Page 30 of The Storms Between Us
twenty-five
I sitin the passenger seat of my Jeep, picking at the hem on my cutoff shorts. When Eli woke me up, he told me to wear something comfortable and cool and be in the car in an hour. I love that he can still be spontaneous and adventurous amid all this drama. However, I've never been a fan of surprises. I'm a planner, I always have been. I like to make sure I'm prepared for anything by knowing all the details of a plan beforehand. Sensing my anxiety over being kept in the dark, Eli reaches over and takes my hand in his. He brings it up to his lips, kissing my knuckles softly.
“It's gonna be fun, Sunshine. I promise,” he says with that perfect smile. When he smiles that way, I can't help but believe everything he says. I decide to let it go and enjoy whatever he has planned for the day.
“Can I ask you something?” I say.
“Anything,” he replies, turning the music down.
“Why do you call me sunshine?” I ask, curious if he's gonna say something about my honey blonde hair reminding him of the sun. That’s been my assumption, but now I want to know if I'm right.
“You wanna know the truth, or the most obvious answer?” He says, and I roll my eyes.
“The truth, obviously,” I say. He takes a deep breath, like he's bracing himself to reveal a big secret.
“Because the first time I saw your face, it was like the sun began shining on me for the first time in years. You radiate this warmth and joy, even with everything you’re up against. You pulled me into your orbit and I’ll be happy to spend the rest of my life just soaking you in, Ember,” he says, so matter-of-factly. I stare over at him with a watery smile, committing everything he just said to memory. He sees me in a way that I can't believe. I don’t think I've ever felt so cherished or adored by anyone in my life. I feel the burn of happy tears building in my eyes and I will them away.
“I love you, Elijah,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. Saying I love him doesn’t even come close to expressing the way I truly feel about this man. He’s the piece of me I never knew I was missing and I've never been so certain of anything in my life as I am about loving him.
“I love you too, Em. I never thought I would find someone that made me feel so… complete,” he says the last part quietly, as if he's just now realizing it. He reaches over, laying his hand on my thigh and rubbing lazy circles over my skin. “Why don’t you rest for a little bit, babe? We’ve got about an hour and a half of driving ahead of us and you’re gonna want your energy when we get there,” he says with a wink.
“You’re not gonna give me a little hint? Not even a tiny one?” I ask, giving him the most innocent puppy dog look I can conjure up.
“Not gonna work, babe. My lips are completely sealed, at least for now,” he says.
“Fine,” I say, faking an annoyed huff. “I guess a nap doesn’t sound terrible.”
I turn on my favorite Indie music playlist and lean my seat back, settling in for the long drive.
* * *
I wake up when the Jeep comes to a stop, jostling me in my seat. I stretch my arms and legs out as far as I can in the tight space and crack my eyes open to take in my surroundings. The smell of the salt air drifting through the windows and the sounds of seagulls chirping overhead tell me we’re close to the ocean.
“Where are we, honey?” I ask, looking at the beautiful beach condo we’re parked next to.
“Holden Beach. We figured it was a good halfway point for both of us,” he says.
“We? Who’s we?” I ask, confused.
Elijah points out the front window towards the dunes in front of us. Standing on the walkway between the beach and the condo, I see a familiar raven-haired silhouette waving my way. I’m out of the Jeep and sprinting towards her without even taking the time to shut the door.
“Kelsea!!” I squeal as we launch ourselves into each other’s arms, collapsing onto the deck in a heap of tears and laughter.
“Oh my god, Ember! You have no fucking idea how much I’ve missed you!” Kelsea says, squeezing me so tightly I can barely breathe, but I don’t care. It’s been months since I've seen my best friend and I don’t want to let her go for even a second.
“How did you even get here?! How did you know we’d be here??” I ask, my mind running a hundred miles an hour.
“I got a phone call from a certain Blake twin this morning explaining the plan Elijah had in mind. I loaded my shit up in the car and hauled ass all the way here.” She shrugs her shoulders like it's no big deal. “By the way, I’ve decided that I'm in love with your man. I mean, who plans something like this at the last minute and makes sure it all comes together so perfectly? That gorgeous man over there, that’s who,” she says, pointing back at Elijah as he leans against the front of the Jeep.
“Yeah, he's pretty incredible. But that one is mine, so get your own,” I say, laughing at Kelsea being Kelsea. We pick ourselves up off the ground and walk arm and arm back towards the driveway. I'm smiling so hard my face hurts, but I don’t care. Having two of my favorite people together in one place feels amazing.
“Kelsea, it’s nice to meet you in person,” Eli says, reaching out his hand towards her. She laughs and wraps him in a hug in true Kelsea fashion.
“It’s great to finally meet you, Elijah. I’ve hearda lotabout you,” she says with a wink, and I roll my eyes at her.
“I can only imagine,” he says, laughing at us. He walks to the back of the Jeep, pulling two duffle bags from the trunk.
“You really covered all your bases here, huh?” I ask, touched that he put so much thought into what would make me happy.
