Brenda felt a weight against her body and frowned still with her eyes closed. She tried to move but she realized she was entrapped. There was a leg over hers and an arm wrapped tightly around her waist. It was not a bad feeling though. As she regained her mindfulness after waking up, she opened her eyes and rubbed them with a hand, being able after a few seconds to stare into the partial darkness of her bedroom. Jerry was completely wrapped around her, but the warmth of his body against hers was one of the best feelings she could remember and that made her smile first thing after waking up and it had been quite some time since smiling was the first thing she'd do after waking up. Carefully, she managed to turn around to face him and while doing so, he eased his grip on her by removing his leg, but his arm stayed there, pulling her to him. His long blond hair scattered all over his pillow and covering his face. Brenda raised her hand and with the tip of her fingers, she pulled the unruly strands of his hair away from him face. His lips slightly parted while he breathed heavily and she smiled again, approaching her face to his, staying just a few millimeters away from kissing him. Brenda closed her eyes just hearing him breathe in and out and enjoying how his naked body warmed hers. It hit her how much she had missed him and for a second she wondered how she had survived those long months apart. She had loved him all along, even when she thought she didn't. Not resisting it, she touched his lips with hers. A light brush just to make sure she was not dreaming and when she rested her head back on the pillow, she saw his lips curving in a smile.
"You're awake!" She exclaimed.
"It's awful to watch people sleep." He told her chuckling and his voice still a bit raspy. "Even more awful taking advantage of it." Brenda giggled and tapped his arm.
"You, making fun of me first thing in the morning is something that I don't know if I can forgive you." She told him.
Jerry wrapped his arm even tighter around her waist and rolled both their bodies on the bed, making Brenda fall with her back on the mattress and his body on top of hers. Then, he rested his forehead against hers, his hair falling all over her face, and he kissed her lips.
"Good morning." He whispered still against her lips.
"Hi!" She smiled at him.
"Hi!" He responded, pecking her again, but Brenda giggled. "What?" He asked.
"Your hair is tickling me." She answered, grabbing it in her hand, so she could see his face.
"I'll cut it." He told her and then laughed as he saw her eyes open wide in terror.
"Don't you fucking dare!" She said rather fast and he laughed quietly while adoring her eyes so set on his.
Then, Jerry lowered his face again and pressed his lips on hers one more time. The tip of his tongue probed on her upper lip right away and Brenda parted her lips, allowing the encounter of his tongue with hers. That moment, her hands tugged on the back of his head, while her fingers tangled in his golden locks. The kiss turned out long, lazy, and incredibly passionate. When the need to breathe didn't allow the kiss to continue, their lips parted but he continued kissing her down her neck and then her collar bone and finally her breasts. Her back arched a little when his lips got hold of her left nipple and she gasped as the tip of his tongue swirled sensually around it. Her legs wrapped around his waist, making him fall between her legs and she felt how ready he was for her already, but so was she.
"Babe..." She called him, raising her hips to hint him of her need.
"I missed you calling me that way." He smiled, kissing his way up until his lips reached hers again.
He stopped there. Noses touching and glare locked in one another. Her hand caressed his cheek while his eyes studied hers.
"I love you, B." He whispered and instead of answering it, Brenda raised her head a few inches and capture his lips.
It was during that kiss that she felt him giving in and he slowly penetrated her. Gently as his kiss and smoothly and his lips. When fully in, he let her adjust to him, and only when he felt her hands squeeze his buttocks, he started moving just like the kiss they were sharing sweetly and lovingly, consummating both their need. Their bodies fit together as if they were made to one another. Brenda held onto his back as if she was holding onto her own life and he sided her face with both his hands and kissed her over and over while loving her.
"Jer..." Brenda finally gasped, feeling her body was about to melt.
"Hold on, baby." He breathed into her mouth as he started moving faster.
Instantly, her body arched and she carved her nails around his shoulders. Their moans echoed inside the quiet bedroom where only love sounds could be heard. Gasping. Moaning. Bodies clasping. He didn't stop until they both exploded into a frenzy of emotions and enormous pleasure that fuzzed everything around them, and after the rush and frenzy quieted down, they cuddled. Brenda rested on his chest, hearing his heart still a bit euphoric and Jerry held her tightly against him.
"Can we stay like this the rest of the day?" He asked as he kissed the top of her head.
"I thought you were going to say forever." Brenda teased him and he smiled and she looked up at him.
