The Wicked Collection

by Vivian Wood

  It was possible he would break her heart all over again, but at least this way she wouldn't be left wondering about all the what ifs she couldn't stop thinking about.

  During the drive, she thought long and hard about the questions she wanted to ask him. It would be best to be prepared. She just hoped she could remain calm.

  Just the idea of asking him about his feelings was starting to make her feel anxious. But she knew she needed to make the first move.

  She didn't want to have any regrets, come what may.

  And if the worst came to pass, it'd be best for her to hear it directly from him, so she could start moving on with her life.

  After parking her car in front of Eli's house, she ran through the same breathing exercises she'd used to help calm herself down the night of the party. The night where it had all started, for better or for worse. She didn't bother looking in the mirror. She wasn't there to impress him, after all.

  She just needed some answers. That's it.

  She got out of her car and quickly walked to his front door, knocking three times. She knew it was late, and him not being home or asleep were both very real possibilities. But she still had to try.

  After a few moments, she knocked again. But there was no answer.

  Biting her lip, she tested the knob and was surprised when she learned the door was unlocked. Without hesitating, she walked inside and looked around the living room and kitchen. Still, there was no trace of Elijah.

  Meredith decided to go to the pool area where the party had been held the last time she'd been at his house. The lights were on, making her feel certain that Elijah was still awake and that he was somewhere on the patio.

  When she reached the slightly opened glass sliding door leading to the pool area, she saw him leaning against a wooden chair. He was talking with Sosie, but she couldn't see their faces because of the angle.

  Just after she took a step closer, Elijah held Sosie’s hand in the air, leaning closer – kissing her. Meredith wasn't sure what they were doing, but she was certain that whatever was happening wasn't good for her heart.

  She covered her mouth with a hand to suppress the gasp that was trying to escape, her knees growing weak as she stared at them. Elijah was kissing Sosie!

  She was not expecting to see that.

  Tears welled in her eyes as she struggled for air. She could feel a piercing pain in her heart, as if a thousand tiny needles were pricking it repeatedly.

  She was feeling an unimaginable pain she'd never experienced before.

  God, she was so stupid! He'd already made it clear she was nothing more than a fling. Talking wouldn't change that. What had she been thinking, barging into his house like she had any kind of right to be there?

  She needed to get out of here before they saw her. She didn't think she could deal with Sosie right now, let alone Elijah after what she'd just witnessed.

  Turning on her heels, she accidentally bumped into a table in her haste, knocking a large decorative vase to the floor, where it shattered.

  She stared stupidly at the broken pieces of glass for a split second before she quickly ran away without looking back.

  She never should have gone there.

  It was a mistake.She didn’t know how she'd made it out of his house without being discovered, but the next thing she knew she was already inside her car, starting the engine and pulling away.

  Damn you, Elijah Scott! she cursed silently, as tears continued to fall down her cheeks.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Elijah was shocked to see Meredith standing by the door. One hand covered her mouth and her eyes were wide, making him realize she was probably thinking he'd made a move on Sosie.

  Fuck!

  Without saying a word, he shoved Sosie away, taking quick footsteps to follow Meredith who was running away like she was scared of him. He wanted to tell her that what she was thinking was wrong.

  He didn’t want her to think that he was doing just fine without her. Or that he was having fun with someone new. Because neither of those things were even remotely true.

  He wanted to talk to her and tell her what she really meant to him. He wanted to hug her, and kiss her. He wanted to make things right between them.

  But Meredith was growing more and more distant, and he couldn’t blame her.

  After the argument they'd had, it would be a miracle if she forgave him. He'd said awful things he couldn't take back.

  And now, she'd misunderstood what she'd seen. Sosie had been lecturing him about the campaign, as usual. And he'd gotten pissed off when she started pointing her fingers in his face. So he'd gripped her arm to prevent her from doing that while Sosie snarled at him. From Meredith's vantage point it must have looked like he'd been getting ready to hook up with Sosie.

  Fuck.

  “Meredith,” he called out, but she didn't stop. She just continued running until she reached her car.

  Please hear me out, he murmured to himself as he watched her drive away, leaving him in the driveway. What did I do to deserve this kind of torture?

  Gritting his teeth, he marched back inside the house then punched the first thing that caught his eye – a vase identical to the one Meredith had broke. He was mad for not being able to tell her what he wanted to say. He was mad at himself for being such a coward.

  “Let her be,” he heard Sosie mutter from the far corner of the living room, making him grow even angrier.

  If it wasn’t for her, he would probably be having a calm conversation with Meredith right now. If it wasn't for her, Meredith wouldn’t have gotten the wrong idea.

  “Shut up!”

  Sosie narrowed her eyes. She looked pissed..

  “Don’t tell me you’re in love with her,” she sneered.

  Eli didn't bother to reply, because he knew his face was giving away how he truly felt.

  He was in love with Meredith.

  “Answer me, Elijah!” Sosie yelled from across the room. Her normally cool and collected demeanor was totally ruined as her hands clenched into tight fists.

