Free Taking Shots (Assassins) by Toni Aleo Page A

total, Elli handed her back her bank card.
    “ Must be nice to drop this kind of money on a dress and a hair bow.”
    “ Well, when you work for it, it does feel nice. Have a nice day, sister dear.” Elli grabbed her bags and card and walked out feeling a lot better since she knew her sister was jealous to the core. When she got into the truck, she started it before she pulled her phone back out, reading Shea’s message again. Katy Perry’s “Not like the Movies”, started playing and Elli smiled.
    What was happening with Shea was kinda like the movies. It was like a dream.
    And I miss your big hands swallowing mine. She typed back before putting her phone on her thigh and driving off.
    The wedding went great that night. Harper didn’t talk to Elli, but Elli knew she would get over their little fight from earlier that day. Shea had texted her all night and she enjoyed their little conversation between her working. After the wedding, Elli was walking towards her truck when Harper fell in step with her.
    “ I’m not dating him,” she muttered.
    “ Okay, it’s none of my business.”
    “ Yes it is. You’re my best friend.”
    “ You’re right, so be honest with me, you like him?” Harper looked everywhere but Elli’s eyes. She had this nervous look to her, which confirmed what Elli thought. Harper really liked Jakob.
    “ I like having sex with him.”
    “ Well, there’s a start to admitting your feelings.”
    “ You like Shea?”
    “ I do.” Harper seemed to think it over, and then she looked Elli right in the eyes.
    “ Then you better not let your insecurities get in the damn way. You're amazing El, amazing. Any man, even dudes at Shea Adler’s caliber, would be lucky to be with you. Don’t forget that and don’t let your family fuck it up.” She turned to walk away, and then stopped to look over her shoulder at Elli. “And don’t let past shit with Justin fuck it up, either.” Harper was gone after that, leaving Elli alone to lean against her truck.
    How the hell did she do that? Totally call her on everything that Elli was feeling scared of and then walk away like it was nothing. She smiled as she got into her truck; she guessed that’s why she loved Harper so much. Harper knew her inside and out.
    Once she got on near the interstate, she was stopped at a red light, when she looked at the clock, it was well past midnight, so she texted Shea to see if he was awake. She pulled onto the interstate just as her phone rang. It was Shea.
    “ Hey, did I wake you?”
    “ No,” his voice was all groggy.
    “ Liar. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
    “ No, I want to talk to you, make sure you get home okay.” She smiled. “How was the wedding?”
    “ Beautiful, tiring. I’m ready to go to bed.”
    “ Are you on the interstate?”
    “ I am, I have about thirty minutes until I get there.”
    “ Okay, so did you hear about the Potter trade?” he asked, and that threw them into an awesome conversation of hockey. She loved talking hockey with Shea. He actually knew what he was talking about, unlike her brothers. They were idiots and they only liked the fights. Elli was home before she knew it; she pulled into her drive and smiled at Adler, who was in the window, wagging his little pug tail.
    “ I’m home,” she said after a moment of silence.
    “ Okay, so I’ll see you tomorrow?”
    “ Yup, seven right?”
    “ Right.”
    “ Do you still want to pick me up? I’m cool with driving in town.”
    “ I’ll be there at seven. I want to see your house.”
    “ Okay, well, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    “ Alright, babe, bye, sweet dreams.”
    “ You, too, bye.”
    Elli hung up the phone with a grin on her face as she walked up the sidewalk to her house. She loved on Adler as she came in and then let him out as she moved through the house. After hanging her dress up and taking her shoes off, she went to let Adler back in. She stood in the doorway, waiting, and looked behind her to her Assassins wall.