Chapter 21
Any second now and her chest would cave in. What was he doing here? Wasn’t he engaged? How could she ask him? Oh, why did he have to see her looking like this, with red tear-shrivelled eyes and a giant pimple about to erupt on her nose?
“Ellie?” He took another step towards her.
She inched away. “What—what are you doing here?”
He held out a small package. “I wanted to give you this.”
“I don’t want anything from you.”
“Please?”
She eyed it, then him, then took the pale blue tissue-paper wrapped gift. It was the size of a book. And when she opened it—her heart thudded. He’d remembered?
“I remember you telling me that you were looking for a copy of The Nonesuch, one with an Old Masters cover. Is this the one you meant?”
She nodded, her throat tight. Should she accept this? Was this a bribe? Or a peace offering?
“It was my mother’s.”
“No.” She handed it back. “I can’t accept this.”
“Yes, you can. She’s not here to enjoy those books anymore, and I want you to.”
Her hand dropped, and she placed the book on the chair beside her. “Was that it?”
“No.” He took a step closer. “I’ve missed you so much. And I wanted—needed—to talk to you.”
“What about? Aren’t you engaged?”
He shook his head, and her heart leapt.
“That was never real.”
“But the engagement party.”
“Was a sham.”
“But it was on Facebook.”
“You can’t trust everything you see there.”
No. No. “Really?”
He nodded, then took another step. “Ellie, would you give me a few moments to explain? Please?”
“I—I can’t. We are so busy, and they need my help, and—”
“Talk to him, Ellie,” Mum called from the top of the stairs. “I don’t want to see you in here until you’ve finally sorted things out.”
He half smiled. “I’ve heard it’s good to obey your parents.”
She shuddered in a shaky breath. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Do you want to talk here or go somewhere else? I’m happy to do whatever you want. Whatever makes things easier for you.”
Ethan Ferris. The state’s opposition leader’s son. The man who had been educated in private schools, was a lawyer in one of Sydney’s top firms, who mingled with pop stars and celebrities. He was here. In The Silver Teapot’s cluttered back garden, wanting to talk to her.
Fine. She’d see if he could cope with what her life actually was like.
She gently lowered back onto the rusted white cast iron seat, part of an outside garden setting they’d once used outside the front of the shop, before the local council changed regulations about what was allowed on the pavement for dining.
Since then, it had rested in the back here, growing spiderwebs and collecting rust. But it made a great spot to relax and catch one’s breath on busy days like today.
She winced. On what was already one of their busiest days, she’d made things ten times worse by dropping the plates. She wasn’t a klutz. That wasn’t her. But apparently Ethan brought out a different side of her.
He stood before her, in front of a rusted iron frame that Mum had once wondered about as using inside for wall art, before getting nixed by the rest of the family.
“So, what did you want to say?” she finally said.
He eyed her solemnly. “I’ve missed you.”
Her throat clamped. She shook her head. She wasn’t about to cry again. That wasn’t what she did. Even if she’d proved that untrue just moments before.
“It’s true,” he insisted, obviously misinterpreting the shake of her head. “I’ve thought about you every day since we met, every hour on some of those days. I couldn’t believe the string of events that led to this estrangement, when I wanted nothing more than to be back with you.”
Tears pricked, heating the backs of her eyes, and she blinked hard. She would not cry. Would not cry!
He then went on to explain about losing his phone, getting locked out of Instagram, hence his inability to contact her.
Then he explained about Lucinda and her cancer-ridden mother, and the pact his mum and hers had apparently made.
How this, combined with his dad’s wish for good publicity, meant his hands had felt tied, and he’d agreed for an engagement in name only.
“Then Wayne—remember that man who saw us at the Hydro Grand?”
She nodded.
“He must’ve said something to my sister.” He grimaced. “I’m so sorry Francine was so mean.”
She pressed her lips together.
“She was completely out of line, and for reasons of her own was keen to see Lucinda join the family. Which is why she hosted that stupid party, which I honestly did not know she meant as an engagement party.”
His eyes held veracity, along with something that also looked like pain. Like he too had been hurt by the situation.
Anger flared within her. What a horrible family he had.
“I also did not know that you would be there. I honestly thought it was going to be a simple weekend away. I visited at least a dozen different cafés trying to find you.”
“Really?”
He nodded, eyes sombre.
Oh. After all this, he deserved to know her side of things. “She told my boss she needed someone there for garden lighting.”
He huffed. “She’s unbelievable. It was her husband who told her about you and me up at the mountains, and I think she got scared and wanted to do all she could to prove to you that we could never be together.”
Her heart fluttered. “What are you saying?”
He took another step closer. “I’m saying that I told my family, and Lucinda and her family, that I wanted nothing more to do with them.
That the engagement was a lie and I wouldn’t support it.
And since then, I’ve been trying to find you, to let you know how sorry I am for hurting you, and that it was never my intention to hurt you. ”
A tear escaped. She wiped it away. Then another trickled down her cheek. She wiped at the sides of her eyes with her fingers, but still they kept coming.
“Ellie.” He closed the gap between them, knelt before her, but still didn’t touch her, yet was close enough she could smell his scent of sea salt and spice, just as she had in a hundred dreams.
“Ellie, I’m so sorry. Please, say you’ll forgive me. Just say we still have a chance.”
We? Her and Ethan?
A sob erupted from her lungs, and she started crying in earnest, her hands covering her face. Oh, this couldn’t be real. It had to be a dream.
