He sat up and pulled me closer so my head was resting on his chest.
“How did you find me?” I asked.
He kissed me on the top of my head, “I’ll tell you everything and you’ll tell me everything while we go grab something to eat, I’m starving.”
I lifted my head and frowned at him, “You mean we have to leave this bed?”
“Yes darling, but trust me, we’ll be back in it soon enough.”
I reached up and kissed him on the lips and we got out of bed. We redressed ourselves and headed to the main room of the apartment.
“This apartment is really nice, better than the one in New York.” I hit him on the arm as I walked past.
“Hey, I like my little box in New York.”
He smiled and walked to the kitchen. He stopped as he stared at the 15 bottles of pills all lined up in a row on the counter. He picked up one of the bottles and starting reading the label.
“Care to explain what these are?” He asked as he gave me a pained look. I took his hands and led him over to the couch.
“I’m in a trial study, that’s why I came out here.” He started to interrupt as I put my finger over his mouth, “Let me finish.”
He smiled as he took my finger in his mouth and sucked on it. I giggled and removed it as I continued, “I have to take these pills every day. Once a month I go to the hospital and get a set of 3 injections, it’s called some type of Immunotherapy. I have to do this for a period of 3 months. Once I complete the 3 months, the doctor will test my blood to see if the cancer is gone; if not then I will continue for another 3 months. I don’t even know if it’s going to work,” I said as I looked down.
He lifted my chin so I was looking at him, “It will work; It has to work.”
“It’s only a trial Connor; it’s the first time it’s being done on humans so right now I don’t know what to think.”
“You’re strong Elle, you’re the strongest and most stubborn person I have ever met in my life and if anybody can pull through this it’s you, but you have to stop running away from me.” I took his hand that was stroking my cheek.
“I know; I’m just so scared.”
He grabbed my hands and turned them over as he looked at my tattoos and lightly kissed each on. “Don’t be scared, I’m here and I’m going to help you through this. Even if this trial doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter because I will fly you around the world and find you the treatment that will work because,” he took in a deep breath, “I love you Ellery Lane and I will protect you.”
Tears streamed down my face as I heard the words that he never spoke to anyone before. I hugged him as tight as I could and whispered into his ear, “I love you to.” His fingers wrapped around the bottom of my shirt as he gently lifted it off me. My heart started racing as he leaned me back on the couch and we made love.
Chapter 32
Connor emerged from the bathroom as I was putting my shoes on. “Nice touch by the way.” I spun around and looked at him.
“Nice touch?” I asked.
“Yes, throwing your phone in the trash at the airport in Michigan.”
I crinkled my nose, “Yeah I knew you would trace it so I had to get rid of it. By the way, how did you find me and why did it take you so long?”
He smiled, “Do you want the truth or do you want me to tell you what YOU want to hear?”
I looked at him from across the room and cocked my head, “Huh? I want the truth.”
He laughed, “Ok, but you need to promise me you won’t get mad at me,” he said as he walked towards me but kept a distance.
I bit my bottom lip and narrowed my eyes, “Ok, I promise.”
“I actually found you in less than a week.” He could see the anger brewing as I clenched my jaw and moved it back and forth.
“Hey, you promised.”
I swallowed hard, “Continue.”
“You need to remember Ellery, with the kind of money I have, I can do and find out just about anything. I will hand it to you though, I loved the way you paid off the girl at the ticket counter to put your ticket under a different name, but unfortunately she liked my money more.”
“Ugh, you sneak.”
He laughed, “Shall I continue?” I shook my head and crossed my arms.
“Don’t get mad at me for what I’m about to tell you,” he nervously said as he ran his hands through his hair. “I had my tech guy hack into your computer through your IP address.”
My breathing became heavy as my eyes widened in disbelief. “That’s when I saw you were looking up a Doctor Murphy, so I did some research and that’s what led me here.”
I clenched my fists and walked towards him, he put his hands up in front of him, “You promised you wouldn’t get mad.”
“That was before I knew you hacked into my computer you stalker.”
He grabbed my wrists as I approached him and held me back, “I really don’t want you slapping me again that really hurt.”
“Oh you don’t have to worry about me slapping you; I’m going to punch you instead.” He laughed and kissed my fists and wrapped his arms around me.
“Tell me one more thing,” I asked.
“What do you want to know baby?”
“If you knew in less than a week I was here, why did you wait so long to come?” The pain in my voice was apparent and he knew it as he sighed and looked at me.
“You didn’t want to be found so quickly and I was giving you time; did you really think I would let you spend your birthday alone?”
I looked at him and smiled as I buried my head in his chest. Tomorrow was my 24th birthday.
We walked hand in hand to the beach as he spread out the blanket over the warm sand and I set the basket on it.
“You know, we could have just gone to a restaurant?”
I smacked his arm, “I love the beach and nothing is more romantic than having a picnic here.”
He smiled as he put his arm around me, “Sex on the beach is just as romantic; can we do that to?”
My skin ignited when he said that as that familiar ache appeared, “Look around the area my dear; there are children around.” He laughed and opened up the picnic basket, took out a strawberry and seductively fed it to me. I moaned as I bit into it.
“If you keep doing that it’s not going to matter if there’s people around here, I’m going to take you right here and now,” he whispered.
I smiled and bit my lip, “Down boy, there’s plenty of time for that.”
We ate, talked and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. I leaned over to kiss Connor when a little girl, about 5 years old, came and tapped me on the shoulder, “I can’t find my mommy,” she whined.
“What does your mommy look like?” I asked her. She rubbed her eyes with her small hands. “Her hair is like yours.”
“Well, that certainly narrows it down,” Connor said. I shot him a look and he shrugged his shoulders.
“Come on sweetie, let’s see if we can find her but first what is your name?”
She tilted her head and closed one eye, “Chloe.”
“Nice to meet you Chloe, I’m Ellery and this is my friend Connor,” I said as I shook her little hand. Connor looked at me and then at her small hand that extended out to him.
“Nice to meet you Chloe,” he smiled.
The way he shook her hand made me melt inside, so gentle and pure. I got up and took her by the hand and motioned for Connor to do the same. He got up and took her other hand as we walked her up and down the beach. I heard a woman yell Chloe’s name. Connor and I turned around as the small woman with blonde wavy hair came running up to her and hugging her tight.
“Chloe, you scared me.”
She stood up and looked at me and Connor, “Thank you so much for taking care of her.”