by Rowena Dawn
On November 21st, Ellen and Jay went to court for the first day of the trial against the casino owner. Matt had told them that he would be waiting for them in front of the building behind Osgoode Hall. He had another criminal case before Jay’s.
Ellen and Jay crossed the street to the Court House, and Matt waved at them. The moment the couple stepped on the pavement, a gunshot resounded in the street.
Under Matt’s shocked eyes, Ellen fell to the ground, bringing Jay down with her. The man had his arm over her shoulder tightly, and inertia pulled him down as well.
Around them, people started shouting and running for safety. Matt watched everything with horror in his eyes. His pupils had invaded the dark blue of his irises.
Two police officers were just getting off their car in front of the building when the woman was shot. They saw the shooter, a tall, thin man with a hood over his head, and ran to apprehend him.
Their move stirred Matt from his shock, and the man rushed to Ellen and Jay. He knelt next to them, scared out of his mind.
Ellen lay on the pavement with her eyes closed. Her eyelashes touched her pale skin, and her lips had lost their color.
Jay was frantic. The man had pressed his hand on the woman’s wound, although he wasn’t sure of what he was doing. Matt took his phone out of his pocket and called for an ambulance, putting a hand on Jay’s shoulder for support.
JAY PACED THE WAITING room nervously. He glanced at his watch the fourth time in half an hour and gnashed his teeth.
Matt had called Nora and his parents, and now, they huddled in the corner of the room, whispering and gazing at Jay with worry. The young man looked more disheveled than usual, and he kept pacing the room, clenching his fists.
No one dared to approach him. The hard thin line of his mouth didn’t invite to talk.
“Are you sure the EMT said that she’d be fine?” Marjorie asked her older son again. She feared for Jay’s state of mind if anything terrible had happened to Ellen.
“I’m sure, mother,” Matt repeated, rolling his eyes. The woman had asked that questions a few times already. However, he worried as well. He didn’t have to imagine what his brother felt because he had been in his situation.
Two police officers entered the room and eyed everyone attentively. When they eyes laid on Jay, they exchanged a glance and decided to go to Matt instead and avoid the young man.
“Officer Stark and Petrovski, sir,” one of the man said quietly, waving his hand to indicate who was who. “We wanted to let you know that the shooter is under arrest. He already confessed to everything and indicated who put the contract on the lady’s head.”
“That’s good,” Matt nodded. “Then, you have the other man in custody as well, I presume,” he said in a hard tone of voice.
One of the officers, Petrovski, grimaced, and the other one shook his head. When Matt narrowed his eyes, Officer Stark rushed to say, “A few officers are on their way to arrest him right now, sir. The man will be arrested soon, don’t worry. As we two witnessed the shooting, we can’t be part of that team. We will have to testify in court,” he took care to point out.
“Right,” Matt approved. “Then, I’ll see you in court. I want an ironclad case,” he warned them.
“It will be, no worries,” Petrovski replied, and with a brief wave of the hand turned to the door and leave.
“Do you have him? The shooter,” Jay stepped in front of him, cutting his way out.
“Yes, sir, he’s arrested,” Petrovski replied in a confident tone of voice.
“You’ll take care of him,” Jay said in a hard tone of voice.
“We’ve already taken care of him, sir,” Stark intervened.
“Good then,” Jay nodded and stepped aside to let them pass.
Then, he noticed the doctor coming into the room and forgot everything about the officers. The man hurried to speak to the surgeon.
“How is she?” Jay asked and clenched his fists again. His fingers shook, and he didn’t want that the others noticed his state.
“She’s fine,” the doctor waved his hand. “The surgery went well, and we removed the bullet. It stopped into the shoulder blade and didn’t do much damage. Your girlfriend will be transferred to a private room, as you requested, and you can visit her there in about ten minutes. A nurse will show you the way,” the doctor said.
“Thank you,” Jay managed to murmur. “How long will she be in the hospital?” he inquired.
“Depending on her evolution today and tomorrow, she might be out of here by Thursday or Friday,” the man answered.