Jerry pulled a strand of her hair behind her ear, and then let his palm caress her still flushed cheek.
"I'm fine with that too." He whispered, looking in her eyes.
Brenda pulled her body up and kissed him on the lips and then rested her head on his chest again.
"I don't want you to be in love with anyone else." She said and he curled an eyebrow, finding her statement a bit odd.
"What?" He chuckled.
"Ellie..." Brenda said and took a deep breath. "Yesterday, she told me that I had to make up my mind so you could be free if someone came along, or I could be that person." She explained.
"So, you..." He was saying, while playing with her hair between his fingers, but she interrupted him.
"I was afraid." Brenda said, looking up at him again. "I don't want you to love anyone else because I love you and I want you to love me back."
"I love you back, dimples." He smiled sweetly and Brenda rolled her eyes but not containing the smile on her lips.
"I even missed that!" She said, gluing her lips to his. "But I can't have any more sex in the next few hours..." She said and Jerry threw his head back laughing loud. "I mean it." Brenda laughed too. "I am so sore right now..."
"I think I can survive." He then told her, taking a deep breath as his laughter subsided. Then, Brenda kissed his lips and sat on the bed.
"Where are you going?" He asked, rolling on his stomach, and catching her hand. Brenda looked back at him, and he let go gently, offering her a smile. "Stay here." Jerry requested.
"I just want to call Ellie." She said fumbling over the clothes that were scattered on the floor since the afternoon of the previous day and she grabbed his flannel shirt. "She and Chris had this huge fight yesterday..." She explained while putting his shirt on. "... I need to talk to her."
"Oh!" He threw himself back on the pillow with a dramatic look that made her laugh. Brenda climbed on the bed and leaned over him to kiss his lips. "You know they must be alright by now, right?" Jerry said. "You know them..."
"I know, babe. But she is my best friend and I want to check on her, just in case."
"They never stay mad at each other for long." Jerry told her, while she was already looking for the portable phone. "Cornell can't stand it and neither can she."
"Found it." Brenda said as she grabbed it from her chest drawer and then she looked at Jerry. "Can you believe they're going to be parents?" She smiled.
"Yes." He responded. "Ever since he met her that I knew Chris was going to pursue her. He never said anything because they were hiding it at first, but there was a huge change in him since that night they met."
"I knew they were together." Brenda threw her tongue out at him.
"I was too busy going out and getting chicks since when we all went out with him, no one looked at us." He said. Brenda grabbed her hairbrush and threw it at him. "It's true!" He laughed loud.
"Really?" Brenda asked.
"Yes." He nodded.
"Now, I am pitying you guys." She laughed. "Thank God for Ellie, ugh?" She mocked him.
"Yes..." He turned serious though. "She is my best friend."
"I'll be right back." Brenda said and then left the bedroom.
Brenda went to her living room and sat on her couch, pulling her legs up too. Then, she saw a rubber band on the coffee table and she leaned forward to grab it, rolling her hair on a major bun and tying it with the rubber band. Finally, she grabbed back the phone and dialed Ellie's number, the one from her bedroom since her parents kept all three lines working even after both their daughters left the house. It didn't take long until it started ringing and Brenda leaned her back on her couch for a more comfortable position.
A loud ring made Ellie jump in her sleep. She frowned realizing it was the telephone on her nightstand that was ringing quite loud. A grunt of frustration escaped her throat as she hated to be awakened that abruptly and Chris was turning around too. As the phone continued ringing, she took a hand out from under the covers and started palming around the nightstand until she found it and she grabbed it, and only then she opened her eyes.
"Oh fuck..." Chris moaned with his usual sleepy voice. "Who's calling?" He asked but Ellie didn't answer him. She answered the call instead.
"Hello?" Ellie whispered sounding tremendously sleepy.
"Shit!" She heard on the other side. The word being thrown so loud that Ellie deviated the phone from her ear a few inches.
"Brenda!" Chris grunted as he could hear her voice. "Oh..." He moaned again.
He just ripped the pillow from under his head and put it over his head, which made Ellie smile.
"Hi!" Ellie whispered again trying not to disturb Chris even more.
"You guys were sleeping..." Brenda concluded.
"Yeah..." Ellie said, pulling the covers away and putting on her sleepers. "Give me just a second." She asked as she started walking toward the bathroom. "Ok..." Ellie whispered as she closed the door. "I can talk now."
