Page 90 of Elijah
Amy
aged 28
I looked at the guests milling around the garden and in the house and felt a little thrill of excitement. There were famous footballers, world known rock stars, and even a very minor member of royalty. Tino and Sophie certainly knew how to throw a party. Sophie had given birth to another little boy, Matteo, and only three weeks later was hosting a huge house warming party and looking amazing at it too, wearing a gorgeous red wraparound dress.
Claudia and I had been invited, having worked on the house and she and her girlfriend, Louise, were currently chatting to Sophie’s pregnant sister Molly and her famous footballer husband, Joe Bennett, and it had to be said, both Claudia and Louise were looking a little star struck. I, however, was hiding behind a huge potted fern on the terrace, as I was not in the mood for socialising. I’d decided not to ask Leon about the room situation when we went away, but simply go with the flow and see how things went. As we were leaving in a couple of days, my nerves were on edge, because as much as I would have liked to think I was chilled and relaxed about it, I wasn’t. I was second guessing everything about it.
Would Leon expect sex?
Would we have sex?
Was I worried whether it would surpass my first time with Elijah?
Claudia was right, I should have asked Leon, but now it felt too late.
“Hey,” a voice said in the dimness. “I thought I saw you come out here.”
“Elijah,” I gasped. “Hi.”
My heart thudded at the sight of him. His hair had grown a little in the two weeks since I’d seen him; still much shorter than he’d worn it when we were together, but it was longer. It really didn’t matter what the length of his hair was though, he looked handsome and sexy whichever way he wore it.
“How come you’re out here?” he asked, shifting his can of beer from one hand to the other.
I glanced into the house through the terrace doors. Candles and lamps were now on in the family room and everyone was laughing and chatting, some were even taking turns to use the swing I’d almost killed myself installing.
“You could be in there drumming up business,” Elijah continued. “I’ve heard quite a few people complimenting the design.”
“Really?” I smiled and leaned forward to look further into the house. “It looks even better now it’s being lived in. What about you, have you managed to get any more business based on how beautiful the gardens look?”
Elijah grinned. “The famous Jake Hughes has taken my number.”
“From Dirty Riches?”
He nodded and took a swig of his beer. “Yeah, he’s buying a property to sell on, so you should get in there and pass him your business card. Why aren’t you inside anyway?”
“Just fancied some quiet,” I replied with a shrug. “I’m going away in a couple of days, so have stuff to do tomorrow and don’t want a hangover from one of Tino’s drinking games.”
Elijah laughed, glancing at the house. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Where are you off to anyway?”
“Um…the Lakes.” I took a drink of my wine, wondering why I felt so awkward about telling him.
“For work?”
“No just a weekend.”
He gave a short nod. “Oh okay, nice. You and Rach?”
My stomach churned. Why the hell didn’t I want him to know? He lived with his girlfriend, I was only having a weekend away with the man I was seeing. After what Elijah had done to us, I should have been rubbing it in, like salt into an open wound, but I knew deep down it wasn’t about getting my own back in some way. I was worried that he wouldn’t give a shit and I wanted him to. I wanted him to be enraged with jealousy, to seethe with anger that I would be sharing a hotel room with another man – but if he didn’t, it would crush me.
“My friend, Leon,” I whispered before clearing my throat. “We’re going to a Laurel & Hardy exhibition.”
If Elijah felt anything he didn’t show it, not even surprise. He simply nodded and drank some more of his beer. I had no idea what he was thinking as we sat in silence. All I did know was that it felt awkward; his body was stiff and my hands were playing with my wine glass as the disappointment of him not caring sank in.
I was about to get up and go inside, when Elijah let out a groan and put his can of beer down on the terrace. He moved over and stood in front of me, and looked down on me with his hands laced behind his neck.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, craning my neck up to see him properly, he was so close.
“Shit.” He closed his eyes momentarily and then sighed. “I don’t know where to start. What the fuck to say. I had promised myself I wouldn’t do this, but I can’t not, Amy. I can’t go any longer without-.”