Jay nodded to show that he understood and shook the surgeon’s hand. The moment the doctor left, the others gathered around Jay.
“She will be fine, son,” Jonathan thumped him over the shoulder. “She’ll be home with you before your birthday,” he smiled.
Jay nodded and murmured, “Thank God for that.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Jay chose to spend his birthday only with Ellen. The woman had just come out of the hospital the day before, and he had asked her to take the second bedroom in his apartment.
Ellen needed help, and Jay didn’t feel comfortable knowing her all alone in her studio. It took some convincing, but in the end, the man had persuaded her.
During the last two months, Ellen had found out a lot of things about Jay. However, she hadn’t learned about his birthday until the morning of November 26th when his phone started running like crazy.
Early in the morning, while they were having breakfast, Jay’s parents called to wish him Happy Birthday, and calls from his brother, uncles, and cousins followed.
’I should have guessed,’ Ellen reflected in dismay. ‘His cell phone pin number is 2611. I should have thought that it was his birthday,’ she frowned, and her mouth turned into a thin line.
“Are you all right, sweetie?” Jay asked her with concern, squeezing her hand.
Ellen nodded and smiled faintly at him. “I didn’t know it was your birthday,” she replied morosely.
Jay chuckled softly and teased her, “You didn’t check so far?”
“Don’t be mean,” she slapped his arm playfully. “No, I haven’t checked so far. I wasn’t interested in your age at that time,” she confessed. “How old are you today?” Ellen tilted her head.
“Twenty-nine,” Jay said with a smile. “Just one year shy of the big thirty,” he bobbed his eyebrows at her, and she laughed.
“Happy birthday, baby,” Ellen whispered then, and she leaned toward him. She kissed his lips softly and wanted to draw back, but Jay’s intentions were different.
The man slid his arm around Ellen to keep her close to him, and his intense gaze searched the woman’s eyes. Then, he brushed his lips over the side of her face and her neck. Jay lifted his eyes at her again, and with a wolfish smile, he kissed her mouth hard.
The man pulled back and noticed, “You know, Elle, this is just the second time you’ve called me that.”
The woman watched him with wide eyes for a few seconds, and then she shrugged. “It doesn’t come easily to me,” Ellen admitted. “That doesn’t mean that...,” she started to say but stopped.
“Don’t leave me like this,” Jay groused frustrated. “That doesn’t mean,” he waved his hand to show to Ellen that she should continue.
The woman blushed and shrugged again. “I wanted to say that I’m fond of you,” she replied in a small tone of voice.
“Just fond of me?” Jay leaned over her anxiously. He arched his eyebrows, waiting for her to say something.
“Do I have to say it?” Ellen snapped at him.
“It’s my birthday after all,” he grinned mischievously.
“That it is,” she nodded. “And I didn’t know about it, so I don’t have a gift for you,” she replied morosely.
“But you have, Elle,” Jay insisted and then tugged at her hand. “We’ve finished here, haven’t we?” he perused the breakfast table to check if Ellen had already eaten everything. “Let
’s go into the living room,” he proposed.
“But we have to clean the table,” Ellen protested.
“We don’t have to do anything, sweetie,” Jay shook his head. “We can do it later. Let’s go to the sofa and talk about your gift to me,” Jay said gruffly, standing up, and Ellen blushed again.
When the man tugged at her hand again, Ellen stood up and followed him into the living room. Jay helped her to sit on the couch, and then, he sat next to her. He slid his arm around the woman and gathered her to him.
“Now, I need the words,” Jay whispered in her hair.
“Can’t you just read my emotions?” she huffed.
“That I could,” Jay nodded. “But then, I’d still want to hear your words, so there’s no point in prying through your emotions,” he shrugged. “Come on, Elle, don’t be mean. It’s my birthday,” the man said again.
Ellen shook her head but smiled. ‘He’s just like a little boy right now,’ she reflected.
“All right, Jay, here it goes,” she said and bit her lower lip. “And that only because it is your birthday. I’m not used to saying something like that on a regular basis,” Ellen warned him.
