Page 174 of Ten Day Affair
I exhale dramatically. I really think we’re there.
“Yeah. I think we are amazing worker bees.” I sweep around the yard one more time, and can’t help the genuine smile that spreads across my face.
“Y’all killed it. Izzy’s gonna lose her mind when she sees this.”
Charity bumps my shoulder. “We’re pretty good under your rule.”
“Dictatorship,” Vic corrects. “Let’s call it what it is.”
I laugh. “I’ll allow it. We busted our asses, and look what we have to show for it.”
I point toward the little wooden stage Mark and his brothers slapped together at the far end of the yard. “I can’t wait to hear Cat Daddy and the Heartbreakers play tonight.”
Sophie groans. “Oh God, Elle. Please tell me you’ll play the air keytar like you did at our graduation party.”
“My air keytar playing might be behind me, but if theyplayBette Davis Eyes,I can’t promise I won’t get a little jiggy. Just saying.”
Vic smirks. “Noted. 80s cover bands, not tequila, make Elle go wild.”
We all settle onto the low brick ledge that borders the patio, tucked into the shade. The breeze filters through the moss, cooler now, carrying the smell of fresh-cut grass and honeysuckle.
For a minute, everything is still. My body aches in the best way, and for once, my hands stay steady. My shoulders drop. I look at my friends, all of them exhausted, but pleased, too, and I beam. Pride. Real and earned.
I take another sip of tea, close my eyes, and let it wash over me. “Now what are we going to do with ourselves?”
“Nap, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going back to the hotel, cracking the AC as cold as it will go, and lying naked on my bed.”
“Nice visual,” Charity says, swatting him with the rag on her shoulder.
When I open my eyes again, they land on the mantel. The bow is crooked, and the fucking candles are off-center. Shit. I meant to circle back to that.
I push up before I even think about it. “I’ll be right back.”
Sophie groans. “Elle, what are you doing?”
“Just one thing. I can’t leave it like that. It’ll drive me insane all night.”
“Yes, you can. Sit your ass down. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it.”
“I swear. Last thing. Promise.”
“Elle, no.”
Before anyone can argue, I’m already dragging the ladder from where Vic left it, leaning against the fence.The metal scrapes faintly against the brick as I haul it over, setting it in front of the fireplace.
I test the feet on the uneven pavers, adjusting them until they feel steady enough. My hands are slick with sweat again, but I wipe them on my shorts.
“Elle,” Vic warns, watching me. “Let me do it.”
“It’s mine. I’ll be two seconds. Seriously. Go get naked in your hotel room.”
I climb. Sophie and Vic’s voices blur behind me. I lean in, adjusting it ever so slightly.
And then the ladder shifts.
My sneaker scrapes the rung. The metal wobbles where it meets the brick. My stomach flips as the world tilts.
I grab for the mantel. My fingers scrape rough brick, but my hand closes on the vase instead.
