Broken Pieces

34

34

     “Elliot, this is beautiful…”

     “I told you you’d like it.” He smiled at me softly as I turned to face him.

     “How did you-”

     “I told you when we first met that I’m a powerful man, Sam. I also told you that you’d come to love it.”

     Soft lights reflected over the surface of the ice and different kinds and colors of flowers were scattered around the outside.

     “What is this for?”

     “We’ve been seeing each other for a while now and you are so special to me… I don’t know. I just wanted to do something for you before our first thanksgiving together.” His cheeks were flushed pink and he rubbed at the back of his neck as he always did when he was nervous.

     “You’re too sweet to me, Elliot.” My arms snaked around his waist as I gazed up at him. “Thank you-”

     “Don’t. I just want you to be happy.”

     “You make me happy…”

     “Good.” He smiled again and pulled me into his chest. “That’s all I want to do. Make you safe and happy and all mine.”

     My heart seemed to melt in my chest. I didn’t feel that I deserved Elliot’s kind, sweet nature. I’d never been given any sort of kindness similar to that which Elliot gave me—not even my own mother was as sweet to me as he was—and though I appreciated it, I was terrified that it was going to be taken from me.

     “Darling,” Elliot interrupted my thoughts. “Are you okay?”

     “More than okay…” I glanced up at him and reached out to caress his worry away from his face. “I love you.”

     “And I love you, Sam.” He leaned down and placed a lingering kiss softly on my lips. “Let’s go. We have the whole place to ourselves and I want to skate with you.” His hands trailed down my arms and then gripped my hands in his.

     “You’re too sweet to me-”

     “There’s no possible way to be too sweet to you.”

     He led me toward a bench, surrounded with flowers, that already had two pairs of white skates sitting out. I picked up the smaller pair and turned them over to check the size.

     “Seven and a half… you know, Flint, this could be considered stalking” I teased.

     “Not since I’m your boyfriend.” He knelt in front of me and took my skates from my hands. “Here, let me.”

     “I feel like Cinderella.”

     “Nah, you’re much more beautiful.”

     My cheeks flushed pink; I was completely flustered. I had no idea how to respond to his foreign affection, only recently introduced to my life. Though it was new, however, I felt as if it was what I’d always been missing. Like Elliot belonged in my life.

     “Well, um, you’re better than prince charming-” Elliot’s laugh echoing through the building cut me off, causing my cheeks to redden further in embarrassment.

     “Come on, darling. Let’s go.” He pulled me up off of the bench, but I wavered. Walking on thin blades was not easy as I’d previously hoped. “Whoa there.” Elliot caught me in his arms and supported my weight—something that I seemed to be having trouble doing on my own.