"I am so sorry." Brenda told her frowning. "I thought you guys were up already. Isn't today that you are going to sign the papers for the new house?"
"Only later." Ellie smiled and rubbed her eyes once more to shake her sleep away. "How are you?"
"I'm fine." Brenda responded, giggling.
"Is Jerry there?" Ellie's smile opened even wider. "Because I can feel some different joy in your tone."
"Yes." Brenda giggled again. "He is in my bed." She whispered, so she wouldn't be heard.
"Oh!" Ellie squealed low. "So, you guys have made up?"
"Oh yes." Brenda nodded. "When you told me, I had to let him go so he could find someone..." She shook her head. "... I could not let that happen."
"I am so happy for you two." Ellie said sitting on the toilet. "I swear, I am."
"But I am calling to know about you... how's things between you and Chris?" Brenda asked her.
"We talked." Ellie started. "We are good now. I am just a bit sad that he's leaving this evening..."
"Oh Ellie..." Brenda breathed, knowing how hard it was when they had to leave, and Ellie was pregnant which left her even more vulnerable.
"Hey..." She took a deep breath. "I knew what I was signing for." She laughed.
"It doesn't make it easier though." Brenda stated.
"And my sister is just on the same route." Ellie giggled and so did Brenda.
"You think?" Brenda asked her with her eyes set on her window, realizing it was a sunny day for a change.
"I am quite sure," Ellie nodded. "When I came back home yesterday, she was crying because Eddie wrote a song, you know Black, for another girl..." Brenda ended up laughing loud. "That is cute..." Ellie laughed too.
"I didn't imagine that he had her that wrapped up around his finger!" Brenda said when her laughter subsided.
"He does." Ellie giggled. "And he doesn't even know it. She is very apprehensive though... you know..." She paused there to take a deep breath. "... she comes from a very rough relationship with restraining orders and stuff. It's very hard for Brooke to trust someone, but she likes Eddie a lot. I know my sister."
"He is such an amazing guy." Brenda added. "He is nothing like that guy she was dating. Nothing... it can't even be compared."
"She'll come around; I think." Ellie affirmed. "It won't be easy for her to resist his charms."
"Anyway..." Brenda said, getting up. "I just wanted to know how you guys are doing."
"Go!" Ellie ordered as she understood her friend was about to say goodbye.
"I'm going back to bed." Brenda laughed.
"And make love to him." Ellie said, pointing her finger as if her friend was in front of him.
"I can't." Brenda whispered.
"Why not?" Ellie giggled.
"I am so sore, EL..." Both girls laughed right after.
"Oh my God... did you guys even sleep?" Ellie mocked.
"Shut up!" Brenda exclaimed. "As if I haven't heard you complain too."
"GO!" Ellie raised her tone as hinting her the conversation was not going in the right direction.
"I'll call you later." Brenda said. "I'm glad to know everything is fine with you two."
"Well... we have our fights..." Ellie rolled her eyes. "It's part of a couple's life."
"Unfortunately, it is." Brenda agreed. "As much as we don't like it..."
"Yeah... I hate to fight with Chris..." Ellie puffed. "But go... go cuddle with my blond guy." She laughed. "And spoil him a lot, you hear me!"
"I thought I was your friend." Brenda pretended she complained.
"You both are." Ellie responded. "But you had him suffering this last month."
"I think after all the cuddling, he's ok now." Both girls laughed with Brenda's remark. "See you, El."
After their goodbyes, Ellie hung up the phone and rested it on the basin. Then, she had her morning pee and flushed the toilet. Next thing, she found herself washing her hands in the basin and watching her face in the mirror. She looked rested. Still, she grabbed her necessaire and opened it, taking her detox gel from it and she washed her face. When she was finished, she applied the first jab on her finger to read her sugar levels. She felt her hands trembling as she waited for the result, but it showed everything was alright which put her heart to a rest again. She washed her teeth right after and then started applying her daily routine. While using the tip of her ring fingers to put on her caffeine moisturizer around her eyes, Ellie started singing. Somehow, Black had been stuck in her head since her conversation with her sister.
"And now my bitter hands..." Ellie sang low, looking down to find her serum, when she found it, she looked in the mirror and continued. "...cradle broken glass
of what was everything..." She sang while circling the serum around her cheeks to spread it well. "...all the pictures have...
all been washed in black..."
