“Our.”
“What?”
“Our apartment,” Scott said easily.
Elodie smiled. She liked that. No, she freaking loved it.
“So if it’s our apartment, you’ll let me pay half the rent?”
“Not a chance,” Scott told her.
Elodie hadn’t really expected him to agree. That was just the kind of man he was. But she could easily find ways to contribute. The man ate a lot. She could order groceries to be delivered, just as she’d been doing at Kalani’s. He didn’t pay attention to what was in his fridge or pantry very much. And if he thought a grocery fairy was visiting and restocking, she didn’t mind.
“You need to talk to Kalani about your lease,” he told her. “There’s no reason to pay rent when you’re here all the time.”
He was right, but Elodie wasn’t quite ready to give up her room. She knew she’d be hard pressed to find anything as cheap and nice as what she had right now. It was only one room, but still. For just her, it was perfect. And she liked Kalani, and knew she could use the extra money as well. Besides, as much as she thought things between her and Scott were going well, if his friends decided she wasn’t a good match for him, or if he changed his mind, she’d need somewhere to go. She made a noncommittal sound in the back of her throat.
He sighed under her. “I know, it’s not fair of me to ask you to give up your place. But you and me are going to work out, El. It’s okay if you keep it until you’re sure.”
That was the thing, she was sure, but it seemed like a huge step to give up her place. She was practically living with him already, as he’d pointed out, but still. “Thanks,” she said after a beat.
Scott hugged her, and she traced his tattoos on his opposite shoulder and upper chest. They looked kind of like the designs on the Indian pottery she’d seen from the American southwest. He’d admitted that he’d gotten them right after he’d joined the Navy, when everyone else was getting inked. He didn’t regret the design, but they also didn’t have any deeper meaning.
“I think I’ve been more content this last month than I’ve ever been,” Scott said quietly. “I know things won’t always be so hunky-dory between us, but now that I’ve seen how well we mesh, I’m gonna try even harder to not be a dick and ruin what we’ve got.”
Elodie felt like a pile of mush. “I don’t think you could be a dick if you tried.”
“Oh, yeah, I can, but I’ll do my best to control it around you.”
She chuckled. “I feel the same. I never really cared much about having a boyfriend. I was happy with my own company and always so busy. But I feel as if you’re my best friend, as well as my boyfriend. It’s nice to have someone to talk to, who you know won’t judge you or think badly about you.”
“Well, there was that time when you said you actually like pineapple on pizza,” Scott quipped.
She smacked his stomach, and he let out an exaggerated oof. He caught her hand in his and brought it up to his mouth and kissed her palm, before wrapping his fingers around hers and resting their joined hands on his belly. “We’re gonna live happily ever after. I know it,” he declared.
Elodie was too satisfied, too happy, to even try to be rational about their relationship. Nothing about it had been normal, but she was all right with that.
“Go to sleep, babe. I’ll make sure you’re up in time to eat a good breakfast before we have to leave for the harbor.”
That wasn’t anything new, he’d been fixing her healthy breakfasts since the first time she’d spent the night at his apartment. “Are you running in the morning?”
“Not tomorrow. We’re taking it easy on PT since we’re heading out on a mission next week.”
Elodie hated being reminded that he was leaving, but she tried not to let it get her down. It was a part of who he was, as she’d known all along. “’Kay,” she said sleepily.
Scott tightened his arm around her, and she felt him kiss the top of her head.
The light from the bathroom shone into the room, and it reminded her of one more reason why she’d fallen so hard for this man. He knew about her demons and did whatever he could to help banish them, even if that meant sleeping with the light on.
The words “I love you” were on the tip of her tongue, but she held them back. Now didn’t seem the time to share those feelings. Instead, she turned her head, kissed the warm skin of his chest, and settled her cheek against him contentedly.
Her life may not have gone the way she’d thought it would, but she didn’t regret one damn thing, since everything had led her to this moment right here and now.
Chapter Fifteen
Elodie eyed the beginning of the trail with surprise. She and Scott had left his place early, and there hadn’t been any traffic as they’d cut up the middle of Oahu to get to the neighborhood where the trailhead for Maunawili Falls was located.
“This is really different than back in the States, huh?” Elodie said as she took in the nearby homes. She wondered if the residents got annoyed with all the people parking on their street to go hiking.
“Yeah, and it’s a shame that some people have no respect,” Scott said as he bent to pick up a plastic bag full of trash someone had dumped on the street. She helped him pick up a few more pieces of trash and they put them in the back of his truck.
They heard a vehicle approaching and turned to see Aleck’s bright yellow Jeep pull up. He and Midas and Jag all hopped out after he’d parked behind Scott’s truck.
“Hey.” Scott greeted his friends with a manly chin lift.
“So she’s not a figment of your imagination,” Jag told Scott.
“Ha. Very funny. Elodie, in case you don’t remember everyone’s names, this is Jag. The big yellow monstrosity belongs to Aleck, and of course you remember Midas.”
Elodie had remembered who everyone was because Scott talked about them constantly. She smiled shyly and gave them a lame wave. She didn’t want to shake their hands, that would just be weird, and hugging was out since she’d barely met them.
She was spared any awkwardness as another car drove up then, and Slate and Pid got out. More introductions were given, and soon they were ready to head out. Elodie had worn a pair of board shorts and a cheap pair of sneakers she’d picked up at another ABC Store. Scott had warned her that this trail got very muddy, so she hadn’t wanted to ruin her only other pair of nice shoes. She had on a swimsuit under her T-shirt and shorts because, again, Scott had told her about the swimming hole at the end of the hike below the waterfalls. He’d also told her how fun it was to jump from the waterfall into the water, but she wasn’t so sure about doing that.
They’d packed some snacks, drinks, as well as towels and a change of clothes. Scott insisted on bringing a first-aid kit as well. She supposed she’d have to get used to the man always being prepared for anything.
“Ready?” Midas asked the group.
Everyone agreed, and Elodie hung back to take up the rear—but none of the guys moved. They just stared at her. “What?” she asked without thinking.
“Go ahead, you can fall in behind Midas,” Aleck told her.