I’m saved from finishing my sentence by the doorbell.
“Oh shit! Our food.” Valerie scrambles off me, grabs her clothes and tosses them on. Her hair is a mess. Her shirt is inside out. But she’s still perfect.
I put my clothes on while she answers the door. I take my time, giving me a chance to cool down and sort out what exactly I’m feeling.
Valerie looks like who Ethan wanted me to be, but she lives like how I want to live. I don’t know what to do with that. Am I just getting myself into the same situation as before? Will Valerie expect me to become someone I’m not?
She did first see me in my black dress and heavy eye makeup. And the first thing she did was call me beautiful. She could be lying though. Ethan did.
Or maybe it’s time to realize that not everyone is Ethan. Not everyone will put me down and try to change me. Not everyone is an asshole.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. I literally met her today. I’ve known her for a handful of hours. This was probably just a one-time thing anyway. Valerie is clearly many rungs higher than me on the social ladder. She came into my life when I needed to be reminded of who I am and that it’s okay to be myself.
Geez, maybe she really is my guardian angel.
I join Valerie in the kitchen where she places an equal amount of food on two plates. We eat at the island, which I find charming. Not once did Ethan allow me to eat in the kitchen like this. I was expected to set the formal dining room every night. We ate with low lighting, candles, a full set of silverware, and classical music playing softly in the background. He once had a fit because I let it slip that I ate at the counter when it was just me for dinner one night.
I take Valerie’s hand in mine, rubbing my thumb over her knuckles as we eat.
“Can you stay the night?” Valerie asks.
I should go home. I should thank her for a wonderful day. I should figure out what I’m going to do about my car.
“Sure. I’d really like that.”
CHAPTER 05
“Want some more coffee, Joe?” I ask. He nods, slides his mug toward me, and I fill it up.
It’s been two weeks since the photoshoot and my evening spent with Valerie.
I told her over coffee the following morning to ask Paul to junk my car. There was no point in having someone look at it. Instead, I’m now saving money specifically for a car. Kira has been giving me as many shifts as she can to help me out.
Valerie dropped me off after a morning spent swapping stories and dreams, but when I walked into my tiny apartment, it hit me. We are far too different. I didn’t feel it that day, or during the night wrapped up in her arms and tangled in her sheets. But I felt it when I was on my lumpy couch.
Meeting Valerie helped me to sort through my own messy thoughts and feelings and trauma from living with Ethan, from living with my demanding mother before that. She helped me see that not everyone will treat me like Ethan did, which I sincerely needed. I needed someone to tell me I’m good enough, but I know I still have work to do.
So, I went back to my regular life, but with purpose. Save enough money for a good car. Save enough money for new furniture. Figure out what I want to do with my life, because as much as I adore Kira, working at the diner long term isn’t it.
The bell above the door jingles and two women wearing baseball hats walk in.
"Sit wherever you'd like," I tell them. "I’ll be over as soon as I finish ringing up this customer."
I hand Joe his change then grab the coffee pot and walk over to the newcomers. When I reach their table, I turn over their mugs and raise the pot.
“Coffee?” I ask.
“Ella?”
It’s a miracle I don’t drop the coffee.
“Valerie? Hi. Hello. Umm,” I sputter. “Hi.”
I take her in. Just as beautiful as she was two weeks ago. She has her hair in a ponytail poking out the back of a light pink baseball hat. She looksbeautiful in dark wash jeans and a white T-shirt. She’s dressed down but she still takes my breath away. My eyes slide over to her companion.
Holy shit. It’s Crystal Harlow.
Crystal is dressed just as casual, though her baseball hat is dark blue and her hair is down.
