Always, Ella

by Sofia Sawyer

  Elena put her hands on her full, grippable hips. “No, Mae. That was the old problem. It almost seems like a blip in comparison to my new problem.”

  Mae gestured with her hand, indicating for Elena to spit it out.

  “They want me to co-host with my boyfriend.”

  Mae’s forehead scrunched. “But you don’t have a boyfriend.”

  Jackson sucked in a breath. “What happened to Brad?”

  Elena whipped her head in his direction, her long-standing annoyance with him clear. “We broke up like a year ago.”

  Huh. Elena finally got rid of that shitbag. Brad had always been a douche, even when they’d been kids. But no matter how often Mae tried to tell her, Elena shut it down. She was stubborn like that, but he was glad to know that her stubbornness didn’t land her in a marriage with a selfish prick like Brad Beaumont.

  “The point is, you and everyone who knows me will know I don’t have a boyfriend. That’s the problem,” she continued.

  “What gave them the idea that you had one?” Mae asked.

  Elena bit her bottom lip and looked down. “I kinda said I did.”

  “Come again?”

  Elena let out a dramatic sigh. “When the blog blew up, people came to me for all sorts of advice. Lots of relationship woes, not just the broken-hearted. So, I embellished a little in my responses. I kinda shared examples of what me and my boyfriend did to keep the romance alive or overcome bumps in the road. I never expected the blog to go this far, so I didn’t think it would matter.”

  Jackson couldn’t help but laugh, which earned him a scowl from both of them. “This is good. Even though I have zero clue on what’s going on.”

  Mae gave him a quick rundown on the blog and publishing deal. Seemed like he’d missed a lot since he’s been gone.

  Interesting.

  “I have until tomorrow to decide. They’re drawing up the new contracts and need me to sign on the dotted line by close of business tomorrow. The production schedule is aggressive.” She put her face in her hands and let out a little scream.

  “Okay...” Mae started, her face contorting in deep thought. “What if you had a boyfriend by the time of filming?”

  Elena peeked out from her hands. “In a week?”

  “A week!” Mae yelled in surprise.

  “Not helping. I came here for emotional support.” Elena frowned. “Apparently they had some contest going on and decided to tweak it to use it for my launch. They wanted to capitalize on the ‘mystery and wonder’ around my identity.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jackson offered.

  Both women turned their heads in his direction again, this time in confusion.

  “I’ll do it,” he said again. “You clearly need help, and this means a lot to you. That’s what friends do,” he emphasized, knowing it would get under her skin.

  “No way,” Elena argued as she crossed her arms. “You’ll just embarrass me like you always did when we were growing up. I don’t trust you not to mess this up.”

  Her immediate dismissal only challenged him more. He loved this competitive side of her. As frustrated as she was, he was enjoying this way too much. Elena’s fiery personality had always been one of his favorite things about her.

  He rolled his eyes and played it cool. “I wasn’t embarrassing you. I was trying to save you from yourself. You tried too damn hard for people who didn’t really matter.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “They mattered to me.”

  “Do you even talk to those people anymore?”

  Elena glared at him, but couldn’t answer. “Even if I were to say yes, it would never work. You wouldn’t stick around long enough to count on. I need someone I can trust to be here. You haven’t been home in months, and how long do you even plan on staying this time? A couple nights tops? You’ll be gone before shooting starts.”

  “Actually, he won’t be.” Mae slipped off the counter and came to his side, wrapping an arm around his middle and staring up at him with sisterly adoration. “He’s sticking around for a few weeks this time. Gonna stay in my spare bedroom.”

  “What? That’s not like you.” Elena eyed him with suspicion.

  He shrugged casually. “I need to stay put a bit to plan the next phase of my business.”

  Hopefully, one that could allow him to set roots somewhere. Traveling had been amazing, and he never wanted to give it up completely, but he knew he needed more balance in his life. And for the sake of his business, he needed more stability in his schedule to think about growth.

  Mae nodded. “Jackson might have to be your ‘happily ever after.’”

  A slow smile rose on Jackson’s lips. “Hate to say it. But I think I’m your only shot for this not to blow up in your face.”

  5

  Elena

  Jackson was fighting dirty with his signature smile, a slow grin, rising slightly higher on one side, before transforming into a full-on smile with straight white teeth and deep laugh lines. It was an infectious smile, one that made you want to be in on whatever it was that made his face light up, and his blue eyes sparkle.

  Elena had seen how many girls had fallen over that smile. She couldn’t blame them. That hypnotizing boyish grin often made her forget how much he had tormented her over the years, always humiliating her in front of the popular kids at school or new friends. Always revealing her flaws. She just wanted to be normal and accepted, but he’d go and make one tiny little comment that would have her face flaming, waiting for everyone to judge her.

  She wouldn’t fall for that smile.

  “No.”

  He squinted at her, his face falling flat. “What do you mean ‘no?’”

  “I don’t trust you.” She crossed her arms and held her head high. Inside, she was panicking, but she couldn’t let Jackson see her desperation.

  “Elena⁠—” Mae warned. “I know you two didn’t always get along growing up, but you need to think about this.”

