Noah stormed off and the crowd cheered, Eli sagged against me. Blake and Pax both patted my back but I shooed them away.
"I'm sorry if I said or did something wrong there but he deserved all that."
"You didn't say anything wrong," he smiled at me.
"I mean I implied that you and I are, you know and I know you're not ready for anything like that."
"Maybe I am, I mean I wasn't at first, but after tonight I finally feel like myself, so I think I'm ready for the next step," he whispered and I froze.
I pushed him so he could stand facing me. He smiled up at me before laughing lightly. Eli touched my cheek gently and gave me a small kiss on the lips.
"Let's talk about this later."
As it happens later didn't come. The exhibition was a great success; his photos were sold several times over and he received a card from an agent.
By the time we got to the hotel we were both wiped, we crashed as soon as we got in. The next morning we had to get to the airport early.
There was no time to continue that chat when we returned to Montana, as Eli had to get all the photos printed and sent off. It had been two weeks since we returned and I still hadn't seen him.
I wanted to see him, wanted to know what he meant. Did it mean he was ready for a relationship? Will it be with me or with someone else? The more time went on the more my head started to spread doubt.
"Dude you need to chill," Pax teased as he handed me a beer.
He'd dragged me to the bar after work. I hadn't wanted to come, preferring to go home and wallow.
"Shut up Pax," I grunted.
"Seriously, you've been moping around like a jilted lover. You know he's busy printing his pictures. Either wait for him to come to you or go and see him."
"I can't just go and see him, he's busy and I don't want to disturb him," I groaned.
"What about asking Blake about him? At least he could tell you if he is really busy. Better yet have you tried texting him?" Pax suggested.
Hearing Blake's name triggered a memory.
"I can't, at least not yet, I don't want to distract him, but speaking of Blake, what's going on with you two?" I asked.
"What do you mean?" he asked, defensively.
"Oh come on Pax! Ever since the night Blake took you home you two have been acting weird. First of all, you avoid each other, you thought I didn't notice. Then after the trip when we get back here, it's almost like you're stuck together."
Pax rubbed his face.
"Blake glares or grumbles about anyone who talks to you. You do it too and you both pout if the other doesn't show you any attention."
"Is it really that obvious?" he sighed.
"Not to everyone, but I know you two, we've been friends for years. Come on, tell me," I urged.
"It's a long story but that night when we met Eli, I was drunk and pissed at Blake. I ranted at him that he was always looking after me but not in the way I wanted him to. We slept together and when I woke up Blake had gone. He'd left me a message about going to work."
He took a large swig of his drink.
"I don't know if he was avoiding me or I was avoiding him but it felt too awkward to be around him.
"Then when we shared a room in Baltimore I finally told him how I felt. He confessed that he hadn't known but felt the same, so we've decided to give us a go."
I held out my beer to him and smiled as he clinked his bottle with mine.
"Well, I hope it works out for the two of you," I sighed.
"Just go see him!" Pax insisted.
"See who?"
We both jumped at Blake's voice. My eyes widened when he moved over to Pax and kissed him on the cheek. Pax actually blushed as he smiled. I was so transfixed that it took me a moment to realise Blake wasn't alone.
"Eli!" I called out happily.
Eli laughed as he moved to my side. Blake went off to get them some drinks but I didn't take my eyes off Eli. He looked tired, and a little pale but happy.
"You missed me?" he beamed cheekily.
"Of course," I smiled before pulling him into me. "Did you get all your photos done?"
"Yeah," he sighed. "It took a while but I got all the prints sent off. I've also been talking to an agent. She's gonna come to town and talk over a contract with me."
"That's amazing!" I called out.
"Yep, soon my baby brother is going to become a famous photographer!" Blake beamed at Eli as he set the drinks down, four beers along with four shots.
"To Eli!" he called out as he picked up the shot glasses.
We all followed suit and cheered for his success. Eli blushed but smiled happily.
