Page 18 of Falling Fast
Her smile softens, “I miss you, too. If I could come, I would. Please trust me on that.”
I nod. “I believe you, Ella. Besides, without you here to distract me, maybe I can finish up my work faster and get back to you sooner.”
Ella yawns, then smiles at me sleepily. “That sounds good. Really good.”
Her eyes are fluttering closed and she’s close to dozing off.
“Sweet dreams, baby. I hope you dream of us.”
“Night, Marcus…”
My screen goes dark and I’m left sitting at my desk with my shirt and pants undone, my hands still sticky from the hottest phone sex ever and my heart aching for Ella.
Chapter ten
Ella
Ten days. That’s how long it’s been since I saw Marcus. Every day that passes without knowing when he will come back makes the memory of the time we spent together blurrier. My body remembers his touch, my heart remembers the emotion he stirred up in me, but my gosh darn brain is starting to question it all. I mean, really, who falls in love in just a day and a half?
It’s a good thing I’m so busy getting ready for school to start, or I would be one big mopey ball of crazy. As it is, Tawny has started popping up wherever I am. I know she’s lying when she says it’s coincidence. She’s checking up on me, making sure I’m not completely losing it.
Marcus said he would never make a promise he couldn’t keep and he promised me he would tell me when he was coming back. The look of regret on his face when he had to admit he still didn’t have an answer for me was both reassuring and soul destroying. I could tell he truly hated that he couldn’t say what his plans are, but a part of me was heartbroken that this is our reality – him on the mainland, buried in work, and me committed to the island and the life I have here. I’ve even started to question if I could handle living in the city if it meant being with Marcus. But the truth is, I’m not brave enough to uproot my life and go somewhere I know I’ll be miserable, for a man I’ve only spent a day and a half with. I’m no longer confident enough in what we have to know without a doubt that moving for him would be worth it.
What if our connection was only meant to last those two days? What if that was my one chance to experience true love? Oh fudge, am I doomed to be a spinster with nothing but thirty cats for company the rest of my days? Oh man, this is not good. The full-on crazy that Tawny has been worried about is showing.
I head to my kitchen to whip up some cookie dough. Nothing beats the blues like cookie dough and I need to stress eat.
Later, bowl of dough in hand, I settle down on my couch. It’s cold outside, unusually so for August on the island. But the weather matches my mood, dreary and depressing. I pick up the book I’m reading, a rom-com by one of my favorite authors, but even bad boy millionaires can’t get me to smile. Not when I’m missing my own millionaire. Yep, I looked him up. Marcus and his business are worth over ten million dollars. Holy shiitake, am I right?
The obvious difference in our bank balances unnerves me slightly; it’s one more way that Marcus feels like my opposite. But don’t they always say opposites attract?
My mouth is full of sticky, sweet chocolate chip cookie dough when my phone rings. It’s a video call from Marcus. I answer quickly, and belatedly realize I’m a hot mess with wild hair, sloppy clothes, and my next spoonful of dough in hand.
His smile turns into a quizzical frown when he sees me; he’s still the most perfect man I’ve ever seen.
“Umm, hey beautiful, how are you doing?” he asks in that rumbly voice that makes me want to purr.
“Mmmfffggg,” I mumble as I frantically try to swallow down the last bites of chocolatey goodness. Once my mouth is clear, I smile, hoping I don’t look like a total weirdo. “I’m good. Hi.”
Now that sinful smile is back and I swear he shoots laser beams of lust from his eyes because I want him so badly right now.
“I’ve got news, Ella,” he says, and the excitement in his voice has me sitting up straighter and my heart pounding faster.
He’s grinning like a fool now and I can feel a smile stretch across my face in response.
“I’m coming back tomorrow,” he says triumphantly.
I’m speechless. Legit, cannot formulate a response. And that’s weird for me. Marcus knows this and he’s starting to look worried at my silence.
“That’s a good thing, right, baby? This time tomorrow I’ll have you in my arms.”
I clear my throat and finally regain the ability to speak.
“Of course, it’s good. It’s more than good. It’s amazing. I can’t, I just, I can’t believe it. Ten days isn’t long, but it feels like forever,” I babble, and I’m pretty sure I sound totally bonkers.
“Every moment between us feels like forever, because what we have can’t be measured with time. You and I, we are meant to be for eternity.”
Cue swoon.
