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Most Ardently

Page 30

by Susan Mesler-Evans


  “Elisa, darling, there’s an old lady who looks like Sauron’s unwashed bath towel asking for you,” Alejandra said, sticking her head into Elisa’s bedroom.

  She looked up from the book she was reading, confused.

  “Mrs. Burger?”

  Elisa got up, heading out into the living room, and, indeed, Catherine Burger was standing in the doorway. She wore a hat that made it look like something had died on top of her head, and her face was twisted into the ugliest frown imaginable.

  “Mrs. Burger, if you’re looking for Colin, he made it very clear he doesn’t—” Elisa began to say, but Catherine cut her off.

  “I’m not here to see my son,” she said. “I’m here to speak to you. Alone.”

  “Uh…okay.” She leaned in to whisper to her mother. “If I don’t come back, avenge me.”

  “It’s a promise.”

  Elisa stepped out into the hallway to talk to Catherine, leaning against her door.

  “Don’t slouch, Elisa, it’s most unbecoming of a young lady,” Catherine said.

  “What did you want to speak to me about?” Elisa asked, slouching further.

  “I have heard the most disturbing rumor, that you were romantically involved with my niece, Darcy Fitzgerald. You’ve always struck me as a smart one, so hopefully I don’t need to tell you why a young woman of Darcy’s stature dating a girl like you would be wholly inappropriate. If the rumor is true, I must urge you to terminate the relationship at once—”

  Elisa cut her off. The look on Catherine’s face told her she wasn’t used to being cut off.

  “It’s not true.”

  “Oh. Well.” She looked like she’d had an entire speech planned and now wasn’t sure what to say. “Good.”

  “Darcy and I are only friends, Mrs. Burger.”

  “Then I assume it will be no issue for me to ask you to promise that you will never let it become anything more than that.”

  Elisa stared at her, appalled by the sheer nerve she had.

  “Excuse me?” she said, once she found her voice again.

  “Promise me that, should Darcy ever have a lapse in judgement enough to ask you for a romantic relationship, you’ll reject her.”

  It was obvious Mrs. Burger didn’t realize why this was such an inappropriate and unbelievable demand to make of a girl she barely knew. Elisa just stood there, jaw dropped, unable to quite grasp that yes, Catherine really did have this much gall.

  Finally, she said, “No. No, Catherine, I will not make that promise.”

  Catherine stared her down. “Why not?”

  “I don’t owe you an explanation. Goodbye.”

  Elisa went back into her apartment and slammed the door.

  She opened it again a second later.

  “Actually, you know what—I don’t owe you an explanation, but it’s gonna bug me if I don’t say this. I won’t make that promise, because this isn’t your life. This isn’t some project you can micromanage. This is mine and Darcy’s life.”

  “The concerns of my niece are concerns of mine,” Catherine said. “And a low-class girl like you—a girl that lives in a dump like this, a girl with no wealth or prestige to her name, a girl who has nothing to offer to the relationship—can never make Darcy happy.”

  “You thought Charlene couldn’t make Colin happy, but I was just over at their apartment, and let me tell you—your son is happier now than he ever was with you.”

  Catherine said nothing. Elisa took a step closer.

  “And let me spell out what kind of girl I am, since you’re so fond of dwelling on it. I’m a smart, determined girl who would do anything for her friends. So is Darcy. I’m a regular girl trying to figure out what to do with her life. So is Darcy. I’m a girl who’s too independent, too determined to be her own person to listen to the unsolicited advice of a washed-up Charles Dickens villain. So is Darcy. So far, we’re equals.”

  “You are the furthest thing from,” Catherine squawked. “The Fitzgeralds are on a completely different level from your family.”

  “Why are you trying to run everyone else’s lives?” Elisa asked, one of her hands clenching into a fist. She hadn’t intended to lose her temper, but the second she’d started talking, all the words had rushed out of her like a waterfall. Despite the fact that Catherine looked like she was about ready to squish her like a bug, she felt nothing but relief at speaking her mind. “First Colin, now Darcy—and me. Why aren’t you just content to let people do what they have to in order to be happy? None of us are hurting anyone. We’re all just…people trying to live our lives. You’re not trying to help us; you’re trying to control us. Well, it’s not going to work.”

