Home. Referring to us going home was bittersweet. Connor walked over to the easel and looked intrigued by my painting.
“I have to say, Ellery, you are a very talented artist. This painting is stunning.”
I walked over and slipped my hands in his back pockets and put my chin on his shoulder.
“Thank you. This is a glimpse of my future. It looks so peaceful there.”
“It’s very beautiful. I suggest you keep it and don’t sell it,” he said.
I kissed him on the cheek. “Maybe I will.”
I paused for a moment as I looked into the depth of my painting. “I was going to tell you, you know.”
He reached for my hands and brought my arms around his waist. “Tell me what?”
I took in a sharp breath. “About coming here and seeing Dr. Murphy. I wanted to talk to you about it that day, but you were so angry. I heard you on the phone, in your office, with Ashlyn.”
He looked down. “I’m sorry, Ellery. I never should have said those things to you. I was…” He couldn’t find the words he needed to say, so I interrupted him.
“You need to tell me about her, Connor. We can never move forward if you don’t, and I think I have a right to know.”
He turned around so that he was facing me and pressed his forehead against mine. “I know, and I will; just not tonight.”
I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to tell me because if not, I would have to find out for myself, and that was something I didn’t want to have to do. I sighed as we headed to the bedroom.
***
I awoke the next day to the sensation of my neck being covered in small, light kisses. I smiled as I rolled over to view the sexy man who was sending shivers throughout my body.
“Happy birthday, baby.” He smiled as he lightly kissed my lips.
I interlaced our fingers and nestled into his chest. “Thank you.”
It amazed me how fast things changed. I was dreading this day not too long ago for the fear of celebrating alone. Not that I would celebrate because it was just eight short years ago that I was diagnosed with cancer the first time, and here I was facing it again, but Connor being here made things better. He made me feel safe and happy.
“Don’t move,” he said as he swiftly got off the bed. I bit my lower lip, anxiously waiting for his return.
Wearing only dark gray pajama bottoms, he strutted into the bedroom, holding a tray. I could do nothing short of holding my breath as I looked at his perfectly chiseled chest and his exposed hips as his bottoms hung so perfectly below them. Connor Black knew he was a sexy man, and he didn’t have any trouble letting me know. He sat the tray across my legs and sat down next to me. With a grin that went from ear to ear, I looked down at the scrambled eggs, bagel, fruit, and bacon that sat before me.
“How? When? Where?”
He laughed as he took my fork and stabbed the eggs. “Since you didn’t have anything besides eggs, I headed down the street to the café.”
He smiled as he opened his hand and handed me my daily dose of fifteen pills; needless to say, I rolled my eyes. He picked up the fork and brought it to my mouth as I graciously removed the eggs from it.
“You’re amazing.” I smiled.
I grabbed the fork from his hand and shared my eggs and bacon with him. A happiness grew inside me that I never thought could exist. I was too happy, and it scared me. It scared me to death because all I kept thinking was that nothing lasts forever, and I never wanted this feeling to end.
“Present time!” He smiled as he reached one arm under the bed. He pulled out three beautifully wrapped boxes and then removed the tray from my lap.
“I love presents!” I squealed.
The expression on his face was pure bliss. He was just as happy in this moment as I was. He handed me the first box, and I carefully unwrapped it. My mouth dropped as I pulled a new iPhone out of the box.
“Your phone number is the same as your old phone; you know, the one you threw away?” He smirked. “Who just throws away their phone?” He shook his head.
I playfully smacked him on his arm. “I’m crazy, remember?”
He laughed and kissed me on the head. I turned the phone on, and instantly, there were text messages from all my friends wishing me a happy birthday.
A text from Peyton read, “Happy birthday, bitch! Nah, you know I love you. Call me soon. We have a lot to catch up on. By the way, have lots of birthday sex. You deserve it.”
I shook my head and laughed. Connor knew how Peyton was, so he didn’t even ask what she said. He could just tell by my reaction.
He took the phone from my hand and set it on the bed while he handed me the next box. I smiled as I bit my bottom lip, anxiously unwrapping and excited like a child on Christmas morning, the perfect silver square box. I removed the top and inside sat a stunning silver bracelet with the infinity symbol encased in diamonds. I gasped as I ran my finger along the diamonds.
“Connor, I…I love it! This is the most beautiful gift that anyone has ever given me.”
He took the box from my hand and took out the bracelet. He unclasped it and put it on my wrist. “I love you, Ellery. Not only for who you are, but for the person I’ve become because of you. This is my forever to you.”
The uncontrollable tears that seemed to plague my face recently started their trail down my cheeks, but they were quickly stopped by Connor’s response.
“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 couldn’t help but break into laughter at his commanding voice.
I wrapped my arms around him as tight as I could and met his mouth with mine. He responded, but quickly broke our kiss. “You still have one more present to open.”
I smiled as I leaned back on my pillow. “You spoil me.”
He handed me the long box as he smiled. I took the box and, with the same finesse, I un-wrapped it like the others. I took off the top and stared at the voucher inside. I looked at Connor as my eyes started to swell.
“Don’t do it. No tears.”
I couldn’t help it this time. My emotions were too far fallen, for inside the box were two tickets to Paris. As he looked at me, he gently wiped the tears from under my eyes.
“I know your dream is to go to Paris. I saw it on that list you hid in your desk, and as soon as the doctor says it’s okay to go, we’ll be on the first flight there for however long you want to stay.”
I couldn’t believe he remembered what was on my bucket list from that brief minute he looked at it. I was overwhelmed by the love I was receiving from this man, who, not too long ago, couldn’t bring himself to love anyone. I straddled him and cupped his face in my hands.
“Thank you for everything. I love you, Connor Black,” I said as I kissed him and showed him for the next two hours how grateful I was.
The day was perfect. All days were perfect when I spent them with Connor. It didn’t matter if we were held up in a cave in the middle of nowhere, it would still be perfect. Mason and Landon were taking us to a swank bar in downtown Los Angeles for my birthday. They had it planned before we knew Connor would be here, but he was game and said it sounded like fun.