by Vivian Wood
But he'd done it for his family.
And he knew others in his position would have done the same. Not that it brought him any comfort.
He sighed, feeling the heavy burden even more.
“Every time I see something like this, I’m reminded how fleeting our lives are. That we should chase what we want with the time we're given. You have to do it… while you can,” he said as tears formed in his eyes. He was getting all choked up with emotion.
His late father had always taught him to live life to the fullest, so he wouldn't have any regrets. Eli shook his head and clenched his jaw tightly. He was living his life the exact opposite way of his father's advice.
Life always found a way to get in between him and his dreams.
He knew happiness couldn't be achieved without sacrifice. But did he really have to sacrifice Meredith – his happiness – for his political ambition?
He felt Meredith's cool hand on his face as she looked deep into his grey eyes. It was a little difficult to make out her face because of the tears in his eyes, but he could see she was worried. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the mouth, murmuring softly about how everything would be alright.
He gathered his composure. As they got down from the cab, he held Meredith's hand and together they walked toward the funeral party.
Just for today, he thought, squeezing the hand of the woman he loved.
Chapter Thirty-One
It had been several days since Meredith and Elijah had attended the funeral. Elijah had stayed busy since then, meeting with donors and campaign strategists. Meredith missed him so much. She was starting to feel like he'd completely forgotten about her.
He's worked so hard to get to this point. He can't give up now, she thought while staring blankly at the screen of her phone, wishing Lily would call her.
She was feeling restless and bored, but she couldn't find the motivation to be productive. And all she could think about was Elijah – wishing she could be with him right now, wishing he were here so they could kiss and hug and have amazing makeup sex.
She missed his touch so much. It hadn't even been a week, and she felt like she was dying without him. How was that even possible?
I’m getting more and more pathetic, she winced.
Meredith thought about how special Elijah was to her. With him, she'd done things she never thought she could do – particularly in bed. Having him around made her feel secure. He reminded her constantly how beautiful he found her.
Being with him made her feel perfect – and complete.
A knock at her door brought her back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping it would be Elijah. She almost couldn't believe it when she saw him standing outside her door.
“Hi,” he said huskily.
God, how she'd missed him awkwardly saying that word!
“Hi,” she replied.
“Look, I just want to tell you that I’m so sorry,” he mumbled softly, looking at the floor.
Meredith's face fell.
“What do you mean?” she asked, confused.
Without saying anything else, Elijah stepped inside her room, locking the door behind him. He pulled her into a deep and long kiss. She was surprised at first, but she soon relaxed against him. She'd been longing for his touch for so long.
And now, she was finally back in his arms.
Elijah’s embrace was growing tighter, making her squirm uncomfortably. He was making it hard for her to breathe.
“You’re going to kill me, Eli,” she whispered, breaking their kiss, trying to pull away from his grasp.
“I’m so sorry for not spending time with you lately,” he whispered, his voice cracking.
And for the first time in a while, she felt like she was going to melt. She was totally aware of Eli’s responsibilities and plans. And she wasn't expecting him to apologize like he was afraid of losing her.
Speechless, Meredith found her mouth being devoured with intense softness. There was longing and sincerity with the way he moved, making her respond with the same intensity.She was growing hot as he brushed a hand down her hair. But he stopped kissing her, pulling away.
“What is it?” she blurted, annoyed.
A mischievous smile flashed on Elijah’s gorgeous face before walking away to pull down the blinds and close the curtains of her room.
Licking her lips, she walked toward him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his body. She planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. She didn’t care about anything else, not now. All she knew was that she'd missed him terribly, and she wanted him to fuck her right here.
Meredith smiled when he pulled her body closer to his, squeezing her ass.
She broke contact for a moment, stripping naked and leaving her body free for his hands to explore. It didn’t take long before he started squeezing and cupping her breasts. His mouth moved from her collarbone to a pebbled nipple, making her gasp in pleasure.
“Oh, god!” she moaned, combing her fingers through his dark locks, tugging on his head.
Impatiently, she tried to unbuckle his belt so she could get him inside her as soon as possible.
“Someone’s missed me,” he teased, unfastening his belt when she struggled to remove it.
“Anyone would grow impatient after waiting for so long,” she answered with a frown.
She unzipped his pants and freed him from his boxers.
“Someone’s missed me,” she said sexily as she watched him grow in her hands while stroking him up and down. She moaned when she sat down on his lap, lining him up with her wet entrance.
But Elijah suddenly lifted her up, standing up and making her pout with frustration. She watched him remove the rest of his clothing, revealing his chiseled body.
She groaned as she moved to the bed.He crawled over her, his hands spreading her thighs wide as he placed his cock between her velvety wet folds.
“Oh, god…” she moaned against his mouth.
When she tried to wrap her arms around his neck, he caught her hands, intertwining his fingers with his, holding them above her head. She bit her lower lip in anticipation as her body hummed with excitement and need.
