Finally. I had Elena all to myself.
The second I shut my bedroom door, I leaned back against it and exhaled, letting the tension from the evening drain away.
The disaster Ciara had unleashed downstairs was still fresh in my mind, but here, in the quiet of my room, with Elena looking at me with that curious little tilt of her head, it all felt far away.
"Do you ever not look adorable?" I asked, smirking as she flopped onto my bed like it was the most comfortable thing in the world.
"I could ask you the same," she shot back, her grin softening as she tucked her hands behind her head and sank into the pillows.
"Hmm, flattery won't get you out of this," I teased, joining her on the bed. I crawled up beside her and propped myself up on one elbow, letting my fingers trace lazy patterns on the comforter.
"Out of what?" she asked, though her smile told me she already knew.