DISCLAIMER: Characters of Veronica Mars, the canon events of their storylines, and recognizable dialogue belong to Rob Thomas.
A/N:
This chapter contains bits of #2.16 "The Rapes of Graff," #2.17 "Plan B," #2.18 "I Am God," #2.19 "Nevermind the Buttocks," and #2.20 "Look Who's Stalking"
Events occur between mid-March and the end of April 2006 of the Season 2 timeline.
Chapter 18
Lamb must have taken note of the confession I had played him. Then, he apparently swerved into logical thought … because he decided to do DNA analysis on the cup that Thumper used in the interrogation room when he was arrested for the cash and ephedrine found in his shop locker. It matched DNA on the knife that stabbed Felix. It had been Felix's knife and was found in Logan's hand, so one would expect to find their DNA. But how likely would it be that Thumper's would be there? The only full prints on knife handle belonged to Logan. The lab report said that the knife had been wiped on fabric, smearing Felix's blood. Logan's prints were on top of the smeared blood.
One little detail that was overlooked until after Thumper's release: at least one of the partial prints belonged to him.
Once those facts were pointed out to Lamb, a warrant was put out for Thumper's arrest. Too little, too late. By then, he had disappeared. Nobody had seen him since he left the Sheriff's Department with the Fitzpatrick's lawyer.
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Logan had much to rejoice about. When Cliff found out about the new evidence against Thumper, he was able to get Logan's case dismissed. On top of that, Logan had handed in the winning essay on the topic of "Freedom" which earned him a week in Mayor Goodman's office as "Honorary Deputy Mayor."
He was sorting mail when Dad dropped by for a meeting with Woody. Mixed in with pro-incorporation and anti-incorporation letters from constituents, Logan found a DVD with video footage of Woody's family taken from inside his house.
When Dad got home, he was telling me about it as Eli was packing up his books from our study session. Eli mentioned that Father Patrick Fitzpatrick was vocally anti-incorporation. I wondered aloud if the whole family felt that way. After all the time we had spent investigating what Thumper was into, our minds made a quick leap to the Fitzpatricks.
As he nodded at our comments, Dad added, "There are many people who are against incorporation. The video could've been sent by a political enemy, but this feels personal."
I had to agree.
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This year, FBLA had the privilege of running the Sadie Hawkins dance – a.k.a. Spring Fling '06. It was a good fundraiser for whichever student organization was lucky enough to win the school event lottery.
For most of that Friday evening, I was near the entrance taking keepsake pictures of couples for $5 each. I watched as friends and classmates took to the dance floor two-by-two, including Mac with Cassidy and Wallace with Jackie.
Toward the end of the dance, I noticed that I had gotten a text from Eli saying that he was sorry he was running late, that work had taken longer than he expected. I replied that it was fine, adding that I knew school dances weren't really his thing.
Not long after I hit send, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to find him standing there – freshly showered, wearing a dress shirt and slacks, and holding out a single red rose.
"Am I too late for a dance, Mia? You did ask me ..."
I handed my camera to Logan and led Eli to the dance floor.
"I understand that there are more important things going on in your life right now than silly school events. You didn't have to—"
He put a finger to my lips and said, "Now that I can hold you and kiss you in public again, you think I'd miss an opportunity?"
My hands moved to the back of his head and neck. His eyes locked onto mine. And everything in the room – the whole world – dropped away. It felt like it was just the two of us.
I could tell by his crooked smile that he was planning what he would do to me when he got me alone. Whatever those plans were, the look in his eyes made me shiver.
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That Saturday, Logan got to carry out his final duty as Honorary Deputy Mayor: pushing down the plunger at the ceremonial demolition of "old Shark Stadium."
The ceremony was delayed by about 20 minutes. We didn't find out until the next day that it was because they found a motorcycle chained up in the lower level when the crew did one last walk through. As information made its way from the Shark organization to the Sheriff's Department and eventually to the local news, we found out that the motorcycle belonged to Thumper, who had gone missing before the demolition. Although no witnesses had come forward yet, reporters and law enforcement seemed hopeful that someone would provide the missing pieces of this puzzle.
I did not want to come right out and ask Eli what he might know about it. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. He must have sensed that I was avoiding the question.
"V, just so you know, I did not chain his bike under the stadium and I don't know where he went when he disappeared."
In a way, I was relieved to hear him say those words, but he had chosen them carefully. It made me wonder what he wasn't saying.
