26. Ella
ELLA
Once the song ends, and the endless flashes of photos stop, Catherine announces that there will be fireworks outside to conclude the evening.
I want to speak to Asher about what this means, but I can’t because we’re bombarded with guests congratulating us.
I smile and thank everyone, but it’s all a bit of a blur.
“I need a second,” I whisper to Asher once people start to make their way outside.
“You okay?” he asks, skimming his thumb along my shoulder.
“I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
“Did you like your surprise?”
I laugh. “Which one?”
“All of them.”
“I loved all of them.” Not a lie. “I just need to run to the restroom before the fireworks. I’ll be right back.”
“I’ll wait by the door.”
I hurry off toward a bathroom I know won’t be in use because it’s back in the main portion of the house.
As soon as I’m in, I lock the door and take a deep breath.
I need to get myself under control because I’m freaking the fuck out inside.
What I really need is to talk to Asher about what all this means, but that’s going to have to wait.
I do my business and give myself one more moment alone before I leave the bathroom to rejoin Asher. As I round the corner to head back into the ballroom, I see Conrad, Asher’s uncle.
“Ah, the woman of the moment,” he says, grabbing onto my elbow as I pass by. “What a night for you.”
I yank my arm out of his grasp.
He leans toward me, lowering his voice. “But do remember, Ms. Hale, that this isn’t real.
That pendant around your neck will need to be returned.
One day, it will adorn the neck of Asher’s actual wife.
Someone suitable to his station. I would hate for you to forget that you are merely a PR stunt to keep the press focused on something new and shiny. ”
My throat feels clogged as every insecurity I’ve felt today slams into me again at his words.
But I refuse to back down to this jerk. He knows nothing of our situation, and neither Asher nor Harrington can stand him.
I don’t know why he hates me so much, but he seems to have it out for me.
And I’m over it. I square my shoulders and lift my chin, meeting his icy gaze head on.
“And yet the Langford name needed someone new and shiny like me to get that good press. So, doesn’t that prove that your power has limits?
And whose face is the one selling products for Langford Holding’s newest acquisition?
Whose name is stirring the buzz for this family?
Is it yours? Is it Gregory’s or Celeste’s?
No, it’s Asher’s and mine. Like it or not, I’ve built my own power.
And now my name will be forever attached to this family, even if Asher does end up marrying someone else. ”
I don’t know where my brash, confident words come from, but I don’t back down after they’re said. I still feel like I’m faking it half the time, but I refuse to cower to Conrad. Whatever is real or not real with Asher and me is our business, not his uncle’s.
Before he can respond, I storm off, batting away tears that slip free. So much for getting a moment to compose myself.
Asher sees me a second later and straightens when I wipe away a tear. He hurries toward me.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
I want to stand on my own and tell him that nothing happened.
I don’t care what his stupid uncle thinks or says, but I just don’t have much fight left in me.
Tonight has been so amazing, but it’s also been an emotional roller coaster.
This pendant has forced so many worries and questions to the surface, and it’s taken a toll.
“Your uncle, Conrad. He stopped me on the way here and was kind enough to remind me that this is all fake and that I’ll need to return this pendant when it’s over so that you can give it to your actual wife—who will be someone much more suitable to your station.”
Asher freezes and blinks at me. His jaw is locked. “He did not fucking say that to you.”
“He did.”
Asher moves to go after Conrad, but I stop him. “Don’t. He’s not worth it. But . . .” And I hate myself as my chin starts to wobble. “What I don’t know—is if he’s wrong or if he’s right.”
“Ella—”
“There you two are!” Catherine says. “Everyone is outside waiting for the fireworks to start.”
“Give us a minute, Mom.”
“Asher, everyone is wondering where you are and what is causing the delay.”
“I said a minute.”
Catherine gives him a hard look. “Whatever this is, handle it quickly. The press is waiting.”
“It’s okay,” I say, my voice quivering. “We can talk about it later.”
“We’re going to fucking talk about it now. What do you mean you don’t know if he’s wrong or right?”
“I don’t know what to think or feel about our future.
This weekend has shown me that the people in your world may never fully accept me, and that scares me.
I don’t want you to regret me one day. Not to mention the fact that we still have a contract between us so the line of what we are is still confusing.
And then you and your parents put on this big display to give me this family heirloom that is this symbol to put on your future wife.