  Catherine resembled a bleached prune, her lips moving but no sounds coming out.

  “Darcy and I are adults,” Elisa said. “If we decide we want our relationship to take that kind of turn, it’ll be because we want it to. And if we decide we don’t want it to, that’ll be our choice, too. So, until you feel like being supportive, get the hell out of my apartment building. And stay away from Colin unless you want to act like a loving mother for once.”

  Elisa went back inside and slammed the door. For real this time.

  Julieta and Alejandra were both staring at her.

  “I’m going to the roof as soon as I think Lady Bracknell out there has left,” Elisa said.

  She peered out the peephole and was glad to see the other woman was gone. She ran up to the roof. Julieta, to her surprise, followed her.

  “What was that about?” she asked. “Mom and I heard shouting.”

  “Darcy’s aunt heard a rumor we’re going out,” she said. “And when I told her we’re not, she tried to make me promise to never go out with her. I kind of lost my temper.”

  Julieta let out a laugh. “Wow. I would’ve thought you would’ve gladly made that promise.”

  “Six months ago, I would have.”

  “Why not now?” she asked, approaching her younger sister. “You hate Darcy—don’t you?”

  And then, it all came out. Elisa told her everything. Darcy confessing her love. Seeing Darcy at Pemberley. Darcy rescuing Lucia. Calling Darcy and being both disappointed and relieved when she couldn’t reach her.

  By the time she was done, all the energy had completely drained from her body. And yet, a weight lifted off her shoulders. It was nice to not have to bottle everything up anymore. Julieta stood there, shocked, trying to take it all in.

  “Wow. I…that’s…” She trailed off, unable to find words.

  Elisa stared at the ground below them, vision going slightly blurry.

  “Julieta, I was—I was wrong about Darcy,” she whispered. “I was so wrong.”

  “Elisa… Do you have feelings for her?” she asked gently.

  Elisa sighed and turned her gaze toward the sky. “Back when she first told me she had feelings for me, I—I hated her, I said she was the last person I could ever love, and at the time, I meant it. But now—now I really think I could. I already might. I don’t know. I’m not sure how love is supposed to feel, but…”

  “If she has you thinking about it, that might mean something.”

  “Darcy told me she loved me three months ago. How could so much have changed in just three months?”

  “You are different people now. You’ve both… It feels like you’ve grown up, all at once. Darcy became someone you could love, and you became someone who could love her back.”

  “And now she doesn’t love me, right?” When did her voice become so shaky? “I mean, I… I rejected her, and maybe—maybe her being in London when I called was a sign…”

  Julieta sighed. “Elisa, if I told you I got a sign from the universe to not be with Bobby, you would slap me upside the head until I saw sense. You’d say, ‘Tell the universe to stay out of your business. Make your own decisions.’”

  Elisa laughed, rubbing her eyes.

  “Lisa, don’t give up on Darcy just because you’re scared. I’m scared, too, but… Bobby and I a
ren’t giving up on each other, and look what we’ve been through. So don’t give up on Darcy. If she would make you happy—don’t give up on her.”

  Elisa shrugged helplessly. “It may not be my call anymore.”

  Julieta rubbed Elisa’s back.

  “Give her a chance to get back in the country and hear your message. I think she’ll surprise you.”

  Interlude: In Which Catherine Tries Again (And Fails, Miserably)

  Darcy was set to fly back to the United States in three days when her aunt called the Wilder Hotel. Darcy had never liked her Aunt Catherine much but endured her as best she could over the years. So, when the manager of the hotel called her room, telling her she had a call, she took it, dutifully.

  “Hello?”

  “Darcy.” Aunt Catherine sounded very angry, indeed. “I have just been to see that dreadful Benitez girl.”

  “Which Benitez girl?” Darcy asked, confused.

  “Elisa, of course. What other one could I possibly mean?”