Chris had, meanwhile opened the door, but she was so distracted that she didn't hear it or acknowledged his presence. He couldn't but smile as he watched her for a few seconds so lost in her morning routine, looking straight at the mirror, and singing at the same time.
"Tattooed everything..." Chris sang softly and Ellie looked at him, to find him leaning against the door frame.
"I didn't hear you." She told him while running the serum over her neck. Chris entered the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her and looked in her eyes.
"What are you doing?" She giggled.
"All the love gone bad..." He began to sing again from where they have left it and they started moving. "...turned my world to black..." Chris rested his forehead against hers and Ellie smiled, swinging her body with his. "...tattooed all I see...
all that I am..." Chris pecked her. "...all that I'll be... yeah..." He pecked her again. "Sing with me." He then asked her.
"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life." Ellie sang. "I know you'll be a star..." Chris joined her. "In somebody else's sky... but why... why..." Ellie shut up there and looked in his blue eyes.
"Can't it be... oh can't it be mine..." Chris didn't sing, he just whispered it and then kissed her.
"I love you..." Ellie held on tightly to him. "...and I wanna make love to you." She added, pulling away and looking in his eyes.
"No, El." Chris said serious, shaking his head and Ellie curled an eyebrow, looking directly in his eyes with an inquisitive glare.
"Why?" She asked him, finding his reaction strange.
"Your blockage... it's dangerous..." Chris added. Ellie pulled away from him and leaned against the basin and then frowned.
"I am fine! I didn't leave the hospital with restraints." She argued. Chris gave a step near her and bit his lower lip trying to control himself.
"But I think it's safer if we don't... you know..." He responded, looking in her eyes and tugging a hand to the ending of her shirt.
"You're kidding, right?" Ellie cupped his face between his hands. "Right?"
"I don't think we can have sex ever again." He added but he couldn't hold it anymore and chuckled.
"You..." She tapped his chest. Chris started laughing and she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Oh my God..." Chris breathed. "Your face was priceless."
"So, you were just lying to me?" She kissed his lips softly and then continued to his cheek. "Is that it?" Ellie whispered while spreading kisses over his face. "You were teasing me?"
"A little." He smiled. She pulled away to look in his colorful eyes.
"Was it funny?" She smiled, pulling a strand of his curly hair behind his ear.
"For sure." He confessed.
"Done with your fun, wild boy?" Ellie whispered while pecking his lips.
"I guess... yeah..." He whispered back.
Then, Chris ravished her lips with a devastating kiss and his hands traveled under her shirt in seconds. Ellie gasped feeling his hands running up her skin and then reaching the side of her breasts. The kiss broke and she nibbled on his neck. Chris moaned lowly as her soft lips spread kisses over his neck and that's also when she began to pull his shirt off.
"Let me take this off." She asked him and he strayed and raised his arms above his head.
"Go ahead." He softly smiled.
Ellie pulled it off and threw it away, letting it fall randomly somewhere on the bathroom's floor. After, she ran her hands through his naked back, up and down countless times. His skin was soft, and he smelled so good, clouding her senses. His lips were hungry for hers. They kissed time and time again. Then, she felt him pulling her shirt off as well, and Ellie strayed and pulled it off herself, staying naked from her waist up.
That moment, Chris helped her sit on the basin's marble, and his hands got hold of her breasts. Ellie curved her back a little wanting and needing him to touch her more. Still, with a hand on her back, he pulled her up to him and they united in another kiss while her hand reached for him down there even if he was still with his cotton shorts on.
"You drive me crazy, El." He gasped out of breath and visibly aroused. "It's insane every time I am with you."
"Even after all this time?" She asked and he smiled at her, feeling her hand teasing his erection.
"Always." He whispered and then he took the chance to peck her once more.
"Me too..." She whispered against his lips and her hand teasing at the waist of his shorts.
"Just take it off." He complained, feeling a bit impatient.
Ellie did as he asked, with his help of course. He was too eager to wait and too hard. Once he was free from his clothes, he made her stay on the stone and took charge. Chris bent over her and kissed her neck while his hands pulled her panties down her legs. Ellie lifted her hips a bit so he could pull it all off and then he just threw it randomly on the floor. Chris lowered to kiss the length of her legs, all the way up to her belly, whispering a good morning to his daughter, then paused to toy with her breasts. He toyed with them with his fingers and with his tongue. Ellie was burning for him.
