“I can’t believe you’re real,” he whispered, in between frantic kisses. “You’re here, with me, it’s incredible. I want to know everything about you. Where have you been?”
Elly buried her face in his warm neck, releasing all the passion that she had withheld from Isaac. “I’ve been making a life for myself. Wait until you see it.”
Their fingers intertwined, caressing and wandering.
“You and me, we belong with each other,” he breathed. Elly nodded, amazed at his presence. He was what she had wanted, for so long.
Two years, two years of never saying his name, of countless glasses of wine of the patio, followed by tears and drunk-dialing Kim; two long years, and this, this was all she needed. The flowers around them faded, the room shrinking gradually until all she could see was him; his lips, his arms, his eyes. There was no wedding, there was no Isaac. There was just Aaron. There had always been just Aaron.
His lips moved up from her cheek to her ear. “Look around. Look at how incredible you are. I can’t believe you did all this.”
Elly nodded, her messy hair falling over her face. “It was a lot of work.” She pulled his mouth back to hers, smiling. “I’m glad you noticed.”
Aaron’s hand crept up the back of her shirt. “Do you know that I dream of you, almost every night? You are there on the edge of my consciousness. Always.”
Elly felt tears of joy gathering in her eyes.
He kept murmuring. “How was I to know? I’m so sorry for what I’ve done. I’m a fool.”
Elly smiled, her lips still pressed against his. “You are a fool.” She nuzzled him affectionately. “I always knew you would come back.”
Aaron caressed her back softly. “I can remember each second of the day I found out where you were. I was painting in the living room, and Sunny came in and was raving about some local florist she had found in St. Louis. Truthfully, Sunny was always background noise to me, until she said the florist’s name: Elly.”
Elly stared up at him, captivated.
“Just hearing the name made my heart feel like it was about to break. I casually asked, ‘Elly who?’ When she said Jordan, I dropped my paint can, made a lame excuse about the stomach flu and ran upstairs. As quickly as I could, I got onto the internet and found the Posies website.” His grin stretched wide, the corners of his eyes twinkling with bliss. “And there you were, glorious. Everything that I remembered and more.”
Elly winced. The photo had been taken on a steaming hot summer day in August. Elly had been dripping with sweat, holding a bouquet of Ambience roses. Right before the picture had been taken, she had tripped down a hill and ended up with her hand in horse manure. It had not been a good day.
“I knew that I had to wait this thing out, just to see you again.” He shook his head. “The madness of wedding planning was worth it all to fall at your feet.” He raised her palm to his mouth. “Elles, I can’t live without you.” Elly closed her eyes, surrendering, having no mercy for herself. “Leave with me. Right now. We can go anywhere. I have the plane tickets for the honeymoon in my coat pocket.”
The honeymoon.
As soon as the words left his mouth, something inside her switched. The nervous butterflies in her stomach turned quickly to nausea. Anger flooded the place where an overabundant happiness had sprung. Her brain lit up with truth. Everything was so obvious. Elly’s eyes jerked open, to see Aaron’s face inches from hers, eyes closed. She pushed him back.
“Oh my GOSH - What am I doing!? Aaron, you are getting married today. TO LUCIA! Have you forgotten that? You are wearing a tuxedo, for God’s sake.”
Aaron grabbed her hands. “I know, that’s why we have to leave now. She can’t see me with you, otherwise she’ll flip out. She’s already threatened by you.”
Elly made a disgusted sound and stood up. “What is wrong with you? You left me for her, and now you are planning on leaving her at the altar?”
Aaron looked up at her, pleading. “You don’t know what she’s like, Elles. Ever since she found out that I’m not over you she has been insufferable.”
Elly made a face. “Don’t call me Elles. I can’t believe that I almost fell for this. I can’t believe that I almost fell…for you. Again! Aaron...” Her voice broke with tears and suddenly she was screaming. “YOU BROKE MY HEART! You cheated on me, IN MY BED, with Lucia. You chose her, over me. I was your WIFE.”
Aaron’s face contorted. He was losing control. “Love, I looked for you. I looked everywhere.”
“Where? Where did you look? Honestly, I wouldn’t have been that hard to find. I’m still using my maiden name.”