  Elena put a hand to her chest and took a deep breath, reluctantly coming to terms. Mae was right, there was no way around this. “There has to be another option.”

  Jackson walked to the fridge and pulled out three beers. Elena accepted it with suspicion. Was he buttering her up?

  He cracked his open with a refreshing fizz. Jackson was always the laid-back one. Of course, he would be, he had nothing to lose.

  “Way I see it,” he said after taking a healthy sip, “you have three choices: admit you lied, tell your publisher you won’t do it, or let me help you.”

  She traced a bead of condensation on the can, not meeting his eyes. “There has to be someone else. Anyone else,” she said in distress.

  Mae squeezed Elena’s shoulder as a sign of moral support. “You need a guy in a week. Is there anyone you trust enough to keep this under wraps?”

  She’d trust pretty much anyone else more than Jackson. Right? Right?

  But when it came to something like this, her mind went blank. Damn it.

  Her shoulders hung low as she conceded. “Fine.”

  Jackson held a hand to his ear. “What was that? Couldn’t quite hear you there.”

  “Fine. You can be my boyfriend.”

  He held a hand to his heart. “Well, don’t sound so put out by it. You’re really wounding my ego.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe knocking your ego down a few notches would do you some good.”

  He let out a deep laugh. It was a good laugh, just like his damn smile. The kind that made you want to lower your defenses.

  “I’m going to say this loud and clear: I think this is a horrible idea. But, I don’t have any other choice. So, listen up and listen good.”

  Jackson took a seat at a barstool and placed his beer aside, exaggerating that she had his full attention.

  God, she was going to kill him. How would that look on the show?

  She turned to Mae. “You’re a witness for all of this. Got it?” Mae nodded. “Jackson, if we’re going to do this, I need some assurances.
I need to know you’re committed to this.”

  “Want me to get down on one knee?”

  “Can you be serious for once in your life?” She scowled.

  “Fine. I’m listening. For real.”

  “This is extremely important to me. A lot’s at stake here. This needs to go per-fect-ly. No games. No trying to humiliate me or trip me up.”

  “Elena, I have never tried to⁠—”

  She held up a hand. “I need you to promise me you’ll be the best boyfriend.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I need you to swear you won’t leave before the filming is over.”

  “I swear.” He held up his fingers, scout’s honor.

  “And you need to act like the boyfriend I’ve been describing these last couple of months to a tee.”

  His eyebrows furrowed as he paused, his face growing more serious. “What’s that now?”

  “The boyfriend I’ve been referencing in my blogs. You need to be that. I’ll give you a crash course before filming.”

  “Hold on. I never agreed to be someone I wasn’t.”

  She shrugged. “It is what it is. I already talked about a guy, and they’re expecting that guy to show up.”

  “This changes things. I’m going out on a limb to help you. I’m here for a reason—to work on my business. Not on some fun vacation.”

  “Yes. You look very hard at work,” Elena said dryly as she eyed the towel hanging from his hips and the beer sitting on the counter next to him.

  “When I’m not on the road, I like to take a few minutes of downtime. Is that a problem for you, princess?”

  “You hang out on the beach for a living. I’m sure you’re really ‘struggling’ traveling to the most exciting destinations across the globe. For us here in the real world—”

  Jackson rose to his feet, his normal, carefree smile disappearing from his face. “Don’t make assumptions about my life and my business, Elena. You have no idea—”

  “And why would I? You left town years ago and barely come to visit. When you do, you’re busy flirting your way through the women of Charleston.”

  His eyebrows rose as he took a step closer, a wolfish grin creeping on his lips. “Keeping tabs on me, huh?”

  She put a hand against his defined chest—one she hardly noticed, of course—and kept him at bay. “You wish.”

  “Guys!” Mae said interfering. “Can we focus? We’re all friends here.” Elena and Jackson both made a face. “Jackson, you’d always help out a friend in need. And, Elena, you’d do the same. No matter what. I’ve seen you both move mountains for the people you care about.”

  Jackson looked at Elena skeptically. She glared back at him.

  “Jackson, c’mon,” Mae pleaded.

  He huffed out a breath. “I’m willing to make some adjustments to my schedule to help you. But you want me to be some random dude you made up? No way. I have to draw the line somewhere.”

  “What can I do to sweeten the deal?”

  He sat for a moment as he considered it. When his gaze finally locked on hers, her stomach dropped. There was a mischievousness to it that made her uneasy. “This is a huge ‘save your life’ kinda favor, so if I do this, you’ll owe me one of the same.” She went to protest. “Whenever I choose,” he added.

  “I can’t agree to some open-ended mystery IOU.” There was no way she was giving that much power to Jackson.

  He shrugged a shoulder like it was no bother to him and took a long pull of his beer. His eyes never leaving hers. “Silly me. I forgot you weren’t the type of woman who’s open to spontaneity and adventure.”

  Her cheeks burned. “You can’t blame me for wanting to know what I’m agreeing to, given our history.”

  “Elena. I think this is your only option unless you want to pull the plug on the whole thing,” Mae said quietly.

