Fireflies From Heaven (4 page)

“No,” I pleaded.
“Finish what you started. Please.”

He looked
uncertain, his eyes searching mine, and then he started to move within me,
slowly at first until all of the sudden he pulled out of me and rolled onto his
side.
 
“Shit! I don’t have a condom.”

“Nightstand,” I
told him.

He opened the
nightstand drawer and retrieved a jumbo-sized box of condoms.
 
His gaze shot to mine, and I read the
question in his eyes.

“My cousin
Brooke gave them to me as a housewarming present.”

“I’ll have to
remember to thank her for that,” he said dryly.

I laughed.
 
“Just don’t do it in front of my dad.”

“Don’t mention
your dad now.
 
He’ll likely want to
shoot my ass if he finds out about this.”

We both laughed.
 
Then we made the sweetest love.
 
Afterward, Reed held me against him as
if he treasured me and pressed a light kiss to my temple while he stroked my
hair. I felt safe and happy and peaceful.

All night long
we talked and laughed and made love.
 
Reed was worried about hurting me, but I was insistent that I was fine.
 
“If tonight is all we have then I want
to make the most of it.”
 
Later I
asked, “Won’t Isabelle wonder where you are?”

Reed hesitated
before answering.
 
“She’ll think I’m
with Amber.”

The last time
we made love that night, Reed looked into my eyes and I shook my head.
 
“You don’t have to say it.
 
I already know.”

He frowned.
“What is it you think you know?”

“This is just for
one night.”

“Ellie—“

I pressed my fingers
to his lips then kissed him into silence.
 
Tomorrow would come soon enough and I wasn’t going to regret anything or
spoil the time we had with talk of the future.

The next
morning Reed sat on the edge of my bed, looking grim.
 
When he saw that I was awake he asked
quietly, “You okay?”

“I feel incredible.”

“Any regrets?”

“How can I
regret something that makes me feel this amazing? I wish we had more time.”

He moved beside
me on the bed and took me into his arms. “I want to see you again before I
leave.”

“No.” The
single word was difficult to say, but I knew it was for the best.

He frowned and
looked uncertain. “I don’t mean I want to have sex with you.
 
I just want to be with you.”

“I know what
you meant, and it’d be too hard.
 
Plus, you should spend the time with Isabelle.
 
Thank you for tonight, Reed,” I said
dropping a kiss on his mouth. “I’ll never forget it.”

Reed gave me
his AKO email address before he left, and he called several times over the next
three days.
 
On the day he left, I
broke down and cried.
 
Cora came
home from school, and I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
 
I told her everything, and she hugged me
and told me it would all be okay.
  
She bought plenty of chocolate, coffee and a dozen sappy, romantic movies
that were our favorites.

Two days later
I pulled myself together and went on with my life, but I’d still think of Reed occasionally
and remember that wonderful, bittersweet night I spent in his arms.

2 years later

“Brown or blue
eyes?”

I glanced over
at Cora, who was eyeing at couple of guys at the bar.
 
“Are you picking out a date or a doll?”
I joked.

“You’re not
funny,” Cora said, but she laughed.

“She is kind of
funny,” Isabelle added, spotting the cowboys that Cora was watching and smiling.
 
“If Ellie’s not interested, I’ll split
them with you.
 
I like blue and
brown eyes.”

“Their backs
are to us and you can’t see their eyes,” I said, laughing at the absurdity of
the conversation that was typical for three of us.

“With the way
they fill out those jeans, who gives a damn about eyes.” Isabelle took a pull
of her longneck. “Check out those butts—small, tight, round.
 
I’d give the guy in the dark jeans a ten.
 
The babe in the faded jeans is off the
charts. I call dibs on him.”

“How would you
feel if a guy was ogling you like a piece of meat?”

Isabelle peeled
the wrapper off of her beer bottle, while she thought about the question.
 
“I doubt I’d know about it, and if I did
it wouldn’t bother me.
 
That’s
honest, right?
 
Better to know he’s
with me because of my hot bod than to think he actually cares and wait until I
fall in love with him to break my heart.”

Both Cora and I
started to speak, but Isabelle cut us off.

“No drama
tonight, girls.
 
I just want to have
fun, and I definitely don’t want to think about Scott.”

Cora shot me a
questioning look and we’d been friends long enough that I knew what she was
silently asking me, ‘Is she okay?’

I wasn’t sure
of the answer, but I understood that Isabelle wanted to have some fun without
having us fuss over her all night.
 
I nodded at Cora, and she went back to watching the cowboys.

“Dark Jeans has
blue eyes and Faded Jeans has brown.
 
I noticed as they passed us.
 
Eyes are always what I notice first about a guy.”

“Seriously?” Isabelle
flipped her long, straight, shiny black hair.
 
“I always notice how tall they are, then
I do my ABC’s—abs, butt and chest.”

