Solace (completed)

Chapter Fourteen

Alex Solace

"Just stroke it."

"I don't wanna stroke it! It's all slimy!" He squealed.

"Oh but you were so keen on petting it! Elias, you act like it'll bite you."

"It might. You don't know if it has teeth or not."

"It's a fucking worm. What worm has teeth?!" I threw both of my hands pointedly from my crouched position at the worm in question.

Currently, Elias and I are at the park waiting for everyone else to show up with their siblings. We've been here for around twenty minutes just sitting by our tree while Angelica plays with Mateo on the play around.

I use the term loosely, by the way. Mostly because for the past ten minutes they've been chatting on the swings together. She's been helping him learn how to push and pull his body back and forth on the swings by himself. Once he got the hang of it, she sat on the swing next to him and they've been having a grand ol' time ever since.

I almost wanted to jump out of my spot on the ground when I heard some little kid tell Mateo that he's been on the swings for too long, but then Angelica told the kid that his mom got in her car and left him here to get kidnapped and he cried, running away.

Angelica and I smiled.

It warms my heart seeing how she's grown a bit protective over him. That protectiveness I've seen, it reminds me of my own protectiveness for him. The way she watches over him... maybe I'm overthinking it, y'know? Maybe she's just being polite, but something in me is telling me that she really cares for him.

While they've been doing their own thing in the playground, Elias and I have been snuggled up against our favorite tree, watching over them.

His back against the tree and my back to our chest has been our positioning since we got here. I figured it would be some time before the others got here so I brought Window Shopping with me.

His lips contorted into a giddy smile. He pushed me deeper into his chest and asked me to read to him. So I started reading chapter six.

"Okay but does he have to compare his ass to baked goods? I mean it suits his personality I guess but seriously? Baked goods?" Was his complaint five seconds in.

There was a small part in the chapter that was a little steamy. It wasn't even anything explicit, just them heavy breathing in the car with tensions rising, and poor Elias was noticeably flustered after hearing me read this part. I purposely changed my voice into a deeper, more breathless tone, and I could hear his breath hitch behind me.

(A/n: wait till he gets to chapter eight-)

I smirked internally when I felt the strong arms that were wrapped around my belly, hugging my body closer to him, tighten.

We didn't end up reading for long because our attention got caught by a tiny worm that was wiggling on a leaf. Elias was the one to point it out.

"Wait." He patted my thigh. "Sweet cheeks, stop reading."

I felt him shift against me, "Why?"

He gently pushes me forward, urging me to scoot up. I move away from him with furrowed brows and set the book down, looking at him curiously. I see him crouch down to the grass and look at... nothing.

"What are you doing?" I crawl closer to him.

"Look," he waves me closer with his hand and I crawl over to him, settling on my feet in a crouched position once I'm next to him. "It's a worm."