Chapter 99: Rounding Bases

** Eli **

Eli watched the girl in front of him laugh so merrily without a care in the world, and he felt his own lips curve up in genuine contentment. Her bright spirits always seemed to spread so easily, making him perk up with her no matter when or where.

Ever since that revelation hit him on Saturday, Eli had been pondering this specialness of her, this mysterious pull between them that never failed to affect him whenever she was around. He wasn't an idiot, and at this point, it'd be a lie not to admit that his attraction to her was going deeper than expected. It wasn't merely physical anymore, either. When his phone buzzed with her text half an hour ago, there was only one explanation to why his day suddenly brightened like a new sun had risen — he had started to grow attached.

And fuck if that wasn't something he didn't know how to deal with. Since when had he ever done "attachment"? With Harper out of all people?