Page 23 of Willows and Waterlilies

“The guy’s the devil incarnate!” Nate adds, seemingly forgetting his little outburst.

“So, what are you thinking? About Elijah?” Cam asks, now looking at me with a softness in his eyes.

“I really like him,” I admit with a nervous giggle, “and the chemistry is…” I finish that sentence with a roll of my eyes and a groan of ecstasy. Both brothers gasp in horror, then begin complaining with flaps of their hands.

“God, Ellie, we don’t want to hear about that!” Nate grumbles.

“How many times have I had to hear about the two of you and your sexual antics?” I huff. “I swear some stories were like having a detailed anatomy lesson.”

“Do you trust him?” Cameron asks, bypassing Nate and his double standards.

“Not yet, not completely,” I admit, “I don’t think I would trust anyone after my track record. If he hurts me too, I don’t know if I’d ever recover from it. But he knows this, and he wants to try and convince me that I can.”

“Then, I’m happy for you, Ellie,” he says with his big brother smile.

“Thank you,” I reply before turning to face his idiot little brother. “Nate?”

“Yeah,” he moans, sounding less convinced, “I guess so. But if he hurts you, can I have permission to beat his ass this time?”

“Of course,” I reply, and get up to wrap my arms around his shoulders. “You are such a fool sometimes.”

Elijah

The usual bell chimes as I walk inside the florists, immediately gaining the attention of Carol. I’m offered her familiar beaming smile, but this time with a frown of curiosity between her brows. I brace myself for an interrogation as to why I am here so soon after having bought my mother a bunch of roses only a few days ago. I have a standing order that goes out monthly, so she should have already received them.

“Elijah?” she questions me straight away.

“Evening, Carol, I think I’m lucky to have caught you, given the time,” I observe, glancing at my watch. It’s precisely two hours before I get to see Ellie again and I can’t help wearing a goofy smile, giving myself away completely.

“I know that look,” she says smugly, “who’s the lucky girl?”

“I’m not going to even pretend I don’t know what you’re talking about; her name is Ellie,” I tell her. “And I would like to buy her something with lilies. I remember her liking them in Monet’s Garden.”

“You mean, you’re giving me some creative license?” she gasps, knowing how I am usually very precise with my mother’s flowers. “Well, I am surprised.”

“We are still getting to know one another, and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” I tell her truthfully.

“She must be special, given the ridiculous look on your face.”

“She is,” I admit, “very.”

By the time I step outside the florist with an exquisite bouquet for Ellie, I am ready for a drink, so stroll over to a bar I usually frequent after work, just to take the edge off after a day of arguing with people. I order my usual drink, falling into predictability. I thank the barman and give him a generous tip before glancing around at my surroundings. It’s then that I notice someone very familiar. In fact, I notice two very familiar people, though I haven’t seen one of them in years.

I cannot help staring at her, taking in what I left behind after she all but destroyed me with a text message. As if sensing my eyes on her, she turns to face me. Goodness knows what I must look like with my glass halfway to my gaping mouth and a confused furrow between my brows. She smiles with perfect teeth, slicked-back hair, and an outfit any member of the royal family would be proud of. Amanda West, still perfecting the role of a socialite with a set of ridiculously rich parents and a trust fund too large to put a precise figure on. And next to her, is my estranged sister, looking entirely smug over me catching them.

I brace myself before getting to my feet and walking over to them, trying to suck in any confidence I can from my Tom Ford suit and Italian leather shoes. I guess I look a little different from the lanky teenager who used to wear whatever he could find to sling on that morning. I never knew why Amanda chose to be with me, except for the fact that we were friends, and I made her laugh.

“Elijah Woods, as I live and breathe,” Amanda says as she stands and offers me her cheek. “How wonderful to see you again!”

“Amanda, Kelly, I must admit I’m lost for words,” I reply. “It’s totally unexpected to see you both here, together, and without your usual entourage, Amanda?”

“I have a few tricks up my sleeve when I want to lose them, darling,” she says with a wink. “Besides, I’m a little less important in the States. You look well, Elijah, extremely well. I’m glad you’ve finally found a sense of style.”

“Quite,” I utter, “the ability to wear a suit is surely what makes you in the world.” By the look on her face, she hasn’t caught on to my sarcastic tone of voice. Either that or she’s simply choosing to ignore it.

“I was just telling Amanda how you’re seeing the very same girl who was sleeping with my husband behind my back,” Kelly says with a hint of bitterness she cannot conceal.

“Yes, quite shocking, I must say,” Amanda adds, laughing in such a way, I wonder why I was ever attracted to her.

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