10. Ellie
10
ELLIE
“I’m not taking that.”
I’m about to leave for dinner with Tara, and Gray is trying to give me a check card to his bank.
“Yes, you are.”
I hold my hands up and back away from his outstretched hand. “No, I’m not. You’ve already done so much. I’m not just going to spend your money like it’s mine or something.”
He puts his hands on his hips. “You’re being ridiculous. My money is your money, Ellie, or have you forgotten that we’re married?”
I blow my bangs out of my eyes. Ha! Like I could forget that. Heck, having Gray for a husband is all I seem to think about. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to sit here on my ass and do nothing and just take your money. No way.”
He reaches for me and grabs my hand. He puts the check card in it and wraps my fingers around it. “You’re not sitting on your ass doing nothing. You’re taking care of you and the baby. We agreed that you’d wait to get a job until after the next checkup.”
I stare at him, a little bewildered.
He takes a step toward me, and we’re practically chest to chest. “We didn’t agree to anything. That’s what you wanted me to do... Gray, you’re trying to pay for my school, you’re paying for this apartment, food, baby stuff, all of this... and now you’re trying to give me open access to your bank account...” I look down at the card in my hand. “Oh my God, it’s got my name on it.”
He grabs both of my hands and pulls me to the couch. “Ellie.”
But I don’t let him finish. “Why are you doing this, Gray? Why? I thought it was because of Dawson, but it’s not, is it?”
I clear my throat. “I don’t think you’re ready for that answer, Ellie.”
The way he’s looking at me, it’s as if I can read it in his eyes. I’ve never in my life been around a man like Gray. He’s gone out of his way to take care of me. Waking up this afternoon in his arms was everything, and when I felt his arousal against my thigh, well, I know he’s attracted to me. I say the first thing that pops into my head. “I think you should move in here. You pay for the place; it should be your home too.”
He rears back in surprise. “You want me to move in here... with you?”
I hold my hand out. “Is that really so surprising? Like you said, I’m your wife. Don’t you think we should live together?”
He wants to. I can see it in his eyes. “I’m attracted to you, Ellie. I feel it’s only right that you know that.”
I shrug. “I’m attracted to you.”
He licks his lips. “Okay, so after you have dinner with Tara, we’ll come here, and we’ll talk about it.”
I shake my head. “I’ll skip dinner.”
He stands up, pulling me with him. “No way. I want you to like it here in Whiskey Run, and I want you to have friends here. We can talk after your dinner. Can I drop you off at the restaurant?”
I shake my head. “I think I want to walk. Clear my head a little.”
He nods in understanding. “Got it. Well, it will be dark afterward, so I’ll pick you up...”
I roll my eyes. “Gray, the diner is only a few blocks...”
He doesn’t let me finish, though. “Yeah, and I want to make sure you’re safe. Get used to it Ellie. Have a good dinner. Make sure you try their famous apple cinnamon Blaze cake.”
He kisses me on the forehead and is out the door but just as quickly peeks back in. “Use the card.”
He shuts the door again, and I realize that I’m still holding the check card in my hand. I slide it into my purse, lock up the apartment, and walk the few blocks to the diner.
Dinner with Tara is amazing. She’s so funny, and by the time we get to dessert, I’m holding my sides from laughing so hard.
I take one bite of the apple cinnamon Blaze cake and moan around my fork. “Oh my God, this is so good.”
“It’s soooo good. I work at a bakery, and I still sneak over here to eat this cake.”
We enjoy the dessert, and Tara asks, “How’s the nausea? Feeling better? I have to say, you look better. You’re starting to glow.”
I had told the women the other night that I was pregnant. Of course, no one asked if it was Gray’s—they just assumed, and there’s no way I’m going to correct them. I touch my fingers to my cheek. “Oh yeah? Well, I finally slept today, so I’m sure that helped.”
“How did you and Gray meet?”
I start to stutter. It’s crazy, I know, but I need to talk to someone about this, so the whole ugly truth comes out in a big ramble.
Tara looks at me when I’ve finished. “And the baby is not his?”
I shake my head. This isn’t the first time that I’ve wished it was. “No. And he was worried about me, so we got married so I could have health insurance, which looking back at it sounds so crazy.”
She nods. “Right? Like you would have qualified to assistance being a single mother.”
I smack my hand on the table. “I know. So now I’m left wondering if he regrets all this. Is he with me because of guilt? He says no, but everything happened so quick... it’s just....”
Tara interrupts me. “I haven’t known Gray for a long time, but he’s a great guy. Like a really great guy, and whatever doubts you have going on in your head right now, you need to stop. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The other girls noticed it too. He may have married you to help you, but I’d be willing to bet money he loves you, Ellie.”
I sit back in the booth, stunned. I know I shouldn’t let her words affect me, but they do. They give me so much hope that I start imagining the future with him.
I’m about to admit to Tara that I love him too when there is a commotion at the front door of the restaurant. Everyone turns their heads to see what’s going on, and there are two men with big guns standing there.
One starts yelling, but it all is happening so quickly that I don’t catch anything of what he’s saying. His eyes are glazed over, and it’s obvious he’s hopped up on something.
I force myself to pay attention. “Everyone do I as I say, and no one will get hurt. I want you to put your cash and jewelry on the table, and we’ll be around to collect it.”
One of the men is at the cash register emptying the contents into a bag. They both have guns, and they’re swinging them around, shoving them in people’s faces. The whole room is panicked. I literally have three dollars in my purse, and I toss it onto the table. I run my finger over my wedding ring. I can’t do it; I can’t give it up.
Meanwhile, Tara looks completely unfazed. She’s digging into her purse. “It’s okay, we’re going to be fine.”
She says it with so much confidence that I want to believe her. “How can you be so sure?”
She smiles. She freaking smiles! “You may not know a lot about the Guardians, but you’ll soon find out.”
“Find out what?” I ask her just before one of the men stops at our table.
Tara smiles at him. She drops cash on the table with my three dollars.
“Jewelry.”
For the first time, Tara looks pissed. She takes off her wedding ring and lays it on the pile of money. “I’ll be getting that back.”
The man laughs. “No you won’t, honey.”
He turns to me. “Ring, now.”
I want to argue with him and tell him no, but I know I can’t. It’s not just me anymore, and I’ll do whatever I have to do to protect my baby. I slide the ring off my finger and lay it on the pile. I watch as he slides it all into the bag.
The man gets to the middle of the room when the whole restaurant seems to come alive. Tara screams, “Get down.”
And I do what she says, lying down in the booth. There are gunshots and screaming, and I have my eyes clenched, wishing I was back in my bed at the apartment with Gray’s arms wrapped around me.