“And I appreciate that, sweetheart. I’d prefer that you didn’t say that to anyone else,” he pointed out.
“You’re so funny,” the woman mumbled with annoyance.
“No, I’m honest. I don’t want you ever say anything like that to another man,” Jay stressed out, his dark eyes gazing at her with a quiet intensity.
A shiver crossed Ellen’s body, and her hand flew to her throat. “I have no intention to say these words to any other man, Jay,” she replied softly. “Who would be interested in another man when you are around?” she wondered, shaking her head. Then, she raised her hand to Jay’s jaw, looked into his eyes, and whispered, “I love you, baby.”
Jay had been holding his breath impatiently, and now, he exhaled loudly and said, “Thank God.” Then, he leaned over Ellen and practically kissed her savagely, crushing her to his chest.
A cry flew off the woman lips before his mouth settled over hers, but Jay was so lost in his passion, that he didn’t notice. Ellen squirmed a little in his arms, and he lowered his hand at her waist, guessing that he hurt her. Jay pulled back with worry.
“I hurt you, damn it,” he growled, annoyed with his forgetfulness. ‘How the heck did I forget that she’d been shot?’ he scolded himself.
“Don’t worry, Jay,” Ellen grasped the man’s hand. “It was just a twinge and for a few seconds.”
“I’m sorry, Elle,” Jay leaned his head and touched his forehead of hers. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“I know, so don’t fret so much,” she whispered, and the tips of her fingers stroked his face.
“I just love you so much,” Jay whispered as well, and grasping her wrist, he brought her fingers to his mouth and kissed every single one of them with care.
The man’s words awoke the butterflies in Ellen’s belly, and she shivered. Jay carefully drew her closer to him.
“I don’t think I can live without you, sweetie,” he said quietly. “I need you to be my wife. I want to bind you to me in any possible way, baby.”
Ellen froze in his arms for a few seconds. Then, she pulled back to look straight into the man’s eyes. His gaze flickered with intensity. Jay waited for her answer with trepidation.
When the minutes flew away, and the woman still didn’t answer, he pulled back and laughed with self-derision.
“I see that you’re thrilled,” he noted. “Is it me or my whacky family that stops you from giving me an answer?” he asked and tried to stand up, but Ellen grasped his hand and held fast.
“Could you be patient at least once?” Ellen snapped at him. “It’s not like I hear something like that every day,” she said.
“All right, I’ll wait,” Jay agreed with relief. ‘She didn’t say no yet,’ he concluded.
Ellen shook her head and smiled at him. “You’re so impatient sometimes. You have to give a girl the time to draw her breath,” she shook her head once more. “Of course, I want you Jay, and you don’t have to bind me to you. I already belong to you, love,” she whispered, blushing violently, and touched his mouth with her lips tenderly.
‘Who had thought that I’d ever say something like that?’ she wondered.
At her words, Jay caught her head in his hands, and crushed his lips to hers, pouring all his longing for her into his kiss. He just deepened his kiss, when someone knocked on the door.
The man jumped off the couch furiously, and shouted, “I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it.”
He started with angry steps toward the door, but Ellen’s voice stopped him. “Jay, calm down. We’ll have enough time together. Don’t say something you will regret later,” she warned him.
“You didn’t even say if you would be my wife,” he noted. “And here they are, ruining everything,” he gesticulated with annoyance.
“You’re dense, man,” Ellen waved her hand. “Of course, I’ll be your wife.”
Jay forgot about the door and came back to her with huge strides. He just pulled her up and crushed her to him. However, this time, he paid attention not to squeeze where she was hurt. He lowered his head over hers and kissed her again.
The knocks on the door didn’t stop. They became louder.
“Damn, I have to open that darn door,” Jay drew back and gritted his teeth.
“It seems so,” Ellen laughed merrily. “Go, Jay, what are you waiting for?” she asked.
“That they would go away,” he confessed.
Ellen shook her head, “I don’t think that wish of yours would come true.”
