Safer Alone (The Safer Duet #1)

by Amy Rose

  Sandra then takes her leave. Luckily, she pulls Jenny with her, whispering with each other about who my mystery man could possibly be.

  I hop up from my position behind the desk, walking around so I can close my office door. I resume my seat and retrieve my phone from its spot in the handbag that is safely stashed in the bottom drawer of my desk. I open up the camera app and position it in front of myself, after smoothing my hair and making sure the angle is right I take a selfie of myself holding the bouquet of roses and then send it to Elliot. I follow this up with a short thank-you text message:

  <: Thank you for the flowers. They are beautiful :)

  I deposit my phone back into my handbag not waiting for a reply. I sit the flowers on the cabinet located on the sidewall of my office. My desk isn’t overly large. so having such a large added item on my desk would make working difficult. Once complete, I get back into the contract that I was reading before my special delivery.

  Once I have completed five of the six contracts, I’m feeling good, the afternoon has gone by quickly without any more interruptions. I’ve been able to get through a lot of work, with the sixth contract in hand, I skim over the first two pages. I hear a tap at the door.

  “Yeah,” I call out without looking up, it swings open.

  “I heard you got flowers. He sure is a lucky guy.”

  It’s evident that it is James standing there, I know that voice anywhere. I mark the spot in the contract I am up to before looking up and smiling at him.

  “How did you know I received flowers. Is the office full of gossip about it already?”

  He shifts the strap of his shoulder bag uncomfortably. “Those of us who know you well are surprised, that’s all. I mean, I consider you one of my closest friends, Angie, and I didn’t even know you were dating.”

  Before I can explain he is walking away. I look down at my watch and see it is 5:00 pm. It’s time to head home for the day. I shut down my computer and sling my bag over my shoulder collecting the bouquet, I hold it close to my chest.

  I wander out to the car, laying the flowers on the back seat, I then get into the driver’s seat, throwing my handbag onto the passenger seat floor. When the engine purrs to life I begin the drive home, the entire time thinking about what James had just said to me. He was hurt, there was no doubt about that. I really should tell those people important to me about Elliot.

  James was right. As much as I am close to him, he is really important to me too. He has been my safety net, the guy I knew was interested in me so when I was ready to jump back into the dating circle I could go with him. He was safe, everything that I should want in a guy and yet Elliot came along and before I knew it, I was now dating him and receiving bouquets of flowers. All the while no one in my life knows it.

  Liam, I haven’t told Liam. I immediately feel guilty. Liam told me about Jessica the first time he laid eyes on her. I had to call Liam and tell him, I pull into the designated parking spot for my apartment, collecting my items. I lock the car and make my way to my apartment. Once inside I place the flowers into a vase of water and proudly display the card in front of them. After showering and eating dinner, I fish my phone out of my bag and see two text messages from Elliot:

  <: I’m glad you like them, baby.

  <: Hope you have had a good day, Missing you.

  I can’t help but smile, he misses me just like I miss him. I tap out a quick reply:

  <: Only 13 more days, babe :)

  With my phone already in hand, I locate Liam’s phone number and hit call. It rings twice before I hear his voice on the other end of the phone.

  “Hey Angie, it’s been a while since I’ve heard from you. How’s life?”

  The guilty feeling from earlier reappears. It’s true I haven’t spoken to him since letting him know his offer was accepted on the property, which, come to think about it, should be closing later this week.

  “I’m sorry about that Liam. I’ve been so busy with work and other things. Are you guys all ready for the move this weekend?”

  “Sure are. Jessica and I have taken Friday and Monday off so we have four days to shift all of our things into our new place. Are you free to help?”

  This will be a great chance to keep myself busy and tell Liam all about Elliot.

  “I sure am. I can help on Saturday afternoon after the four showings I have scheduled and Sunday all day if you want?”

  I hear him yell out to Jess that I will be helping with the move.

  “Sounds good, Ange, thanks for that.”

  “You’re welcome. By the way, I have some news to tell you.”

  I don’t have to wait long for him to answer.

  “Oooh, news, hey? Tell me it’s a boyfriend.”

  I smile into the phone, Liam is so easy to talk to.

  “Indeed it is a boyfriend. His name is Elliot and he lives in New York. It’s super early in the relationship but I spent the weekend with him at his place. We have a lot in common. I would really like for you to meet him so you can let me know what you think.”

