I turned around to kiss him again, and lay there in his arms in silence. I mulled over everything that passed between us in the past few hours, how monumental it all felt. And there remained so much I needed to figure out.

I still had no idea what I would do about the job I was supposed to start once I got back to DC, or the acceptance in the NYU master of social work program. Worst of all, I didn’t know how I’d tell my mother I didn’t want to do this work. That I wouldn’t follow in my dad’s footsteps anymore. That I was selfish enough to break her heart.

Chapter 12

I woke up alone in the bed and heard movement around the room. When I turned a light on, I saw Elias sitting by the foot of the bed, putting on his shoes. My breath caught at the sight of his wide shoulders and back.

I walked on my knees to him and put my arms around his neck. “What time is it?”

He bent his head to kiss my hands, and that feeling like he could shake loose everything that felt constricting, spread through my chest again.

His voice cracked like thunder in my quiet room. “It’s just before 4:00. I didn’t want to wake you, but I need to get going. I take my mom to the market on Saturdays when I’m home.”

I pulled back fast, worried I’d cause him to upset his mother. “Oh, okay. Don’t want to get you in trouble with her.”

He smiled at my reaction. “It’s fine. I don’t have a curfew. She just likes to get there early.” He straightened from tying his shoes with a weary sigh. “I also wanted to slip out before the front desk staff gets in.”

Right. Because it wasn’t smart or safe to do this.

“Yeah,” I said, not wanting to make things awkward.

He got up, pulling on his shirt as he walked to the door. I got out of bed and followed him, shivering in the chilly dawn. Before he opened it, he turned around and kissed me long and deep. “It’s taking an enormous amount of self-control to leave this room when you’re standing here completely naked.”

I pushed up against him, not giving a fuck about looking needy, thirsty, or whatever, and bit his lip before I spoke. “Please tell me I get to do this again soon.”

He nodded sharply at that. “I’ll be busy today. I have a few things to do with my family since I’ve been gone so long, but maybe tomorrow? I can take you up to Entoto Mountain—we can go for a hike and have lunch up there.”