Page 47 of Elijah
Amy
aged 28
I’d pretty much finished at the house. After weeks of hard work, the only thing I had left to do was dress the family room, and the thought of not seeing Elijah every day was filling me with sadness.
We’d started to chat over lunch of my final week, and he’d even brought in my favourite caramel latte for me one morning when he’d arrived later than everyone else. When we sat down to talk it was always light and non-confrontational, with no mention of our marriage or Lauren. Both were subjects that we silently agreed to avoid.
The gardens were looking good too, and although Elijah and his team still had another few weeks left to complete everything, we’d all agreed that we should go out for a drink to celebrate the end of the project. Which was why I was standing in Ziggy’s, a local club, with Rachel, trying to quell the nerves rolling around in my stomach.
“Will you stop,” Rachel grumbled, with a smile. “You’re making me nervous.”
I chewed on my bottom lip, thankful for the long-lasting red lipstick I was wearing. “I don’t know why I feel like this,” I replied. “He’s made it quite clear he’s moved on. I’ve been nothing short of a bitch to him up until a couple of weeks ago and it’s just a group night out.”
“Exactly.” Rachel placed a hand over my drumming fingers. “Take a deep breath and don’t expect anything. If something is meant to happen it will.”
“But I don’t even know if I forgive him, Rach, so why the hell am I feeling like this?”
Rachel sighed. “Because you never stopped loving him, despite what he might have done.”
I looked at her warily. “You never thought he’d slept with her, did you?”
“I don’t know, Amy,” she responded with a shrug. “It just wasn’t like him. He adored you and we all saw how pissed he was, do you really think he’d have been capable?”
I’d thought about that millions of times over the past five years, and while initially I’d been positive he had, now with a clearer mind, I wasn’t so sure. I’d seen him many times when he was drunk, hell I’d slept next to him, and sex was the last thing he was capable of. Yes, he’d give it a good go, but generally he’d collapse in a snoring stupor before he’d even got my bra off.
“You were in a really emotional place that night, so it’s no wonder your view was clouded.”
I held my breath thinking about it and the head space that I’d been in and the pain was so acute, I could have been back there, in that room, seeing them. I looked down at my drink, swirling the straw around it, wondering whether I should go home, move on to my next job, and try and forget Elijah again. Before I had chance to suggest it to Rachel, she poked my side.
“Got to say, Amy, he’s looking good.”
My head shot up and I looked in the same direction as Rachel. Elijah was walking toward us with Sam at his side and Marty, Bob, and Anthony following behind, and my breath was taken away. He looked sexier than I’d ever seen any man look. He wore a deep red Pretty Green polo shirt, dark jeans that fit him perfectly and best of all, all his amazing tattoos were on show. He gave me a dazzling smile as he sauntered to our table and it took everything in me not to run and wrap myself around him, just like I used to.
“Hey,” I said and then looked at Sam. “Hi, Sam.”
Sam nodded and looked over my shoulder to Rachel. “Rach.”
“Hi Sam,” she replied, clearing her throat, obviously sensing my discomfort that Sam had barely acknowledged me.
“You need another drink?” Elijah asked, half-turning toward the bar.
I shook my head. “I’m fine thanks.”
“We’ll be back in a few minutes.” Elijah smiled as he and Sam walked away.
As I watched him, Marty, Bob, and Anthony all smiled and waved from their place at the bar.
“I see Sam is still a moody sod,” Rachel grumbled, picking up her drink.
“I can understand why,” I replied. “I left his brother.”
“But surely he can understand why too. Stupid idiot.”
“Please Rach, it’s fine,” I sighed, glancing over at them as Marty leaned over the bar to shout their order to the barman. “Let’s just try and enjoy a couple of drinks with them and then we can go.”
Rachel nodded and pulled me into a side hug, giving me the support I was desperate for.
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