Page 44 of Down the Aisle
Fuck, seeing her like this made me feel bad about what was next. I mean, it was a little too late to put a stop to my plans since they were well underway. Granted, it's not like she'd ever know the truth about them. So, what did I have to worry about?
Silently apologizing to her, I kissed her forehead before urging her out. Pulling an empty smile on my face, I looked at her for a moment before looking back at the sleeping toddler. "You go ahead first. I'll bring Asher in for you with his whole car seat," I told her with a nod toward her place.
I had no intention of bringing Asher in.
Patiently, with a fake smile, I sat there and watched her leave the car and open the door to her place. It was a little hard to see in the dim lighting, but her body went straight as a pin as she stood at her front door. The seconds counted by in my head torturously as I waited for her to spin around and run back to the car in a panic.
Cracks formed in my heart at the sight of her tear-strewn face when she threw the car door open. "Adam, call the police!" she cried through a soft sob. "Someone broke in and completely trashed my place, and so much of my stuff is missing!"
Pulling out my nonexistent acting skills, I forced my lips to frown as I got out of my car. Cycling through my emotions, I kept working myself up until I felt worried enough to act right. Rounding the car, I quickly pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry." Hopefully, my pity was believable enough to fool her.
While I rubbed her back soothingly, I peppered her forehead with empty kisses. "Go sit in the car with Asher. I'll call the police and get them down here." I also couldn't bear to see her broken face right now, knowing it was my doing.
Every sob that ripped out of her felt like a stab to my heart, and I had to keep reminding myself that this was for her owngood. This whole plan needed to be followed through for our sake. I was doing it all for her—for us.
Taking in a shaky breath, Eliza pushed away from me and slipped into the car without a fight. Guilt gripped at me like the chilly air bit my face as I stood there for a moment to collect myself.
It's nearly done. Just one phone call, and everything will go accordingly. Eliza will finally be where she belongs, and we can finally start being a family.
My thoughts played on an endless loop for what felt like an eternity, before I worked up the nerve to pull my phone out and call the police. I wasn't worried about the call or conversation with law enforcement; they already knew about this whole ordeal as I'd let them in beforehand and paid them off.
Faster than usual, a cruiser came by, and an officer came out. The next moments blurred as the officer spoke to Eliza, gathered details, swept the place, and told her she needed to find temporary shelter. Soon, she was back in my arms, sobbing away and ripping my heart out layer by layer.
"What am I going to do? I have nowhere else to stay or go to," she sobbed into my chest, her body shaking in my arms.
With a deep breath, I pressed away the nagging feeling in my chest to smile strongly for her. "Hey." I curled a finger under her chin, forcing her to look up at me. "Come live with me. My home is plenty big enough for all three of us, and it's a lot safer, too."
Her head shook vigorously in denial as she pushed away from me a bit. "No, Adam, I can't do that to you." She looked so guilty as if she was a burden to me.
Dismissing her with a chuckle and shake of my head, I tightened my arms back around her to press her against my body again. "Mia rosa, the only thing it would do to me is make me happy. I mean, think about it; we will be in a committed relationship, for one. Second of all, I'm already at your placefrom sun up to sun down practically, and I've spent most of my nights with you over the past weeks. So, you moving into my place isn't going to be much of a change, if any." Pausing, I turned my head to look at the sleeping Asher, "and thirdly, it'll be a lot safer and better for not only you but Asher as well." Bringing her kid into it was a bit of a low blow, but it had to be done.
Eliza's body tensed with her bated breath, and I was prepared for some pushback from her, given how stubborn she was. So, it was refreshing to see her have some sense for once when her shoulders slumped with defeat. "But, what about the bills and—"
Immediately, I pressed a finger against her lips to shut her up. "Nope, none of that. The house is already paid off, and the bills don't even make a scratch to my bank account. You can pay me back by being happy by my side and letting me spoil you, alright?" In all fairness, that wasn't much of an equal deal, but I didn't want or need her money.
"All the money you make is your fun fund or for Asher's college and whatnot, alright?" The way she glared at me flatly was telling enough of her displeasure. "Again, I have more than enough to last me lifetimes, and that's after taking care of my whole family. So, please, just let me take care of you and Asher because I really want to, and it would really make me happy."
Please relent already.
I didn't want to have to lay it on thicker, or pull-out guilt-tripping her. The last thing I wanted to do was manipulate her that badly, because then I'd be no better than her rotten ex.
And no, I wasn't counting this little stunt of mine.
Silently, Eliza stood there for a worrisome minute or two before fully leaning into me. "Can we at least grab some stuff right now? I have some important documents and photos that Ireally want to take if they've been spared." My chest muffled her meek voice, but I caught the words—barely.
Smiling victoriously above her, I leaned down and kissed the top of her head. "Of course, go grab what you need, and we'll go." It was so hard to hold back my excitement, but I gritted my teeth through it to keep my poker face. "I'll stay by the car to watch Asher and you from here."
Her head nodded in response with a heavy sigh, and she tore herself away from me. Watching her drag herself into her home with a hung head felt like a punch to the gut and got my stomach churning a little from the welling guilt.
It had to be done, so quit it.
My teeth threatened to shatter from how hard I clenched my jaw in response to the pain I inflicted on myself by digging my fingers into my arm. I just had to endure the night, and it'd all be over. Once she got settled and I saw her smiling face every day, then it'd all be smooth sailing. This whole thing would be water under the broken bridge in no time.
Thankfully, Eliza didn't take long to gather what she needed, so I didn't have to stew in my head and feel guilty for long. "Did you get what you needed? They didn't take or trash anything important, right?" I might've hired the damn idiots and gave them explicit instructions, but I wouldn't put it past them to fuck up somehow.
Breathing deeply, Eliza smiled at me half-heartedly and nodded. "Yeah, everything important is safe, and I have it all with me." She gestured at the ratty moving box in her arms. "I got all my documents, photos, keepsakes, and Asher's things he can't function without in here. So, I'm all set."
It was kind of sad to see everything important to her, and probably her whole life and Asher's, packed into a box that fit in her arms. It seemed like nothing to me, which made it evenmore depressing. How could someone have so little in their life? It didn't feel right.
