Ms Wilson's Replacement

29: the best choice

I hiss and pull myself up, I wonder if that was how Luke would have been towards me if I had accepted his proposal. He wasn't even in love with me and yet he was already vulnerable. I turned him down, maybe I'm just like Anna, hurting those that genuinely care about me.

'The difference is that you're not trying to take advantage of Luke, you were straight with him, Anna on the other hand has a lot of voice of reasoning reminds me.

My door opens and Eli walks in with a medium size white tray in his hands and if it is what I think it is, then it's breakfast!

"Good morning, my love," he beams at me as he carefully brings the tray over to the bed and sets it down beside me.

"Good morning, Eli, you didn't have to bring me breakfast in bed."

He pauses and his cheerfulness decreases which makes my heart stop as he now stares at me with an emotionless face, "I thought you would like it." He reveals, sounding a little disappointed.

I reach for his hand and take it before bringing it to my lips and kissing it, "I like it and thank you, but I hope it wasn't much stress to you, that's what I meant."

The light in his eyes returns at my word and he leans in and kisses my forehead, "It wasn't, I wanted to do this for you."

"Have you eaten then?" My brow rises.

"No, I haven't, but I will get mine when I'm hungry."

I eat breakfast which is beans cake and bread and coffee with creamed milk and sugar. It is the perfect breakfast and knowing that Eli made it, sends weird excitement through me.

The next day

"Stay here for the week," Eli says suddenly as we have lunch at the dining table.

We just talked about the count down to the last day before the wedding. Today is Sunday and tomorrow I will be leaving for work then going over to Anna's place when the day is over to try and put my things together because I have six more days before. Staying over at Anna residents give me a lot of privacy and time to myself which I wouldn't have staying here.

Also, this week is my last week here and I am supposed to be as distant as possible from Eli and the rest of the Wilsons because I fear I am getting too attached at this point. Last week I chose to stay because he asked me to and because there was a reasonable physical space between us as he was away. There has been a huge difference between how things were before and how they are now, and here is Eli on Sunday morning having lunch with me instead of being at work.

"This is an agreement we've had between us for a while now and I only stayed last week because you asked me to and—"

He places his hand on mine which is beside his on the table, "And now I'm asking you to stay, I always miss you when you leave and we both agreed upon it and I'm aware of that, but we have come a long way and we've changed a lot since then. Don't tell me I'm the only one that wants more time together."

I sigh and look away from him, not knowing how to respond to him I know the rules to never say no to Eli’s request because he doesn't ask for often, but he's developed a habit of asking for more these past weeks I've been here. Knowing that I'm not going to see him after this week makes my heart clench painfully, but knowing that I can finally be myself again and be in control of my destiny makes me happy.

He seems to have become comfortable enough to want more time together. The voice in my head tries to convince me and that doesn't help a bit.

"I don't want to be a burden to you Eli," I say the only words that came into my head.

He gives me a look of disbelief, "We are going to be married in two weeks, my love, how do you see yourself as a burden? I am asking you to stay because I don't want to spend any moment away from you and I know I promised that before and I wasn't able to because of the issue in the UK but I'm back now and trying to make up for it and I don't want to come home and not find you and I don't want to only get to see you over the weekend or dinner and dates before the wedding. I want more."

I sigh in defeat, "Fine, I will stay here."

He leans in and softly takes my lips between his and I find myself leaning in to deepen the kiss and as his tongue touches my teeth, I open up and let him in. His kisses have been my weakness since the first day his lips touched mine I knew his kisses would forever be my weakness.

He pulls away and places his head against mine, the happy smile still on his face, "I love you so much, Anna."

"I—" I open my mouth to say the lie I've told him more than a dozen times in the past three weeks, but his phone begins to ring, saving me from it and he brings it out of his pocket to answer it.

"Hello, Eli Wilson speaking." He introduces himself and waits for the other person.

"Yes, I am his guardian," he replies and the light in his eyes dims nevertheless he stays quiet and listens.

Eli's face immediately goes pale and gets up to his feet, and the next moment an extremely worried look coming into his face even as he listens yet again.

"When did that happen? Is he okay now?"

At his words, my heart begins to beat in an unsteady fashion and I get up and move towards him.

"Fine, I'm coming over now," he says before taking the phone away from his ear and the worry on his face doesn't decrease.

"What's wrong?"

"Joey, he fell off the swing during playtime today and broke his arm, the school calls it an accident and they are asking me to come get him." He explains in the state of confusion frustration and anger. "I have to go bring him home." He says finally looking at me with his eyes showing the need for my approval.

I take his hand, "That's the best choice, Eli." I reply and I see his eyes grow warmer and he seemed relieved with my relief to hear it.

Anna told me he wouldn't be home until I was done with my mission and this isn't what 'he wouldn't be home' looks like. There weren't rules and regulations about Joey because he wasn't part of the plan. Eli doesn't look like he was expecting him either which explains why Anna didn't.

But he's coming now and it's best to get ready.