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Elliott: Funny thing…he’s texting his friends and having the same conversation. They’re all shocked that we think you frown with your mouth. They’re just as confused as we are.
Me: LOL. That makes sense. It depends on what you’ve grown up knowing. Neither side is right, but it’s still weird.
We messaged throughout the day. We’d been ignoring the fact that our time was officially coming to an end soon. Elliott and I were together, we liked each other, but marriage wasn’t about like; it was about love. I’d heard him tell Vaughn on the phone that he wasn’t in love with me.
And…I wanted my husband to love me. That was the dream, not just a marriage for the sake of being married.
But the thought of walking away… It made my throat feel like it was tightening and made my stomach cramp. Elliott made me feel…fuck, he made me feel loved. And I wanted to do the same for him.
And I knew just the person to ask.
Hey, Cat. I hope I’m not bothering you.
You’re my son-in-law. You’re never bothering me.
My heart squeezed at those words. I wanted to lock them inside me, hold them there so I would always remember what this moment felt like.
We’re supposed to get divorced soon…
Thank you… I… Thank you.
Ugh. I was an idiot. Why did I type the exact words that came to mind? I could have at least tried to make it sound like I wasn’t being strange.
I dropped my phone when it rang, Cat’s name on the screen. Why was she calling me? Fumbling with it, I plucked the cell from the counter. “Hello?”
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Oh God. Was something wrong? I was all up in my head today for whatever reason. Okay, so I knew the reason, but I didn’t want to admit it out loud, afraid saying it would jinx me and I’d lose it. Once I admitted how I maybe felt, it was all over for me. “Nothing. Just one of those days. Listen…I want to do something special for Elliott. He’s always so good to me.” To the point I wasn’t sure I deserved him, but I kept that tidbit to myself. “Do you have any ideas?”
But as soon as I asked the question, I didn’t need her thoughts. The perfect idea hit me, and I knew it was something Elliott would love.
“Actually, I think I know what I want to do.”
“I’m all ears,” Cat replied.
As I told her what I wanted to do for Elliott, I forgot that this wasn’t real—I felt as though Elliott and I got married because we were in love…that our time wasn’t running short.
* * *
“Elliott…” I kissed his pec, his throat, rubbed my cheek against the hair on his chest. “Wake up, Elliott.”
He groaned before wrapping his arms around me. “Is it morning already? Someone was a very good boy last night…keeping me up doing all sorts of dirty things.” His voice was thick with sleep, raspy and sexy.
“Yes, it’s morning. You can stay in bed if you want, but if you do, you won’t get my surprise for you.”
His eyes jerked open, because of course they did. “Surprise?”
I laughed. “I might be a praise slut, but you’re totally an attention slut. And yes, I was going to keep it a secret, but then you’d have to be blindfolded the whole way.”
He cocked a brow. “The whole way? Color me intrigued.”
“I worked it out at Beach Buns so I’m off today and tomorrow. It’s only a short trip, but we’re going to spend the night in a cabin in Big Bear—and I don’t like wilderness, so you’re welcome.”
He smiled so big, it took over his face. There was something special about seeing a man like Elliott so happy and knowing I was the one who gave it to him. There was nothing like it. I would miss this, miss seeing how joyful he could be over the smallest things.
“You’re taking me to Big Bear?”
“Yep.”
“God, you’re the best.” He flipped us so he was lying on top of me.
He buried his face in my throat, kissing me before his hands slid beneath my arms and… “Oh my God. Stop!” I laughed, trying to wiggle out from beneath him as Elliott tickled me. “I hate you. I take it back. We’re not going anywhere.”
He was laughing too, the two of us wrestling around on the bed before Elliott suddenly stopped, looking down at me, his brown eyes dark and intense. “Thank you for this. I love it.”
“But we haven’t gone yet.”
“I still love it. It’ll be nice to have some time together before…”
Before this ended. Before we went our separate ways. Would we go our separate ways? Would we still date? Had he gotten his fill and it was time to move on?
Ask him. Ask Elliott what he wants.
