Forever You (24 page)

vendor selling flowers on the street. I searched the cabinets for a vase and found a small one that

would hold one flower. I filled the vase with water and set the rose inside. Everything was perfect.

I climbed into bed and pushed her hair back as I lightly kissed her neck. She rolled over and

smiled. “Happy Birthday, baby,” I whispered as I kissed her lips. She took my hand and interlaced

our fingers as she nestled her head into my chest. “Thank you,” she replied. I held her for a few

minutes before I told her not to move, and that I’d be right back. She looked at me and smiled while

biting her bottom lip. Damn that smile. I went to the kitchen, grabbed the tray and walked back to the

bedroom. She looked at me with a hunger in her eyes, and I knew she wasn’t thinking about food. I

smiled as I walked over and set the tray on her lap. I could tell she was excited from the grin she was

displaying from ear to ear. She asked me how, when, and where. I laughed as I told her it came from

the café down the street. I opened my hand and handed her the pills.

“You need to take these first,” I said.

She rolled her eyes at me. “I know,” she sighed as she took them with her orange juice.

I picked up the fork and fed her some eggs. She smiled as she ate them. I couldn’t help but stare into

her beautiful eyes, because when I did, I saw my entire future in them. She took the fork out of my

hand and fed me.

“It’s time to open your presents,” I smiled as I reached under the bed and pulled out three boxes.

Her smile widened. “I love presents!” she squealed. I removed the tray from her lap and set it on the

floor. I was grinning from ear to ear as I handed her the first box that contained her new iPhone. She

gracefully opened it, and I watched as her mouth dropped in shock.

“Your phone number is the same as your old phone; you know the one you threw away?” I smirked.

“Who just throws away their phone?” I shook my head.

“I’m crazy, remember?” she smiled.

“Yes, you are crazy, but you’re my crazy, and don’t ever forget that,” I said as I kissed her on the

tip of her nose. I handed her the next box that contained the bracelet. She gasped when she opened the

box and, covered her mouth with her hand.

“Connor, I…I love it! This is the most beautiful gift that anyone has ever given me.”

I took the box from her hand and took out the bracelet. I unclasped it and put it on her delicate

wrist. “I love you, Ellery. Not only for whom you are, but for the person I’ve become because of you.

This is my forever to you.”

It wasn’t too long before tears started to fall down her face. “Oh no, you don’t! There will be no

tears on your birthday, whether they’re good tears or not; I forbid it. Do you understand, Miss Lane?”

I asked as she started to laugh.

She wrapped her arms around me as tight as she could and met her mouth with mine. I responded,

but quickly broke the kiss. I was excited for her to open the last present.

“You still have one more present to open,” I said as I handed her the last box.

“You spoil me,” she said.

I took her hand, brought it up to my lips, and softly kissed it. “You deserve to be spoiled.”

She opened the box and looked at the tickets. She didn’t say a word; she only looked at me with

tears in her eyes.

“Don’t do it; no tears,” I commanded. But it was too late; they had already started to fall. I took my

thumb and gently wiped her tears from her eyes. “I know your dream is to go to Paris; I saw it on the

list that you hid in your desk, and as soon as the doctor says that it’s ok to go, we’ll be on the first

flight there for however long you want to stay.”

She climbed on my lap and straddled me as she cupped my face in her hands and stared into my

eyes. “Thank you for all that you’ve done for me. You’ve made me the happiest person in the world,

and I’m never letting you go.” I smiled as I ran my finger along her face. I took her wrist and brought

it up to my lips as I softly kissed the infinity symbol on her bracelet. “It will always be forever you,” I

whispered. She leaned in and brushed her lips against mine. We stayed in bed until the afternoon, and

Ellery showed me how grateful she was.

***

Later that night, I arranged for a limo to pick us up and drive us to the swank bar that Mason and

Landon had planned for Ellery’s birthday. It was an eventful night of talking, laughing, and drinking.

Our waitress was trying to flirt with me and didn’t care that Ellery was right there next to me. When

we were about to leave, Ellery excused herself and went to the restroom. While she was gone, the

redheaded waitress came over and whispered in my ear. “I would love to have your cock in my

mouth,” she winked.

I looked over her shoulder and saw Ellery coming towards her. The angered look on her face told

me she had enough of this girl. She walked up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder. I started to

get nervous because I know Ellery, and she doesn’t put up with any shit.

“Excuse me, lady; what the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“Listen, bitch; if you’re doing all three of them, then there’s no harm in letting me have a taste of

this juicy one,” she smiled at me. My look turned to panic as I saw rage in Ellery’s eyes. I was going

to stop this or she might end up in jail.

“Who are you calling a bitch?!” Ellery yelled.

I stepped out of the booth as Mason and Landon sat there with smiles on their faces. I grabbed

Ellery’s arm. “Come on let’s go,” I said as I quickly escorted her out of the bar with Mason and

Landon following behind us, laughing. I kissed her on the side of her head, “I can’t take you

anywhere.” She turned her head and gave me a stern look. “It’s not me; it’s you and these damn

women you attract.” I laughed as I picked her up and carried her to the car.

We arrived back at Ellery’s apartment. Celebrating her birthday with her was the best day of my

life, except for the day I found her standing in my kitchen. I walked into the room with a 12 inch round

cake, beautifully lit up with 24 burning candles. I set it in front of her and watched her smile as she

closed her eyes, made a wish, and blew them out. Her sweetness and innocence swept me off my feet

and left me with a feeling that I never knew I was capable of. Her smile, her laughter, and the way she

played with her hair when she was nervous were some of the things I loved most about her.

