AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eli lets a lone tear roll down his face, and I pull him down with me onto the outdoor couch. Rubbing his back, I whisper, “It’s okay to feel conflicted about this, baby. I know it’s hard.”
“I would give anything to keep my girls from heartache, and I know no matter what, this will cause them that in the end. It’s just so fucking frustrating sometimes. I wouldn’t trade my girls for anything, but Cami has just caused so much pain in my life ever since she came into it. The past year has equally been the best and worst of my life.”
My heart breaks, because I know a lot of that had to do with me.
“I’m so sorry, E. I should have never walked away from you… I live with that regret daily, but at the time, I couldn’t see another way without it completely destroying me.” His eyes lock onto mine as he shakes his head.
“No, Quinn… no. Don’t put any of this on you. I knew that was the best decision for you… trust me, if I thought otherwise at the time, I wouldn’t have let you go.” Emotion builds in my eyes, the way he’s looking at me showing every ounce of love he has for me.
“But, Queenie… this time. This time, I won’t let you walk away so easily,” he says with a pleading look in his eyes. “Not just for me either. You have given my girls so much in such a short period of time. And the way they love you is a testament to that.”
“I’m not going anywhere, E,” I say, and he closes his eyes, taking in what I’m saying. “I love you, all three of you, with my whole entire being.”
We sit face to face, my arms wrapped around his neck, where I feel his gold chain and roll it between my fingers. “Queenie, I was terrified I’d never hear those words come out of your mouth again. Say it again… please.”
“I love you, Eli Barton… my best friend, my Hotshot, my person, my everything.”
He kisses me, searing his lips to mine, drinking in the words I just spoke like he’ll die of thirst without them.
“I love you, Quinn… you are, without a doubt, the love of my life.” He kisses me again tenderly before picking me up so I’m sitting in his lap. Then he reaches for the folder on the corner table beside us.
“What’s this?” I ask as he passes it to me.
“This is me asking you to come to Charlotte, not as my nanny, but as my girlfr—” He pauses, shaking his head. “That doesn’t even sound strong enough for what you are to me. Come with us to Charlotte as my future wife.”
I shake the envelope teasingly. “This doesn’t feel like a wedding ring?”
He looks at me, a bit stunned. “If it was, would you say yes? Because I will call in a favor right this second,” he says, dead-ass-serious, and I almost melt into a puddle right here in his lap.
“You’ll never know, will ya?” I say playfully. “But honestly, I have envisioned that moment many times over the years, and I always saw myself throwing out the first pitch in one of your games. The crowd going wild and your coach trying to recruit me, all while you are standing behind me, ready and waiting on one knee.”
He chuckles, a wide smile planted on his face. “I love you, wild woman. Now open it up.”
The full moon tonight makes it easy to see the header on the first sheet of paper.
UNC-Charlotte Nursing program. I flip through, and there are several more, all in the same area. I look up, meeting Eli’s blue-gray eyes that are watching me with curiosity.
“First off, I want to say this doesn’t mean you have to go to a school near Charlotte, but these are all the schools that offer the accelerated nursing program within driving distance of my house. But you can also—”
“You did all this research for me?” I interrupt him, blown away by his thoughtfulness.
He nods. “But like I was saying, you can also apply to the ones you found in New York, or wherever else you’d like, for that matter. I’m planning to speak to my agent soon about my options in case you get in somewhere else, and I’ll ask for a trade.”
His words… but more importantly, his actions, have me burying my face into his neck, squeezing him in a hug. My emotions get the best of me, and I begin to cry on his shoulder.
How is this man real?
“Baby, are you okay? Tell me these are tears of joy, please,” he whispers in my ear. I sit up, nodding and smiling at him.
“I’m just so overwhelmed… Thank you so much, Eli.”
“Of course… I’m so proud of you for pursuing this.”
“As much as I would love for you to be a Yankee… the Bulls and their fans have been so wonderful to you. I’m going to read into this,” I say, tucking the papers back into the envelope. “But I really think we should stay in North Carolina. As long as I have you guys, I don’t care where I go to school.”
“Whatever you want… if you’re there, I’m there.”
I move to straddle him, wanting to be as close to him as possible. Our lips smash, our tongues twist, and our hands explore.
