by J. J. McAvoy
“How did you know with her mother? Gwen said you ran off together to get married when you were only eighteen.” And after all those years, they still held hands while they went on walks.
He snickered, sitting tall and looking at her mother where she was staring into a telescope. “It first hit me when I realized I didn’t want her to go home. I wanted my home to be her home. Then I started to think about my life in ten or twenty years, and no matter what, she was there. Once I asked myself those questions, it was clear to me.”
I thought back to Guinevere’s first night with me. I’d said I didn’t want her to be just some one-time screw and asked her to stay with me. That wasn’t the reason…I may not have thought her home was mine, but I never once stopped her when she brought her toothbrush, hair dryer, and flat iron into my bathroom. I thought about how I couldn’t sleep on her side of my bed, even if she wasn’t there…because now it was her side.
“Do you want to know where I see myself in ten years?” I whispered to him when she moved to her mother, staring up at the sky.
“No, but I’m sure you're going to tell me anyway.”
I turned to look at him. “I see myself still trying to get you to like me.”
“It’s going to take more than ten years.” He frowned, drinking again. “Eli.”
He finally said my name. However, he didn’t look pleased.
“She’s my baby girl. I would go to hell and back for her, and I can’t bear for her to be hurt again.”
“I won’t hurt her.”
“That’s the thing. We don’t try to hurt the people we care about, we just do. Do you know she didn’t tell us how her engagement ended? She just called to say the wedding was off. We had to press Stevie to learn the truth. And again, I felt like I had failed my child. I told her not to go to New York, I begged her not to go, told her the city would chew her up and spit her out. I told her she could be an artist here, and teach at the high school. We had a huge fight about it. The next morning, she and Stevie were in her car, and she didn’t talk to me again until after she felt like she could tell me she’d made it. She wrote letters, made sure to call us while we were at work, or when she thought we were busy. If we answered, our phone calls lasted five minutes, if that. All because she didn’t want me to think I was right, that she couldn’t cut it. So I have no idea what she went through her first year. She wouldn’t take money or anything. But the day she was mentioned in the paper as an upcoming artist, she called me and talked for hours.”
“She wanted to prove she could do it,” I said.
He nodded.
“And you blamed yourself for the void between you both, because it reminded you of your son?”
His head shot toward me, shocked, as if to ask how I knew.
I just nodded, drinking again.
“I can’t believe she talked to you about that. She never talks to anyone about it.”
“She told me that, too. I was having trouble dealing with my brother's wish to go his own way.”
“Damn it.” He sighed, standing up. “I guess I’m going to have to get used to you. Make sure to bring her back as often as you can. I still won’t like you, but I will adjust.”
“Why the sudden change?” I asked, rising as well.
“Because she’s in love with you. I thought you were another passing phase, like the other one. But if she was willing to dig up something painful like that just to help you, then there is nothing left to do or say,” he replied, preparing to walk back to the fire.
“Can I ask you one more question?”
“Boy, are you a neurosurgeon or a shrink?”
Ignoring him, I asked seriously, “How is your heart? I won’t tell her, if it makes you uncomfortable. But honestly, how is your health?”
“Keeping my cholesterol and blood pressure low. You aren’t helping the latter with your questions, though. Any more?”
I raised my hands in surrender.
He walked over to his wife.
Guinevere said something to her before running over to me and grabbing on to my arm.
“Hello.” I smiled at her.
“Come on.” She dragged me off back toward the house, and neither her mother nor father looked back; they just held each other, looking up at the stars. It almost looked like they were dancing.
Taking the lantern from her and taking hold of her hand, I was led farther and farther down the path.
“Where are we going?”
“Shh, you'll ruin it,” she whispered.
We walked a little more until we came to the same clearing as before. She let out one low whistle, and it echoed in the trees above us. One firefly came shining right in front of us, then a dozen more, and then the whole clearing glowed in the darkness. They were everywhere, like Christmas lights.
“I wanted to show you this before we left. When I was a kid, I thought I could train them or something, to make their lights blink with whatever song I whistled. It didn’t work, obviously, but they did come up when I whistled.” Letting go of my hand, she tried to catch one. She held her hands closed for a second, then opened her fingers slowly, but when she did, there was no firefly. “How is it possible that I can’t catch a firefly in a field of fireflies after all these years?” She laughed at herself.
Putting the lantern down, I came up behind her, wrapping my arms around her to pull her closer to me. When I felt her body, I rested my head beside hers, lifting our hands together.
“Let’s catch them together,” I said softly into her ear.
She leaned into me. “Okay.”
“You have to be really still and wait for them.”
She held her palms open on top of my mine, and we stood there. Her breathing matched mine, her heartbeat felt like mine. And then the firefly, most likely mistaking us for another tree in the forest, came and sat right in her palm, followed by several more.
I wanted to say it then, out loud to the world, but all I could manage was to say it to myself.
I’m in love with you, Guinevere.
Guinevere
By the time we got back to the house, running from the downpour that had suddenly, almost magically poured over everything in Cypress, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I went into my room and, still dripping wet, fell back on my bed. My heart felt like it was trying to claw its way out of my chest. I lay there for a moment, staring up at my teal ceiling, my old Orlando Bloom poster still hanging there. When I looked at it, I felt nothing like I had all those years before. The person I was giddy for was one flight of stairs away.