"Gosh, who's the teaser now?" She complained.
Ellie felt him smile against her nipple as he heard her words. In an act of despair, she pulled his head up to look at her. She grabbed his face with both her hands and made him look at her. She gave up the words she was going to say the second she laid her eyes on his lustful ones. He wanted it as much as she did. She searched for his lips and in the middle of that kiss, Chris pulled her hips toward him and he slowly began to make his way inside of her. He was so caring, thrusting slowly and gently until she was fully adjusted to him, and Ellie moaned low in his ear feeling him.
"Chris..." She gasped his name lost in his arms once again.
"Oh, El." He said as a response to her call.
Her hands roamed up and down his back and her legs wrapped tightly around him as he rocked her slowly and made her his yet one more time. Her hands slid down a little more to pause on his buttocks and she pushed him in a little, like telling him to go deeper.
"What do you want?" He asked resting his forehead against hers, looking in her eyes while his hips still imposed pleasure to them both.
"I don't want anything..." She gasped and closed her eyes. "What I want is already here with me."
"Look at me..." He asked her and she did. Ellie looked straight into her favorite pair of eyes in the whole world.
She moved a little to kiss his lips and they shared another languid kiss. Their tongues moving at the same rhythm as their bodies. Nothing was heard inside the bathroom, but the heavy sound of their breathing and the sound of their bodies moving in unison. When the kiss broke, she looked again in his eyes and a soft smile escaped his lips. His eyes so dark and his lips engorged. His face a little flushed and Ellie blew softly on his face to cool him down.
"This is feeling incredibly good...." She told him. Her voice choking a little. Her body beginning to tremble here and there.
"Don't come just yet..." He asked her. "I don't want it to end yet..." Chris complained.
"Then stop a little..." She smiled and Chris did so, withdrawing from her to let her relax a few seconds and to cool himself down too.
He cupped her face between his hands and stroke both her cheeks pecking her lips and then they giggled.
"We look like an old couple who can't hold it for three minutes..." He said and they ended up laughing for a few seconds.
Ellie ran a hand over his hair as their laughter subsided and, she felt him entering her again. Her nails carved on the skin of his hips at the sensation and she arched her back a little.
"Jesus..." She moaned, feeling him filling her one more time.
Chris leaned his body a bit more over hers and buried his face on her neck, allowing himself to thrust into her a little faster.
"Oh..." She whimpered feeling fire between her legs. Little by little her body was beginning to give signs of peaking.
He was feeling her sucking him in mercilessly. "Ellie..." He moaned her name into her ear totally out of control.
"You feel so good babe..." She told him.
He brought his face to hers that moment and kissed her lips. God... how he loved her, the thought running through his mind. He was controlling himself to last a little longer, but it was too late and he invested in deeper and faster thrusts. Ellie closed her eyes and parted her lips but didn't make a sound. She didn't have to; he was feeling it all inside of her. She was so tight that he rolled his eyes on the back of his head and groaned.
"God..." He said thrusting even harder. Chris knew it was going to end soon.
"Don't stop now..." She gasped, feeling she was so close and that time she needed to release it.
"Babe..." He moaned in her ear ramming inside of her the stronger he could. "Please..." He almost begged her as she was driving him into another dimension. "This is insane..." He added and there he felt her inner muscles quivering and pumping him deliciously. "Oh... that's it babe..." He moaned as his own orgasm was about to hit him.
"God..." She was finally able to let out as her whole body started to shake. Her nails rammed on his back. He was going to get marked in there for sure.
"I'm gonna come too..." He blurted, clenching his jaw and his breathing totally erratic.
Chris took a frantic pace and then stopped, pausing, just to start moving again discharging moans of supreme delight as he thrust into her until he was completely pleased.
Done, he looked in her eyes. His head resting on her forehead, her hands still caressing his back and their breathings still heavy. The rush of their orgasm was still there, and they stayed like that in silence waiting for it to disappear. Feeling calmer, Ellie ran a hand over his hair.
"I'm gonna miss you." She told him.
"I know babe." Chris responded. "It sucks much."
"It does." Ellie whispered and he kissed the tip of her nose.
"We have to hurry, if we want to meet Amanda on time." Ellie smiled, wanting to shake away the sadness of him leaving.
"Let me shower." He kissed her lips.
"I still need to shower too." She said.
