A Beautiful Forever

chapter 17

Elliot

As we lie together, naked and wrapped around each other, I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather be. I feel like I’ve found myself in

her arms, and I don’t want to let her go.

“I’m so sorry for making you go in there. I should have taken you home,” I say to her as she lies on my chest tracing her fingers in

between my abs as I twirl her hair around my fingers, enjoying the way it coils around each one like a spring.

“You didn’t make me do anything Elliot,” she answers.

She sits up to talk to me, and my eyes fall to her breasts; I don’t think I’d be a guy if they didn’t. She doesn’t speak, so I drag my eyes

back up to hers, and she’s smiling at me. But it doesn’t touch her eyes or display any sort of happiness; it's thoughtful and a little

sad.

“Are you going to be ok?” I ask out of concern, smoothing my hand against the skin of her arm.

She looks over at closed curtains of the hotel room window and sighs. “I just wasn’t expecting her to be there. I barely even got to

say two words to him. It feels like we wasted the trip out here.”

“There isn’t a moment of time around you that I consider a waste Paige.”

She turns her attention back to me and looks slightly pained as she smooths her hand down the side of my face. “You have such a

beautiful heart Elliot.”





Paige


He’s looking up at me, and my chest hurts from caring about him so much. Why did this man have to come into my life? I was

surviving fine without him, and now I don’t feel like I can even breathe without him near me.

We have gone from meeting on a plane to being a constant in each other’s lives in a little more than six weeks. I don’t know how I’m

going to say good-bye when he leaves, all I know is that I need to be with him, perfect like we are now, for as long as we can. I don’t

want to tell him any more about my past, I don’t want to ruin what little time we have together.

He takes my hand from his face and kisses my palm, pulling me down to lay beside him. His fingers trail up and down my back as

he leans up on his arm, studying my tattoo. It feels strange having someone look at it after keeping it covered for so many years,

kind of like my soul is exposed.

His voice is low and intimate when he speaks. “So is this how you see yourself?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you see yourself as a phoenix, rising out of the ashes?”

“Not really,” I answer, rolling over to face him.

“Well then… what does it mean? You said it’s to remind you of everything you don’t want to be anymore. What don’t you want to be

Paige?” He sits himself up, so he’s leaning against the headboard as he waits for my answer.

I look away from him as a tear spills from my left eye and try to discreetly wipe it on my pillow. Taking a deep breath, I sit up, clearing

my throat.

“I just… don’t want to be who I was. It… um, it’s kind of like my cross to bear – if that makes sense; that’s why it covers my back, and

the Phoenix means… that I hope that something good can come out of all the wrong… that’s all.” I glance at him briefly as he studies

me intently, I can see he isn’t happy with my answer, but that’s all he’s getting for now. I just want the next six weeks with him and

then if he insists, I’ll tell him everything, then I’ll let him go.

In an obvious move to shift his focus, I swing my leg over to straddle him, grinning wickedly as I lean in to kiss him. He’s a little slow

to respond, but when I use my hand to stroke his shaft back to life, his kiss becomes much deeper.

His hands move up into my hair as he pulls me towards him, delving into my mouth with his tongue. He breaks free and holds my

face away for a moment, “We can’t go all the way this time,” he informs me. “I don’t carry multiple condoms around in my wallet.”

“That’s fine,” I say, kissing him between my words, “we just won’t penetrate.”

He lets out a moan as he dives back into the kiss, his fingers in my hair and his chest pressed against my own. I can feel his shaft

hard between my legs and slide myself up the length of him, careful to avoid the tip.

“Oh, you’re like silk,” he says into my neck as he nips at my ear, then flips me onto my back. I laugh in surprise at the suddenness of

his movement but quickly slip into oblivion as he slides down my body and settles his mouth between my legs.





Elliot


After doing everything we possibly could to each other without having actual sex, we both fall asleep, exhausted, and curled around

each other. It’s dark when I open my eyes to the sudden music, at first I don’t realise where I am, but I quickly remember when I look

at my phone and see Shane’s number on the screen. “Ah, crap!” I say grabbing at it and answering before it rings out.

“Where the f*ck are you?!" he complains immediately in my ear.

“I’m sorry man. We're on our way,” I lie, flipping on the bedside light as I get up and hunt down our clothes. “It just took longer than we

expected, we’ll be about an hour.”

Shane sighs on his end, “Fine,” he says flatly, “Just hurry, I’m supposed to be at Coral’s before then, she’s gonna be pissed at me.”

He disconnects without saying anymore, and I get my jeans on as I move over to Paige’s side of the bed. “Paige, honey, wake up,” I

whisper, gently rocking her shoulder in an attempt to rouse her.

She blinks a few times before her eyes focus on me properly, “What? What’s wrong?” she asks sitting up and taking the clothes I’m

handing to her.

“We need to get back. Shane needs his car.”

“Oh shit! I forgot about him!” she says, suddenly throwing her clothes on and stuffing her feet into her shoes.

“I know, me too,” I say as I grab my jacket and hold out hers. She slips her arms in, and I pause our rush for a moment to kiss her. “I

don’t want to go,” I tell her.

“Me either, but we can’t keep his car forever,” she returns, kissing me again. I cup her arse in my hand and pull her body against

mine, savouring these last few moments of our time alone. As we pull apart, she sighs and picks up her bag. I take her hand, and we

walk over to reception to return the key before getting back into the car for the drive back to the flat.

When I said ‘I don’t want to go’, I meant that I don’t want to go in six weeks. I don’t want to only have that small amount of time with

her. I’ve already spent half my time here getting close to her and now that I am. I can’t imagine having to walk away.