2X The Hear

by Nicole Elliot

  “Emilia, we have to be there in twenty minutes!”

  Ivy had a key to my place and started letting herself in. I was going to an annual flower convention downtown. Its main purpose was to book companies like mine for different gigs. I hoped to build the clientele there, all the people Tristan sent me have started to die down.

  “Coming!”

  I covered my red eyes with eyeliner and fixed my dress. I forced myself to wear this bright green sundress when all I wanted was to wear sweats and eat ice cream. At first I ate a bunch of junk food, now I just ate little to nothing. My clothes were fitting looser. I remembered how much Tristan loved my body, he would barely recognize me now.

  “Okay, let’s go.” Ivy eyed me warily. She knew I had been crying. She just knew me well.

  She drove us down town and we started setting up. The tables were already there so we just decorated, she made a really nice table cloth with my logo on it. The business cards and portfolio were set out and we sat behind the table, watching the room fill up with other vendors.

  “You were crying this morning.” She commented. I shrugged.

  “Yeah. As usual.”

  “Honey, why don’t you call him? He isn’t mad. You can fix this.” She clasped my hand.

  I shook my head, taking a deep breath to keep from crying.

  “I can’t. There is nothing I can do without making a fool of myself. Let’s just focus on this, please.”

  She nodded. “The flowers will be here soon.”

  I nodded. I checked the ad I had put out on Facebook. It got a lot of likes, so I felt a lot of people would show. But there was competition. Everyone in the room was just as good, if not better.

  A few minutes later, a service trolley rolled in with a beautiful array of buttercups and baby’s breath. I smiled, my favorite. Then it headed right towards us.

  “Are you Emilia Michelle?” The sweet old delivery man stopped in front of our table.

  “Yes, but I ordered a tulip and rose arrangement.” It was my best arrangement, it always sold people on my work. But I didn’t order this.

  “Well, I have your order here.” His graying brows rose as he handed me the tablet. Sure, enough the order was there with my name.

  Ivy looked over my shoulder. “I made the order myself.” She said.

  “It has this message with it.” The man leaned into one of the pots and handed me a card.

  I opened the card.

  Your mother would want you to be brave. You already have been, but now you need to take a chance. With me. Please call me. If you love me, you’ll call.

  -Tristan.

  My tears flowed hot and heavy. He was right. Mom would want me to go after love, and I did love him. I was barely aware of Ivy signing for the flowers and the delivery man leaving. I wiped my tears quickly so I could look more presentable.

  “Let me see.” I gave the card to her.

  She read it and smiled.

  “See? The man loves you to death Emilia. Stop hurting him.” Ivy said sternly.” She was right. I shouldn’t hurt him anymore.

  But I couldn’t leave the event.

  “I’ll call him after. I swear.” She narrowed her eyes at me, but left me be.

  The event went smoothly. I talked to so many people, and left with eleven new bookings, all spread out for the next four months. It was amazing. Ivy and I decided to do these events every four months.

  “That was awesome.” She said as we packed up.

  “You go call him! I’ll clean up.” I protested, but she held up her hand effectively stopped me.

  I sighed, but stepped off to a quiet corner to call him. It only rang twice.

  “Emilia?” I gasped at the sound of his voice. Deep and husky, but sad. It was all because of me.

  “Hi, Tristan.” My voice croaked. I heard him inhale sharply on the other line. He was surprised. He thought I didn’t love him.

  “You love me?” He breathed. I laughed through my hot tears.

  “Yes. So much. Tristan, I am so sorry. For everything I said, I never meant to hurt you. And I did. I shouldn’t have blamed you.” I rambled.

  I wished he were here to hold me. To wipe my tears away. But for now, I would settle for his voice falling over me. I had missed it so much. It wasn’t the same over voicemail.

  “It’s okay baby doll, it’s in the past. I was never mad at you. I just wanted a chance.” He replied.