  “To my knowledge, there are five Benitez girls, none of whom are dreadful. What did you need to see Elisa for?”

  “To address a rumor I heard that the two of you are…involved.”

  The blood rushed to her face, her cheeks burning. She hadn’t told Catherine about her feelings. How could she possibly have found out?

  She managed to keep an even tone and answered, “We’re not.”

  “I know. She told me as much. But then she refused to promise she wouldn’t become involved with you.”

  “Wait, what?”

  “I know, the audacity. So now, I need your word, instead. Please, for the sake of your auntie’s nerves—”

  “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me you tried to get Elisa to say she wouldn’t go out with me if I were the last girl on earth—and she refused to?”

  “Well, not in so many words, but… Darcy, what is the meaning of this?”

  Darcy was grinning from ear to ear. “I gotta go, Aunt Catherine.”

  “Darcy? Darcy—”

  She quickly hung up on her aunt and flopped back onto her hotel room’s bed, almost embarrassed at how giddy she was. Her smile was so wide, it actually hurt a little bit, but she couldn’t stop it. She felt like the door Elisa had slammed shut back in February had just opened again. Just a little bit, maybe just a crack, but wide enough for Darcy to go running through.

  She tried not to let herself get too excited, telling herself that Elisa had never actually said she was interested, and that she may well have just been trying to get under Aunt Catherine’s skin. But she couldn’t help it. A warmth was spreading through her, and no amount of logic or cynicism could stop it now.

  Chapter Thirty

  In Which All Ends Happily

  The third of June was Elisa’s high school graduation. She hadn’t actually been to the high school since last August, but her mother had insisted she attend the ceremony. Elisa would’ve been perfectly content to show up, collect her diploma, and peace the hell out. Mom also insisted on a small party back home after the ceremony was done. Her parents, her sisters, her grandparents, Charlene, Colin, Bobby, Willow, Gianna, and even Louise and Cora were all crammed into the apartment, eating chips and cake. They were all talking so much, Elisa couldn’t hear herself think. She’d managed to find a semi-quiet corner in the kitchen and was chatting with Gianna and Lucia. Lucia had, amazingly, taken very well to the shy, soft-spoken Gianna, and had been keeping her company all night.

  Elisa was glad. They both needed a friend who understood what Wick had put them through. Lucia’s bruise was fading, and the spark was returning to her eyes, but she still had a long way to go. She’d taken the rest of the school year off and had enrolled in a summer school program to make things up. Their parents were also looking into counseling for her. Wick still hadn’t been found, but Elisa was determined to keep up hope that he’d be arrested soon. He couldn’t hide forever.

  “It’s too bad your sister couldn’t come with you,” Lucia said to Gianna, hoisting herself up to sit on the kitchen counter. “She’s still in London, right?”

  “Sh-she flew out this—this morning,” she said.

  Elisa glanced down at her feet, determined not to dwell too much on Darcy.

  “Well, I’m glad you could come, Gi,” Elisa said. “How have things been in Columbus?”

  “They’re—they’re good, especially now that all the Wick drama is…well, I won’t say over, b-but…”

  Lucia sighed. “It’s basically paused until the cops catch up to him. But he’s bound to turn up sooner or later. He’s not dumb, but he’s not smart enough to just disappear.”

  “I… I hope I—I can get up the courage to test-testify,” Gianna said. “At the trial, I m-mean.”

  “If you can’t, that’s okay,” Lucia said. “Some of the stuff he sent me on my phone is enough to get him some time, if nothing else. I hope.”

  “And if the legal system fails us, we can always just kill him,” Elisa said, shrugging casually.

  Gianna cracked a smile. “S-sounds like a plan to me.”

  There was a knock at the door. She didn’t pay too much attention until Mom came into the kitchen.

  “Elisa, there’s a Darcy looking for you?”

  She looked up so quickly, she nearly gave herself whiplash. Lucia, meanwhile, could barely contain her glee, swinging her legs excitedly. Gianna just smiled, sipping innocently on her drink.

  Elisa stared at her.

  “You didn’t.”