It’s hard to know exactly what is real and what is fake, and I need to know what we are, Asher.
I need to know because . . . I’m in love with you. ”
I gasp, wishing I could snatch the words from the air between us and shove them back down my throat. But I can’t. They’re out. And now all I can do is wait and see what Asher says.
Asher stares down at me and doesn’t say anything for too long.
“You don’t have to answer me now,” I finally say to break the silence. “Let’s just get the night over with.”
Asher leans in toward me, and I step backward until I bump into the wall. Both of his arms come up on either side of my head, trapping me there.
“Does this feel fake to you?” he says, wrapping his hand around my throat, dragging his thumb along the length of it.
“When I’m inside of you, does it feel like what we have is fake?
” He leans down and nips my earlobe. “Does waking up in my bed with my head between your legs feel like something that’s forced?
“Let me be very fucking clear, Ella. You’re right. Somewhere along the way, things changed. When I called you my family, and I meant it. The connection we share is rare. So fucking rare that it’s powerful, and there’s no way we can ignore it.
“Tonight has been a lot with the family history and the symbol of the pendant. But I want you to know, I didn’t just do this as a PR stunt; I did it to give you protection.
This,” he brushes his fingers over the pendant, “shows the world that you’re mine.
And that tells people that if they hurt you or fuck with you, then they fuck with me. And most people won’t dare to do that.
“I know it’s a lot to hear about futures and husbands and wives, and I should have talked to you about it beforehand, but I selfishly wanted to surprise you.
I meant every word I said on that stage.
I never expected to have a serious relationship, not for years and years, so this whole situation has caught me off guard.
But if I’m going to have a serious relationship with anyone, it’s you.
I don’t want anyone else. I want marriage and kids, all of it, and I want them with you. ”
His words settle the fear inside me, and I press my lips to his and pull him so close it’s like our bodies are fusing.
“I need you,” I say, panting between kisses. “Please. I need you inside me. Right now.”
Asher chuckles against my lips. “You did promise me a fuck in a broom closet tonight.”
He pulls me behind him and into a small sitting room with a couch and bookshelves, then locks the door. “This should do the trick.” He practically tosses me onto the couch and rips open his belt and pants, then he shoves my dress up to my hips. He tears my underwear off and slams himself inside me.
We both gasp out in relief as soon as he’s inside me. And for the first time since the pendant ceremony, I feel like I can breathe.
“I mean it every time I fucking say it,” Asher growls as he hammers into me. “You’re mine. They’re not just empty words, Ella. They’re a promise.”
“Oh my god, Asher. Yes. Please.”
“Tell me you’re mine.”
“I’m yours. And you’re mine.”
“Yes, baby. I’m yours. I have been for a long time now.”
My worries and insecurities melt away with every kiss, every touch, and the raw need that bleeds between us.
“I will never regret you, Ella. Every day with you is a gift, and I’ll spend every one of them on my knees, and between your legs, thanking you.”
“Fuck,” I rasp.
And I don’t know if it’s the urgency of time, or the sheer relief at Asher’s words, but the feel of him inside me is heightened so much that I’m already close.
“Oh god, Asher!” I cry out as my orgasm tears through me. The relief, the joy, the beauty of this night all meld together, and it’s the sweetest euphoria.
“Ella!” Asher yells a second later, following me.
He spills into me, and for a minute, neither of us moves. I want to stay like this, with him inside me, forever. Our foreheads meet and we breathe one another in, savoring the stolen moment.
When he finally pulls out of me, I almost cry with joy at the feel of his cum running down my thighs. I want all of him all over me, inside me, and I never want to let him go.
Asher pulls the pocket square from his jacket pocket and wipes my pussy clean, then he stuffs it in his pants pocket along with my discarded panties. He stands and holds out his hand for me and pulls me to my feet. I shimmy my dress back down below my hips and follow him out the door.
The crowd cheers when we make it outside, and then the fireworks begin. Asher holds me from behind, and I lean into him, my head pressed against his shoulder, happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.
Again, tears escape my eyes, but this time they’re tears of joy. Tears of relief.
Neither of us have definitive answers of when we’ll get to our happily ever after, but now I know the pendant around my neck isn’t just a piece of jewelry. And it’s not just a PR stunt.
It’s a promise.