He teased her slowly and deliberately with the head of his cock, rubbing it back and forth over her hard clit, but refusing to enter her even as she bucked her hips. She thought she was going to go insane if he didn't fuck her soon.
She thrashed her head on the bed, begging him to continue but he rocked against her, sending shivers up her spine.
“Ohhhh…” she whispered as he kissed her roughly, biting her bottom lip and groaning into his mouth.
Meredith gasped as he filled her in one fluid thrust without warning her beforehand. She screamed with pleasure as he pounded her pussy.
She could already feel her walls quivering around him as he slid in and out of her faster and deeper. He kissed her and she began to feel the telltale flutters of her release.
“Yes! Yes, yes, yes,” she cried as her legs locked even tighter around his waist.
Elijah took her lips in a passionate kiss as he claimed her body, driving her to her climax before he himself reached his peak.
He moaned into her mouth as he shot his load, muscles tightening and heart racing.
Meredith stroked his back with one hand whilst the other played with his hair as they lay together, catching their breath – and maybe preparing for another round.
After a couple of minutes, her phone started ringing. She silenced it without looking at the caller ID, wanting to enjoy more time with Elijah. She wanted to make the best of it while she still could. She wouldn’t know when they’d be together next.
She wouldn't let anyone disturb them.
“It's okay. Take it,” Elijah whispered before planting a kiss on her temple.
Obligingly, she answered the call with a furrowed brow. It was an unregistered caller.
“Hello?” she spoke, glancing at Elijah who was also curious who was calling.
“This
is Vernice from Marie Claire. Is this Meredith Fields?” Her heart skipped a beat.
Someone from Marie Claire was calling her!
Eyeing Elijah, she grabbed her robe and went out onto the terrace. She wasn't expecting to get a call from someone as big as Marie Claire.
“Speaking. What made you call?” she asked, wincing when she realized she sounded too casual.
“I’m an editor from Marie Claire, and I’ve been enjoying the stuff you’ve been writing for the paper. I'm very interested in sitting down with you and talking about your next move,” Vernice said.
Meredith blinked in surprise. Had she just gotten an offer from one of the biggest fashion and lifestyle magazines in the world?
She swallowed, struggling for words.
“I’ll be on the road for the next three weeks, at least… or maybe more,” she answered, stealing glances at Elijah who was starting to get dressed.
Vernice chuckled.
“Yeah, I know. I’d be very delighted to see you when you get back to New York.”
Biting her lip, she looked at Eli who was already standing in front of her, fully dressed. He looked pensive.
“Sure. I’ll get in touch once I’m off the road,” she said, which Vernice gladly agreed to.
When the phone call ended, Eli asked her who it was, looking curious more than ever when she averted her gaze. She didn’t want him to think that she was leaving the campaign.
No. She didn’t want to leave the campaign.
She wanted to stay with him until the election.
“Someone from Marie Claire,” she answered softly, walking past him and sitting at the foot of the bed. “But I don’t think I’m going to call them back,” she added, fidgeting with her fingernails.
She sighed.
It was a huge opportunity. But she felt like things were going too fast for her career. She wanted to take things easy. And enjoy what she currently had… Elijah.
Meredith raised her head when she saw Elijah’s feet in front of hers. He wasn't stupid, and telling him that it was nothing would be ridiculous.
“Why not?” he asked with narrowed eyes, unconvinced.
“It’s just… nothing.”
“They called you for nothing?”
“It’s nothing important, okay? I’m going to the gym,” she snapped. Her thoughts were still a jumbled mess.
She didn't mean to sound so bitchy. But she didn't know how to handle the situation. And she didn't want Eli to think she was turning down a brilliant opportunity just because of him.
“I trust you can see yourself out,” she said quietly, gathering her gym clothes, locking herself in the bathroom.
She needed some time alone to clear her head and organize her thoughts.
She needed to think.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Elijah couldn't understand why Meredith would turn down an offer from a company as big as Marie Claire. When she snapped at him, he knew that the job was something she really wanted.
It was something she'd been looking forward to for a very long time.
He didn’t want to get ahead of himself, but he had a feeling that it was all because of him. And her relationship with him was the biggest factor in why she declined the offer. He didn’t want her to lose opportunities because of him. He wasn't willing to give up his career just to be with her.
At least, he thought he wasn't.
“I don’t want you to lose something as big as this, Meredith. I want you to reconsider your decision. I don’t want to get in between you and your dreams.”
She scoffed.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, Elijah. I’m not turning it down because of you. The decision is for me to make. You don’t have anything to do with it. Besides, did you ever consider me when you're making decisions?” she barked angrily, planting her hands on her hips.
She was deadly serious.
Eli fell silent.
“Oh, why did I even bother to ask the obvious? Of course you don't. Your ambition is a whole different thing. And you're not even taking our relationship into account,” she smirked, then shrugged. “If you can even call this a relationship,” she muttered under her breath.