I want to see him. I’d just seen him and I wanted to see him again. My brain wasn’t thinking rationally. I opened the door, and my mom was already walking by. She stopped, turning to me.
“Goodnight,” I said to her.
“Go.” She nodded her head at me. “If your father asks, I’ll take of care of it. Go.”
“Mom—”
“Well, if you don’t want to—”
“Thank you,” I whispered, walking past her and down the hall.
Taking a breath at the top, I walked downstairs as softly as possibly, stepping on the outside parts of the staircase so it wouldn't squeak. When my foot hit the carpet, I saw him sitting at the edge of the bed, shirtless, a towel over his head as he stared at a teardrop necklace he dangled by its chain in front of him. Due to the continuing rain, only a bit of light entered the room through the window above the bed.
“It’s pretty,” I whispered.
He froze for a moment, picking his head up to look at me.
His hair was still dripping wet, like all of me at that point. “Who’s it for?”
“You,” he muttered, not moving, his gaze glued to me. “I bought it while in town today. I’ve been trying to think of when to give it to you. The rain killed my moment.”
“Is now a good time?”
He stood, coming over to me, and I turned around. He brushed my hair to the side, bringing the necklace in front of me and clasping it around
my neck. I faced him, and he centered it in the middle of my chest.
Never looking away from him, I pulled off my shirt, dropping it beside my feet.
“Do not tempt me like this, because I will fail,” he said with his hand on my bra strap.
Walking around him and standing in front of his bed, I unclasped it, letting it fall to the ground. “There is nothing wrong with fai—” His lips were on mine before I could finish, his hands on the sides of my face, his tongue in my mouth when I wrapped my arms around his neck. His kiss went from my lips to my chin, and down my neck. His hand cupped my breast, squeezing tightly, and then pulling on my nipple hard, while the other traveled up my skirt to the round of my ass, pulling me to him. Kissing back up my neck and jaw until he was at my ear, he whispered, “I’m not letting you go, Guinevere.”
“I wouldn’t have come down here if I wanted you to,” I reminded him.
“So what do you want?”
“You. You, in every way possible. So why do you still have your jeans on?” I unbuttoned them, pushing them down and reaching inside, grabbing hold of him. “Would you like me to demonstrate?” I didn’t give him room to debate it before kissing the tip of him, then licking over and over again before taking him into my mouth.
“Guin…Guinevere,” he moaned, grabbing on to my hair.
I took him as deeply as I could into my mouth, my teeth light on his skin before my tongue licked around him. I could feel him throbbing, and I sucked harder and faster, him thrusting forward, fucking my mouth. When I took my mouth off of him, I held on with my hands, stroking slowly as my tongue licked his tip and my lips kissed the side.
“And you say I taste good,” I said before taking him back as deep as I could into my throat. I didn’t want to stop until I made him feel the same way I had.
However, he stopped me, pulling back his erection to stand high and proud. He took my other hand off his stomach, pulling me up to my feet. He ran his thumb over my bottom lip.
“If you think I’m going to let you control me this easily tonight, Ms. Poe, then you are sexy, but also mistaken. So get on your hands and knees.”
I couldn’t stop myself from being excited and did what he asked of me. I could feel his body behind me as he stripped me out of my skirt and underwear. He hovered over me, the heat of him pressed up against my ass, along with his hand, rubbing soft circles.
“You push me too far, Guinevere,” he whispered into my ear, kissing the side of my face. “I was going to take a cold shower—a custom I am now used to because of you, stroking myself because I can’t be inside you…” He kissed my shoulder and gripped my breast. “Then you appear, dripping wet, and strip for me.” He pulled my nipple, rubbing himself against my ass. “And I think to myself, I won’t fuck her tonight. Instead, I will make love to her slowly, softly, and passionately.”
“But then I took you into my mouth—”
When I spoke, I felt his hand slap my ass so hard I gripped the bed and bit down on my bottom lip to keep from moaning in bliss.
“Then I felt your teeth on me, your tongue, enjoying me like I was vanilla ice cream.”
“Aren't you?”
SLAP.
“Ahh!” I moaned, my body starting to shake.
“I told your father I wouldn’t hurt you, your father who is somewhere in this house. But you like your sex with a side of pain, so what can I do? You’ve made a liar out of me, Guinevere.”
SLAP.
I dropped my head, gripping the sheets so tightly.
SLAP.
My mouth watered.
SLAP.
My ass shook, and he purposely pressed himself against me. I could feel how wet I was for him as he rubbed himself back and forth. I bucked against him, hungry for more.
SLAP.
“Eli…”
SLAP.
I wasn’t sure if he was hitting me harder, or if I was just becoming more sensitive—maybe both. All I knew was, I liked it. I liked it too damn much, and the fact that both my parents were home and I was trembling at the hands of Eli was too much for me to bear.
SLAP.
“Harder,” I whispered.
SLAP.
“Harder.”
SLAP.
