Chapter 41

Elle

Elle wasn’t sure why she kept looking in the rearview mirror. Was she hoping Forrester would come? It was impossible. He’d been locked up when they’d left last night. He was probably still locked up now.

But when she saw a motorcycle approaching from behind, she held her breath. She knew it was foolish. There was no way it was Forrester. But she watched it like a hawk as it inched closer and closer in the mirror.

“Where’s this guy going?” Gris said, when he saw the rider coming up behind them.

“He’s in a hurry,” Elle said, trying not to show her emotions.

Then, when the bike came up alongside them, she knew she’d been right. It was Forrester. He waved his arm, indicating for Gris to pull over.

“What the fuck?” Gris said.

“Gris, pull over. It’s for me.”

“The fuck I will.”

“It’s Forrester, Gris,” Elle said, the happiness in her voice so obvious she couldn’t hide it. “He came for me. He actually came for me.”

“He didn’t get you back yet.”

Elle was stunned. Forrester had actually come for her. She peered out through the front windshield. Forrester was in front of them now, and was slowing down, forcing Gris to come to a stop. Gris tried to go around but Forrester blocked him. Gris revved the engine but stopped short of ramming the bike.

“Gris, you know you have to let me go, right?”

Gris shook his head. “I can’t, Elle. I can’t live without you.”

“Yes you can, Gris.”

Gris brought the car to a stop and then reached into the glove box in front of Elle’s legs. He pulled out a black handgun. Elle gasped. She tried to stop him but he put his hand on her throat and began to squeeze.

Elle couldn’t breath. Her eyes filled with tears. She was being choked so hard that she could feel her throat collapse under the pressure of Gris’s grip. She tried to speak, to beg him to stop, but she couldn’t make a sound.

“If I can’t have you, no one can have you,” Gris said, and there was an anger in his eyes she’d never seen before.

And then there was a smashing sound. The entire windshield fell in on them in a million pieces. Gris released his grip of her neck and she gasped for air. Then she saw what had happened. Forrester had picked up the motorcycle, which must have weighed hundreds of pounds, and flung it through the windshield. Through the smashed glass she could see him standing there on the side of the road, holding himself up against the guardrail.

“That’s it, fucko,” Gris said, climbing out of the car through the broken windshield, the gun firmly in his hand. “You’re going to pay. You’re going to pay for ruining my life. For stealing my girl. She was my girl. She was always mine.”

“She was never yours, Gris. You just thought she was.”

“So she’s yours?” Gris said.

“She’s no one’s,” Forrester said. “Unless she wants to be. But I can tell you this. I’m hers. And I’m not going to let you hurt her ever again.”

Forrester was obviously still injured from everything that had happened to him in the jail, but Elle watched as he moved toward Gris. Gris strode toward him powerfully. When they met, Gris swung his pistol at Forrester’s face. Forrester blocked it, and threw a punch into Gris’s abdomen. Gris stepped back, surprised that Forrester could still fight, and then drew the weapon. Forrester stopped in his tracks.

“What’s stopping me from pulling this trigger, right now?” Gris said.

“No,” Elle cried, but the men didn’t hear her. Her voice was still weak from being choked. “No,” she tried again, but her voice was barely audible.

“You’re not going to pull the trigger,” Forrester said.

“And why’s that?” Gris snarled back at him.

“Because you know it wasn’t me that ruined your life. You know it wasn’t Elle either. I couldn’t steal her from you because you never owned her. A man never owns a woman. He just borrows her from God, and looks after her on behalf of God.”

“Where do you get this shit, fucko?”

“You know it’s true, Gris.”

“The hell I do.”

“A woman is like an angel in our life. Without them, everything’s cold and hard and empty. I know it. I learned it in my father’s basement as a child. You know it too, Gris.”

“Fuck you.”

“She was never yours. And you can’t keep her after she wants to leave. She was in your life for a period of time, and you should cherish that time. You should cherish the memory of it. Because I bet she was a million times better than what you deserved. I bet she brought nothing but joy and love into your life. I bet she gave you happiness, and warmth, and love.”

Gris was nodding his head. Elle couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t believe the words she was hearing from Forrester’s mouth. Was that really what he felt? Was that really the way he thought of her? That she was an angel, that was coming into his life to bring happiness and warmth? She didn’t know what to think. She started crying.

“Are you going to let her go peacefully?” Forrester said.

Gris dropped the gun. It was only then that Elle was able to breathe. She’d been holding her breath the entire time. Forrester bent down and picked up the gun, then strode toward Elle. She struggled to open her seat belt, she couldn’t get out of it fast enough. Forrester was limping toward her and it was clear he was a in a lot of pain. Elle finally got her seat belt opened and got out of the car. She ran toward Forrester and without thinking, leapt into his open arms. She couldn’t believe it. She hadn’t dared to dream she’d ever know such happiness.

Having Forrester, and then thinking she’d lost him. Going through the agony of thinking he’d given up on her. And now, having him back, it was too much for her senses to take. She burst into tears, even as Forrester started laughing. He was holding her up but she could feel his weakened body struggle.

“Oh god,” she cried. “You’re hurt. I’m so sorry.”

He put her back on the ground and she looked into his deep, loving eyes.

“I was afraid I’d never see you again, Forrester.”

“You’re going to see me every morning for the rest of your life, Elle. As soon as you open your eyes.”

“Did you really mean all those things you said to Gris, about a woman being an angel from heaven?”

“Every word of it, sweetie. I know you’re a treasure. I know you’re a gift from heaven. And I’ll never forget it.”

With that, Forrester leaned forward, and when his lips met hers, she thought she could feel herself melting. He wrapped his arms around her and made her feel so safe, so complete, that it was dizzying. She had no idea how she’d lived her life up to that point without him.

His tongue met hers, and she remembered all of the things that had made him impossible to forget. Impossible to live without. She could feel the heat inside her, the memory of the pleasures they’d shared, and would share again. She wanted him inside her. She wanted him to come inside her, without any protection, and make her pregnant with his child. She wanted his baby.

But she was getting ahead of herself. They broke their kiss and turned to Gris.

“I guess the car’s done for,” Gris said, dejectedly.

“Yeah, but the bike’s okay,” Forrester said, looking at it.

Elle looked at Gris. She knew she had to say goodbye to him, and she knew that this time it would be for good. It was difficult to take herself from Forrester’s arms but she did, and walked over to Gris.

“You can do this,” she said to him.

He looked terrified, like he didn’t understand what the future would hold for him without her.

“How can I?” he said. “How can I live without you, Elle?”

Elle just gave him a small smile. “You’ll figure it out.”

She turned and walked back toward Forrester. Gris’s voice stopped her.

“Elle,” he said.

“Yes?” she said, glancing over her shoulder.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything I did to you. For not treating you right.”

Elle nodded. “I know you are, Gris. Now don’t make the same mistakes with another woman. Women don’t deserve to be hurt or treated bad.”

“I’ll try not to,” he said.

Forrester had picked up the bike and started it. Elle ran over and climbed up onto it behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest, careful not to hurt his broken ribs.

It felt so right. As Forrester gunned the engine and headed down the highway, nothing could have felt more right in the entire world.