  “I should have given you one. I was stupid. I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t apologize, I’m not mad. I’m just glad you called.”

  “You still love me?” I asked him. He chuckled softly.

  “Are you kidding? Of course, I love you, always.”

  “I—I want to see you.” I said.

  “Come outside.”

  “What?” I looked around. Was he here?

  “Come outside.”

  “Okay,” I said slowly. But I walked out through the back and crossed the alley way.

  He was there, leaning against his car. I ran towards him like a mad woman, calling out his name until he saw me. He greeted me with that big, perfect smile of his. I collided into him, the warmth and hardness of his body meeting mine as he wrapped me in his arms. The smell of pine and soap invaded my senses, I had missed it so much. My hands were everywhere on him until they landed on his hair, latching him to me as he kissed me.

  My soul relaxed as my body melted into his. I parted my lips, they moved with him in perfect unison. God, I missed him.

  “How long have you been waiting?” I asked him.

  “A few hours.” His green eyes smoldered into mine. It was everything I needed.

  “You waited that long to see me?”

  “Baby doll, I will always wait for you. Always.”

  Epilogue

  I was living a real-life fairytale.

  The last four months had been hard. I was drowning in work, Tristan was too. Sometimes he was home late, and then me. But we always ended up in bed together at the end of the night. I moved in with him almost immediately after that flower convention.

  We snuck our time in.

  Sometimes at breakfast like I imagined, before bed. Over lunch breaks. But for the past few weeks it had finally slowed down and I could have more time, and his staff was getting bigger so he didn’t have to be at the forefront of everything.

  He insisted in taking me away for a weekend, to celebrate our success. I had no events coming up, and Ivy was taking care of everything else. So, I packed a weekend bag with plenty of lingerie and waited for him as asked.

  He got home around noon on that Friday, and changed quickly before we left.

  “Where are we going?” I asked him. The rev of his Tesla was quiet, I sunk into the leather seat. His hand trailed the bare skin of my leg in my dress. I couldn’t wait to get him into a bed. Or anywhere. We hadn’t had sex in almost two weeks, it was odd for us.

  “To my cabin on the lake. You’ll like it.” He smirked and turned back to the road.

  The drive was quick, and we pretty much ran inside. We were undressed in seconds, and on the couch naked in four more. When he slipped inside of me it felt like home.

  “I missed you.”

  I wondered if he was talking to my boobs or me. Maybe both. He wasted no time, thrusting into me with the fury of all the time we had missed together. I cried out, we were in the middle of nowhere, so it wasn’t like anyone could hear us.

  “Tristan, yes!” I came, hard and loud as I clenched around him.

  He collapsed against me as he came soon after. We caught our breaths until we ended up falling asleep.

  I woke up alone though, and confused. I yawned, and tugged on his shirt left behind on the couch. I rubbed my eyes and felt something cold on my skin. I looked at my hands, and was utterly confused. Because there was a huge solitaire diamond on my ring finger.

  “What the…”

  I jumped up, off to search for Tristan.

  “Tristan! Tristan!”


  He wasn’t inside. Am I confused? No, I kept checking and it was still there. It felt like it belonged there, but what the hell is going on.

  Finally, I found him out on the deck in front of the smoking grill. He was deliciously shirtless, wearing sweats as he flipped burgers.

  “Tristan.”

  I went up to him, he dropped the spatula and turned to me with a smile.

  “Hey, sleepy head.” He kissed me, but I pulled away confused.

  “What is this?” I held up my left hand.

  “A hand.” I swatted him and he laughed. “It’s a ring, do you like it?”

  He held my waist.

  “Yes, it’s beautiful but…what—why is it on me?” I asked frantically.

  “Because I didn’t want to give you the chance to say no…I want you to marry me, Emilia.”

  I gasped. Tears flooded my eyes. I was elated. I was freaking out. And I didn’t know which emotion to feel first.

  “You…you want to marry me?” I checked.