I handed her the knife to cut the first piece of cake, and she took it from my hand with her delicate

fingers. I stood there and stared at her as she cut each piece with finesse. She looked at me with her

ice blue eye; eyes that were mesmerizing and full of life.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked.

A smile fell upon my face as I answered, “I was just thinking about how much I love you.” The

words I was never able to say before, now flowed freely from my lips as easy as loving her did. She

leaned over, put a dab of icing on the tip of my nose, and laughed. She wiped it off and held her finger

to my mouth as I took it inside and licked it slowly. I saw the fire in her eyes like I do every time she

looks at me.

I can’t extinguish the fear that resides in my heart with her illness. I don’t want to believe that she

won’t get better, but there’s a tiny part of me that is scared shitless that she won’t. I put on a brave

front for her because she needs me. She needs me to be her rock, and I won’t let her down. Mason and

Landon left, and we walked to the bedroom.

I laid there in bed, checking my emails while waiting for her to come out of the bathroom. She

opened the door and walked into the bedroom while brushing her teeth, frantically looking for

something. “What’s wrong, baby?” I asked. She mumbled something; I couldn’t understand her

between the toothbrush and the foam. She held up her free hand against her ear.

“Are you looking for your phone?” I asked her.

She nodded her head. I smiled as I pulled it from between the sheets. She smiled at me and gave me

thumbs up as she went back into the bathroom and spat in the sink.

“Thanks, baby!” she yelled. She walked towards the bed and looked at her phone, checking her

messages before she pulled back the covers and climbed in. She snuggled into my chest as I put my

arm around her. This was right, too right, as she softly kissed my chest and slowly drifted to sleep.

Chapter 20

The next morning, I woke up and looked over to find Ellery staring at me. I could sense something

was bothering her. She kissed my cheek and laid her head on my chest.

“What’s wrong?” I asked as I held her.

“I’m scared to go today,” she whispered.

I kissed her on the top of her head. “Don’t be scared; I’m here with you, and I told you that I will

protect you. You have nothing to fear when you’re with me; I promise you that, my love.”

She looked up at me and smiled. “I think we have time for a long shower before heading over to the

hospital.”

“You must have read my mind, Miss Lane, because I was just thinking the same thing,” I smiled

back.

We ate breakfast and headed out the door. I walked over to the Porsche as Ellery turned the

opposite way. “Hey, where are you going?” I asked.

“I’m walking,” she replied.

“No, you’re not! Get in the car, Ellery, I’m driving you there.”

I sighed as she kept walking down the street. I ran up behind her and picked her up.

“Connor, come on, please?” she laughed.

“Sorry, babe, but it’s better to drive there because we don’t know how you’ll feel afterwards. You

may not be able to walk home.”

“You’re right; I’m sorry,” she said as she kissed me on the cheek.

We arrived at the hospital, and I could tell Ellery was nervous as she was biting her bottom lip.

We sat in the waiting room of Dr. Murphy’s office until a leggy blonde receptionist called Ellery’s

name and led us to a room. I put my arm around Ellery as we walked down the hall, letting her know

she’s safe. The blonde kept eyeing me up and down and Ellery noticed it. I was getting nervous

because of what happened last night, and Ellery won’t hold back. She gave Ellery a cloth gown to

change into and quickly left the room after Ellery gave her an evil look. I took the gown from her

hands and helped her into it.

Dr. Murphy walked in with a silver tray and three large needles. She explained to Ellery what each

injection was going to feel like. She looked at me and told me that Ellery is going to need me to hold

her hand. Just hearing Dr. Murphy explain to Ellery what her body is going to feel like had scared the

shit out of me. I looked at her face, and she was as pale as a ghost. She was frightened, and it was my

job to protect her. I turned on the bed so I was facing her, and I grabbed her hand.

“Just look at me, baby, and focus on nothing but me, ok?” I said.

She nodded her head as Dr. Murphy inserted the first needle. She squeezed my hand hard as she

shrieked. When the second needle was injected, her shriek turned into a cry as she let go of my hand,

clutched my shirt with her fists and screamed into my chest. My heart was breaking for her. I held her

in my arms as the third needed pierced her skin, and she continued to scream.

“Please, Dr. Murphy; isn’t there anything we can do for her?” I pleaded.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Black. We have to let it run its course, but it’s only temporary. I’ll be back in an

hour to see how she’s doing; if you need anything, or she’s having a reaction, you are to push this

button immediately,” she said as she walked out of the room.

“It’s ok, baby. Just hold onto me,” I whispered to her as she laid there and shook in my arms. My

eyes started to swell with tears. I had to hold them back. I need to be strong for her, but seeing her

like this and having to go through this pain was horrifying. I just kept telling her I loved her over and

over.

***

A couple of days had passed, and we mostly stayed in bed, watched movies, and cooked together.

Cooking with Ellery was fun because neither one of us were very good at it. When I sat at the table,

doing work and holding meetings, Ellery would sit at her easel and paint. When she wasn’t looking, I

would stare at her and watch how flawlessly she moved her brush on the canvas. This is how I

pictured the rest of my life with her; she’s my future.

The next morning, I was up early for a brief phone meeting with Paul regarding the Chicago

acquisition. Just as I hung up with him, my mom called. She wanted to make sure I was coming for

Thanksgiving. I told her that I had met someone very special and that I would be bringing her to

Thanksgiving to meet the family. I could tell she was excited by the way she screamed, “Connor’s

bringing someone home for Thanksgiving!” I guess she had the right to be excited since I’ve never

brought anyone home for her to meet before. I hung up the phone, walked to the bedroom, and stared

at my sleeping beauty. She opened her eyes and smiled at me. I smiled back as I walked over and sat