Chapter 20
Sunday
I contemplated love as I made my way from the airport to the Decker residence.
I thought love was what I had with Christian, and therefore I didn't want to experience it again.
But I realized that was one-sided. It was manipulative, abusive.
The scars from that were still there, but they weren't as tender anymore. They didn't sting quite as bad.
EJ had let me experience a new definition of love.
True love was what I felt for him. We hadn't said it to each other since that sleepy morning before I left for Italy.
We didn't say it the other night when he was at my apartment.
We kissed each other like we loved each other, but we hadn't said it again since that first time.
It had to be love, though. Nothing else could have me working crazy hours and taking days off. Nothing else could have me waking up before dawn to catch a flight. And now, I found myself riding through Chicago, in the back seat of someone else's car. Love was the driving force behind all this.
I didn't feel tired in spite of having a crazy schedule since before I went to Italy.
I thought of how much I had done in the last couple of weeks.
I glanced around, taking in the back seat and marveling at how I had gotten there.
For a second, it hit me where I was heading, and I began to feel overwhelmed.
The Deckers. I was going to meet all the larger-than-life people I had only seen in pictures. EJ was the best one. He had some kind of superpower—he charmed me in a way no one had ever done before. He charmed me right into trusting and loving him.
I was one minute from their house, and I had already texted EJ to let him know my ETA.
He had been planning on picking me up at the airport, but he had to send a driver because of an electrical emergency that he had to take care of at the gym.
He had texted me a few minutes before saying that he made it to his mom's in time to meet me when I got there.
It seemed like a dream. I only saw how the Deckers were represented in the media, and I had to say, it was intimidating. I imagined going into a family situation where I was the only new person. I wondered what they knew about me. I wondered what and how much EJ had told them.
I touched the thick gold chain that was around my neck.
It was a grounding force through my fears.
I told myself it meant I belonged to EJ.
The irony was that I felt no sense of bondage in belonging to him.
If anything, the opposite was true. I felt liberated at the thought of belonging.
The metal resting on my neck felt comforting, like a protective hedge of some kind.
I took a deep breath as we pulled up at the home of Eddie and Caroline Decker.
I thanked the driver and asked him how much I owed him, but he assured me it was taken care of.
As I was walking up the sidewalk with my suitcase in tow, I saw a vision of our younger selves.
In my mind's eye, I could clearly see EJ's face as a child.
I felt a rush of innocent, childlike confidence at the memory of him.
I was grateful for that feeling in a moment like this.
And then he was there.
That boy had turned into the most gorgeous man on the face of the earth, and he was standing in front of me.
The whole situation was better than fiction.
I walked toward him. There was a beautiful home in the background and a driver, who had just dropped me off pulling away in the distance.
EJ was walking toward me, and he was, without question, better looking than any Hollywood actor I had ever seen.
He was a professional athlete and business owner, successful in the world's eyes.
He had this amazing family, and he was kind and good, a noble person.
But the best part was the way he was looking at me right then—with adoration and love in his eyes.
"Come here," he said, groaning as he reached in and picked me up.
I let go of my luggage handle and went with him.
"I'm sorry I couldn’t pick you up," he said.
He set me on my feet, but he didn’t let go of me.
"You did pick me up," I said, joking.
"From the airport," he said with a smile.
"Oh, the ride was easy. The driver was waiting for me out front. I'm glad you told him to meet me out in the passenger pickup. I managed to get your mom's bowl in my carry-on, so I didn't have any bags checked."
He held my hand and grinned at me. "You're so beautiful," he said. "I’m relieved you're here. Can you never leave me again, please?"
His question was in a lighthearted, joking tone, and I just laughed and said, "I wish!" but I meant it. I wanted to stay with him forever, and deep down, I knew he wanted me to.
"Come on, everyone's waiting for you," he said.
He took my luggage and closed the long handle, grabbing and holding it by the short one. He was so strong that he handled my suitcase like it weighed nothing, even though the bowl alone was eight pounds—I had weighed it.
It felt natural and normal to be walking behind EJ.
The next few minutes seemed like a complete whirlwind.