“Yes.”
SLAP.
ELI! I screamed in my mind as I came. I couldn’t even manage to stay on all fours any more, the front of me collapsing onto the pillows, my ass in the air, too sore to come down.
“The first of the many orgasms you will have tonight.” He kissed it, rubbing circles on it before his tongue traveled between my thighs. I could barely breathe as he licked and sucked on me, my mind going hazy. Whatever fatigue I had felt before vanished when he held on to my thighs. Sitting up onto him I gripped his head below, rubbing myself against his mouth.
He didn’t slow down, determined to make me lose my mind, and I could see myself in the mirror on the wall, not hiding anything from view. I saw the way my breasts bounced as I arched back and rode on his tongue. The longer I looked, the wider the grin became on my face, and when I looked down at him his eyes were closed, his grip tight on my thighs. I loved the fact that he enjoyed it this much, wanting more of me…everything of me.
Gripping my own nipple, I couldn’t stop myself, and I wanted to scream his name to anyone who could hear me.
“Two,” he grinned, wiping the corner of his mouth when I all but collapsed onto the bed next to him.
“Eli…” I wasn’t even sure where I was going with that. My mind was nothing but silly putty at that point.
On top of me, he kissed my lips lightly and moved, laying soft kisses on my neck. I held on to him, almost hugging him as he let me breathe, kissing my chest.
“Eli,” I called again, stronger, and he stopped, looking up to me. The only thing on my mind as his blue-green eyes stared back at me was, I’m in love with you, Eli. I wished more than anything I could say it to him, but saying, “Make love to me,” was the best I could do.
He brushed my hair back from my face and, kissing my forehead, smiled down at me. “As you wish.” He shifted between my legs and slowly slid into me, his hands reaching up to take mine. His head, his lips, his eyes all hovered above mine, and he thrust into me.
It was like neither of us would ever be able to look away.
“You are beautiful,” he said to me.
I tried to speak, but he kissed me softly.
“You…” he moaned out, and I held him, trying to rock into each slow and powerful thrust forward. “You, Guinevere Aurora Poe, are the most beautiful woman in the world to me. Let me say it. You should hear it.”
I couldn’t have spoken even if I’d wanted to. Instead, I wrapped my legs and arms around him, and he hugged me in return, his forehead on top of my mine, no gaps between either of our bodies, and we both found release.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Tick, Tick, BOOM
Guinevere
“Home sweet home,” I said to Taigi, opening the apartment door for us. Taigi was not as excited as me. He just walking over to his bed and curled up into a ball. “Well then.”
“He could just be tired,” Eli said, putting the bags down at the door before walking into my kitchen. “Your fridge is empty. Guinevere.”
“But I have a cellphone and a list of great takeout places.”
“After having your mother's cooking for the weekend, takeout just feels like a disappointment,” he replied, grabbing water for himself. “Did you call her to let her know we got back?”
“Shoot,” I said, pulling out my phone.
He shook his head, walking over to my window and resting against the wall with a pillow at his back.
“When do you get to go back to work?” I asked him as I dialed.
“I can go back Friday.” He pulled out his phone.
We had left Cypress early that morning. All the guys had come and even called Eli by his first name, which was a start. My dad hugged me for so long I thought we were going to miss our f
light. My mother…well, she just gave me a look like she could read everything that had happened the night before with Eli. I had stayed with him until the sun came up before sneaking back to my bedroom. You would think being a grown woman, I wouldn’t have to sneak anywhere, but I was not ready, nor would I ever be, to have that battle with my parents.
For the first time in forever, I didn’t panic on the flight. I just thought about the night before or held on to Eli, and everything felt all right. I wasn’t scared. Sore, yes, but not scared.
“Hey Mom, it’s me. I just wanted to let you know we got back safely. I’ll try and call a little later. Love you, bye.” I left the message, hanging up. Right after I did, my agent, Tara, called.
“Hello, Tara?”
“Hey, Gwen, is this a bad time? I wasn’t sure when you came back from your parents,” she said.
I grabbed a glass of water for myself. “That’s fine. What’s up?”
“Well, I have a new project for you. I think it would be great, but you should know something.”
“What is it?” I asked, putting my glass on the counter.
“Well, it’s from Sebastian—”
“Tara, I’m not interested.”
“Your contract isn't up, and of all the things they sent over, this is the best one for your career.”
Damn me for not cutting ties when I had a chance, I thought, putting my hand on my forehead.
“Fine, what is it?”
“Sebastian is starting a new magazine, called The Real, and is partnering with National Geographic to do it.”
“And they want me, too?”
“They want you to be the main photographer for it. You would travel around the world, shooting people from all walks of life. The rich, the poor, everyone, and it will be featured in The Real. Everything would be paid for, of course, and you would get a team…”
My eyes shifted to Eli, who sat comfortably next to Taigi, petting his fur. “Find another project, Tara,” I said.
“Gwen, this is amazing, you would be opening yourself up to so many opportunities —”
“Tara,” I said as softly and as sternly as I possibly could. “Find another project for me to do to finish up my contract, all right? I will talk to you later. Thanks.” I hung up before she could say anything else.