Chapter Eighteen #2
Nora’s face softened. She glanced at Ellie’s family and then back to her, and I saw the recognition there—she understood exactly what was happening.
“The place closes around six during the week. I’ll ask him if he wouldn’t mind opening it for a special event if you all can get there by seven. Could you make Monday work?”
Under the table, I found Ellie’s hand. Her fingers were cold. I squeezed gently, trying to tell her: I see this. I see how they treat you. And it’s not okay.
“I’ll shuffle things around and make that fit.” Celia turned to her mom, practically dismissing Nora. “My followers are going to die when they know the place was opened especially for me.”
“Thank you,” Ellie’s heartfelt appreciation of Nora was in direct contrast to her sister’s smug smile.
Nora tapped the table. “You’re welcome. I’ll take the bill whenever you’re ready.”
“Ellie, can you work on getting yard games pulled together for the event at Drew’s grandmother’s?”
“Uh, sure. I’ll come up with something.” Ellie started jotting down possible ideas to pursue.
I put my hand over the paper so she had to stop writing. “I’ve got that covered.” Glamma had so many of those at her house from family gatherings I’m sure we’d have enough there to keep everyone busy.
“Thank you.” Her smile made me wish I had created those games myself.
Celia took a selfie. “My followers are going to flip when I let it leak about your grandmother’s place.” She tapped her chin. “I think I’ll wait a day or two to post that. I don’t want to take away from the cake tasting tonight.”
How in the world were she and my girlfriend, I mean, my fake girlfriend, related?
“Ellie, Mom and I have to go.” Celia stood and tugged on their mother’s arm. “I want to make sure everything is ready for the cake tasting tonight and I have the perfect outfit for it.”
“Oh, okay,” Ellie said, clearly surprised by their abrupt departure.
“Before I go, though, I really need you to reach out to the florist to set up my bouquet, smaller ones for the bridesmaids, and flowers for the venue.” She tapped away on her phone.
“Here’s the list of bridesmaids, plus you, and pictures of the flowers I want.
Okay, bye-ee.” She blew us a kiss and left.
“Well that could’ve gone worse, I suppose.” Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed. She reached for the bill.
“I’ve got it.” I snatched it out of her hand.
“No, Drew. You didn’t even eat anything.” She gave me the ‘gimme’ motion with her hand.
“I think I can afford it. Do they always leave you with the bill like that?”
Her responding shrug and sad smile was all the response I needed.
“I’ll run up and pay. Nora’s busy and we might as well get to work on your ‘to-do’ list.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but thank you.”
I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in and kissed her forehead before I stood. “No thanks needed.”
I headed toward the counter. Matt leaned on it, arms crossed.
“Thanks for texting me,” I told him.
He shrugged. “Shit, man. I know I can be an ass, but even I couldn’t watch her sit there alone with them. She looked like she was drowning.”
“You’re not wrong.” I followed his gaze back to Ellie. She was jotting notes on the paper Celia had listed her responsibilities on.
She deserved better than being treated like their personal assistant.
My chest tightened.
When I returned to my seat, Ellie was staring at her phone like it had grown teeth. Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut.
Then came the slow blink. Once. Twice. A third time.
“What’s wrong?” I pressed a hand to her shoulder.
Nothing. She didn’t answer.
“Ellie.” I tapped her arm.
She jumped, her eyes wide and wounded. That look gutted me.
“What’s happened?” My voice came out rougher than I’d intended.
She shoved her phone at me. Pictures of flower arrangements filled the screen. I frowned. “Flowers?”
Her voice cracked. “They’re mine.”
I didn’t get it. “Yours?”
“The ones I’ve always wanted. For my own wedding. She has them. Celia has them.”
Fuck. My jaw locked. I pulled her to my chest, holding her like I could shield her from it all.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, into her hair. “She stole your ideas?”
Ellie shook her head against me. “I never told her. There’s no way she could know. Maybe her followers picked them. Maybe it’s a coincidence.”
