surrounding what had happened and why, but I was going to try and get to the bottom of it once we were quietly ensconced in our hotel room, if he was willing to talk to me, that is.

He scooped up my hand on his good side, rolling his bad shoulder in circular motions as we navigated the hotel lobby.

"That feeling okay? We can grab some ice for it once we get our key card?"

"No, it's fine. The trainer said I just tweaked it and to make sure I move it around and stay warm, alternating hot and cold compresses but it honestly feels like I just bruised it and it's sore. It's nothing, really."

The lengths that he was going to in order to try and make me agree with him was...concerning at best, because it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself that he was fine, but I wasn't going to pry. I wasn't the world's biggest fan of basketball what with my father's entire life being the focus of the sport, so I definitely didn't know damn near anything about sports injuries.

We strolled hand in hand to the lobby, eyes stopping on the modern furniture and decor implanted in the sitting area like it would jazz the place up and make everyone ignore the water spots on the ceiling or the chipped paint in the corner.

Eli had arranged for us to share a King bed room, and my blush was only felt by me, seen by no one because of my dark complexion.

Our footsteps became laden with tension, exhaustion, and words that needed to be spoken between the two of us, but a hush descended upon my thoughts as he shut the door behind us when we finally made it up to our room.

It was clean and simple, with only a couch in one corner and a king bed with white linens being the focal point, navy blue and silver accents complimenting the grey carpeted floors. I spotted a bathroom with an extra large soaking tub that I would kill to use, but there were things that needed to be said first, things that needed to be asked.

"Eli..." I started, unsure of what to ask.

He stepped close to me, good arm encircling my waist while his injured arm extended and his hand clasped my jaw in his hand.

"Yes?"

The deep rumble of his voice was almost enough to make me forget completely what I had been about to ask him. And then his lips followed his fingers trail on my jaw and-holy fuck, was that his tongue?

Shivers erupted along my body, coasting down my arms all the way down to the tips of my fingers and his mouth curved into a sexy smile against me in realization of what he had done to me already, his towering height boxing me in against the door we'd just entered through and all attempts to form coherent thoughts flew right out the damn window.

It was only him and this power that surged between us, electric and as rampant as a lightning storm in the middle of a barren field, the two of us conductors and magnets for the sheer force of the strike.

Breathless and panting out, I gripped his waist and the back of his head, fingers threading through silk soft hair cut close to his head, and before I knew it, that skilled mouth had moved on from my jaw to my neck, peppering sweet and slow kisses when he knew that slow was the last thing that I wanted if he took me lightly tugging on his hair as indication.

Still, he didn't up his pace. Still, he continued that tortuous assault on my skin as his deft fingers traced the curves of my body, up and down my hips to the sensitive jut of my ribs, the swell of my breasts, and finally down to my ass where he hauled me up against him and I took the invitation and wrapped my legs greedily around his waist, soaking up every inch that he would give me without hesitation.

"Fuck," he hissed out as I finally took matters into my own hands and brought his mouth to my own, but instead of lingering on a kiss, my teeth caught his bottom lip in between it and rolled it lightly before pulling away, giving him back the teasing that he'd been doling out to me.

And then we were a mass of tangling limbs and a writhing, panting mess until the blood in my veins cooled immediately, a cry of pain leaving Eli's mouth when he used his injured arm to brace us against the door.

I instantly unwrapped myself from his form, trying to catch his eye while he slumped against the door and guarded his expression.

"Eli, you're more hurt than you're letting on, aren't you?"

"It wasn't dislocated, but it was pretty fucking close."

"Shit. Why didn't you tell me?!"

He looked pained and in anguish, though I couldn't tell if it was from the pain or from something else, something deeper and more traumatizing that was plaguing him and his thoughts.

"You were going through enough, V. I didn't want to add all my issues to your list of shit to worry about."

"I don't know if you've noticed, but my life is pretty much a constant revolving door of drama and issues. Trust me, hearing yours and worrying about you is a welcome distraction for me. Plus, you obviously need someone to talk to about this. Eli-"

I reached out to touch his face, but he pulled back at the last second, like he just wanted to disappear and become invisible and not have to have this conversation with me. I knew exactly how he felt, because my demons ran afoul in my brain, threatening to drag me down to hell where they belonged, but I wouldn't let them.