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Senior year was flying by in a flurry of events and deadlines, many of them college-related. I had been convinced for a long time that college was my opportunity to get out of Neptune. But those around me were not so easily convinced.
Not only did Wallace and Mac pester me about the three-day campus visit at Hearst College, but I got a personal letter and a follow-up phone call from the women's studies professor who had been on the jury with me back at Christmas. Finally, I caved and registered for the visit.
When we first arrived, we were split into groups. Our guide was just starting the first ice-breaker when a familiar face joined our group: Troy Vandegraff.
It was awkward enough being forced to be social with an ex-boyfriend during the day, but watching him hit on another girl at the party that night took it up – or rather, down – a notch. But that was nothing compared to getting a phone call from him the next morning.
He had been arrested for raping the girl I saw him groping the night before. Not sure why he thought I would help him, but I went to the Sheriff's Department to hear him out. The desperation in his eyes and the pleading tone of his voice reminded me of Logan when he was in trouble for something he didn't do. God help me, I actually believed Troy when he said he had not raped the girl.
Although I was not able to solve the rape case, I was able to prove that Troy did not do it. In the process, I took down a fraternity by providing information to the Dean of Student Affairs.
Before leaving campus, I dropped by to see the women's studies professor who had insisted that I visit Hearst. I told her that I'd already made some enemies on campus, mentioning the photo of the scoreboard in the fraternity basement.
"That was you?!" she exclaimed. It seemed that I had impressed her again. She added, "Now, I'm sure we need you at Hearst."
It should come as no surprise that I wasn't quite as convinced as she was.
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During the campus visit, Mac met a guy she couldn't stop thinking about. At some point the next week, she babbled to me about how easy things had felt with him. It was clear she was beginning to wonder about her relationship with Cassidy. But she wasn't ready to end it just yet.
When she pointedly asked for my advice, I told her to give Cassidy a chance and go easy on him for a while. I didn't give her specifics, but since he had mentioned to her that I was doing some surveillance for him before his dad fled the country, I simply hinted to her that the secrets I had uncovered caused a domino effect in his family. For emphasis, I added that he was dealing with a lot right now.
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After being at Hearst, Wallace couldn't shut up about college. He had met with the basketball coach and hung out with the team. The school year wasn't over yet, but he had mentally checked out and moved on. Hearst was all he could talk about.
The more he talked about future plans – even just making plans for prom – the tension between him and Jackie increased. I knew it was only a matter of time before something had to give.
About a week later, I was hanging out at the Fennel's house when Jackie dropped by. She seemed like she needed to talk to Wallace about something serious. I was fairly certain that I knew what it was. I told her I could leave if she wanted me to, but she insisted that I stay. I excused myself to the kitchen, trying to give them a little privacy, but I could still hear their conversation.
Jackie had finally decided to come clean. Completely.
She began, "I can't stay out here for college." She went on to explain that she had left out one detail when she had told him that she did not live the glamorous life. That detail was: she had a kid. "I need to go home and raise my son. Probably do school part-time. Dad said he'd pay tuition and child care while I'm in class, but I still have to earn everything else. Mom seems okay with that. It's the compromise between me being a responsible adult and my father finally stepping up to do something after too many years of pushing me out of his life."
Wallace was doing an admirable job of not freaking out over the news, but he was scrambling to find a way to keep her in his life. "Can't you and your son move here?"
"He is really attached to my mom. His friends and extended family are there. Maybe when I finish school … I could move away for a good job, start a new life. But right now, he and I both need my mom. You can understand that, can't you?"
"Yeah. I can."
After Jackie left, I went back into the living room. I sat down next to my BFF and said, "We don't have to talk about it. Unless you want to."
"I'll let you know when I'm ready."
"I'll be right here," I said, doing my best E.T. impression.
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After the college preview weekend, I became more aware of people talking about their plans for next fall. It wasn't just Wallace.
It was sort of like when you get a new car. Prior to owning that vehicle, you were barely aware of that make and model, and then suddenly, they seem to be everywhere.
In that same way, it seemed everyone around me was now talking about college – waiting for acceptance letters, finding out about scholarships, deciding which school to attend.
Having visited Hearst, knowing one of the professors already, hearing Mac and Wallace talk about hanging out together next year on campus … I was being worn down systematically. Although I had gotten my acceptance letter from Stanford, I had started to think that maybe Hearst wouldn't be so bad.