  He laughed, “yes. You’re so silly. Do you want to marry me?” I nodded slowly.

  “Like, right now?” I looked around, checking if there was a pastor hiding or something.

  “No, soon. Or however long you want to wait. Let’s just not wait ten years like Levi and Gab.”

  I giggled softly.

  “Yes. Yes, I will marry you.” I whispered and he pulled me into him.

  His kiss lit up my whole body. Giving me everything I had missed and hoped for. I wondered how anything could ever be this perfect. That entire weekend, I don’t think we ever left the bed or put clothes on.

  ~

  Planning a wedding was so much easier when it is not yours, or decorating it at least. It took me seven tries to get the arrangement exactly how I wanted it. Buttercups and lilacs don’t necessarily go together, so it was hard to mix it in. But I was determined to have both our favorite flowers. I mellowed the color difference with baby’s breath and white roses. The azaleas helped too.

  I finally got it right, and could focus on other things. Ivy designed my dress from scratch, a beautiful dress very similar to the one I wore at the ball. The only difference was it was white.

  “You, look amazing.” Ivy looked over me in the mirror.

  The big day was finally here. Because of our work schedule, it did take a year to finally make it to the altar, but it was perfect.

  “Thank you, and thank you so much for making it.” I hugged her tight. She looked beautiful in her light purple gown as well. I was so lucky to have a friend like her.

  “Can you help me with the train? I need to check the flowers.” She rolled her eyes, but helped me with it.

  “I have never seen a bride arranging her own flowers.” Ivy commented as I worked on the altar arrangement. I did hire someone, but I tweaked it just a little bit.

  We had a beautiful arch way of buttercups and lilacs we would stand under when we say our vows. I couldn’t wait.

  Our relationship was quite the struggle. It took me a month to even find him that first time. And another to let him love me. But I was so ready to marry him.

  As I stood across from him at the altar; it all came into focus.

  “I do.” I said my part, and he said his.

  Those words were so powerful, I meant it in my core. I love him so much, it hurts. But now I never have to hurt alone.

  I love Tristan, and he loves me. It is the best and proper ending to our love story.

  Wanted

  A Bad Boy Auction Romance

  By Nicole Elliot

  Prologue

  I held his hand as he winced, the medicine pumping through his body.

  “Just a little longer Declan, you can do it.” I wasn’t sure if I was reassuring him, or myself. Watching him writhe in pain was about as horrible as it could get.

  My brother.

  Sick.

  Same illness that took Mom. Our genes apparently sucked.

  “It hurts.” He grimaced as another wave rolled through his body.

  “I know buddy, I know, but this is going to make it better. I promise.”

  I knew it wasn’t a promise I could keep. But I was sure as hell going to try.

  Chapter 1

  Sydney

  The light wasn’t on in the house, as I pulled into the driveway. Julia’s funky Mini Cooper wasn’t there either, so I snatched the nicer spot under a tree, which would provide a cool shade for the car the next morning. I killed the engine and stepped out.

  It was half past eight, and after the long day at the store, all I wanted was something to eat and a glass of Pinot. I was working at a grocery store, even though it wasn’t exactly my passion. I was a teacher during the school year, but now that it was summer I had to supplement my income. It was the thing about me – I was practical. Always doing what was right, even if it wasn’t easy.

  My roommate, Julia, wasn’t as traditional. After we’d finished college, she tried several desk jobs, but couldn’t just sit in one place. So, she waited tables for a while, then worked the bar, and after a few more promotions she became a PR manager for a company that owned clubs and restaurants all over Chicago. It might have been a more exciting job, but she didn’t like the hours. That night, as was often the case, Julia was out in the city, promoting one event or another.

  I climbed the two flights of stairs that led to my apartment, and was finally home.

  I got out of my work clothes and changed into PJs, washing my face in the small bathroom next to my room. It wasn’t a huge apartment, but both Julia and I had our own bathrooms, and I loved mine. It made me feel at home.

