HIS CRAZY OFFER

More than friends? Am I getting this all wrong or he is trying to mix things up here? "What?" I enthusiastically asked.


"Friends with benefits?"

Dang! My mind is swimming on cloud nine. My heart has suddenly recovered from that bullet a while ago and it's now doing a twerk dance. My! Friends with benefits, though? Forget all merry for a moment. Friends with benefits? Maybe we can, maybe we can't. I will have to think about that later, but for now, I stretch my right hand to him for a shake.

"Friends first, then we can see where the tide will take us. Ellie Marrie Riccaford, ready for the ride!" I tease, and he clasps my hand, giving it a firm shake.


He smiles like he is okay with this. "Damian Almeda Riccaforte, it is a pleasure to take you on a pleasurable, mind-boggling ride."

My! The way he says it, huh?


I wish this was how we introduced ourselves back then. Without hiding anything. Things might have been messy in the beginning, but the ending would have been bliss. A lot of things could have been avoided. We would still be basking in love and sampling the glee of life. How I wish...

We break the handshake, both of us smiling like idiots.

"I will go take a shower. You won't join me?" He teases, beginning to take off his clothes.

"Nah! Friends, remember?" I say as I grab a towel for him. And he has begun the tease way too fast. Besides, shouldn't he perhaps undress in the bathroom? Or at least give me a hint that he wants to undress. Ghosh!

And me, why am I still gawking at him again? I should be looking everywhere except where my eyes are fixed right now, for God's sake! Damn it! Ooh, boy! Will this really work?

"You can join me as my wife. It is an option," he grumbles.

"Nah! I will pass." I retorted and threw him the towel.

Damn those arousing abs and that torturous v-line. Damn! This is not healthy for my eyes or for my thirsty self. Or maybe he is doing it on purpose.

"It is your loss!" He mocks as he wraps the towel around his waist, taking his underwear all in one go after kicking his shoes off.

Goodness! He should have undressed in the shower, honestly. This is not fair to me. Must he do it in front of me?

"Are you okay?"

Ooh, yes! I fucking am after displaying your flawless, enchanting body to me! Darn!

"Yeah, I am. Why?" You should be trying not to look at him, yet my eyes are stuck on his. He is totally covered. I honestly don't know what my eyes are searching for.

"Just making sure. My offer is on, though. Are you sure you don't want to join?" he challenges.

I shake my head. I should control myself, just like him. If he can respect my choice, then I should at least respect my very own choice, if not respect him for respecting my choice. Deep sigh! Forget what I am saying, because even I don't know what I am saying. "Very sure."

He smirks and strides past me as he walks to the shower.

"Wait!" I call before he opens the bathroom door, and I walk to him.

He turns around with an annoying yet heartwarming grin. "Yes?" He asks.

"I just want to say, "Thank you.". A very big thank you for being there for me despite the circumstances. Thank you for not ditching me in this mess. I would have gone insane if you were not here with me. I am grateful, Damian. Someday, I will make it up to you," I say.

The grin widens, and then he bites his lower lip to curb it. He winks, speaking, "You are welcome, and you know, whether I am a Riccaforte, the guy you loathed the most, or just the Damian Almeda you fell in love with, I will always be right here for you, Ellie! Obligated or not, I would still do this for you anyway. And I will always do it with pleasure."

Ooh!

I pull him to me and encompass him in a tight hug, and I take enough time to savor this moment. I missed his hugs, and I would have enjoyed being in his embrace even more if only his bare skin wasn't burning me. This contact with the flesh is not good at all.

I have to be weary, so I pull away and look into his eyes. "Thank you, from the bottommost part of my heart. I appreciate this so much, Damian. And I hope you know that I am also here for you."

"I will keep that in mind, sweet Ellie!" He whispers, pinching my left cheek, and I smile at him like an idiot. "Don't you think we should celebrate to mark our friendship?" He asks, caressing my cheeks.

"Sure."

He smiles, and I smile back, and as he pulls me into his arms once again, I just realize how much I missed him—my Damian! I missed his closure to me and his homey embraces.

He pulls away after an eternity of pure peace on his chest. It is like he knew how much I needed him. He cages my waist in his arms, pumping his fingers up and down on me. What is he doing?

'What are you doing, Mr. Almeda?" I ask, unable to hide how I am enjoying whatever that he is doing.

He grins, looking above my head, averting our gazes as he responds. 'Nothing," he bores his eye back at me again. 'I am waiting for you to tell me how you want us to celebrate our friendship."

Oh, am I to decide that? wasn't it his idea? He should be the one to brainstorm ideas on how he wants us to celebrate this. Not me!

'Come on! Don't let me decide because you might not like what I propose and I don't want to ruin this this soon or mess up yet again. So come on, wifey! How do you suppose we celebrate?"

Wifey, sweet Elliot, babe, baby, I don't know which one of these names confuses me the most, rolling from his mouth, but wifey hits right home! I am getting goosebumps whenever that rolls out. Or maybe I yearn to be his official wife.