  Eli felt guilty when he saw tears streaming down Sosie’s face. For a long time, he'd known about her feelings toward him. And he'd thought it wouldn’t be so bad to date her after the election, until Meredith showed up, turning his world upside down.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. He didn’t know what else to say.

  “You idiot! You’re risking your chances of winning the election for some... little girl!” she screamed angrily, biting her lips. He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a drop of blood on her lower lip.

  Pinching the bridge of his nose, he closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.

  “Maybe I care about Meredith more than winning,” he spoke softly, then smiled bitterly. It had taken him far too long to understand what was more important to him.

  “Would that be so bad?” he added, looking at Sosie who had gone red.

  She walked up to him, gritting her teeth in anger.

  “You made a mistake choosing her over me, Elijah,” she hissed, pointing a finger in his face. “You'll regret it.”

  With that, Sosie stormed out of his house, her heels rapidly clicking on the concrete.

  Feeling drained, he sank to the floor, feeling completely hopeless. He didn’t know what to do, and he didn't think her parents would appreciate it very much if he just showed up at Meredith’s house. He wasn’t sure what he would say, or how he would even start talking to her.

  Is this the end of everything?

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Meredith slowly opened her eyes when she felt someone shaking her awake. Rubbing at her eyelids, she realized it was Bonnie. She sat up in bed with a smile, happy as always to see her little sister.

  “Hey, I didn’t know you would be back from your trip today,” she murmured then yawned, pressing a hand over her mouth.

  “Yeah, well. The election's in a few days and Brittany's father said she had to be back by today and she was the one driving, so…”
/>   Meredith groaned.

  “Jesus! You’re right. I wish I could just… sleep until it’s all over,” she grumbled, pulling a pillow over her face.

  She didn’t want to hear anything about the election. She was so fucking nervous about the results. If only they could just fast forward to the end already.

  “Well, you’d better check out today’s news. You feature prominently in the headline,” Bonnie mumbled, flipping the pages of the paper deliberately for her to hear.

  Jumping out of bed, she raced over to Bonnie and snatched the copy of the paper out of her hands before flopping back onto her bed. Meredith's eyes widened when she saw a photo of Eli splashed across the front page, along with her senior photo from her high school yearbook in the corner. The headline read, WANNABE PREZ HAS AFFAIR WITH YOUNG REPORTER.

  She felt like she'd been doused with ice cold water.

  Not really knowing how to react, Meredith placed a hand over her mouth, looking at Bonnie – asking for help. What was she supposed to do?

  “Oh my god…” she whispered as her heart thudded painfully against her ribcage.

  Her parents were going to kill her.

  “Mom and Dad haven’t found out yet, but they will soon,” Bonnie said with an apologetic expression on her face.

  “Oh, god,” she whispered again, still at a loss for words.

  “Yeah. I thought I should wake you up before they did… give you a chance to sneak out.” Bonnie shot her a worried look, then nodded her head as if she completely understood her situation.

  Instantly, Meredith found herself pulling her sister close for a tight hug. She then kissed her on the cheek before getting to her feet.

  “Thank you,” she muttered gratefully before quickly grabbing a bag and throwing the essentials inside - a couple of changes of clothes, her laptop, cellphone and wallet. She splashed her face with water and hurriedly got dressed, making sure to grab a pair of oversized sunglasses and a ball cap.

  She had to make sure nobody recognized her, or she'd be mobbed by the press before she could even think properly.

  After saying goodbye to Bonnie, she slipped out of the mansion and drove away in her car, taking an alternate route only her family and the staff knew about. She managed to avoid the press entirely, but she wanted to vomit when she saw how many people were already camped out in front of her house.

  When she was out of the subdivision, she pulled into a parking garage and checked her phone, only to find missed calls from Eli, Lily, Sosie, and all the other reporters from the campaign. Cursing, she dialed Eli first. She wanted to know who'd broken the story to the media.

  And she wanted to know how he was handling the scandal.

  After a few rings, he picked up, which made her feel relieved at least.

  “Meredith,” she heard Sosie say instead, making her heart sink. Why was Sosie answering Eli's phone?

  She felt a surge of jealousy as she was suddenly reminded of what she had seen between them the other night. But that wasn't the point. She had to talk to Eli.

  “Umm… Hi, Sosie,” she said awkwardly.

  “You shouldn’t be calling this number,” Sosie replied, and her dislike was obvious by her tone.

  “I… It’s Eli’s phone. Why are you answering it?” she questioned, unable to hold back any longer. She was really getting on her nerves.

  “He called me when this shitstorm hit the internet last night. Someone needs to handle this mess,” Sosie responded flatly.

  Meredith breathed in to control her temper, her grip on the steering wheel growing tighter. She swore she’d really give Sosie a piece of her mind when everything was over. She'd just been holding back until now because they were working together on the campaign with her.

  “Can I talk to him?”

  Sosie scoffed, and she could picture the disdainful look on the woman’s stern face.

  “You cannot even begin to understand how far away from him you need to stay away. Like, permanently,” Sosie answered in a warning tone.