"Come, then." Chris helped descend the basin carefully.
While he went to open the water, Ellie tied her hair up and then she joined him. They showered rather quickly and then came back to the bedroom to get dressed.
"So, what did Brenda want?" Chris asked while sliding into a pair of boxers. Ellie looked back at him, clasping her white bra.
"To know how we were doing." She smiled.
"She was cool, yesterday." Chris admitted. "We needed to stop and calm down."
"Jerry was there." Ellie giggled and Chris stopped and turned around to look at her, holding a pair of black jeans in his hands.
"There, like in..." He raised his eyebrow and smirked. "...as in, you know..."
"Oh yes!" Ellie affirmed promptly. "As in that." She laughed, pulling her leggings up her legs.
"Finally." Chris exclaimed.
"I think so too." Ellie smiled at him.
"Which one?" Chris asked showing Ellie two sweatshirts.
"The white one." She pointed. "I told her that she had to make up her mind." Ellie continued as Chris passed his shirt over his head.
"You were right." He agreed. "Now, Brooke..." Chris approached his wife and smiled at her, caressing her face with the tip of his fingers. "My beautiful, sweet girl." He then whispered, capturing her lips with his.
"It's going to be harder for her. You know that..." Ellie looked up in his eyes. "She has trust issues... I mean... I don't blame her considering everything she's been through."
"I understand." He said. "Are you ready, babe?"
"I am." Ellie nodded. "Come..." She held Chris's hand and opened the bedroom's door.
As they descended the stairs, they saw Ellie's parents outside profiting of the sun. Each one with a newspaper in their hands, reading it in absolute silence. Still, sitting side by side with a cup of coffee in front of them. As they got to the kitchen, Brooke was at the table, that was still filled with food.
"Mom..." Brooke smiled pointing at all the food. "Good morning."
"Morning." Ellie greeted her sister and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
"She just left everything ready!" Chris exclaimed, seeing there were plates and cups set too.
"My mother..." Ellie smiled, sitting in the middle of Chris and Brooke.
"How are you?" Chris asked Brooke and she frowned, looking at Ellie instantly.
"You told him?" She asked, rather disgusted with her sister.
"In fact, your father did..." Chris smiled, grabbing a toast, and taking a bite. "He said you were crying after hearing a song called Black."
"Oh." Brooke rested her forehead against the table and they both laughed.
"Come on..." Ellie patted her back. "It must be gone now..." Brooke raised her head and looked at her.
"Kind of." Brooke answered low, while her cheeks flushed a little.
"What do you mean kind of?" Chris intervened. He paused to pour some coffee on his cup and then looked back at her. "He wrote that long ago..." He said. "It doesn't mean anything."
"I told her so." Ellie rolled her eyes and Brooke pocked her arm.
"Don't roll your eyes!" Brooke scolded her. "It's not easy... you know that..." Then, she also looked at Chris. "You both know that."
"Brooke." Chris called her quietly and Brooke looked at him. "Writing a song for us can have many motivations. We inspire ourselves in many things. It can be facts in our life but it can be just something we saw for a few minutes. Even a love song... we may write it in a moment where it has a meaning but then this meaning changes."
"He's your friend..." Brooke said meaning Chris was defending him. Chris rested his cup on the table and looked at her.
"That is unfair." He responded.
"Chris would never deceive you, Brooke." It was Ellie's turn to scold her sister.
"I'm sorry..." Brooke gasped. "It was so stupid of me."
"I know you are afraid." Chris told her. "Eddie is nothing like that Robert." He paused, looking into her green eyes. "Nothing... I understand your fear. Believe me, I do. He is a decent, and honest guy." He paused for a few seconds and then pointed his index finger at her. "You should have let me and Stone beat the shit out of him when we had the chance." He said and both girls giggled. "What?" He asked eyeing them.
"Babe... you were so drunk I highly doubt you could have beat anyone." Ellie laughed and Chris frowned.
"I could still punch him!" He claimed.
"Chris..." Brooke looked at him. "We all know it is not your type to punch people."
"And neither is Stone!" Ellie added.
"Oh you..." Chris muttered.
"I don't know if I am ready..." Brooke confessed, changing the subject.
"If you don't give it a chance, you don't know." Ellie grabbed her hand for some support.
"What if I hurt him?" She asked back. "It's not fair."
"You're not gonna hurt him." Chris smiled. "You like him."