  “I did. Thank me later.”

  “Oh my God.”

  Elisa stood there for a second, more nervous than she’d been even when getting up onstage to get her diploma. She shook her head, trying to set herself straight. She took a deep breath, and then went to the door.

  She’d never seen Darcy look so unkempt. Her hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, there were bags under her eyes from a hard day of traveling, and she was in sweatpants and flip-flops. Elisa, still in the pink dress and jewelry she’d worn to her ceremony, for once felt a bit overdressed.

  “I… I just came from the airport,” Darcy said, not taking her eyes off her for a second.

  “You look lovely,” was all she could think of to say.

  “Thank you.”

  There was a pause.

  “Elisa, I got your voicemail.”

  Elisa blushed, finally tearing her gaze away. “I… I see,” she said. “Do you want to talk alone?”

  Darcy nodded. “Very much, yes.”

  She swallowed the lump in her throat and called out, “Be back in a few minutes.” She and Charlene made eye contact across the room. Charlene’s eyes widened when she saw who was with her, mouthing “Oh my God, what?” when Darcy wasn’t looking. Elisa could only give a shrug and a silent “I don’t know” in response. She tried her best to ignore the fact that Colin, Willow, and Gianna all looked annoyingly proud of themselves.

  Elisa led Darcy up to the roof. When they got there, they both stood in awkward silence, Darcy rocking on her feet.

  “I didn’t intend for you to find out what I did,” she finally said. “At least, not like that.”

  “That’s what I don’t understand,” Elisa said. “You—you rescued my little sister, and I will always, always be grateful for that. I don’t get why you didn’t tell me.”

  She licked her lips, looking away.

  “I was worried that you’d think that I—that I’d only done it to impress you. I… Elisa, my only thought when I helped Lucia was your happiness.”

  Astonished, she could only stare.

  “I didn’t care what I had to do or say to help you, I just—I had to. Because the idea of you being unhappy was intolerable. Even if you never knew that I helped, I would’ve been content, knowing that you were happy.”

  “Darcy…”

  She looked at her now.

  “And then, when I was in London, I got a call from my aunt, saying that she’d attempted to make you promise to n
ot pursue a romantic relationship with me—and you refused her.”

  Elisa blushed. “Yeah. I shot her down pretty hard.”

  “Hearing that… Hearing that is what gave me hope,” she admitted.

  Through no conscious thought of her own, Elisa moved closer to Darcy, her heart pounding louder and louder, until she was close enough to see every detail of her face.

  “Hope for what?” she asked.

  They were standing mere inches apart now, their voices barely raised. The entire world had disappeared.

  “I suppose it’s not too much of a secret that—that my feelings are still the same as they were in February,” Darcy said. “If anything, they’ve only grown since then. But—but if your feelings are still the same as they were at the time, please tell me so. One word, and I’ll never bring this up again. But if your feelings are different now—”

  Elisa cut her off, closing the gap between them and kissing her, her hands trailing into Darcy’s hair. Darcy froze for a second, shocked, before leaning into it, kissing her back. Elisa had imagined this moment an embarrassing number of times over the past couple of weeks. She’d imagined the softness of her lips, the feeling of Darcy’s hands shaking—wait, maybe that was her—and the dizziness and the warmth and the sense that she was finally where she was supposed to be.

  The real thing left all her fantasies behind.

  They pulled away, Elisa still on tiptoe to reach Darcy’s lips, trying to catch their breath.

  Elisa spoke first.

  “Does that… Does that bring you up to speed?” she asked.

  Darcy laughed, leaning her forehead against hers. “You… I never thought, after everything that happened…”

  “Everything had to happen,” she said. “If we hadn’t started off where we did, we wouldn’t have changed into who we are now. And who knows—who knows where we’d be if we hadn’t changed.”

  “I’d probably still be the ice queen you loved to hate,” Darcy said, her arms wrapping around Elisa’s waist. “You hated me so much, I can’t believe that now, you…you…”

  “I was an idiot,” she said gently. “So were you. We both had a lot to learn.”

 

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