AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I don’t want it to end.
But I know it has to.
16
Stella
Iwake up in the middle of the night in Noah’s room. Our bodies are still tangled from the debauchery. I’m sore all over and loving every single sensation.
But the bitterness is quick to find me as I remember I have to work in the morning. The clock on the wall above the bed says it’s time to get a shower and relieve Bella so she isn’t out too late since she, too, has to work in the morning.
Our clothes are scattered all over the floor. Slowly but surely, I find my lingerie, my dress, my shoes and my purse. Watching them closely, I put my clothes back on and rake my fingers through my hair to make myself presentable enough to get back to my room in case anyone is up and about at this hour.
I’m going to miss this.
Quietly, I leave my men in the giant bed with a heavy heart and return to my room. After saying goodbye to Bella and checking on my babies, I take a quick shower and climb into bed.
“Hang in there, little one,” I whisper to the speck of life currently developing in my womb. “We’ll figure something out, I promise.”
While I’m not sure what that something is, I can only trust myself and the universe to guide us through the months ahead. I know how rich people deal with issues like this, and I don’t think I want to be here when Isaac, Noah, Levi, and Beau inadvertently prove to me they’re just like the others. They’ve been wonderful so far, yet I know how the world works. People have their limits. A relationship like ours isn’t fated to last.
* * *
Connieand I go about our daily routine, clearing and cleaning the breakfast room first. There are fewer guests at the Elizabeth this week, mainly because school is starting now that the Christmas break is over. But others will soon come for the early spring festivals, of which there are plenty in Cape Elizabeth and the nearby shoreline towns. Until then, I welcome having less to deal with as I trudge through my shift, already eager to rest for the day.
“How was your evening?” Connie asks as we fill our carts with empty plates and coffee cups. “You look like you haven’t slept at all.”
“Dammit, I’d hoped I’d put enough makeup on to fool you,” I mutter, half-smiling.
She chuckles dryly. “Ain’t nothing gettin’ past these two eyes, honey. So, dish. Hot date?”
“I guess you could call it that.”
“Did you at least have fun?”
I give her a long look. “The most I’ve ever had, actually.”
“Well, then, that’s a good thing. Why are you so down about it, then?”
Shrugging, I move on to the next table to repeat the same operation, putting cups and plates in large plastic containers while the trash goes into separate bins. “Because I know it’s not going to last.”
“Nothing ever lasts,” Connie says. “That’s life for ya’. You’re born, you’re alive, then you’re dead. Everything that happens in between is fleeting and precious, no matter how good or bad it is.”
“Girl, I am not ready for this kind of profound wisdom. Not at this hour, anyway.”
She laughs lightly. “I’m just saying. Stella, you’ve got so much to deal with. You could at least enjoy yourself when you get the chance. You’re allowed to have fun.”
True. Except my kind of fun resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. I don’t even know who the father is. If anybody heard me say these things out loud, they would probably think the worst of me. But I know the truth. It’s my truth, and it’s all that matters.
I catch a glimpse of Levi in the lobby when Connie and I come out. He doesn’t say anything when our eyes meet, but he gives me the softest smile. For a moment, I’m tempted to think it’s love I see glinting in his green eyes, just before he walks out of the Elizabeth. I’m pretty sure he’s got a meeting with his agent somewhere in town today.
“Hey, Mr. Fontaine,” Connie salutes Beau as he comes down the stairs.
“Good morning, Miss Connie,” he replies with a broad smile. “You are looking magnifique today. Both of you, actually. Good morning, Miss Stella.”
It’s our dirty little secret, and I like that about us. I offer a subtle nod and a shy smile in return.
“Why, thank you, Mr. Fontaine. I look magnifique every darn day, but I’m glad you finally noticed,” Connie quips, prompting both Beau and me to laugh. “Oh, you’re leaving us already?” She adds as she notices the suitcase he’s carrying at the same time as me. My heart sinks.