"Enough... I need to breathe... and think..." She said.
"You'll have time." Ellie responded. "He's leaving on tour too."
"What?" Brooke opened her eyes wide. "When?"
"Today." Chris said. "Like us."
"Oh..." Brooke fell silent and Chris and Ellie exchanged a look and smiled at one another. Next thing, Brooke got up.
"I am sorry, but I need to do something." She said and then she left. Chris and Ellie looked at one another.
"She's going to call him." Ellie giggled.
"Yeah..." Chris giggled too. "I know..."
"And they are not leaving today Christopher..." Ellie told him.
"I know." He smirked. "But it worked..." Chris winked.
"You are trouble, Mr. Cornell." Ellie giggled.
"You didn't correct me." He pointed out, pinching her nose. "You said nothing... you let her believe they were leaving today too."
"Yeah... I guess having Cornell in our name brings some habits too." Ellie laughed and Chris ended up laughing too.
"Are you done?" He then asked her and she nodded, resting her tea cup on the table. "Then we should go."
"Let's just clean this up, ok?" Ellie suggested and Chris agreed.
After cleaning the kitchen, Chris and Ellie went back to the bedroom to grab a coat. Ellie put on her long black coat and Chris his dark blue leather jacket and then they left. The way from her parents to their new house was not far. Half an hour driving through the woods would be enough to arrive to their new place. That day, Mother Earth decided to gift them with a bright blue sky and warm rays of sunlight that made the green that surrounded the road even greener. Again, they were both mesmerized with the eclectic pallet of colors that surrounded the road that led to the lake house. The season trees were voided of leaves and their naked brown branches mixed with some other which different shades of green would decorate the landscape as a perfect painting.
"I can't get enough of this road." Chris smiled. "It's just so... beautiful... so intensely beautiful..." Ellie rested her hand on his leg.
"When you come back, you will be coming back here." She also smiled.
"I know..." Chris breathed and looked at her as he stopped the car in front of the house's gate. "But I don't want you to do any efforts." He warned her again. "Ellie, you promised me."
"I won't." She affirmed. "I will just be here when the company delivers our boxes but I won't do any efforts. I'll wait for you..."
"Good." Chris bent over her and kissed her lips. "Amanda is already here." He said then, seeing her Mercedes.
"Oh my God..." Ellie giggled. "This is happening."
"It is." Chris whispered and kissed her lips again.
When they got out of the car, they noticed the gate was opened and they got inside. Chris held Ellie's hand and when they reached the garden, he looked to the lake zone right away. Ellie heard his gasp of fascination and amazement at the same time. The sun was like a cosmic fireball in the sky. Its rays were scorching the land and sent the lake a-glitter with golden sparkles. It was an ethereal beauty.
"I can't believe this peace will be mine." Chris suddenly whispered and she stepped in front of him.
"I hope it helps." Ellie whispered, looking in his eyes.
Chris smiled down at her and then leaned down his face over hers. He was going to kiss her, but the moment his nose touched hers a strident voice made them startle and their romantic moment ended abruptly.
"There you are!" Amanda greeted them, coming out of the huge windows of the living room.
"I'm sorry." Ellie smiled. "We were just contemplating this view."
"You'll have every day to contemplate it." Amanda said while shaking Chris's hand. "This will be yours in a few minutes."
"Yes." Chris told her. "Thank you for receiving us today."
"I know it's a special circumstance." Amanda responded, for they had asked her for that specific day once Chris was going to leave on tour. "Let's go inside. I have all the papers ready. It's just missing your signature." With that, Chris and Ellie started following Amanda inside the house.
"I read everything you sent me." Ellie said. "Chris did too."
"Is there any doubt?" Amanda asked.
"Not at all." Chris answered. "Everything is clear."
Amanda led them to the kitchen. As they entered the space, s set of papers scattered over the counter caught their attention. A two sets of keys were also on there and they new those were the keys to the house. Amanda stopped walking once they reached the black stone counter and looked at them.
"Everything is exactly as the copies you have received." She explained. "You can read it again, of course. As we have agreed, we'll give you the whole month of January to leave the apartment. We understand that this is a different case." She smiled.
"We won't need the whole month." Ellie told her, feeling Chris's arm wrap around her shoulders. "Everything is settled with the company that will take care of the transportation and we have boxed most of our things already."
"You take your time." Amanda smiled at them.