Cora and I
laughed.

“What about
you, Ellie?”

“I also notice
eyes, but the ABC’s sound interesting.”

Isabelle frowned.
“I feel like I’m a bad influence on you two virgins.”

I felt Cora’s
eyes on me and knew she was likely giving me the same concerned look she’d
given Isabelle.
 
We never talked
about that night I spent with Reed, but Cora knew that I hadn’t forgotten
him.
 
Picking up my beer, I tilted
the bottle to my lips and took a drink of the lukewarm liquid.

“Why are you
looking at Ellie like that?” Isabelle asked, as if she knew something was off.
“You are still hanging on to your V-card, right?”

The question
caught me off guard, and I looked into her eyes unable to lie.

Isabelle’s dark
blue eyes, so much like her brother’s, fastened on me.
 
“Holy shit!
 
You slept with Davis?”

I choked on my
beer.
 
Davis Buchanan was a guy I’d
dated for a couple of months last year, but he broke up with me after he’d met
my cousin Brooke and now they were planning a wedding.
 
Luckily, I’d never slept with Davis.

“You told Cora
and not me?” Isabelle asked, hurt.

I opened my
mouth to tell her I’d never slept with Davis, but Cora spoke first.

 
“I found out by accident,” Cora lied smoothly.
 
“You know how Ellie never likes to talk
about herself.
 
If I hadn’t of come
home early that day, I’d never have known.”

“You walked in
on them?” Isabelle asked, fascinated.

I saw the flash
of uncertainty in Cora’s green eyes, but I gave her I nod of encouragement. Isabelle
was too smart and knew Cora and I too well to believe I was still a virgin so
what difference did it make if Isabelle thought I’d slept with Davis if it took
the hurt out of her eyes.

“Did you
actually see them naked?”

“I’m glad ya’ll
are enjoying yourselves at my expense.” I tried to sound irritated when I was
really relieved. “Focus, ladies.” I nodded in the direction of Dark and Faded
Jeans who were taking a seat by the dance floor. And with that redirection, all
talk of my currently non-existent sex life ended.

Several guys
stopped to stare at Isabelle; she had that the kind of heart-stopping beauty
that made people notice her.
 
Cora
and I got a few looks as well.
 
Together, we made a striking threesome—a raven-haired beauty,
beautiful red head, and a blonde.

Isabelle was
the stunning, dark haired beauty, tall and slender with legs that women envied
and men likely imagined wrapped around them. Guys usually approached Isabelle
first, probably because of her vibrant, outgoing personality. Something about
her attracted people and made them want to be around her. It was the same magnetic
appeal that her brother possessed.

Cora was as
striking as Isabelle. When we were younger Cora had jokingly referred to
herself as the ugly duckling, and now she was most definitely a beautiful swan.
I couldn’t wait for our high school reunion so that Cora could show up and
amaze everyone that had once been mean to her.
 
Cora’s hair, which had once been the
color of a carrot, was now a deep, burnished auburn.
 
She’d gotten contacts after graduation
and now, along with perfect skin, Cora’s sea-green eyes were one of her best
features.

I wasn’t sure
how to describe myself.
 
I have blue
eyes, blonde hair that never needs highlights (I’m thankful for that), but my
locks have a mind, or you could say a wave of their own, and they don’t like to
be tamed.
 
They’re always escaping a
ponytail and have declared a personal war with the flat iron.

My skin is
clear, but I have a duck mouth—my top lip is slightly fuller than my
lower lip.
 
My Aunt Lacy says that I
could fix my mouth with collagen injections, but my dad said not to listen to
her and that I’m beautiful as I am.
 
Of course, he’s my dad and has to tell me stuff like that, but I still
love hearing it and I love him.

Running is one
of my favorite things to do when I need to think, and because of it, I don’t
have to watch my weight.
 
My chest
is small, but I’m happy with my 32B bra size and would never want to change
it.
 
Mama used to tell me to love
myself, and I try to do that. I’d never want to change anything about me even
the flaws.

“What happened
to Amber?
 
I thought she was meeting
us here.” Cora glanced at Isabelle.

“She wanted to
stop by the hospital and visit Reed.”

My heart
tripped a beat just hearing his name.

I refused to
look over at Cora, knowing that she would be watching me with the same concern
she directed at Isabelle whenever someone brought up Scott.
 
Cora knew me better than anyone so I
didn’t really understand her friend radar going all red-alert whenever Reed’s
name was mentioned because Cora, of all people, should have known I was strong
enough not to fall apart whenever I heard the name of my ex-lover.

Reed and I had
a one-night stand.

Cora seemed to
have a tougher time accepting that than I did.
 
Just because I was understandably upset
whenever I’d heard that he’d been hurt didn’t mean that I was fragile where he
was concerned.