After all, my primary argument against Hearst was that I wanted to flee this town. But now I found myself with reasons to stay. Not just my dad. Not just my best friends. Eli would be here. If I left Neptune, a piece of my heart would be here with him.
Right about the time these thoughts began to coalesce, I noticed that Eli began distancing himself from me. When I mentioned it, he denied it – said I was "imagining things" – but it continued.
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That Tuesday, I noticed he did not hold my hand when we were walking down the hall at school. He joined me that afternoon to walk Backup on the beach – and again, did not hold my hand or put his arm around me the way he usually did.
On Wednesday morning, I told Mac about the weirdness I had been noticing, finishing with, "And he didn't call to say goodnight last night or text me this morning."
"Veronica, I'm sure it's nothing," were the words that came from her mouth, but her tone was unconvincing.
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Eli left lunch early to take care of something – that he did not specify – and he didn't kiss me goodbye. Mac locked eyes with me but didn't say anything.
However, Wallace did. "What's up? He took off without kissing you. I don't think I've ever seen him do that before."
"So … I'm not just being paranoid."
Wallace shook his head as Mac said, "No. Something's definitely hinky."
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Late that afternoon, Mac told me that she had talked to Eli during his tutoring session.
"I asked him if everything was okay between you two."
"And …?"
"He got … weird about it. And didn't really give me an answer."
"Great! He's probably pissed … thinking I told you to ask him."
"I doubt it. I mentioned what Wallace and I noticed at lunch."
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Dad had made a quick run to Vegas and would be getting home late – actually closer to dawn.
I casually brought it up with Eli, saying, "You could come over. We could watch a movie … or something."
Although I wasn't sure if we would watch it or not, I had stopped to rent Foolproof starring Ryan Reynolds. I hadn't seen it when it was in theaters, but I remembered someone saying that it was funny and suspenseful, with a bit of a surprise twist at the end. Sounded like something I'd enjoy even if I watched it later by myself.
We did end up watching it while eating food that Letty had sent over. It was definitely more enjoyable to watch a movie about other people dealing with dangerous situations rather than having real-life threats coming at you and people you care about. But I had to smile a bit as I watched the trio of friends deal with the criminal who had brought havoc to their doorstep.
Not long after the movie finished, we were making out, but something was off.
"Where'd you go just now? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong."
"You sure? Because it's like you're not really here with me. Your mind is somewhere else tonight."
He mumbled something I couldn't understand as he stood and headed for the door. When I grabbed his arm to stop him, he said, "Let me go, V. I don't wanna fight with you tonight."
"I don't want to fight either. I just want you to talk to me … about whatever's going on."
He remained silent as he walked out the door.
For a few minutes, I sat on the couch, speechless after what had just occurred. I was considering calling Mac when there was a knock at the door. I opened it, expecting to see Eli, but it was a neighbor who always clipped coupons for the local pet store because she liked Backup. I thanked her as politely and as quickly as I could.
He did not come back. He didn't text or call to say goodnight.
I tried not to dwell on it since I had a research paper I really needed to work on, but I had a difficult time focusing and didn't get much accomplished before I finally crawled under the covers and cried myself to sleep.
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The next day, he made an attempt at playing the attentive, loving boyfriend, but his performance was lacking. I didn't say anything about it though. I didn't want to do anything to set him off, still hoping that he would choose to talk to me about whatever was bothering him.
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Friday morning, he was distant again. He caught me staring at him. I didn't ask about it. But I could tell that he could tell I wanted to.
He was late getting to lunch. When he sat down, he leaned toward me to whisper in my ear.
"I just got off the phone with Bri. Was checking about going up tomorrow. Figured we could both use a little time away from Neptune." Leaning back away from me, he studied my eyes for a moment before asking, "Wanna give me a clue what you're thinking, Mia?"
The words that ran through my head were: He wants a clue what I'm thinking, but he won't tell me what's been going on in his head?!
But what I said was: "That sounds lovely," as a (nearly genuine) smile spread across my face.
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We spent much of Saturday in a bedroom at the B&B. During our hours in bed, he seemed intent on giving attention to every square inch of my body. Damn that boy was thorough! It had been a while since we had truly made love – rather than having a quickie or just making out. He lavished affection on me slowly and deliberately.