Her voice was small. Too damn small.
I wrapped both arms around her, squeezing her tighter. “Then we’ll find you something better. Something only yours.”
She melted into me, whispering, “Just give me a minute to process, then I’ll be ready to tackle that stupid list. I’m probably making a big deal out of nothing.”
My chest ached. I kissed the top of her head, inhaling her scent and hating the way her family made her feel like scraps were all she deserved.
Not anymore.
Not on my watch.
I was going to be her safe space.
“Buttercup,” I felt her tiny smile against my chest at the nickname. We might have found a winner. “Take all the time you need.”
I would’ve given her an hour. A year. Forever, if she needed it.
We ended up spending the entire morning at the florist. I’d never realized there were so many kinds of roses, or that people actually argued about ribbon width. After about an hour of nodding at arrangements and color palettes, my brain felt like mashed potatoes.
But Ellie’s eyes lit up when she talked about which flowers paired together, and I forced myself to focus. She didn’t even notice how animated she got, or how beautiful she looked when she forgot to guard herself.
I leaned against the counter, pretending to study a stack of bridal magazines, but I was really watching her hands as they smoothed over the petals and her concentration as she explained what she was looking for to the shop owner, Jennifer.
God, she’d make a stunning bride someday.
Not that I had any right to think that.
By the time we walked out, the sun was high in the sky, casting its golden rays across her hair. She stretched her arms overhead and laughed. The sound knocked something loose in my chest.
“That was a long time to sit,” Ellie teased, her knowing eyes recognizing that it was hard for me to stay still that long.
“Worth it,” I said, and I meant it.
Outside, I opened the passenger door for her and closed it gently once she was inside and then climbed into the car. Her hand found mine on the console, warm and tentative.
“I was thinking,” I said, “Maybe we could stop by the animal rescue league before the cake tasting?”
Her whole face lit up. “Really?”
“Really.” I’d make the time, even if it meant showing up late for Celia’s appointment. While Ellie might not agree, she was my priority.
She glanced at her watch, then at me hopefully. “Can we play with the puppies when we get there?”
“We’ll make it happen.” I’d move heaven and earth if it meant seeing her smile. “Can you text Theo for me to let him know we’re on our way?” I rattled off my passcode without thinking, eyes still on the road.
Silence. Too much silence. I risked a glance at Ellie. She was staring at my phone like it had sprouted wings.
“Everything okay?”
She smiled, small and almost sad. “It is. Your phone is blowing up–you must have at least a dozen texts coming in right now. And I just had the strangest revelation.”
“Oh, yeah?”
She nodded slowly. “Kyle was a total jerk.”
Not what I expected.
She tapped out the message, her brow furrowed. “Any time I asked to use his phone, he’d get cagey. Defensive. You just … handed yours over without blinking.”
“I don’t have anything to hide from you, “ I said simply.
Her lips curved into that soft smile that always wrecked me. “Exactly.”
The lightness dimmed a moment later. She leaned back against the headrest, her voice quieter. “I was stupid not to see that he was cheating sooner.”
“You should be able to trust the person you give your heart to. They should be the one who keeps it safe,” I muttered, gripping the wheel hard enough my knuckles whitened. I wanted to track the guy down and make him regret every second he took Ellie for granted.
She turned her head toward me. “Thank you, Drew.”
“For what? Being my awesome self?” I figured a levity might help dispel the cloud surrounding her.
Her laugh rang throughout the car, bright and real. “That, too. But mostly for showing me I don’t have to settle for scraps of affection. We’ve only been fake dating for a few days and you’ve already been better to me than Kyle was in two years.”
The words hit like a sucker punch. My heart thudded once, hard.
Better than Kyle. But still temporary.
I hated the reminder that we had an expiration date. One that I was less and less inclined to hold on to, but at the same time I recognized Ellie deserved a man’s all and I wasn’t sure I could give her that.