“Hey.” He shifted to sit next to her, then his arms were around her, and her head was tucked into the crook of his neck, as the tears she’d bottled up for so long refused to stop. This was so embarrassing. Yet so wonderful. Impossible. Glorious. Unbelievable.
“Is thi–this real?”
He chuckled, his arms holding her more firmly. “Of course it’s real. You and I are real. None of that was. But this is.”
Real. So real. And she never wanted him to let go.
For a moment, he wondered if he had pressed too soon. Then her hands stole around his back, and he clutched her tighter. “I’ve missed you, Ellie. Ever since we parted, I’ve felt like a piece of me was missing. And that piece was here. Because now it finally feels like things are right again.”
Her head bobbed. “I know what you mean.”
His neck was getting wet, but he didn’t care. The fact she was letting him hug her, and she was hugging him—especially when she was the person who apparently didn’t like hugs—meant so much.
A noise stole his attention to the top of the stairs, where Mrs. Bennett stood with her hands clasped over her chest, a smile wreathing her face. When she noticed him noticing her, she jumped a little, then winced, and made a crossed heart gesture then left.
“Was that my mother?” Ellie mumbled.
“Yes.” He smiled.
“Oh, this is so embarrassing.”
“It’s not.”
“You say that because you’re not the one who’s been crying like a baby.”
“I think it’s called the releasing of emotion. And I can understand why this feels like a lot to release. It’s been crazy lately.”
Another bob of her head, then she pressed her face into his neck. “I—I didn’t know what to think.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I thought there was something wrong with me.”
His heart grieved. “There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re wonderful.”
“I—I’ve never had any guy show any interest in me, so I didn’t know what to think, because I don’t know how to do any of this.”
“Any of what?” he asked softly.
“This.” She clutched him more firmly.
He closed his eyes. “I’d say it’s going just fine.”
She laughed, then coughed. “I can’t breathe. My nose is so clogged with tears and snot.”
He laughed.
“Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I just said that,” she moaned. “I’m so embarrassing.”
“You’re so real. And relatable. And perfect. And everything I want.”
“But you barely know me.”
“Everything I know I like.”
She started crying again. “Oh, why do you have to be so nice?”
“Just lucky, I guess.”
Her laughter spurted and she quickly shook her head again. “But this can’t work. You’re the son of a famous politician, and I’m just me. Your family obviously doesn’t even like me.”
“You don’t need to worry about them. I’ve been making plans. That means there will be a lot less of my family in my world.”
She pulled back, her head still lowered so her hair hid her face. “I don’t want to get in the way of you and them.”
“You know, I actually don’t think it’s you. I think it’s my faith in God that they object to, and the fact that it makes me different. Well, that’s what Francine told me recently.”
“They’re not Christians?”
“No. My mum was though.” He placed a finger on her chin, lifting her face until he could see her red-rimmed eyes.
She instantly shut them. “Don’t look at me. I’m such a mess.”
“I don’t care. I’ve missed seeing you for so long that every second I’m with you now feels infinitely precious to me.”
“Ohhh.” She started sobbing again and pushed him away when he went to comfort her.
A cleared throat drew his attention to the top of the stairs, where a scowling John Bennett stood, hands on hips.
Ethan held up his hands. “I swear, I don’t know what I said.”
“He—he said that every second he’s with me feels precious,” Ellie sobbed.
John’s brow cleared. “Well, in that case, carry on. But you might need to keep it down, Ellie. You’re starting to worry the neighbours.”
This set her wailing again, and Ethan couldn’t help but smile. This wasn’t quite the reaction he had hoped for, but the fact such big emotions were involved left him in no doubt about her heart. She cared for him. Even if she hadn’t yet said it in quite so many words.
“Ellie.” He took her hands, helped her up. “Is it okay with you if I stay a little longer?”
“Of course it is.” She stepped closer, her body aligning with his.
If he was at youth group, he’d say this was too close for a guy and girl to stand.
But as he wasn’t at youth group, this felt exactly right.
Because if he had his way, before long she’d be wearing two rings on her finger and they could be much closer still.
Maybe followed by a trip to Japan to see the Studio Ghibli fun park.
He and Ellie fit together perfectly in so many ways. Their faith, their interests, their humour. And he couldn’t wait for the chance to get to know her better.
“Ellie?” someone called. Then “Oh!”
He glanced up again to see Katie smirking from the steps.
“Don’t mind me. I’m happy standing here to watch the show.”
“Katie, go away,” Ellie protested, shifting in his arms.
“Um, I can’t. We kind of need you in here—”
“No, we don’t,” Mrs. Bennett called from behind them. “Ellie can stay right there for as long as she wants. We’ve got this covered. And if you want to leave, that’s okay too. And Ethan?”
“Yes, Mrs. Bennett?”
“We’re expecting you to join us for dinner tonight. Okay?”
He peered at Ellie, but she moved her head away, as if embarrassed. “Is that okay? I’d kind of hoped you might want to have dinner with me.”
“It’s okay,” she murmured. “Mum likes an early dinner on Saturday nights, so we could still go out afterwards. If that’s what you meant.”
“Of course that’s what I meant. Oh, I forgot about Charlene. She’s the youth group worker I work with. She came to lend moral support. I might need to send her home in my car.”
“Or she could catch a train.”
“Great idea.” He glanced back at her mum. “Thank you. I’d love to.”
A pleased smile creased her face. “Good.”
Good? No, this was great. This was amazing. This was perfect. A dream. An answer to prayer.