Page 47 of Tears of Glass

He inclines his head, at least he looks a little sheepish. “Everything is complicated. All the time, Faith. You know that. You’ve met my family.”

His unspoken words hang in the air between us. You know what they made me do to you.

“Talk to me.”

He sighs and plays with the straw in his cup of coke. “Peter isn’t what mother would want as a first-born son.”

“Why not? He’s going to be baron, though?”

Elijah nods. “Yes, there is nothing that can be done about that.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand.”

He smiles, but it’s a little tight. “And I don’t want to talk about my brother when I’ve finally got you to sit down with me.”

“I sat down with you the other night,” I retort.

He sniggers and shakes his head. “Without being in the confines of a moving vehicle.”

I flicker a smile. “Well if you’re going to trap me in a car, the MG is a good choice to make.”

“I was thinking of getting rid of it.”

“What? Why?”

He sucks in his straw to delay his answer. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s time to stop hanging on to sentimental history.” The car had been his grandfather’s.

“That car is beautiful.”

His eyes level on my face, kicking up my heart rate as the delphinium blues take in every inch of the story my face is telling. “I’ve lost more precious things.”

My mouth dries. Please don’t say things like that. I’ve believed him before—the night at Bowsley when he gave me the diamond and told me he loved me. Then he broke me.

“So, does your mother know you aren’t getting married?”

“Yes.”

He doesn’t elaborate, so I raise an eyebrow to show I’m waiting for more. “I’m not welcome at Bowsley right now.”

I sigh with frustration. “I’m sorry we ever met. Everything is a mess. If you hadn’t met me you’d never be in this situation with your family, and...”

I pause.

He fills the gap. “And you wouldn’t be heartbroken.” We stare at one another, silent. “Have you got classes tomorrow?” he asks, changing the subject and taking me by surprise.

“No idea. Remember I didn’t know I was going to uni until today?”

He smirks. “It was the right choice, wasn’t it?”

I mull over the day’s events. “No. Wanker Gerard made me teach the class.”

Elijah chuckles softly and it sounds like magical bells. Magical bells? Shoot me.

I dunk another cold fry into the even colder shake. “You know you should try it instead of judging,” I say when I see his face crease with a grimace. “You see, I’d never be posh enough for the Faircloughs. It’s as well our fling is over.”

His hand grabs mine with lightning speed and he pops the chip into his mouth, his lips grazing the tips of my fingers. An almost spontaneous molten river of lava swirls around my insides. He chews thoughtfully before gallantly swallowing the potato and ice cream concoction. “Not bad.”

“Such a liar.” I shake my head and smile. I can sense myself softening towards him, it’s running through my veins, tugging me closer.