Kissed My Rival, Hear His Mind novel · Chapter 8 of 32
Chapter 8: Coffee, Black
Eli woke up at seven to the smell of coffee and the sound of a man swearing quietly at a toaster.
Declan stood in his own kitchen in grey sweatpants and nothing else.
His hair stuck up on one side.
He was holding a butter knife.
"Don't talk. Don't turn around. If I'm very quiet, maybe he'll think this is a normal apartment."
"The toaster's fine," Eli said from the bed. "It's you."
Declan spun around.
For half a second his whole face was open, and he looked about nineteen.
Then the shutters came down.
"Good morning, Donnelly."
"Eli. You said it last night. A lot."
Declan's ears went red.
Eli padded over naked, took the butter knife out of his hand, and set it on the counter.
Declan looked at Eli's bare chest and then at the ceiling.
"Coffee is on the left," he said. "Black. And I have milk, in case you don't."
"I take it black."
"I know. Also I bought oat milk. In case. It's been in the fridge since June."
"Since June?"
"It was on sale."
"I hate oat milk."
"I know that too. You said so at the holiday party in 2019. It's why I'm holding the carton at arm's length."
Eli laughed so hard he had to put his hand on the counter.
Declan watched him with his mouth tight, and the voice in Eli's head said, soft as a hand on a cheek, "There. There he is. Laughing in my kitchen at seven in the morning. I'd live on this day for a year."
They ate toast at the drafting table, with the rain gone and the river light coming in thin through the windows.
Declan set the rules.
"Separate trains. You leave first, in twenty minutes. I'll walk."
"Fine."
"No touching on the ninth floor."
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