he leaned back and took a breath until a ping from his phone had him pulling it out of his pocket. He saw there were a couple of text messages, the latest one from Jace.
Jace: Tell me that you’re doing what I hope you’re doing.
He rolled his eyes at that one. The latest message read.
Jace: I’ll take your lack of response as confirmation. Hallelujah, Eli got laid!
That was followed by a ridiculous amount of emojis.
There was also one from his mom.
Mom: Hope you’re having a fun night out with the boys. See you tomorrow!
He definitely wasn’t ready for the third degree that Jace would give, so he tossed his phone onto the passenger seat and started his car. As for his mom’s message, he did indeed have a fun night, but she didn’t need to know that it hadn’t just been with his friends.
Eli pulled into the driveway of his house and parked next to his mom’s car, got out, and headed straight for the back door. It was still locked, which thankfully meant his mom wasn’t awake.
Of course, it was just his luck to find the light over the stove on and his mother at the kitchen table.
She looked up when he got inside. "You’re home earlier than I thought." She smiled at him. "How was your night?"
He ignored the second part because he wasn’t sure how to answer. "Have to be at work soon and wanted to take a shower here. Didn’t expect you up," he said. "Everything alright? How was Damon? Hope he didn’t give you any trouble."
She smirked. "Are you kidding me? He was an absolute angel. No trouble at all."
Eli smiled, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. "Good. Good. And you slept well?" He was trying to find something, anything, to keep her from asking him any more questions about his night.
"Like a baby," she replied, then laughed. "Stop worrying, son. I got enough sleep."
Eli nodded. "I’m gonna go take a shower. Be down in a bit."
He left the kitchen and headed up the stairs and down the hallway, first stopping at Damon’s door. He pushed it open and peeked his head inside to find his little preschooler still sound asleep, sprawled across his bed. Eli smiled and watched him for a while.
Damon was four and the apple of his eye. When he found out he was pregnant, he obviously thought that he and Parker would make it work. But the man had shown his true colors. After trying and failing to pressure him into an abortion, Parker split with nothing but a text that said he wasn’t ready, prepared, or interested in being a father. He’d just spent all his savings opening the bakery, barely turning a profit, only to come back from work one day to find the apartment they’d shared was empty. Parker was gone and he was going to be a single parent.
Eli had definitely been hurt by Parker’s desertion, but now he definitely knew he was better without the other alpha. And Eli loved being a papa. He recognized how fortunate he was having help and support from his mom and sister, so he hadn’t had to give up his dream to keep his son.
"Why the trip down memory lane Eli?" he muttered, closing Damon’s door and heading to his own room. He shook his head. It was probably from turning thirty… and last night. He hadn’t been with anyone and then Jack appeared and had been so sweet, especially the way he pulled Eli close when they fell asleep.
He shook his head. Nope, he wasn’t going to think about that. It was one night, that was it.
Eli grabbed a change of clothes and stepped into the master bathroom. As he started up the shower, his mind immediately wandered back to Jack. Way to hold out.
He was a perfect alpha… at least in looks. You really don’t know anything about him outside of the fact that he’s chiseled. And has spectacular bone structure, and gorgeous dark hair, stunning hazel eyes. Tall and muscled in all the right places… and he was very sweet that night.
Beyond that, he could only use his imagination. There were no guarantees, even, that he had used his real name. He was only hoping that was the case. But what did it even matter? He was never going to see him again.
Why did that make his heart feel all funny at the thought? You can’t be upset when you’re the one that walked out.
He stepped