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8 ~ Solemnly Swear

“You did what?” Rick yelled.

Eli sat back in the chair at the dining table and rubbed his eyes, “Maybe we should talk about this later.”

“No I want to talk about it now!” Rick replied. “How could you do this without talking to me first?”

“I didn’t think that I had to. I’m old enough to move out,” Eli shot back. “I don’t have to ask your permission for every little thing anymore.”

“Girls if you’re finished maybe you should clear your plates,” Lilly got up and gestured for the girls around the table to follow her.

Eli heard Grace mutter, “If he moves out, I want his room in the garage.”

“I just wish that you had talked to me first, before doing something like this E,” Rick ran his fingers through his hair. “Does your mom know about this?”

“I haven’t told her yet. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. I never thought about moving out until Tyler told me about the apartment.”

“So you just signed yourselves up?”

“It’s not final yet, they’re checking our references and we’ll hear from them before Wednesday.”

Rick was caught off guard by how mature Eli was sounding. “How are you going to afford something like this?”

“I’m making enough at the store to cover everything and I have lots of money saved up. Besides, Tyler and I will split all the costs.”

“What if you two have a disagreement?”

“We’ve been friends since the sixth grade,” Eli answered, sounding annoyed. “If there’ s a problem I can afford my own place too, but I doubt that’ll be necessary.”

“What about a car? You won’t be able to use ours if you’re living somewhere else.”

“Grampa wants to buy a new car and he said I could have his Taurus, remember?”

Rick sighed and bit his lip. He had no more arguments, obviously Eli had put some thought in to this, and regardless of how little time he had. “You better tell your mother then.”

“Obviously,” Eli got up from the table and left.

Corrie snuggled up against Eli in bed and rested her hand on his chest. “Don’t worry about. He’s just miffed because you’re leaving the nest,” she said, Eli had just told his father’s reaction to him moving out. “At least your mom was supportive.”

“Of course she is. I cost her a fortune in groceries,” he joked, his mood beginning to lighten. “Do you think it’s a good idea?”

“Of course I do,” Corrie answered. She propped herself up on her elbow, “If you have your own place, we can hang out there and not worry about our parents.”

“Very true.” Eli smirked at her and pushed the covers out of the way, “Hopefully we’ll get the apartment. But in the meantime your mom’s at work and I fully intend to take advantage of this situation.”

“Do you?” Corrie laughed as he kissed down her neck towards her collarbone. “Hey, can I help you and Tyler decorate?”

Eli was focusing on her bellybutton now, “Baby, you can paint the place pink for all I care but now is not the appropriate time for such a discussion.”

“You sound like your father,”

He stopped what he was doing abruptly and sat up, “Okay so I’m no longer in the mood.”

“Eli!” she cried, wriggling underneath his weight. “What are you doing?”

“Never mention parents while we’re in the middle of foreplay.”

“Okay, okay. Fine.” She wrapped one of her legs around his waist and attempted to pull him towards her. “I’ll never do it again.” He laughed at her and tried to stay out of her reach. “Eliiii,” she whined.

“Promise,” he whispered huskily to her, holding her arms over her head against the pillow.

“I solemnly swear to never ever mention parental units while Eli’s trying to get his swerve on!” she rattled the oath off quickly.

He added with a twinkle in his eye, “Don’t say ‘swerve on’ either.”

“I-won’t-say-that-either!” she shouted. “Eli.”

“Good girl,” he let her arms free and started right back where he had left off.