Carter Brothers: Eli (Rated R novel)

Chapter 18

Chapter 18

 The next morning, as Ivy’s moss green eyes blink into clarity, she can feel happiness burst in her heart. Her body is hyper sensitive of Eli’s thick arm wrapped around her waist, his strong body cocooning her, protecting her. She can hardly believe that he has this side to him, heck! She can’t even believe she has this side to her-the soft, mushy, romantic face. She can’t deny it feels amazing. Love feels amazing. Finally, finally she understands what Ellie talks about. The complete trust, the comfort, the...everything. Everything about this is right. Ivy runs her hand gently over Eli’s own hairy forearm and wonders if he’s feeling even half of what she is.
For that moment Ivy truly believes her life to be bliss, until...the guilt crashes in. Her mother. How could she just forget about her mother like that? The one who is dying in a hospital bed. Ivy should be there for her. She shouldn’t be in bed cuddling with her boyfriend, she should be there-beside her mother, taking care of her, talking to her, comforting her. Anger swirls with guilt, stabbing at Ivy’s heart. Today, she promises, today she will spend time with her mother. Today she can miss work. She’ll just call Frank and tell him. They can manage at the diner without her for today. There are plenty of girls today which means Ivy can quite easily take the day off.

Eli wakes up to an empty bed, but the smell of bacon means that Ivy not being there is almost forgivable. After his morning duty call, he pads into the kitchen to see his mate fully dressed but  cooking up breakfast, that act alone is almost forgivable for her clothed figure however it would have been perfect if she was still butt naked.
Coming up behind her, he slides his arms through her slim waist and resists his large palms on her toned stomach. The feeling of his hands there, suddenly bring about thoughts of children. His heart clenches in happiness at the thought of a joint part of them growing inside Ivy...And then of course they’d come into the world and turn into little monsters. Eli can’t help find the image of Ivy going crazy with the house in a mess and him and their kids at the centre of it, a little bit funny.

“What are you doing up so early and dressed, beautiful? Take a day off and let’s spend it back in bed with you naked,” mutters Eli into the crook of her neck, as he places a few teasing kisses there along with his proposal.
“Mm...As enticing as that sounds Eli, I can’t,” she reply’s gaining a small annoyed groan from him.
“What? Why? Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never pulled a sick day when you’re actually not sick,” he retorts only to have her chuckle slightly. Of course he’d be encouraging her to skip work for a roll in the sheets.
“Of course I have and well...I am. But I was going to go see my mom today,” she explains tensing as she feels Eli’s body still and his lips hover hesitantly at her skin.
“Eli?” she asks wondering what was going through his mind. Suddenly a panicked thought races through her; what if he doesn’t feel she’s paying him enough attention?
“Yeah, sorry,” he mumbles forcing his body to relax and embrace her once again, “do you need a ride?”
Ivy feels herself being subdued yet she finds she still wants to know what caused his reaction, what he was thinking of.
“Yes, please,” she sighs, deciding not to act on her impulse and worry herself over his private thoughts.
Eli just nods and breakfast passes by pleasantly.

Ivy nibbles on her bottom lip in hesitation. All throughout the car ride to the hospital Eli had been uncharacteristically quiet and that scares Ivy a tad. The normally upbeat man wordlessly parked the car and gave her a small smile.
“What time shall I pick you up?” he asks in a friendly enough manner, which just confuses Ivy. If he were mad at her then nothing he’s done suggests so.
“...Eli, do you want to come up and...meet my mom?” she suddenly suggests, the verbal diarrhoea spilling before she can stop it. Already her minds screaming at her, but it’s too late to take back now so may as well go with the flow.
“I mean, if you don’t-if you want to that it. You don’t have to-like I won’t be offended if you don’t. But I mean, you can! I mean...nevermind” stumbles through Ivy wincing as she poorly tries to cover up the mistake.
Eli blinks at her for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Wow Ives, meeting the parents already?” he teases before smiling and adding on softly, “I’m just kidding. I’d love to meet your mom.”
Ivy despite her blush gives him an even look before sternly saying, “you better behave Eli, or I bet you, sick or not, my momma will kick your ass.”
Eli chuckles again, he highly doubts that but if her mother’s got as much spunk as his Ivy then he’ll be cautious.
“I don’t know what you mean, baby? Of course, I’m just going to be the same charming, endearing, handsome guy, you know and love,” he grins, gaining a short snort from Ivy.
“Good thing we’re at a hospital, Eli. It seems your delusions are getting worse and worse,” sighs Ivy hopping out of the car with the fleeting retort.

Eli smirks letting her have the last insult, as he locks the car.
Grabbing her petite frame, he pulls her back towards him while running his nose down the column of her neck. She giggles as she pushes him off and instead pulls one of his arms over her shoulders.
“Eli! We’re in public, behave!” she grins lacing their fingers together as they step into the hospital and head towards the right ward.