His parents were there. Eddie Decker, for goodness' sake. His sister and her husband were there. And there were his grandparents and two of his aunts. I was pretty sure they asked questions one at a time, but it felt a bit like they were a firing squad and I was just standing in the entryway, answering questions and doing my best to keep up. It was all so much to take in that it took me a second to realize that EJ was holding my hand. He had not let me go, and he was holding onto me through all of their greetings. I had even hugged a few of them, and I was pretty sure he had never let me go. The whole scene was all a bit like a dream, though, so I couldn’t be sure.
Everyone sort of moved with us toward the kitchen as we talked, disbursing a bit as we went along. Caroline Decker, EJ's mom, came to walk beside me. She was beautiful and well put together, and I wanted to be just like her when I grew up.
"I'm so happy to meet you, Savannah," she said sweetly. "I like what you've done with my son's hair," she continued.
"Thank you. EJ's got great hair."
"You must be some kind of hairdresser if my son drives to Pennsylvania for a haircut."
"The last time I drove there, I didn't even get one," EJ said.
"I'm joking, we knew it was more than the haircuts taking him on those road trips. After a season or two on the road with a professional sports team, Pittsburgh doesn't seem like that much of a haul, anyway."
"Yeah, it's not that bad," he said to his mom.
"Savannah, EJ said you made friends with him that summer he broke his foot." Caroline said, smiling at me.
"We did spend time together that summer," I agreed with a smile. "I was remembering it just a second ago, and I could picture him hopping on one foot."
Everyone laughed at my comment, and it made me feel like a million bucks.
"So, he was staying at our house in Pontiac when he met you," his grandma said.
"We were just talking about how you knew each other back then," Eddie said.
"Yeah, I figured there was a woman behind all that smiling and that haircut," Pa said, causing us all to laugh.
I made a regretful face. "Sorry about the haircut," I said, causing everyone to laugh more.
"I was just telling her what a good job she does on EJ's hair now," Caroline said sweetly. "He drives to Pittsburgh. That's where her salon is."
Their grandfather replied to her, but I couldn’t hear him because Lila came up to us they were still talking. She stood right in our way, grinning and demanding my attention. I liked her instantly. "My husband is the one who told him to call you," Lila said, looking straight at me.
"Your husband's Caleb, right?" I said, smiling at her.
"Yes!" she agreed.
She was beautiful with dark hair and light eyes.
"I heard about that," I said. I wanted to say, 'I guess I have Caleb to thank for reuniting me with the love of my life,' but I didn't. "I'm thankful for whatever Caleb said to him," I said instead. "Which one is Caleb?" I asked, glancing around. "Oh, yes. I've seen the television show."
"What? My ears are burning, and it's coming from over here," Caleb said, coming up to us.
"I'll be right back, I'm going to set this over there," EJ said, squeezing my hand and talking to me. He left us so that he could stash my bag on the other side of the room.
"We were saying that you're responsible for my brother calling Savannah," Lila said to Caleb.
"I take full responsibility for that," Caleb agreed, nodding with his arm around his wife.
"How long are you in town? Are you staying with Mom and Dad? I think I remember hearing that somewhere. Is that right?" Lila stared at me after the string of questions, and I smiled.
"Yes, I am staying here, if that's okay." I said the last part with a glance in the direction of Eddie and Caroline, who were both a few steps ahead of us.
She heard me and turned. "Oh, honey, we'd love to have you," Caroline said. "In fact, EJ, why don't you go ahead and take her bag to the apartment?" She glanced at me with a serious expression. "Unless you need it out here with you."
"No, other than I have something in it for you. But I can give you that later."
"Aw, you didn't need to do that," she said in an exaggerated tone. "She might need that luggage out here after all!" she quietly hollered to EJ, being funny and making us laugh.
"Come here and I'll show you the apartment," EJ said, gesturing at me. "We can leave your bag in there and get Mom's thing out."
"Okay," I said easily with a nod. I was acting casual, but I relished the idea of being alone with EJ, even if it was just for a moment.
I began walking toward him when I saw something surreal.
