Page 3 of Until the Ink Dries

“Ellis… Ellis stop!”

He stepped back at the elevation of my voice and looked at me with a frown.

“What’s wrong?”

“We need to talk.”

“About?”

I held up my hand. “This. Ellis, what were you thinking?”

“I was thinking I wanted you to be my wife.”

“Why would you ask me here, though? In front of your parents, your friends, family, and colleagues? Ellis, none of the people I love are here. Did you even ask my father’s permission? Did you talk to him at all?”

He looked guilty. “No. I didn’t think it would matter as long as you were happy?—”

I scoffed. “It does matter. My loved ones being present for a beautiful moment like this mattered. You didn’t think about me at all. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since everything is always about what you want.”

His brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean? I think of you all the time, Willow.”

“No. You think of ways to make me into what you want. And your mother! God, don’t get me started on her. That woman hates me, and she always has. I’ll never be good enough for you in her eyes and I can’t compete with that.”

“What are you saying to me, Willow?”

“I’m saying…” I regretfully twisted the ring around on my finger before pulling it off. “I’m saying I can’t marry you. Not like this. I need a break, Ellis. I love you, but I need a break.”

I placed the ring back in his hand and turned to leave the room. He was quiet as he watched me leave. I could hear his footsteps behind me as I walked out of the room and down to the elevator, but I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.

Right now, I just needed to get my things and get the hell out of here.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Isighed heavily as I listened to Ellis pleading his case on the other end of my phone while I packed for my trip. When I told him I needed space, he didn’t seem to comprehend exactly what space meant. He showed up at my place the day after the proposal begging to talk to me, but I wasn’t having it. He’d tried using his key to get in, but I had the chain on the door.

For a solid thirty minutes, he stood outside, talking to me through a crack. The man was damn near in tears as he apologized and begged me to tell him what he could do to make things right. That wasn’t something I could do. He was smart enough to figure out where he’d gone wrong. Hell, I’d laid it out for him already. An apology wouldn’t fix what was wrong with our relationship and neither would marriage.

“Willow, baby, please.”

“Ellis, I don’t have time for this right now.”

“If you love me, you’ll make time.”

“You’re in no position to give me an ultimatum, Ellis Thompson.”

“I’m not giving you an ultimatum, baby, I just want you to talk to me.”

I stopped packing and stood upright. “Okay, Ellis. I’ll talk and you can listen. After that, do what you will with this information.”

“I’m listening.”

“I don’t want to be with you if I can’t be my authentic self. I want you to do some reflecting. Think about the woman I was when you met me and the woman I am now. Think about the way your mother treats me… the things she says to me and I’m just supposed to brush it off because she’s my elder.

“And then there’s you. I’m not a doll or a trophy, love. You can’t dress me up and parade me around like I’m just arm candy. I was not born to be of service to you!”

“I know that, Willow.”

“Do you? Do you remember the conversation we had about marriage and kids a while back? You flat out said if we ever got married, I could just be a housewife because I wouldn’t have time to run my business once we started having children. Do you know how asinine and sexist that was? You expected me to agree with giving up a business I built from the ground up to wait on you hand and foot while taking care of your big headed ass children.”

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