Page 191 of New Growth
His lips brushed my hair. “Get some rest, beautiful.”
?
I didn’t know when I’d fallen asleep, but I woke to the low sound of El’s voice beside me.
“…And dear God, I ask that you protect the woman You’ve gifted me. Keep her safe when I can’t, and bless her when she’s broken. I pray You give me the strength to fix what’s hurting her, so that I can be the man she deserves. Please protect our peace, and safeguard our mental health as we navigate through this difficult time. I ask that You bless our union and our future. In Jesus’ name, amen.”
Then he leaned down and kissed the top of my head.
“I love you so much, baby,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” I murmured, still half-asleep.
He stiffened a little at that, then exhaled softly.
“I didn’t know you were awake,” Elliot said softly.
I turned my head toward him, catching the outline of his face in the dim light. “I didn’t know you prayed for me.”
He exhaled, tenderness flickering across his features. “I always pray for you, baby. I pray for us… because I need us to work.”
My chest ached in that fragile way it always did when he spoke like this. I reached for his hand, threading our fingers together and pressing a kiss to his knuckles. “We’re going to be fine. Okay?”
“Okay, baby,” he murmured.
For a moment, the silence between us was easy again. But then he spoke, quieter this time.
“Ellie?”
“Yeah?”
I felt him hesitate before he started. “When you were talking to your sister today… you asked if your ex hurt her.”
I tensed.
“The way you said it…” he continued carefully. “Did he hurt you?”
I swallowed hard. My throat burned. It was such a loaded question, one I wasn’t ready to unpack tonight.
“No,” I lied. “He was rough a few times. But he never hurt me.”
El went quiet.
“Are you sure?” he pushed.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “El… just—not tonight.”
Another beat of silence. Another moment where his breathing slowed so I could catch my own.
“Okay,” he said finally. I felt his thumb brush over the back of my hand as he added, “Get some rest. I got us on the first flight back home. We’re getting out of this messy bullshit.”
“Okay.”
I felt the steady rhythm of his breathing shift deeper, and slower. He’d fallen asleep.
I closed my eyes and tried to fall back asleep myself, but my mind wouldn’t quiet. I reached for my phone and checked his blood sugar levels one more time, just to be sure. When everything looked okay, I curled up next to him again, pressing my forehead to his shoulder.
And this time, I whispered my own prayer.