Maybe it was the memory of my mother, or the outlet of my music, but somehow I survived and I got through it, and I knew that Eli would too.

"If you want to shut me out, that's fine. But I'll still be here for you, just like you were there for me when I pushed you away after that party. But I still think you should talk about it. You told me about your step dad, how much worse is this than what happened?"

"Because what happened with him--I was innocent in that, and he was the bad guy. I can't- I don't want you to look at me differently when you realize that I can be the villain just as easily as I can be the victim."

Once again, I reached out for him, hands shaking because I was terrified of the rejection, but thankfully he let me lay a softened hand on his jaw, guiding his face to finally see me in the light, to bring him out of the shadows that he was so desperately hiding in.

"You could never be a villain, Eli. Not to me. I'm all in. This, right here? You and me? This is what I want. You could tell me that you're a damn crime lord and I would still be by your side. All you have to do is tell me."

He was silent for so long. Too long.

I was terrified that he would shut down, that a cold blank mask would overtake his features and that he would push me away and reject me, and then that would be it for us. I had just laid out most of what I was feeling with him, and it was do or die, make or break.

And then he strode with purpose towards me, and crushed me in one of the most suffocating but emotionally charged hugs I'd ever had.

"I've never told anyone about this."

"I never told anyone about my father until recently. Gotta start somewhere," I reminded him, wanting him to know that he wasn't alone and that I somewhat understood what he was going through as far as opening up, even though I had no idea what was going to come out of his mouth.

He led me to the bed and sat me down right on the edge while he crouched down to my level, eye to eye, and kept the eye contact while he searched for what to say.

"I met Matthew Thornberry in high school. We were friends at first, co-captains. Had a little friendly rivalry, nothing too intense. Until one night, there were scouts for UCM. I-I knew that Matthew was better than me, but I needed to get into this college. It was close to home so that I could keep an eye on Elodie in case Jay started messing with her, too. It was my dad's school. I just knew that if the scouts saw Matthew play beside me that they would choose him."

I was pretty sure I knew where his story was headed, but I sat back and listened, running my hands through his hair even though I had no idea if it comforted him or not, but I did it anyway, since it was the only way I could show my support without offering anything up or asking him what happened next. I didn't want to push him anymore than I already had.

"So, I made sure that Matthew didn't play that game. He had no idea who snitched on him for steroids, or who planted the drugs in his locker, until a teammate that I'd gotten them from told him that it was me a few weeks later. He would've kicked my ass had he not gotten expelled from school a little bit later because of it. He must've been a walk on at Heisinger because no way would they have scouted him after that. Anyway, tonight was the first time we played against each other since it happened, and he wanted to teach me a little lesson for fucking with him. My shoulder was his revenge."

"So, you honestly thought that I would see you as a villain after planting drugs on your teammate and getting him expelled? I mean, yeah, maybe you're the villain in this Matthew guy's story, but to me? You were doing what you had to do to make sure you stayed close to your sister to protect her. To follow in your father's footsteps and continue his legacy. Are you sorry that you did it, and would you do it again?"

"Hell no. I've learned my lesson. Karma always comes back around."

"Then there's your answer. You're human. Humans make mistakes, and you made a pretty big one, but you can spend your life beating yourself up about it, or you can learn from it and move on. I don't hold this against you, Eli. Honestly, I thought you were going to tell me you'd killed someone or something like that."

That brought out a short bark of laughter from him, and then he grew somber once more.

"What you said earlier, about being all in? I didn't know how to say it before, but hearing you say that? It was perfect. Boyfriend, girlfriend, I don't care what we call each other, as long as I get to call you mine. Because that's how I've felt ever since the first time that we kissed, maybe even sooner than that."

He placed both hands beside my hips, caging me in once more on the mattress but he didn't inch any closer. Not yet.

I didn't dare breathe, either. Not as I soaked up that pull that was always there between us, tangible and ethereal and insatiable all at once.

And then a wicked smile befell lips of soft, plump satin, eyes of verdant green promising a bliss unknown and withheld up to that point, and I wanted it all. I wanted every second of uninterrupted pleasure and coursing tension filled fantasy until all we knew were the touch of each other and the curve of our bodies beneath cotton sheets.

And then we met in the middle.