"Hey, who's this?" Another EJ came out of the darkness, out from behind EJ.
"Oh, Dom and Marley were out there checking out Dad's new toy," Caroline announced.
"Marley's still out there," Dom said with a gesture over his shoulder. "She wants to sit in it."
"Oh, of course," Eddie said. "Let me get the keys. Tell her she can drive it."
I had left my place near EJ's family and was now making my way across the room toward him and his twin.
I had seen them in pictures, but it was my first time to see them standing next to each other, and it was a sight to behold.
I felt overwhelmed, and I swallowed hard as I approached them.
My eyes filled with tears, and I blinked to dry them as I reached in to hug Dom.
I went in for a sideways hug, but Dominic grabbed me tightly around my middle, lifting me off my feet and hefting me twice.
His mom yelled out his name from the other side of the room, but all I could take in was big Dom shaking me and then setting me to my feet. He smiled at me with a giant grin.
He looked like EJ, but I could spot the differences instantly. Dominic had two extra moles. EJ's dimple was deeper. His nose was a little different, too. Everything was a little different… but the same. I was still reeling from the tight hug—my eyes were still blurry from the tears that gathered.
"You must be Dominic," I said in a strained tone that made them both laugh.
He put his arm around EJ's shoulder and gave his brother a pat.
"I am Dominic," he said. He stared at me with a half-smile and a gaze that seemed intense.
"And you are Savannah," he said, looking straight into my eyes.
He leaned in to speak quietly to me. "I know my brother Savannah, and it's just…
well… it's just really nice to meet you, that's all. "
"It's nice to meet you, too, Dom. I've heard so much about you."
He looked like he was about to say something to me, but instead, gave me a little smile and a shake of his head, and then he took me into his arms again with a sigh.
He squeezed me, and then he pulled back before reaching in to kiss my cheek.
"I'm just so glad you're here," he said, breaking away to head for the kitchen.
He turned to whisper. "We've got a big announcement in a bit," he said to us.
Then he turned and spoke in a louder tone.
"I'm going to grab Dad's keys and take them to my wife.
I'll catch up with you guys in just a minute. "
I was smiling as I followed EJ toward my apartment.
We had to go down a hallway, through a mudroom, and outside onto a sidewalk to make our way there.
Once we were outside, EJ turned and walked backward so that he could talk to me.
He had my luggage by the handle, still wielding it like it was as light as a feather.
"This is the path you'll take from the house to the apartment whenever you want," he said.
"Your apartment will have everything you need, but my parents would not think twice about finding you in their living room.
They'd love it, actually. And I'll be here, anyway. "
"Oh, you're staying the night here?"
"Yes. I didn't think about that till just now, but there's no way I'm leaving you to go sleep thirty minutes across town, so, yes."
"This is a beautiful home," I said, my eyes finally drying a little after that encounter with his brother.
"Thanks. We love it. Here's your apartment," he said, opening a door.
We walked inside, and he set my luggage down on the counter.
I knew it was a beautiful space, a nice apartment, clean with walls and furniture in shades of white.
It felt lovely in there, but honestly, I didn't care where we were or take the time to look at my surroundings.
EJ was there with me, and the affection and attraction I felt toward him were visceral.
I had come to stand close to him, and he brushed up against me when he turned after setting my bag down. He must've known I was bumping into him on purpose. He must've felt that I was too close to be casual because the next thing I knew, I was in his arms and his mouth was on mine.
Once, twice, three times he kissed me before pulling back to smile and stare.
I had my hands on his side, and I gripped the fabric of his shirt.
He gazed at me, and then he did it two or three more times, and every time his mouth touched mine, I felt warmth spread through me.
It was soft and familiar, and EJ wasn't in a rush.
He kissed me and then pulled back and smiled at me again like we had all the time in the world.
"Thank goodness you're here," he said softly to me.
"I know. Thank goodness I am here."
He grinned at me.
"So, stay forever then."
I knew I would be a fool to do anything but agree to that. I gave him a shy but certain smile with a little nod. "Okay, I will," I agreed.