Page 13 of Eternally Yours
He smacks me on the back. “No problem, always happy to help. Anyway, it’s about time you find yourself someone to settle down with. Morgan would kill me if I didn’t try to help in some way.” I chuckle at his comment because he’s right. Morgan, his wife, has been trying to set me up with her friends for years.
Grey returns shortly after and dresses up, and once we’re all ready to go, we make our way to Clay’s SUV and pile in. From the passenger seat, I unlock my phone with a plan to get some deliveries on the way, but first I have a call to make.
Operation Get My Girl: activated.
CECILIA
“I can’t believe you don’t even have his number, how are you supposed to see himagain?” Emma says devastatingly, as if she’s the one going through this particular situation.
We’re on our way up to our condo after what felt like the longest day at work. With the constant questions about Silas, keeping focus on my tasks was anything but easy. Although, I did manage to finish up the Margo project before the end of the day, which means that everything is ready and in motion for event day next week.
When Em had asked me if he had texted yet, I confessed that we hadn’t exchanged numbers. She was appalled, nearly having a meltdown in the middle of the break room during lunch. I have to agree, I was a bit upset when the night was over and I realized he hadn’t asked me.
But I’m sure if I wanted to get in touch, there would be a way since he happens to live in the same building. I could simply ask Stanley to pass a message the next time he saw him or even the front desk to deliver one to him.
That, however, is information I withheld from my dear friend. Some things I’d like to keep to myself. I’m not sure how she would react if she knew he lived just three floors above us. Which has my curiosity piquing as to how she’s managed to live here for the past two years and not see him once.
“I don’t know; he knows where we live, so I guess if he wants to see me again, he knows where to go,” I say with a shrug, downplaying how much I want him to show up.
We exit the elevator cab and head down the hall to our door when something catches my eye. I stop at once, my heart beating erratically out of my chest. Because there on our doormat sits a white shoebox-sized package with a red satin ribbon wrapping it shut. And I know without a doubt it’s from Silas.
From this distance, I can’t see if there’s a name attached to the gift, but even if there isn’t, I can feel it down to the marrow of my bones.
Once I snap out of my frozen state, I take tentative steps toward the box. Emma is too wrapped up in one of her stories to even notice it yet, but that’s okay, it will give me more time to suppress my reaction. I don’t want her to know just how desperate I was all day, waiting and hoping for a sign from him.
I kneel down, facing the package, and begin to examine it, delicately sliding my fingertips over the soft ribbon. There’s no writing on the box, not even a card holding a name. I pick up the box between my small hands and take notice of the heat radiating through it. Whatever it holds, it’s still warm.
I quickly look back the way we came, expecting to find Silas standing a few feet away, but he’s not. The hallway is vacant of any presence except my own andEmma’s. I turn back and stand, unlocking the door and walking in with the gift in hand.
I mosey over to the kitchen island and set it down when Emma finally takes notice. “Where did you get that?”
“It was by the door,” I tell her with a faint voice.
“Who’s it from?” She shimmies over to inspect it in turn. “Hmm, weird. There’s no name.” Her eyes suddenly widen before she turns to me drastically and grabs me by the forearms. “OH MY GOD! It’s fromhim, isn’t it? Isn’t it!?” She begins to bounce us in place excitedly.
“Stop it,” I say, a giggle slipping from my lips as I let her drag me along. “We don’t even know for sure. Like you said, there’s no name.”
“Then what are we waiting for! Let’s find out.”
She stops our jumping motion and pulls out a bar stool, tapping the seat twice in indication for me to sit. She pushes the box in front of me as she pulls out her own stool at the same time and scoots it as close as possible, practically sitting on my lap.
She nudges me in the side with her elbow and juts out her chin in the direction of the mystery box. “Open it,” she says with a kind smile.
My hands shake faintly as I grab hold of the two ends of the ribbon, pulling on them diligently and letting them fall to the side. I take a deep breath and begin to lift the lid.
A salivating smell erupts from the box and penetrates my nostrils as a heavenly aroma resurfaces from my memories. My stomach instantly knots at the possibility of what may be inside, my throat constricting as I try to swallow.
Removing the cover completely, I set it aside and am greeted by none other than my favorite pastry of all time. Inside the gift box sits half a dozen freshly baked almond croissants, stacked perfectly on a large red napkin that matches the ribbon. Above the stack rests a small white envelope with my name written in beautiful handwriting.
Emma stays seated patiently by my side, her hands interlocked over her lap as she regards me with tenderness in her eyes. I exhale slowly and turn over the envelope in my hand, then lift the flap and prudently extract the paper from within.
My eyes well up at the simple note written.How can a man who barely knows me be this attentive to every word I’ve spoken?
Emma leans in and presses her palm to my arm, rubbing up and down my biceps in a soothing way. “What does it say?”
I clear my throat.“For those days when you’re missing home.”My voice cracks as I speak the words, stopping me from reading the rest that includes his name andphone number. A lone tear makes its way down my cheek.
“Oh, Cece…” Em pulls me into her arms and rubs my back as I fight my hardest to keep my emotions at bay. I wasn’t expecting such an innocent act to hit me this hard.