He stayed quiet and looked at her. He knew that she was thinking about it all along. But he didn't expect that he'd be speechless the moment she’d bring up the topic. It was hard to answer or even deny. Because everything she said was true.
Gritting his teeth, his hands balled into fists. Although he knew he was in the wrong, he was hurt. He was just trying to make her see the possibilities of a brilliant career ahead of her. He only wanted her to pursue what she wanted to do.
But maybe it was a wrong move.
“Fine! Do whatever you want. And you can’t ever put anything that happened tonight in print,” he spoke coldly.
It was their very first fight. And he didn’t want her to take it to heart. He was afraid that everything would change because of the damned argument. If possible, he just wanted them to forget about it.
Meredith let out a dry laugh. Her face turned red, as well as the tips of her ears. She folded her arms over her chest. She looked insulted.
“I thought you trusted me. All this time, you've been thinking I'd break my promise to you just to get back at you? You disgust me!” she shouted at the top of her lungs.
“You're acting like a spoiled brat. You think everything should go your way because you've had everything handed to you on a silver fucking platter your entire life. That's not how the real world works, Meredith,” he growled. He could see she was angry, but he couldn't stop himself from adding the next part.
“But what can I do? You’re just a little girl. You don’t understand anything,” he said, shrugging for a more sarcastic effect.
Her eyes widened. Maybe he'd gone too far.
Pursing her lips, she met his gaze with the same intensity of anger. She didn’t look the least bit intimidated with his stares, or scared of his aura. She was undaunted as she filled her chest with air and released a heavy breath.
“I can understand you perfectly when we're fucking each other. Things are crystal clear then. But I couldn't understand the relationship between us, no matter how hard I tried,” she grumbled. She paused, then scoffed. “But I guess I understand it now.”
Eli watched as her eyes filled with tears, and it broke his heart when a tear rolled down her cheek. He hadn't wanted to hurt her. He never meant to.
And he didn’t want to see her cry.
He reached out to wipe away her tears, but she jerked away from him like she'd been burned. Rubbing at her face, she shot him a look of utter contempt and disgust. That was when he realized the words he'd spoken had been more than enough to break their bond.
He never should have called her a spoiled brat, because she wasn't, not really. And saying that she didn't understand anything had just been cruel.
Meredith may be young, but she was undeniably brilliant.
Her intelligence made her sexier than any of the women he'd known in his past.
She was everything he wanted.
No.
She was all he wanted.
But it seemed like he'd be losing her for good after this. It was all so stupid.
“I didn’t mea–“
“This is just another fling. I’m just one of those women for you,” she spoke in almost a whisper, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Elijah struggled for the right words to say to put her at ease, but his mind felt like it was shutting down entirely as he watched her.
He'd already made up his mind – he couldn't quit his political ambitions, and he was willing to give up the happiness he'd found with Meredith. Arguing with her and insisting she was more than a fling would just be giving her false hope at this point.
Even though for him, she wasn't just a fling.
She was one in a million.
And even though their time together was short and fleeting, she'd given him a glimpse of real happines
s. He'd always cherish the memories they'd made together.
He fought the urge to pull her close for a hug. He wanted nothing more than to embrace her tightly, soothe away her pains, and reassure her that he would stay by her side no matter what.
But he knew he couldn’t do that.
She shot him a disappointed glare before storming out of his room without sparing him another glance.
She was badly hurt, he could tell. But things were better this way.
Chapter Thirty-Three
After the fight with Elijah, Meredith spent the remaining weeks of the final campaign push working her ass off in order to get him out of her mind.
She missed him so badly.
But she couldn't stop obsessing over the things he'd said to her.
She'd thought Elijah was different. That her family's wealth and status didn't matter to him. After the times they'd spent together and the conversations they'd had, she'd thought he'd understood her. Come to find out, he hadn't really understood her at all.
She'd been deeply hurt because she wasn't like that.
She was grateful for what she had, and worked hard not to come across as a spoiled princess.
But the absolute worst was when he'd just gone along with what she'd said about just being another one of his flings. Deep down, she'd wanted him to comfort her and tell her she was more than that. That she was special, and that he really liked her.
And maybe…
Just maybe, things would have turned out a lot better if he'd just told her he loved her.
Because she knew…
She'd fallen in love with him, hard and fast.
It was like she was falling into a bottomless pit – there was no end to it.
Knocking back a shot of whisky, Meredith smiled bitterly, thinking that it was definitely for the best that Elijah hadn't bothered to chase her. The last thing she needed was him getting her hopes up for the millionth time.
Now she knew not to expect anything from him. He'd made it crystal clear that she was nothing more than a fling, a toy used to kill time and relieve his sexual frustrations. She was just the latest in a long line of women who'd fallen for his charms.