  Elena glared at her. “Whose side are you on anyway?” Traitor.

  Mae held up her hands defensively. “Hey, don’t put me in the middle. I’m just the voice of reason. You guys really need to get over whatever issues you have if you’re ever going to be believable.”

  Jackson stepped closer to Elena, towering over her as he looked into her eyes. “What do you say? Do we have ourselves a deal?” His voice was quiet. Intimate.

  She eyed his outstretched hand and hesitated before she took it. “Fine. But I’m not happy about it.

  Elena tried to ignore the zing of electricity that shot up her arm.

  Nerves. Just nerves.

  6

  Jackson

  “I have a bad feeling about this,” Mae commented as she sipped her coffee the next morning.

  Jackson ambled around her apartment’s kitchen, grabbing a tumbler from an overhead cabinet to take his coffee to go. “What’s that?” he asked as he poured the coffee—black—to the brim.

  He needed Mae’s rocket fuel. This stuff was enough to keep you wired for days, and judging by how insane his schedule was—even before his commitment to Elena—he needed all the help he could get.

  “You and Elena.” She shook her head. “She’s not as tough as she seems, you know. I love you, and I know you mean well, but I’m worried about you two. It’s not like you’re exactly on the friendliest terms.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe this will help us get back to a good spot.”

  Mae barked out a laugh. “Yeah, right. For Elena, this is a test. She’s going to watch your every move for a chance to point out that you’re the same old Jackson who tormented her in high school.”

  “I wasn’t tormenting her—”

  “I know. I know.” She waved it off. “But she sees things a little differently. I hope you know what you’re doing.”

  “I’ve got this. Don’t worry about it.”

  Mae placed her mug on the kitchen island and looked him dead in the eyes. “You can’t just wing it, Jack. This is important.”

  He tried not to let his irritation show. “Can you have a little more faith in me? Out of everyone, I thought you’d be in my corner, at least.”

  Guilt flashed across her face. Rounding the island, she gave him a hug, squeezing until his ribs felt like they would crack. Sure, Mae was tiny, but she was strong as hell. “I’m sorry. You’re right. Speaking of which,” she said, segueing into a new topic, “mom and dad want to see you.”

  Jackson cocked an eyebrow. “Dad?” he asked, disbelief lacing his voice.

  “Well, he didn’t outright say it…but—”

  “If I’m still here by the time they get back from their frolic in the islands, I’ll stop by or something.”

  “We miss you. You know that, right?”

  The seriousness in her voice pulled at his heart, almost enough to forget the family feud between him and his father. The truth was, he missed his family too. Like hell. But every time he tried to extend an olive branch, his father reminded him why he should stay away.

  Jackson had done a lot of good in the world. He was proud of everything his business had accomplished, and he knew they were just at the beginning of everything they could do. Yet, every time he was around his dad, he was transported back to his early twenties. Right around the time he told his parents he was dropping out of school to build his sustainable surfing product company.

  “You think a beach bum has what it takes to make it? In three months, after you blow all your money on marijuana and loose women, you’ll be crawling back here. Mark my words. You don’t have what it takes to make it, son.”

  Even a decade later, his father’s words still crept into his mind, making him doubt his own abilities to make it, despite the amount of success he’s had.

  Jackson was back in Charleston to make a pivotal change for his company. To take it to new heights. He couldn’t afford to let his father’s words make him choke when it came to this.

  “I miss you guys, too,” he finally managed. He screwed the lid onto his tumbler, trying his best to distract himself from the pang of anxiousness coursing through him.
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  “Big day today, huh?” Mae commented, likely noticing his shift in demeanor. She was always good at that.

  “Yup,” he said, popping the p. “I’m going to give the team the rundown of the next phase of the business. There’s still a lot of planning to figure out, but I want them to get up to speed so they don’t feel like they’re in the dark.”

  With all his travel, he made it a point to be as transparent as possible with his team, especially in the rare situations when he could be face to face with them.

  “I’m just glad this means you’re sticking around a little longer than normal. We can do stuff like old times. That is if you’re not too busy with Elena.” Mae wagged her eyebrows.

  “Is that jealousy I hear?” he teased.

  “Not at all. You have your work cut out for you with her. It’s going to be entertaining to see how she hands you your balls.”

  He laughed. “Seems like I have a lot of work cut out for me all around. I should get going.”

  “See ya,” she sing-songed as he left the apartment.

  How did four hours feel like a lifetime?

  After Jackson had gotten down to the warehouse and held his staff meeting, it felt like a flurry of activity. There was so much to catch up on, so many questions to answer. But despite it all, everyone seemed pumped by the potential expansion of their operations.

  He knew his plans to grow their warehouse space, change their delivery fleet to make it more accessible to remote locations, hire more sales and production staff, and work on a new product line was ambitious. However, he also knew he had the right team behind him. Their enthusiasm only solidified he was on the right path.

  With their support, he was ready to move forward. They might be fairly small still, but there was strength in numbers. He couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to stand by him through this.

  Now, it was just a matter of figuring out how this would all work and who he could trust to delegate to while he was on the road.