But with his sister, it was more than enough to make her come running in fear.
Shaking his head, he chuckled when she quickly ended the call. He caught the smiling expression of his driver before closing his eyes. His head was pounding, and it was killing him. Plus, the itchy feeling in his nose was driving him crazy.
Trying to calm himself, he took a few deep breaths until the itch in his nose went away. But his peace of mind did not even last five minutes when Ellie got in the car, slamming the door shut from her side.
She looked at him, glaring. She was mad.
“You mean, arrogant, bad human be–“
“Oh shut up, it’s in the back,” he grumbled, leaning back against the seat.
“Oh, oh,” Ellie murmured, quickly checking her teddy bear.
“Don’t get it near me. Its fur is making my nose itchy,” he warned.
Ellie watched him for a while. She then raised her hands in the air, accepting defeat.
“Fine.”
The first ten minutes of the trip back to the hotel was quiet, and he was more than pleased to have at least a few moments of peace. He assumed that Ellie was tired from going around the crowded fair since she wasn't usually quiet. But when he looked at her, she was gazing out the window, staring at nothing in particular.
Ellie sighed heavily.
She was deep in thought.
“You should date her,” she blurted out suddenly.
Elijah blinked in surprise. Had he heard her right?
“What?”
“I said, you should date Meredith. I know you like her. You couldn't take your eyes off her half the time we were at the fair. And I know she likes you, too. She's a nice person, and I like her.”
He shook his head and scoffed.
“Stop talking nonsense, Ellie. Nothing can ever happen between us,” he grumbled.
“Why?”
“You know perfectly well why.”
“Why? Because you're running for president? There's no rules about this kind of thing, you know,” she said.
“Not officially, no, but think about how it would look to the public. If I started dating a reporter who was working for my campaign, I'd be crucified... and so would she. It wouldn't be fair to her, Ellie.”
His sister fell silent for a few moments.
“But you do like her, don't you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
He couldn't admit it to his sister, but he couldn't quite bring himself to say no either. Maybe he really did like her.
Or maybe Henry was right.
Maybe he was already in love with Meredith.
“I wouldn't want to be in your shoes,” Ellie said and patted him on the shoulder. “Your life seems tough.”
Furrowing his brow, he looked at her with questioning eyes. There was something in her expression that was making him want her to say more.
Ellie shrugged.
“You know, it’s hard to look away from someone like Meredith. She’s hot,” Ellie stated dreamily before directing her attention back to the dark streets.
Doing the same, Elijah couldn't help but think his sibling was right. He was leading a tough life.
And Meredith was hot.
Fucking hot.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After planting a deep and passionate kiss on Elijah's lips, Meredith got out of bed – his bed. She looked at the messy sheets, unable to suppress her smile. They'd just had wild sex.
She loved having sex – with him. She felt practically addicted to fucking him.
“I wish you could stay longer,” he whispered, nibbling on her shoulder as she picked up her clothes. She grimaced when she found her thong hanging on the lampshade.
She held her breath.
She felt the same.
She wanted to be with him the whole night and wake with him the next morning. She thought it would feel so damn good to be in his arms.
“Me too,” she answered, blushing. She was embarrassed at the confession, but she thought it wouldn't be so bad to be more vocal about her feelings. They’d seen each other naked, what more was there to hide?
When Elijah nibbled her earlobe, she moaned as the sensations started overwhelming her. It was almost three in the morning and she needed to get out of there while everybody else was still asleep.
She knew she couldn't be seen.
“Elijah,” she whimpered in protest as she started melting in his arms again. “Please, I have to go. I’m afraid people will see me if I leave a little late.”
“I’m sorry,” she murmured apologetically.
“No, Meredith. I’m sorry. All of this sneaking around is because of me,” he said before walking toward the bathroom door. “I’ll just take a shower. I don’t want to see you leave. Be careful when you go out.”
She nodded in response and continued getting dressed.
Checking her reflection in the mirror, she made sure she didn’t look too disheveled. Because no matter what happened, she wouldn't let her appearance give her away.
She couldn't afford to be found out.
When she finally thought she looked respectable, she headed out. She was careful to look at her surroundings first before darting out of Elijah's room. She moved rapidly at first, but slowed her pace when she thought she was far enough away. Walking too fast would surely look suspicious.
“Meredith?” said a familiar voice, making her close her eyes and hold her breath. What was she doing up at this hour?
Turning on her heels, she saw Ava. She didn't bother asking her why she was still up. Her gym clothes were explanation enough.
“Ava!” she said, feigning surprise.
“What are you doing up? It’s late,” Ava asked, eyeing her from head to toe.
Her heart raced, but she controlled her breathing. She didn’t need to feel nervous. She knew she looked normal.
“I went for a walk,” she lied with a smile.
“At this hour?” Ava’s eyes narrowed.
“Yeah,” she answered with a nod, leading the way toward their bedrooms. They were in the same wing of the hotel.
“Is something bothering you?” Ava looked worried.
Meredith shrugged, feeling guilty for lying to her friend. But she didn’t have a choice. She had to do it to protect Elijah’s image.
“Just family stuff,” she lied again.
“Oh, I wish I could be of more help.”
“It’s okay,” she murmured, stopping in front of her door. “You should rest, too. It’s getting late.”
“Nah, I don’t think I can sleep. I’ll just read some good stuff. You rest,” Ava said, waving goodbye.
“Okay, good night,” Meredith answered.
“Good morning,” Ava replied with a smile.
The moment she got inside her room, she released a loud and heavy sigh. She was so freaking nervous. But at the back of her mind, she regretted lying. She was never a good liar. She wished she could stop telling lies.
After getting a quick shower, she got in her pajamas and then lay on her bed while staring at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to claim her. But an hour passed, and she was still wide awake. Her mind was filled with questions and what ifs.
She groaned in frustration when her phone started ringing, making her frown. But her expression quickly changed when she saw Lily’s name on the screen.