  I pause before voicing my real concern.

  “He runs in the same circles as Dad, so I think it will come out eventually who I am.”

  Liam knows everything about me, about my entire past in New York and what that means.

  “I get it Angie, you’re worried he will think differently about you when he finds out your loaded, but if he runs in the same circles as John then I’m guessing he probably has a fair bit of money himself. Am I wrong?”

  “He owns his own business and is very successful. And from what Wikipedia says, he is super wealthy, way more so than I.”

  Liam lets this sink in before continuing.

  “Angie, are you talking about Elliot Sands?. The guy who made his fortune in commercial real estate?”

  I can’t believe he figured out who Elliot was just from his first name, and the fact he runs in the same circles as my dad.

  “Yeah, the very same Elliot Sands. Do you know him?”

  What if they know each other. What if he knows something about him that I should know?

  “I don’t know him exactly. I know who he is though, our parents know each other and if his parents know my parents then you can bet your bottom dollar that he knows who your father is. My dad isn’t as big of a fish as your dad is in the game.”

  Liam’s dad, Robert, is an architect just like my own father, except my dad has gotten a lot more high-profile jobs then his. However, the jobs that Robert has got have been multimillion dollar building designs.

  This is why I needed to speak to Liam, I needed to tell him all about Elliot. He still has connections back in New York, one conversation and I’m ready to bail. He could find out my secret. I ask Liam the one question I truly need answered, answered by the one person who I trust the most in this world.

  “Should I tell him who I am?”

  “Angie, if it were me, I would tell him. It’s better if he hears it from you than finding out from someone else.” There is a pause. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Angie. You have money, so what?”

  He is right, I know he is, it’s only money at the end of the day. I just like the way I get treated when people don’t think I am entitled to anything. I get treated like normal.

  “Have you told him about Dylan?”

  It takes me by surprise that he would ask this question, after all he knows every single detail of what happened to me.

  “No, I had a nightmare though, I called out his name in my sleep. He asked who he was, I told him he was my ex and that he was physically abusive.”

  Liam is quiet, no doubt processing what he has just heard

  “You slept with him?”

  “We shared a bed. He slept on top of the covers with a blanket. We laid next to each other and talked, and got to know each other. He told me he is waiting for marriage, just like I am.”

  Liam makes a grunting noise.

  “If you think you are going to get serious with him, Ange, you have
to tell him everything. Make sure he knows you won’t stand for any of that bullshit.”

  I have to laugh at his last statement, it’s true, it was total bullshit that I had to put up with throughout my relationship with Dylan.

  “Thanks for the advice, honey. I’ll think about it.”

  “No worries Angie, that’s what best friends are for. By the way, do I collect the keys from you on Thursday afternoon?”

  Of course, he is collecting the keys from my office.

  “If I am there I’ll give them to you myself, if not I’ll leave them with Jenny. I have a few appointments to get to on Thursday afternoon. No matter what though, I’ll see you on Saturday. I’ll give you a call when I’m on my way.”

  “Sounds good, see you soon, girl.”

  “Bye, Liam.”

  I end the phone call, having more on my mind now than I did earlier. Elliot has changed my perspective on a relationship. With him there is no pressure, no fear, he treats me so incredibly well, spoils me really, first class tickets on airplanes, double decker buses from London and a dozen red roses today, just because he misses me. However, for all the wonderful things, I can’t help but feel down in the pit of my stomach something is going to go wrong, something that I won’t be able to handle. My protective instincts are kicking in, telling me to jump now, before it’s too late.

  For the past four years I have been by myself, it’s easier that way, safer that way. I never have to worry about having my heart broken, or bones for that matter. I have locked away that part of my soul, that precious part that has needed so much time to heal after what Dylan did to it. It’s been kept hidden all this time, not wanting anyone to touch it.

  But here and now I am being challenged. Elliot is offering me a possible future, I can see one with him. My subconscious sees it too, offering me dreams of what our future could possibly be. Part of me wants to jump in feet first and go for it, the possibility of a happily ever after with him is so enticing and yet, another part of me, that deeper part of my soul is holding back, knowing that heartache can come from falling in love, knowing that when it all comes crashing down I will be a mess.