As pleasurable as it was, nagging thoughts swirled in my head. There was something noticeably different in the way he touched me. Not that he had ever been selfish in bed, but he seemed concerned only with my pleasure. After half a dozen climaxes, my mind became hazy, and I lost count.
It was like he was trying to tell me something without using words.
On the one hand, I had never felt so close to him – like our hearts were fused during that time together. But on the other hand, it felt like he was holding back a part of himself from me.
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I don't remember falling asleep, but when I awoke, he was spooning behind me. When he felt me stir, he began placing kisses between my shoulder blades, continuing on my shoulders and then my neck.
His lips settled just behind my ear and he half-purred/half-moaned, "Mmm. Love waking up next to you, Mia."
I rolled toward him, needing to see his eyes. The hours we had shared in this bed had been amazing. Physical intimacy brought with it a sense of bonding as a couple. And yet, even after all that, there was something he still wasn't ready to tell me.
We showered and got dressed before heading downstairs. After we got something to eat, Ben asked if Eli could help him with something. That gave me a chance to talk to Bri. I told her that he had been acting strangely and that when I asked him about it, he had said I was imagining it.
She suggested that maybe it was because my friends and I were all talking about college. "That would not have been a big topic of conversation with his previous circle of friends."
"But he has his own plans for next year," I said. "Big plans that he should be proud of."
"Tell him that, Veronica. That's probably all he needs to hear. Especially coming from you."
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Things had been fine on the drive home Saturday night, so I didn't want to bring it up. He had texted me to say goodnight when he got home. He called me the next morning and we also talked later in the day Sunday.
But Monday, things were weird between us again. I decided to broach the topic after school.
When I asked him what was going on – and pressed him until he gave me an answer – he told me that I deserved better. Better than Neptune. Better than him.
"What are you saying, Eli?"
"We should just end this now … while the pain is survivable. There's no point in dragging this out. It'll just be more painful later."
He had caught me completely off-guard. I didn't know what to say. I thought my question would prompt a discussion about how it made him feel hearing everyone talk about their college plans. I was prepared to give him a big pep talk, tell him how proud I was of him for everything he'd done so far and the plans he had for the future.
I was prepared for that. I was not prepared for this.
"So … that's it?! You just get to decide for me? It's my life and—"
"And you should go live it, Mia."
As he turned to walk away, I yelled, "I don't think you get to call me Mia after breaking up with me!"
I thought that might provoke a response, but it didn't. Apparently, the subject was closed.
When I got back to the apartment, Dad was out. Thank God. My hysterical crying would have freaked him out. I cried for hours as I rolled things over in my head – things he had said and the way he had been acting.
While taking a long shower (as if that would wash away the tears), it suddenly hit me. The pieces fell into place. I figured out what I had been sensing on Saturday at the B&B, what he had been trying to communicate without words – it had felt like he was saying goodbye. I didn't understand it then. I recognized it now. But I still didn't understand it.
After everything we'd been through … after everything we had survived together … why break up with me now?
It felt like a sucker punch to the gut. I could barely breathe as I got out of the shower, dried off, and got dressed.
As soon as I got my breathing under control, I called Mac. After I told her my tale of woe, she told me hers.
She had tried to talk to Cassidy about their relationship. In the process, she had mentioned talking to me. He was none too happy about that. Mac wanted to believe that the tension had to do with his dad taking off and possibly the idea that she'd be leaving for college in the fall and he'd be left behind in high school. But more and more, it seemed that there was something fundamentally wrong with their relationship. She wanted to communicate openly and be more intimate; he did not.
Cassidy had ended the discussion – and at the same time, he ended their relationship.
She was as shocked and baffled as I was.
We decided to have a girls' night so that we could wallow over our recent breakups. When Wallace texted and found out that she was over at my place, he offered to come by, but we told him to keep his happily-coupled ass away from our pity party.
And he was happily coupled, even with Jackie's big reveal. Wallace was coming to terms with her being less-than-forthcoming previously. He was choosing to focus on the fact that they loved and trusted each other enough to be completely honest now and in the future.
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Over the next week, heavy silence hung between Eli and me as we passed each other in the halls or saw one another from across the courtyard. It did not go unnoticed by our classmates, but nobody really asked me about it. Thankfully.
Mac was still meeting him daily for tutoring. She had decided not to bring it up.
After a few days, she told me that he finally said something – commenting that he was surprised that she hadn't said anything.
When she had asked "About what?" he replied that my silence – and hers too – was killing him, that it would be easier for him to deal with us yelling at him for being an asshole.