As they near the radiology and cancer ward, Eli can feel the tenseness in Ivy’s body even though her expressionless features don’t display her true feelings. He gives a short squeeze of reassurance to which she gazes up at him with worry evident in her mossy green eyes. His heart seems to plummet to his stomach, seeing the helpless angst in her soul and even worse is knowing there’s nothing he can do about it.
As they’re buzzed in, Ivy leads them towards the bed where her mother resides in.
Eli’s has to physically try to control himself not to react to the frail woman in the bed. Her face was so pale and sickly; her hair practically non-existent, but what wispy blonde strands there were, were thin and short; her face sunken with cheekbones strongly defined just like most of her bones that were on display.
“Muffin-top!” smiles the woman, her voice just as frail as her but the same green eyes that Ivy posses lighting up at the sight of her daughter. Then as she shifts her gaze to Eli and curiosity swirls in those moss pools.
“Wow, Ivy, is this my goodbye present? One night with this hunk,” she winks causing an outrageous gasp from Ivy and roaring laughter from Eli.
“Mom! First off, stop calling me Muffin-top,”  she hisses and then in the same hushed tone, she scolds her mother, “And secondly, this is my boyfriend Eli. Besides mother, you are far too old and weak for that sort of thing-”
“Oh don’t listen to her Mrs Stanford, you don’t look a day over 30. If I weren’t dating your daughter, I would definitely-”
“Jeez! Should I just leave?!” exasperates Ivy with a roll of her eyes; the small smile on her features proving that she was enjoying the banter just as much as the other two.
Eli and Ivy sit on a chair each next to the bedside of Dawn.
“So mom, Eli, if you’re quite done flirting, maybe we can have a civilised conversation?” she teases them.
“Hmm, I’m not so sure baby, give me a few more minutes,” winks Eli at Dawn who gives a quite chuckle but Ivy to sigh and shake her head.
“Anyway...How are you feeling mom?” tenderly asks Ivy grasping her mother’s hand only faintly aware of its skinniness.
“I’m okay sweetie. How are you? Why are you not at work?”
“I’m good Mom. And I thought it was time to call in one of those sick days-”
“Eli, are you turning my good girl bad?” teases Dawn giving a mocking glare at the man. Eli throws his hands up in the surrendering gesture as a wide grin spreads across his features.
“Guilty as charged Ma’am,” he smirks. As his gaze flickers to Ivy she can see the wicked teasing glint in them reminding her of the previous night’s events and eliciting a blush in return.
“Good. My daughter sometimes needs reminding she’s 22 not 50-”
“Mom,” whines Ivy.
Before Dawn can say anything else a doctor appears, clipboard in hand and the same forced smile plastered over her pretty face.
“Miss Ivy Stanford? You are Dawn’s daughter right?” she clarifies.
“Yes, that’s me...” confirms Ivy with a nod.
“Can I speak with you privately for a minute please?” she requests and numbly Ivy follows in suit.
As they step outside into the hallway, the doctor leads her into one of the small vacant offices and offers Ivy a seat which she takes.

“What’s going on?” wonders Ivy with a frown. Obviously it’s about her mom but Ivy can’t fathom a reason as to why she’d be called in privately. Her mom’s getting treatment, she’s fine!.. Or at least getting better.
“Miss Stanford, we are terribly sorry but you must understand that medicine is not God...”
That sentence alone has Ivy’s chest tightening in anticipation as to what’s to come.
“Please, just tell me whatever it is,” whispers Ivy.
“We cannot give your mother a higher frequency of radiation; we’re already at maximum recommendation. I’m afraid the cancer is multiplying too rapidly to cure anyway. I’m sorry Miss Stanford, we have tried our best-”
“How long?”
“An average of three to four weeks.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes Miss Stanford, we had to inform her first but she requested that I inform you privately. I....I strongly advise you to look into funeral options and any last wishes she may have,” finishes the doctor with a sombre expression on her young, beautiful face. For some reason Ivy finds her very glamorous presence annoying at the moment. With the anger and pain bubbling in her she subconsciously realises it’s more digestible to concentrate on her irritation of the pretty doctor.
“Morning visiting hour is nearly over Ma’am, if you want to get back and say goodbye for now to her,” tightly smiles the doctor as Ivy’s lost in her thoughts. Snapping out of her thoughts Ivy gives a grimace to the woman and thanks her with regret as she makes her way back to her mother.

Eli and Dawn break apart from their conversation at the sight of Ivy. Dawn can tell from the small twitch of Ivy’s well controlled straight set lips, that she’s furious and hurt. Although a cowardly move to have the doctor tell Ivy, Dawn can’t fathom as to how she could even break the news of her impending death to her little girl.
“Eli...Can I talk to mom alone for minute please?” she grits out. Eli raises his eyebrows but from her unwavering stare at her mother, Eli’s male intuition instructs him it’s better to just listen to the woman.
“Sure...I’ll be in the car,” he mutters making a quick exit.

“Ivy, baby-”
“No mom, don’t start, just don’t! How could you not tell me! I am your daughter and you leave it in the hands of...a doctor? Why mom?” she hisses cautious of the other patients around them.
“Honey...sit down,” tiredly sighs Dawn.
Ivy complies as she takes a seat in the chair next to Dawn.
“Could you break something like that to me?” asks Dawn.
Silence sweeps through them whilst Ivy swallows Dawn’s words. She finds there’s truth to them. If the roles were reversed then yes, Ivy would find it difficult to tell her mother but she’d still do it no matter how damned difficult.
“I would still do it mom. I would still tell you....Exactly how long have you known?” asks Ivy.
“Since yesterday, I swear....Look, baby, it’s not that bad-”
“Mom! How is it not ‘that bad’? You are...you’re...God, mom! I can’t lose you. Not after everything we’ve fought through, not now; not at the last hurdle,” murmurs Ivy clutching her mother’s hand and swallowing back the lump in her throat. She blinks away the fighting tears and forces herself to be stronger.
“Ivy, we can’t fight this. Sometimes you just have to...let go. Besides, I’ve had a good life, brought up a good...well, stubborn headed-”
“Hey!”
Dawn smiles at her as a vision of a 6 year old with long blonde pigtails, running through the diner in laughter flashes through her mind.
“But honey, you are not alone. You’ve got Ellie and Caroline and now...even Eli. Whatever you may think, you really do have people that care for you. So you’re never alone, got it baby?”
Ivy face breaks out into a large bittersweet grin as she gazes at her mother with soft, sad eyes.
“Mom...don’t go all cheesy on me. You know that’s not the Stanford way!” laughs Ivy causing her mom to nod in agreement.