  But she wasn't going to let it end like that. She needed to talk to him.

  “If I could just talk to him—“

  “Yeah, no. He does not want to talk to you. He wants nothing to do with his dirty little secret. And a little piece of advice? Don’t talk to the press. You should know – you’re one of them. You guys are like vultures,” Sosie said disgustedly.

  “Sosie, please—“

  “Gotta go, Meredith. CNN is calling.”

  With that, the line went dead, leaving Meredith to stare blankly at her phone.

  Her face was in the paper, and now she was laying low as if she was a criminal. Worse, she wasn't even allowed to talk to Elijah! Just what the hell was happening?

  Punching her dashboard, she screamed, letting out her frustrations before she got back on the road. She'd missed her chance to make things right with Eli. Now it was too late.

  Everything was ruined.

  Gripping the wheel, she decided that finding a place to stay was her first priority. She needed to head somewhere far from the city – where people would barely recognize her.

  She would deal with things once her mind cleared up.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Elijah rushed to get inside his SUV, ignoring the swarm of reporters all thrusting microphones into his face and shouting questions regarding his affair with Meredith Fields. He was exhausted, and all he wanted to do was see and talk to Meredith.

  But he couldn't afford to do that.

  He didn't want to make things worse for her. He'd heard she'd left her parents' house early this morning and gone into hiding somewhere.

  Plus, he was worried about what her father would do to her.

  When the car pulled away from the curb, he looked at Sosie, who was busy checking her phone. It was evident that she was repressing a self-satisfied smirk.

  Clenching his hands, he looked away with his jaw tensed. He awoke late last night to a story about him and Meredith coming up as an alert on his phone. At first, he thought that Sosie was behind it. But when he burst into her hotel room, she was fast asleep and as confused as anyone.

  With twenty minutes until the press descended on him, he decided that it didn’t matter whether or not Sosie had planted the story. He needed someone to spin this for him.

  And Sosie was the only person who could do that.

  Looking out the window, he wondered where Meredith was. She must have been a complete mess.The news was everywhere.Press were still camped outside her house, going crazy whenever someone came or went. Still, there was no sign of Meredith.

  He was so worried.

  If he could only talk to her…

  Election Day was almost here, and for once, he couldn't care less about the results. All he knew was that he wanted to see Meredith safe and sound.

  “I’m done with campaigning,” he spoke, glancing at Sosie again.

  “You'll be on CNN and MSNBC, and then we'll make a stop where you shake hands…”

  “No. I’m done,” he stated firmly, cutting her off as she started scrolling through notes on her phone.

  Sosie shot him a defiant glare.

  “You’ve worked so hard to get here. You deserve to be president, Elijah. Hell, if you aren’t president, who's going to look out for soldiers like your brother?”

  His jaw tensed as he gritted his teeth, unable to argue with the woman’s remarks. But damn her for being so honest about things!

  “I want you to bring Meredith here. I need to know she’s okay,” he muttered helplessly.

  “You need to look out for your own interests first. The election is in two days. After the election, you can do whatever you want.”

  He smiled bitterly, then frowned. “If I lose, you mean.”

  “No, I didn’t mean that,” Sosie said defensively.

  “If I win the election, it’ll be a miracle. And then everyone will be so busy gearing up for the White House, romance will be pushed aside until god knows when,”
he said sarcastically while shaking his head.

  Sosie scowled, but after a moment she cleared her throat.

  “Well, I won’t lie. I certainly hope that you do win. For a thousand reasons.”

  With an eyebrow raised, he looked out the window, stewing.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Meredith woke up with a heavy heart the following morning. She didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with her life now that she was trying to avoid the media. She wished all of it was just a dream.

  Rolling over to one side of the bed, she suddenly felt that she wasn't alone in the room.. Startled, she sat up, and saw Bonnie and Lily staring at her.

  Meredith groaned, wanting to think that this had all been some nightmare and soon she'd wake up.. The mere sight of Bonnie and Lily reminded her that she was in a hotel in the suburbs, desperately trying to escape the commotion back home.

  “What a nice way to greet a friend who’s traveled around the globe just to see you,” Lily said.

  Meredith pursed her lips, got up, and hugged her best friend. Tears started forming in her eyes as she sighed on Lily’s shoulder. She was happy and relieved. She'd been starting to think that she was alone, and had forgotten about her best friend who was always willing to help..

  “It's going to be okay,” Lily said.“How do you know? This isn’t exactly like when our friends broke up in college. This is a huge scandal.” Meredith was not the least bit enthusiastic about arguing with Lily.

  While Bonnie called for room service to get breakfast, Meredith washed up to feel a little better. At least, she wasn't going to eat alone now that she had her sister and best friend with her.

  She was still blessed, after all.

  While enjoying breakfast, Lily and Bonnie pestered her to tell them everything about her and Elijah. And she was more than willing to tell her story. She just missed him so bad, to the point where she thought it wouldn’t be so bad to spill all the beans now that everything was out in the open.