Then, she had apparently waxed eloquent about me taking the pragmatic approach – saving my breath and my energy for things I had control over, like my upcoming finals.
After what he had said to me and how he had said it, was there anything I could say to change his mind, anything that would fix the situation? I couldn't seem to come up with anything. Hence, the silence. It wasn't "the silent treatment" per se. It was just a lack of anything to say. An attempt to accept the things I cannot change … while praying that someday he would change his mind – or rather understand that my life was better with him in it.
One day, I ran into him as I was coming around a corner. Reflexively, I said, "Sorry." To which he had replied, "Hey," as he brushed a strand of hair away from my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. That was the most significant interaction we had that first week.
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Early the following week, Dad got a call from Cliff asking him to come down to the Sheriff's Department. Eli had been brought in for questioning. Cliff explained that they didn't really have anything to connect him to Thumper's disappearance and suspected murder. In his opinion, Lamb was just fishing.
Dad and I went down to talk to Lamb. We vouched for the fact that Eli was no longer in the PCH Bike Club. Lamb's response: "Sounds like motive to me."
I reminded Lamb of the recording I had previously played for him. I showed him photos and played additional video footage while explaining the lengths to which Eli had gone to get Thumper's confession.
"He was trying to get Thumper the right way," I continued. "Why would he go to all that trouble … and be working toward building a legal business after graduation … just to throw it away? He wouldn't. Ask his teachers – they'll tell you the change they've seen this year. He is not the juvenile delinquent you knew." I paused before adding, "Besides, the way I heard it, Thumper tried to short the Fitzpatricks. They are more likely suspects than Eli."
Lamb returned to the interrogation room where Cliff and Eli had been waiting. Thirty minutes later, all of us were walking out the front of the building. As we parted ways in the parking lot, Eli thanked me and shook hands with Dad and Cliff.
Later, Cliff told Dad that Lamb finally decided that Eli probably had nothing further to give him. The only information Eli gave Lamb was that he and Felix had found out the other PCHers were dealing for the Fitzpatricks. I only hoped this meant that Lamb would be looking into it further – and leaving Eli alone.
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The next day at school, Eli thanked me again, saying, "Thought you didn't have any more get 'out of jail free' cards."
I figured this Kodak moment was as good a time as any to ask for a favor.
Thankfully, his reply was: "After the one you just did for me? Anything you need. Just name it."
"My LaBaron needs an oil change and a tune-up."
He gave me the address of his newly rented workspace, a small temporary garage in a warehouse a couple blocks from Dad's office. I met him there after school.
While he worked on my car, he told me the reason he had asked me for copies of everything from the night Thumper confessed: if he ended up going with his Plan B, he needed the evidence we had in order to convince someone to help him make sure that Felix's killer got what he deserved.
He proceeded to tell me that Felix had been seeing Molly Fitzpatrick. Things had gotten serious. Serious enough that he had told Eli about it and the life they wanted to start together.
To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I could tell from his voice that he was okay with their relationship, that he did not view it as a betrayal on Felix's part.
"At first, Felix just got close to her to get information on the Fitzpatricks, but then he fell for her. Well, they fell for each other."
"Wow."
"And in case you're wondering, he never talked to her about our plan. He knew it was too dangerous. And she didn't know that I knew about them. Until after he died."
He had played her the recording of Thumper's confession as well as the surveillance video of the drop in the confessional. He told her that Felix had discovered Thumper was working with the hoodlums in her family and that's what had gotten him killed. After hearing all of that, Molly had agreed to help Eli.
She went to confession and intercepted the drugs, which she gave to Eli. He had intended to plant the drugs in Thumper's locker at some point, but given the opportunity to steal the cash box at Winter Carnival, he decided to be a bit more creative.
After Thumper went missing, Eli had given Hector the information from the paddle as leverage. As he put it, "I can't stand the thought of the Fitzpatricks owning them."
Watching him move around his temporary shop, I was reminded how much he loved working on vehicles and how good he was with his hands. I enjoyed getting to see him work again, but mostly I enjoyed talking to him, hearing the sound of his voice. I missed being with him. I missed everything about him.
He talked about getting help putting together his business plan, about getting a few investors lined up, and about beginning the process of getting a loan for a building he had his eye on.
"Eli, I'm so happy for you. And so proud of you. Your grandma must be thrilled."