“How’s he
doing?” I asked Isabelle, even though I knew the answer to that.
 
Reed had undergone six surgeries in the
last three months to repair the damage to his lower leg caused by an explosion
in Afghanistan, and I’d visited him after each one.
 
That he hadn’t been conscious and never
knew that I was there didn’t matter.
 
It wasn’t like I thought that Reed would expect a visit from me, and
since Amber wanted him back I didn’t want to complicate things.

I’d never told
Isabelle about what happened between Reed and I. It wasn’t as if I meant to
keep it from her, it just never came up and Isabelle was determined that Reed
would get back together with Amber. Since I loved Isabelle and didn’t want
things to be awkward between us, I figured she was better off not knowing about
my one-night stand with Reed. Sometimes I wished I could forget about her
brother, but whenever I’d meet a guy that I liked I would start comparing him
to Reed Bentley. No man had ever made me feel even a glimmer of what I’d felt
with Reed, and I wondered if I was destined to end up alone.

When I was
working I’d ask the other nurses about him, and I’d leave him things I knew he
liked—mystery books, sketchpads and daisies.
 
I wasn’t sure if he liked the daisies or
not, but I thought they made the room a little cheerier.

“He’s been down
lately, but I guess that’s to be expected.
 
Three months in and out of the hospital sucks, but he’s being released
soon, and I’m hoping Amber can cheer him up.”

“I’m sure she
will,” I said with forced enthusiasm.
 

Cora gave me a
sympathetic look but, luckily, she waited until Isabelle had glanced away.
 
Isabelle and Cora danced with Faded and
Dark Jeans, leaving me alone with thoughts of Reed.

He and I had
emailed while he’d been in Afghanistan.
 
When I’d received the first one asking
how I was doing, I’d only intended to reply to the one email and thought
anything more would be awkward. I’d been wrong. Looking forward to emails from
Reed had become a hobby of mine over the last two years. I’d even memorized
some of them.

Reed,

I was surprised to hear from you. I’m glad to know that you’re safe and
I pray that you’ll continue to stay that way.

Isabelle, Cora, and I went to The Pit tonight.
 
I thought of you.
 
The live band was amazing. Cora has a
crush on the drummer, and I think Isabelle has a date tomorrow night with the
lead singer. You probably don’t want to hear about this.

I’m taking eighteen college hours this semester, and I’ve been busy but
I like it. My counselor says if I keep taking this kind of load, I’ll graduate
in two more years.

Izzy and Ellie are a popular act. I guess Isabelle probably told you.
It’s fun working with your sister. The kids at the hospital love us and I love
making them smile.

I don’t want to bore you. So I’ll stop here. Take care Reed. Be safe
.
~ Ellie

Ellie,

You could never bore me.
 
I
love hearing all about what’s going on in your life. The ordinary things are
what I miss, and I enjoy hearing about yours. It makes me less homesick.

 
The nights are difficult.
That’s when I think of you the most.
 
I sense that you don’t want to talk about what happened between us, and
we don’t have to. I still think about that night, but I don’t want to make you
uncomfortable.

Write to me about whatever you like. Just write to me. Please. ~ Reed

Reed,

I couldn’t sleep last night. I kept thinking about you and hoping that
you’re okay. I pray that you’re safe.

Last night I realized how much I don’t know about you, so I thought we
could exchange a few basic facts.
 
I’ll start. My full name is Eleanor Madison McAllister. I was born on
August 7
^th
.
 
My favorite
color is green.
 
Daisies are my
favorite flower, and I love to run. I read romance novels and love most movies
except for horror. I hope you don’t think all of this is silly.

 
In the summer Dad and I
head for the hill country and we love to tube the Rio Frio. I think it’s one of
the most beautiful places on earth. If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d go
to Hawaii because that’s where my Mom always wanted to go, but she never got
the chance.

Take care, Reed. ~Ellie

Ellie,

I’d love to go to Hawaii with you. Maybe someday.
 
When I can’t sleep at night, I think of
you. You fascinate me, Ellie McAllister. No, I don’t think anything you say is
silly.

My middle name is Michael. I was born on July 17. My favorite color is
blue—like your eyes.
 
Daisies
were my mom’s favorite flower. I like to run, and one day I’d like to play
golf. I’d like to watch any movie with you. I’ve never read a romance novel,
but I like to read.
 
Mostly I go for
the true-crime or mysteries. Isabelle and I used to go to Galveston in the
summers. If I could go anywhere in the world, I’d come home.

Write me back. ~Reed

I kept writing
him back until six months ago when Isabelle told me that Amber had broken up
with Cade, and wanted to get back together with Reed.
 
Actually, I didn’t just stop emailing him
because that didn’t feel right.
 
Instead, I wrote less frequently and tried not to open up to him more
than I already had for fear of having my heart completely shattered when he
came home to Amber.