"Yes, you've been very successful!"
We all turned to see Noah, the dick from Baltimore stood at the bar.
"Noah? What the fuck are you doing here?" Eli asked.
"You really think I wouldn't find you?" he sneered.
Eli sighed next to me. Slowly, he moved away from me and made his way to Noah. I grabbed his arm and shook my head. He smiled back at me and gave me a quick kiss.
"I'll be right back," he sighed.
I watched Eli tell Noah to follow him and they headed outside. My body wanted to follow him, wanted to beat the shit out of the guy but I forced myself to stay put. My eyes never left the door.
God knows how many hours later Eli finally walked back inside. His face looked red and my blood boiled. Had that jerk hit him? I was instantly up, pulling him into my arms the moment he reached us.
"Are you ok? What happened to your face?" I asked.
"Noah hit me, but before you beat him up I punched him back. He wasn't expecting it, the look of shock on his face was amusing."
I smiled but it dropped when Eli sighed and leaned into me.
"Do you want to go?" I asked.
Eli nodded.
"Guys, we're going to head off, speak to you later," I told Blake and Pax who nodded at us and we left. I took him straight to mine and grabbed us some beers. Eli took it with a smile as we sat on the sofa together.
"Are you ok?" I asked after the silence stretched too long.
"Yeah I am," he sighed. "He accused me of ruining his life. Aparantly, that woman told her father, who then told Noah's bosses and Noah got fired."
"Good," I chuckled.
"Yeah, I told him he deserved it. I told him it was no one's fault but his and if he hadn't been a two faced leech then he wouldn't have been fired."
I nodded and gripped his hand.
"That's when he hit me, he shouted at me so I punched him. Noah fell to the ground with a busted lip," Eli said looking proud.
"I shouted at him and then told him to get lost, that I never wanted to see him again. If I did I would let my brother, my boyfriend and their friend beat the shit out of him."
I felt proud at how strong he was, my dick jerked too at the image. It took me a second longer to realise what he actually said.
"Wait … what! Did you say Boyfriend? You told him I was your boyfriend?"
ELi started to laugh but my brain still wouldn't catch up.
"Why is that surprising? You told him you were my boyfriend back in Baltimore."
I shook my head and put both our beers on the coffee table.
"I know I did but I just said that to piss him off, when I apologised you said something about maybe being ready and that we would talk but then you got busy."
Eli stopped laughing and knelt up before lifting a leg over and straddling my lap. He wrapped his arms around my neck and smiled.
"I know I did, and I'm sorry about that. That night I was beat and then when we came back I had to get the photos sent off. Cam, I'm sorry for making you wait but …"
Eli paused before giving me a long lingering kiss. The feel of his soft lips against mine went straight to my cock.
"Cam I'm ready for something more than friends with benefits, I'm ready for something more with you. When we met I wasn't in a good place, you could have taken advantage of that but you didn't."
He smiled warmly at me.
"Instead, I took advantage of you, and you let me. You gave me an outlet if I needed one, and you were patient and understanding. No one has ever helped or encouraged me like you have outside my family."
I pulled him into me and kissed his neck.
"I'm sorry that I made you do something you weren't comfortable with. I know you're not a one night stand or friends with benefits type of guy, yet you did it for me. You let me go through what I needed to go through whilst supporting me, and you never pressured me to do what you wanted."
"I spent so much time with someone that never gave me anything that I forgot what being in a good relationship could be like. I know we didn't start off on the right foot but if you want to we can start fresh right now."
He stared into my eyes as I blinked back at him. My brain was so fuzzy that it was taking too long to figure out everything.
Eli squealed as I grabbed his ass, picked him up and took him to my room. He let out a laugh as I threw him down on the bed. I pulled his legs and started undoing his jeans.
He just laughed and let me undress him. Once he was fully bare and hard, I undressed. I was eager to feel his skin against mine but I was also frustrated that I seemed to be wearing too many clothes.