The Expansion of the Universe

Nineteen | "Miss me, okay?"

It was odd, Liza decided, to feel so . . . off-kilter without Elijah inside her condo.

How strange: A mere three weeks or so ago, and the thought of someone other than herself or Milo entering her condo sent her into a horrible panic attack. Yet now, Elijah had been coming inside her condo whenever he wasn't at work, and anytime he wasn't in it, she felt so lonely.

God, even the thought of such a concept had a smile tugging at her lips. How ironic was it, that the woman who couldn't stand being around other people hated being alone after meeting one man?

"Elijah's not like most men though, is he?" she asked Milo, nodding to herself when he nudged at her hand impatiently. "Yeah, exactly."

Blowing out a sigh, she looked back at her neighbor's driveway sadly, where he was outside loading a duffel bag into the passenger seat and laughing on the phone. She guessed he was talking to Austin, but she wasn't sure. He was getting ready to leave on a nine-day trip, and it would be the first time he'd left for longer than a day or two since that . . . that other man, had come banging on her door and scared the absolute shit out of her.

She knew neither one of them was looking forward to the extended separation. He'd told her the day before that he would stop to see her before he left in order to "get one last hug from my favorite dog! And you too, babe, of course." She'd snorted, rolled her eyes, and looked away before he noticed just how scared she was of his departure.

What if that man came back? What would she do then? She was supposed to have a call with Whitney later, but what if the woman hadn't learned anything about the stranger who seemed to despise Liza so much?

Oh, how she hated unknowns—especially dangerous ones.

Another glance at Elijah showed him slipping his phone back into the pocket of his jeans, dragging his other hand through his hair, and she watched silently, only to startle when he turned around and met her gaze head-on. Her breath stalled in her chest, reminded of that day that seemed like it was from years prior, when they'd been utter strangers and his dark eyes had terrified.

Now, she could only find them equal parts stunning and comforting.

And she was really going to miss them.

She was pulled from her thoughts when he flashed her a brilliant smile that contrasted the sadness in his gaze—another sign that he was going to miss her too, which sent her heart into all sorts of a slam-skip-slam frenzy—and crossed the grass separating their driveways. She heard his steps outside seconds before he gave her his signature three knocks.

"It's unlocked, Elijah," she said, loud enough for him to hear without shouting, and the door was swung open a second later.

Poking his head around the oak, he found her on the couch with a frown instead of a smile. "Babe, you'll lock this when I leave, right?"

She would have rolled her eyes (honestly? Did he forget who she was?) had she not noticed how worried he still was after the incident with the still nameless man. "Yes, Elijah, I will."

His shoulders slumped with his sigh. "Alright, doll, just checking." His eyes slid to the painting he'd put up in the living room, and his smile was back. "Nice pic."

That won a snort of laughter from her. "Thanks. My neighbor got it for me."

"Neighbor?" Elijah echoed, a funny look on his face. "Is that all?"

Her brows furrowed with confusion. "No . . .? You're my friend." Her only friend, at the moment, but probably one of the greatest friends she'd ever had.