"I haven't told her everything. I don't want her to get her hopes up if my plans fall through. It's enough right now that she knows I'm on track to graduate and that I'm self-employed … legally."
"Well, that's a lot to be proud of."
My words seemed to make him uncomfortable. He turned his attention back to his work.
I considered saying something else but decided to remain silent and let him work. I did not want to be a source of pain or discomfort for him. I wasn't sure how we had gotten here. And I didn't know how to fix it.
Although he didn't seem happy about our breakup, he had convinced himself that I would be better off without him. It broke my heart that I did not know how to change his mind about that.
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At this point, Angie Dahl and I were the only ones still in the running for the Kane Scholarship. She had taken a "Summer at Sea" course that counted as college credit which bumped her GPA ahead of mine. I figured there was no way for me to pull ahead of her.
Then, I found out that Wallace and Logan had gotten the highest score on the egg drop project in Mr. Wu's physics class. They were the only team to have their egg survive the twelve-foot drop. That was not the only thing that pissed Angie off. In addition to that, she (and the other students who had been dubiously diagnosed) no longer had a free pass to reschedule exams due to "generalized anxiety disorder." That might mean that I still had a chance to beat her out for the scholarship.
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My father was still plugging away on the bus crash investigation. He decided to "follow the money," which got him thinking about the people in the limo following the bus. When he looked into the insurance angle, he discovered that Kendall was the beneficiary on the policies that had been taken out on Dick and Cassidy.
When Dad dug into Kendall's phone records, he found calls to Logan, including the day of the crash. He asked me if I knew why the two of them would be talking to one another. I told him that I had found out recently that they were sleeping together, but I didn't know when the affair had started.
A few days later, Dad was able to locate a 1994 yearbook which had a photo of the person we knew as Kendall Casablancas (née Shiflett), but the name under her photo was Priscilla Banks. According to newspaper articles, the actual Kendall Shiflett had died in an MVA at the age of 15. Priscilla Banks had been behind the wheel. And later made the decision to steal Kendall's identity.
Although he wouldn't tell me how he had done it, Dad managed to get the hard drive belonging to Kendall (a.k.a. Priscilla). Mac worked her magic yet again, getting into the encrypted files.
When he requested her assistance, she quipped, "Your wish is my shift-command."
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While Dad was busy with his cases, I was handling some of my own. Gia Goodman hired me to find out who was following her. Initially, the clues led us in an unexpected direction. Gia's father was concerned about threats he had been receiving and wanted his children to have protection. He hired the private security firm that Leo D'Amato now worked for.
After he explained to us why he was following Gia, he asked me, "Is it true that you're single again?"
I should not have been surprised that he knew details of my personal life, but I was. Unsure how to answer his question, I simply nodded.
"In that case, I'd like to take you to dinner sometime." Seeing the expression on my face, he continued, "Would you at least have coffee with me?"
Mostly to find a way out of an awkward conversation, I agreed to coffee, fully intending to avoid him indefinitely. But that's not how things turned out.
Leo was persistent. After having coffee – and being reminded how charming he could be and how much I enjoyed his company – we ended up hanging out several times over the next couple weeks. Eventually, we went to dinner.
That night, our conversation rolled around to how excited I was that my high school years were almost behind me. He asked about my plans for prom. When I said that I didn't have any, he offered to be my date. I had made my peace with the fact that I would not be attending the big dance. But for some reason, I told Leo that I would think about his offer.
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The next day during lunch, I got a text from Leo that read: have you thought about it yet?
I responded: yes. but haven't decided.
The reply was almost immediate: well, I'm optimistic. I'm gonna make dinner reservations, rent a tux, order your corsage.
As a smile spread across my face, I glanced up and caught Eli watching me. Why did I suddenly feel like I was cheating on him? He was the one who had walked away from me. Did he expect me to sit around and wait for him to smarten up?
By the look on his face, that may have been exactly what he expected.
A/N:
I can hear all of you screaming at me: "But they just got back together!" Keep in mind that in my version of the timeline, a little more than 3 months pass between when Eli gets beat out of the PCH Bike Club at the end of Chapter 16 and when he breaks up with her in this chapter. I just didn't write out those months in detail. Hang in there … just a few twists and turns on the way to their HEA.
Since Valentine's Day is upon us, I'll try to get another chapter (maybe even two) posted this week.
Thanks for reading! Until next time …
~Jen
11 February 2019