"Can we sign the papers?" Chris asked, feeling rather anxious.
"Of course." Amanda shot him a smile and pointed at it.
The next twenty minutes were spent reading and signing the contracts. After all the bureaucracy, Amanda gave them a copy of the signed contracts and kept another for her. The next thing, she gave the keys to the new owners of the lake house. It was done. Their dream house was a reality.
"I'll stop by your office to give you the keys to the apartment once it's empty." Ellie said to Amanda.
"Take your time." Amanda extended her hand at her and Ellie shook it. "It was great to do business with you. I hope you are happy here." She said.
"We will be." Ellie breathed, feeling her heart beating a mile per second.
"Thank you for everything." Chris told her when she shook her hand.
"It was my absolute pleasure." Amanda responded.
Finally, she left and they were left alone in the middle of an empty kitchen, an empty house with a wonderful view to a blue lake that belonged to them. Chris and Ellie looked at one another and smiled and the next thing she did was to almost jump on his neck, holding onto him tightly.
"It's ours." She whispered, feeling tears probing in her eyes. "I can't believe that we made it... we bought it."
"It's ours, babe." He breathed, burying his nose into her hair, and inhaling her fruity scent. "It's a new chapter in our life."
"Our baby girl is going to love it here." Ellie said, pulling away to look in his eyes.
"Can you stay here with your back turned to window?" Chris asked her out of the blue.
"Why?" Ellie curled an eyebrow.
"Please, Ellie..." He begged her.
"It's a surprise..." She concluded with a grin showing on her face and he couldn't hold a giggle.
"So, will you?" He asked again and she nodded. "Good." He kissed her lips and then looked in her gray eyes. "Wait here."
"Ok." Ellie said turning around as she promised.
"I'll be right back." Chris told her, running out of the kitchen.
Ellie felt her heart racing with the expectation and curiosity of what the surprise could be and she really wanted to look back but she controlled herself and stayed put, waiting for him. Chris, on the other hand, had asked Millie to prepare a lunch that they could have on the deck they had near the lake, symbolizing their first meal in their new house. Luckily, the day was amazing, helping him with his wish. Out of the trunk, he grabbed a basket and a blanket that Millie had put in here while they were still sleeping and he ran back to the deck. He spread the blue blanket on the wooden floor and then started taking out the food that Millie arranged. He smiled seeing a bottle of orange juice and two glasses and then there were sandwiches. Salmon with boiled egg and lettuce. It looked delicious. There were also tiny red fruits tarts for dessert. She had thought of everything. A plastic bowl with grapes was also inside the basket and he scattered all that over the blanket. Then, he went back inside to pick up Ellie.
"Babe..." He called sweetly as he entered the kitchen where she was still with her back turned at the window as she promised. "I was as fast as I could."
"Can I turn around now?" Ellie asked him, dying of curiosity.
"No..." He said sweetly. "Come..." He extended his hand at her and Ellie took it, letting her fingers lace with his. "Don't look." He asked again as they began to walk.
Only when they got outside, Ellie saw the picnic on the deck. Chris felt his heart flutter with joy as he realized the huge smile that formed on her lips.
"I thought we deserved to have our first meal in our new house today." He whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, and pulling her to him. Then, he kissed her temple.
"How?" Ellie asked, looking at him.
"I asked your mother for help last night." He smiled. "She ended up doing all by herself.."
"Oh Chris..." Ellie stood on the tip of her toes and kissed her lips.
"I won't leave on tour without having my first meal with you here..." He whispered against her lips. "I love you so, Ellie."
"Oh, my wild boy..." She breathed wrapping her arms around his neck. "Who would tell that I would get it so right that time I accepted my cousin's invitation."
"I am the lucky one." He told her, straying his face to look at her.
"I am incredibly lucky, Chris." She insisted and rested her forehead on his. "No one would love me the way you do."
"I'm gonna miss you so..." He whispered, closing his eyes. Then, he felt her lips kiss his.
"I won't say that it will go fast because it won't." She told him. "Every time you go away time goes incredibly slow. But I will be here waiting for you and so will Heaven. Both completely in love with you and proud of you too." Chris nodded and smiled.
"We better go eat now because I don't know what kind of animals might be around and might steal our food." They ended up laughing. "Thank you for making me so happy, Ellie." He still told her when they started walking.
"You're stuck with me until we get old." She laughed.
"That's what I signed for."