Page 24 of Willows and Waterlilies

“Ah, I see,” I reply with a long sigh. “This all makes sense now, Kelly. I am sorry your husband cheated on you, but Ellie had no idea he was with anybody else. As soon as she did, she ended things.”

“You know I will never accept her, Elijah, how could I?”

“You don’t have to,” I reply matter of factly, “just as I don’t have to accept Jonathan. It amazes me how you are so willing to forgive the real cheat, yet you’ll happily blame someone who was oblivious to your marriage.”

“You know nothing about our marriage-“

“Oh, look, come on you two, you have always been so close,” Amanda interrupts, “let’s not let Elijah’s lady friend get between you both.”

“She hasn’t,” I snap while getting to my feet, preparing myself to get out of here. “Ladies.”

With those parting words, I begin marching out of the bar and toward the street. I need the cooling air to blow away my anger and frustration. However, as soon as I get to the door, a hand pulls me back.

“Elijah, please, wait,” Amanda says when I turn to look at her with anger coursing through my viens. “Don’t go like this. It pains me to see you looking so out of sorts.”

“Is that why you decided to break up with me over a text message?” I snap, causing her to flinch over my cutting tone. The gentleman in me immediately steps back at the same time as I utter, “Apologies.”

“This is exactly why I agreed to meet up with Kelly when she called me,” she says, twisting my sister’s knife in that little bit more. “I have grown up a lot since we last saw one another and the way I treated you has been playing on my mind a lot. Please, let me take you out for dinner so I can explain myself, Elijah.”

“I don’t think that would be wise,” I tell her, now sounding sorry instead of angry about the fact. “I am with Ellie now and going out with another woman isn’t the right message I want to convey.”

“Oh, Elijah, this is just two old friends going out for a drink in a public place,” she says with an innocent smile. “Surely if you explain that to her, she’ll understand.”

I sigh heavily as I take her in, looking innocent and friendly. Perhaps her reasons are just, but something is warning me to tread carefully. Amanda never does anything without something being in it for her. And besides, Ellie is still learning to trust me. But then the need to know what caused Amanda to act so callously and break my heart like it was nothing, wins out. I’ve spent years trying to figure out what the hell happened to make her treat me so badly.

“If I tell her and she doesn’t like it, then drinks are off,” I state, and she smiles with triumph. “This better not be a game, Amanda.”

“It’s not, I swear,” she says with a serious expression. “As I said, I’ve grown up so much since then. I just want to give you those answers you so desperately crave.”

“Very well,” I reply, “meet me here tomorrow night at seven. If I’m not here, you know Ellie said no. She means a lot to me, Amanda, and I will not risk anything that will cause her to doubt me.”

“Of course,” she says with a nod of her head.

I notice my sister watching from inside and second-guess my decision, but then I turn away and begin marching down the street without another word.

Chapter 7

Ellie

“Ah, these are so beautiful,” I gush over Elijah’s bouquet of white lilies. “But, yeah, it’s been at least a bazillion hours since I last kissed you, so lay those lips on me, your lordship!”

“With pleasure,” he laughs as he pulls me against his chest and delivers one of those barely legal kisses on me, the type that leaves you semi-conscious for a few minutes afterward.

“Do you want a drink?” I mumble between kisses as he begins pushing me inside my apartment. He simply mumbles something that sounds on the ‘no’ side of things, all the while he continues kissing me with his tongue doing unspeakable things to mine.

“Food?” I ask, though, only to be polite.

“Mm,” he says while shaking his head, still kissing me as he removes his suit jacket which he simply throws on the floor.

“Ok, just sex then?” I ask, completely giving into this as I wrap my arms around his broad shoulders.

“Mm,” he groans as he hoists me up, giving me invitation to wrap my legs around his hips.

Somehow, we make it to the bedroom, and without me even needing to tell him where it is; he just has magical homing instincts. I’m literally thrown onto the mattress with a healthy bounce and a nervous but excited chuckle.

“Strip!” he orders with a smirk on his face, all the while he takes off his clothes.

“Where’s my gentleman who brought me flowers?” I tease, even though I’m now up on my knees and unbuttoning my shirt as fast as my fingers will work.

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