Three Rules I’d Never Break by Remi Carrington

Chapter 20

When we arrived back at Eli’s, he sat on the sofa and tugged me into his lap. “I hope you enjoyed yourself today.”

“I did. Immensely. Your parents were very sweet and made me feel welcome. There were a few embarrassing moments, but I’ll live.”

“If you’re worried that my dad will think we’re . . . you know, I can say something. Not sure what, but something.”

Imagining that conversation made me laugh.

He furrowed his brow. “What? I’m trying to be considerate.”

“I know, and it’s sweet. But you don’t need to say anything.” I ran my finger along his collar. “I was at the back door when you took your shirt off, and I’m pretty sure your mom picked up on the fact that I’d never seen you without a shirt before. I might’ve stared a minute or three too long.”

He grinned, clearly flattered. “Now you see why I live on a goat farm instead of at home. I love my parents. I do, but I don’t want to live with them.”

“I really did have fun today.”

“Good.” He laughed when Sherlock climbed into my lap, wanting to be part of the cuddle. “I’ve been thinking about how you can’t do the things you like to do.”

“I like coming over here and spending time with you. And Sherlock.” I gave him a quick peck.

“What if you had a space to make a wreath before the house was finished?” He shifted me out of his lap, and Sherlock had no choice but to move. Then Eli led me down the hall. “I looked at some website about craft rooms, and it made my head swim. I wasn’t sure what setup worked best, and it’s only temporary. We can move stuff around if you need it arranged differently.” He opened the door to one of the extra rooms.

In the middle of the room was a table, and behind it, shelving units were against the wall. Lying on the table was a gift card to the nearest craft store.

“Eli!” I ran a hand along the top of the table.

“The trailer is always unlocked, but I’ll give you a key. And if I’m sleeping, just be a little quiet.” He eased up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist. “I can’t wait to see how your wreath turns out.”

I leaned back into him. “I have no idea what to say. This might be the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

“I want you to be happy. And if that means having fake flowers and some glitter in my house, I’m okay with that.”

“You’re amazing, Eli.”

He chuckled, and the sound rumbled in his chest. “I’m keeping my dark side hidden until later in the relationship.”

“Thanks for the warning.” I pulled away but kept a tight grip on his hand. “You’re probably wondering why I haven’t mentioned my parents.”

“I figured you’d say something when you were ready.” He ran his thumb along my knuckles.

Sherlock followed as I paced in the living room for a few seconds. Eli moved to the couch and sat, patient and quiet.

When I was ready to reveal my skeletons, I snuggled into his lap. It was a way to be close to him and not have to look him in the eye while telling my story. “I don’t talk about this part of my life much. You know that I lived with my grandma, right?”

“You mentioned that when we talked about Christmas on the phone one night.”

“I want you to know the rest.” I leaned my head back on his shoulder. “My parents divorced when I was five, and my mom loaded me into the car and left my dad. I don’t remember much from when they were married. I’m guessing it wasn’t great. My mom had no concept of rules or structure or anything. She did whatever she wanted and justified it in her own mind. When she decided on something, no amount of logic could change her mind. But anyway, when I lived with my mom, we moved a lot. Sometimes we lived in an apartment, and she left me alone a lot. I learned to make myself food and take care of myself. Other times it was worse, and we lived in her car. I’d hide in the back seat of her car while she was in the bar or motel, doing whatever it was she was doing. Back then, I had no idea. But now, it isn’t hard to figure out how she spent those hours.”

Eli’s muscles tightened, and he hugged me a little closer.

“When I was seven, I called my dad one night when my mom was passed out. I told him I was scared and asked him to come get me. He left that night and drove from Texas to Oregon. I kept my mom’s phone hidden and sent him updates about where we were because Mom never stayed in one place long. I wasn’t sure what she’d say when he showed up, but she didn’t seem all that disappointed.” I sucked in a deep breath. “That was when I told my dad to call me Delaney instead of Shasta. I never want to be like my mom.”

Eli trailed his fingers through my hair. “Do you still have contact with your mom?”

“For a while she’d call from time to time, but I haven’t heard from her in years. Part of me would like to see her again just so she could see how I turned out. In spite of her.” I pushed out of his lap and walked into the kitchen. “Want anything to drink?”

“Sure. Grab me a cola.”

I grabbed two Shastas and snuggled beside him. “What I didn’t know until I got back to Texas was that my dad had just gotten married again. My stepmom wasn’t happy to see me. Oh, she smiled, but even at seven, I could tell it was fake. That night, I heard them arguing. The next day, my dad drove me to San Antonio to my grandma’s house. The only time I ever saw him cry was when he walked off the porch and left me. But living with Grandma turned out to be wonderful.”

Eli draped an arm around me and drew circles on my shoulder.

“Because of her, I had an idyllic childhood in spite of my crazy family. But she died when I was fifteen, and I went to live with my dad. My stepmom wasn’t that upset about it because they had a five-year-old and a three-year-old, and I was free babysitting. But I always felt like an extra. After graduating high school, I moved out, put myself through school, and then I used the money my grandma had left me and started my business.”

“How did you end up in Stadtburg?”

“Tessa. Originally, I planned to open in San Antonio, but I spent a few days scoping out places outside the city because the rent was cheaper. After looking at the space where my store is now, I stopped in to get a doughnut. Tessa was warm and friendly in a way that reminded me of my grandma. Your mom has that same quality.”

Eli kissed my temple. “I wish I could’ve met your grandma. She sounds amazing.”

“She was. And she would’ve loved you.” I took the can out of his hand and set our drinks on the table before nestling into his lap. “My initial interest in you was sparked by your rugged good looks and that dazzling smile. I had no idea that being in your arms would feel like this, like I belong here.”

He hadn’t even said that he loved me, and I was talking about belonging. But carving out space for me in his house meant the world to me.

His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “You do, Delaney.”