  As I was making my way to the fridge, my cell phone began ringing. I had to turn around, mid chewing and swallowing, ever so hungry, and go back into the bedroom to answer it.

  “Hey, Syd,” the voice on the other end said. “Is this a good time?”

  “Hey Declan! Yeah, I just got home. How are you?”

  There was a short pause, as if he was hesitant. Classic Declan. “I was just in the area, and I got some Chinese, so…”

  “Oh, yes, please!” I said, looking inside the fridge and seeing a lot of ingredients, but no food. “And hurry up!”

  Declan hung up, and I got out a cold bottle of wine and some snacks to go with it. Once I settled comfortably on the couch, I poured the wine and waited for Declan, flicking through the TV Shows category on my TV. After a few minutes, I settled on a random episode of Friends, which was my go-to remedy.

  The door was unlocked, and halfway into the episode (and a glass of wine), I heard Declan let himself in.

  With the glass still in hand, I went to greet him, landing a big hug and grabbing the plastic bags of Chinese he brought.

  “You couldn’t wait five minutes, Syd?” he asked, looking at me with a smile.

  “First of all, it was more like twenty. Second of all, you look good, Declan. Put on some weight?”

  “Oh, fuck off,” he said with a thin smile.

  “I’m glad to see you.”

  The truth was, Declan didn’t look good. In fact, he looked worse. He was even paler, if that was even possible, and leaner, his clothes now seemingly oversized and baggy. He looked older.

  Declan stepped out of his shoes and crashed on the couch. There was something odd about him, a look or embarrassment I knew all too well. I didn’t say anything at first, simply got the food out of the plastic bags and joined him in front of the TV, salivating.

  “Is this for me?” he asked, meaning the wine.

  I nodded. “Only half a glass, okay?”

  Declan didn’t have to ask my permission, but he was being nice. Back before the treatments began, he would have had no problem downing the whole bottle on his own, but now we had to be cautious. Even half a glass was worthy of a celebratory amount, and there was nothing to celebrate. He dropped a white envelope on the table.

  I said, “Another bill?”

  “Yup. Due next month.”

  “Right.”
/>   There was an awkward pause. I hated the awkwardness. I hated that my brother was sick, and how miserable it made him feel. Made both of us feel. And then there was yet another bill to pay. I could only guess how much longer we could keep it up. It was one of those times I really wished our mother was here to give some advice – she had always been the practical one. Our dad had been more into religion, but prayers weren’t working anymore.

  I, on the other hand, was doing my best. Declan had burned through his college savings over the past year, and I had been working overtime for the past few months. It was consuming our lives.

  I sipped the wine. It was cold and bittersweet on my lips. Rachel and Ross in the background pulled me out of my thoughts.

  “I got it, Declan, don’t worry,” I said.

  “I’m sorry Syd,” he replied, looking at the TV screen.

  “Hey, don’t turn this into a pity party. You don’t have anything to be sorry about.” I paused but he didn’t respond. “Let’s eat dinner.”

  We watched the show and talked about nothing in particular, just having a family night, like in the good old days.

  Declan barely touched his food, but emptied his glass rather quickly and relaxed on the couch. He had become withdrawn lately, and I couldn’t blame him. The elephant was in the room, and sometimes it was hard to ignore.

  “Hey, cheer up, okay?” I said, mostly to myself. “We’ll figure it out, and you’ll get better.”

  He looked at me, as if saying Do you really believe that?

  I was used this look, so I nodded, thinking that perhaps it was the wine giving me the optimism. Either way, I’d take it.

  We watched another episode, as I finished my noodles. When it ended, I said, “Do you want to stay here tonight? Julia will be back late, so…”

  “Nah. I’ll head home, read a book. I don’t sleep much, anyway. Thanks for letting me invite myself.” He began to get up, slowly, minding his balance.

  “I’m here for you, Declan. You just let me know if you need anything. Keep your phone nearby.”