  I need to make a decision. Since Dylan, I promised myself that I wouldn’t ever let anyone get that close to me again. I couldn’t possibly let it happen ever again, the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional turbulence that I still experience during those nightmares. I know that the only way to protect myself is to push Elliot away, keep my heart protected at all costs. I know that I will be Safer Alone.

  Alone, that’s what it comes down to. Do I really want to spend the rest of my life alone? Love is risky business, you give someone your heart they can either take it in their hands and protect it, nurture it and help it to blossom with their own love, or they can smash it into a million pieces.

  Elliot is nothing like Dylan, not even one tiny bit. I want to believe that it will be different, that being with him will be nothing like it was with Dylan. I know that there are going to be difficulties, we live in an entirely different time zone for Pete’s sake, that in itself is going to be a gigantic hurdle we will need to jump eventually. We can’t live apart forever, not if it does end up being my happily ever after.

  Can I really move back to New York? A town where there are too many memories of so much heartache? My heart answers for me, for Elliot I would.

  I shake my head, needing to clear my mind of these thoughts that are becoming all consuming. I turn off all the lights and wander into the bedroom. After brushing my teeth, I relax my body into the comfort of my bed, collecting the book that is currently occupying a spot on my nightstand. I flip open the pages until I am looking at my bookmark.

  I’m re-reading one of my well-worn, well read books. Probably my favorite of all time at the moment. The Notebook, it’s one of the most incredible romance stories of all time. I’m in the midst of one of my stand out quotes of the novel, one that for some reason resonates with my current situation with Elliot;

  “We fell in love, despite our differences, and once we did, something rare and beautiful was created. For me, love like that has only happened once, and that’s why every minute we spent together has been seared in my memory. I’ll never forget a single moment of it”.

  The way Noah speaks to Allie has always moved me. Even though Nicholas Sparks is a romantic genius, it has never stopped me from believing there are real guys out there like his male characters. And just like that, once again my thoughts return to my own relationship. So far Elliot has been completely open and honest with me, he has told me about his ex-girlfriend, he admitted he has baggage of his own, he invited me to meet his parents. He has also been romantic, dinner by candlelight, sleeping next to me without making a move. He even sent me flowers today, after yesterday finding out I had an abusive ex who haunts my dreams.

  Liam was right, Elliot deserved that I be just as open and honest with him. I may not be ready to tell him everything tonight, but during our time together over Christmas I need to divulge some of my secrets. I can tell him that I have money, that shouldn’t change anything between us. I can tell him about Dylan, tell him what happened that we ended badly. I can give him enough information to make his own decision about us, whether we have a future or not.

  At the end of the day, I can’t deny that I have feelings for him, strong feelings, feelings that I did not expect to experience this soon in our relationship. All I can do is hope that he accepts me for all of who I am. For my past is part of my present, and without the past and present, there cannot be a future. A future I hope that Elliot Sands will be a part of.

  Maybe, just maybe there is hope for us yet.

  ###

  Keep your eyes open for Safer Together, where we find out if Angela and Elliot really do find their Happily Ever After, or if something prevents that from happening.

  Book two of The Safer Duet coming soon.

  ~ Acknowledgements ~

  When I wrote the very first few paragraphs of this novel, I was excited and nervous at the same time. When I completed the novel, many months later, another feeling emerged: pride.

  It’s really is something quite amazing, completing this novel, putting my whole heart into these characters and then setting them free so you can all get to meet them and fall in love with them too.

  Thank you to my husband Shane for being the very first reader of Safer Alone and for all of the “Baby Wrangling” you did whilst I spent hours in front of the computer.

  Thank you to my sons Mason and Oliver for being good boys, having plenty of naps and being as cooperative as babies can be. I love all three of you to the moon and back.

  Thank you to my dear friend Autumn, who spent many hours helping me get my head around American terminology.

  ~ About the Author ~

  Amy Rose is a young woman with a passion for telling a story.

  In August 2011, she married her husband Shane. In November 2015 they welcomed their son Mason Jack, and finally in September 2018, Oliver James made his appearance.

  It was during this time spent as a stay at home mother she began to write Safer Alone. This is the first book in the Safer Duet series.

  When she isn’t writing, you are most likely to find her spending time with her family, baking sweets, taking photographs, reading and traveling.

  ~ Connect with Amy Rose ~

  I really appreciate you reading my book!

  I would love to connect with you. Here are my social media coordinates:

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  Email me at:

  amyroseauthor@gmail.com

 

 

 
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