“At least, you said yes,” he replied, searching her eyes to make sure that he didn’t misunderstand.
“Yes,” she said. “I did say yes.”
He nodded emphatically and asked, arching his eyebrows, “Christmas Day?”
She nodded and blushed. However, her eyes shone with expectation and happiness.
CHAPTER THIRTY
To arrange a wedding on Christmas Day didn’t turn out being a simple thing, but Marjorie prevailed. She was so happy for her younger son that she didn’t take no from anyone, not from the pastor or from the caterer.
Ellen and Jay chose a simple wedding at Jay’s parents’ house with all his family in attendance. Anna and Adam, Jay’s grandparents, pleaded with Jay to have Rebecca invited. Jay gave in after a while, but he warned his grandfather that he would throw the witch out if she did something to Ellen.
Ellen walked toward the makeshift altar wearing a white sheath that stopped just above her knees. Maggie, Jay’s sister, had braided white flowers in the bride’s hair, and Marjorie had gifted Ellen with a sapphire heart, which hung from a delicate necklace. The sapphire matched the engagement ring that Jay had put on Ellen’s finger a month before.
Jay watched Ellen coming toward him with intense light in his eyes. Matt put his hand on the man’s shoulder and squeezed. “I know how you feel, man. I was in your shoes. Just think that no one would come between the two of you from now on,” he whispered to his brother.
Jay nodded, but his eyes glanced at Rebecca right away. The old woman watched everything with narrowed eyes, and her mouth was a thin line. ‘She’s hatching something,’ the man thought, and his heart squeezed.
Ellen noticed the change in his mood at once, and she shifted her eyes toward Rebecca too. ‘Just try to ruin his day,’ she warned the woman mentally. ‘I’ll have your head.’
Everyone laughed when the bride reached the groom. Jay pulled her to him with a possessive gesture and kissed her soundly.
The old pastor cleared his throat and warned him, “That comes at the end, young man. You need a little patience.”
“Told you so,” Ellen said to Jay, with laughter in her eyes.
“You imp,” he whispered and tweaked her nose.
“Can we start this wedding, folks?” the pastor inquired, gazing at his watch. His
wife had invited people over for Christmas, and he had to get back home in less than an hour.
“Of course,” Jay waved his hand as if he had done a favor to the old man.
The pastor pierced him with his eyes. “You’ve always been an irreverent young man,” he shook his head.
The ceremony began in the midst of chuckles from all the people seated in Marjorie’s living room, excepting Rebecca. The pastor droned on and on about the sanctity of marriage, and Jay crossed his eyes. He wanted to get to the point where the pastor declared that they were husband and wife and be done with all the ceremony.
The pastor made a mistake to ask if anyone knew of any reason for which the two young people shouldn’t marry. Rebecca grasped her chance with both her hands and said in a hard tone of voice, “Of course, I do. They don’t love each other. This is only a mascaraed. This wedding shouldn’t take place.”
Jay saw red before his eyes and turned to get to her. He didn’t know what he would do when he reached the old woman, but the darkness of his features scared Ellen. She grabbed his hand with all her might.
“No, Jay. She isn’t worth it,” she shouted to the man because he didn’t seem to see anything else but the old woman’s face.
Ellen’s fear was evident on her features, and Matt grasped his brother’s arm as well.
“Jay, stop it. She isn’t worth it. You’re scaring Ellen,” Matt said in a calm tone of voice.
“Did you hear what the witch said?” Jay shouted.
“I did, but no one believes her. Isn’t it so?” Matt turned to the pastor and leveled his square look on the man.
The pastor swallowed hard and nodded. “Of course, we can continue with the wedding,” the old man observed. ‘Even if it is true, it’s not the first couple that gets married without love after all,’ he reflected.
Ellen squeezed Jay’s hand again, and her gaze pleaded with him. Jay turned his eyes at her and brought her hand to his mouth.
“Let’s make you mine, sweetie,” he smiled at her, deciding not to pay any attention to his great-grandmother.