FOREVER SERIES: COMPLETE BOX SET

by Lynn, Sandi

  “Hi, Connor, it’s Elle. I just called to see how you’re doing and how things are going. I guess you’re busy, so I’ll talk to you soon. Bye.”

  She was reaching out to me. I dialed her number and waited impatiently for her to answer.

  “Hello?” she answered.

  “Hey, Elle, I just got your message,” I said in a low voice.

  “Hi, Connor, I was just wondering how you were doing.”

  “I’m okay. How are you?”

  “I’m okay. I was just finishing up a new painting.”

  “I’m sure it’s beautiful,” I said as I smiled into the phone.

  “I could take a picture and send it to you if you want.”

  “That would be great, thanks. I’d like to see it.”

  “So, what have you been up to?” she asked.

  “Not much, really. I’ve been working a lot. What have you been up to?” I asked her, trying to sound normal.

  “Nothing really, I’ve been doing a lot of painting.”

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “I’m okay, I guess.”

  I looked at my watch. This conversation was hurting me, and I hated talking to her over the phone knowing that things aren’t right between us.

  “I’m sorry, Elle, but I have to get going. Cassidy and Camden are in the city, and I’m taking them to dinner. They should be here any minute.”

  “Oh okay. Please tell Cassidy that I said hi, and give Camden a big hug for me.”

  “I sure will, Elle. Thanks for calling,” I said.

  “Sure, no problem. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye, Connor.”

  I hung up just as Denny walked into my office and sat down across from me. “I heard that conversation.” He smirked.

  “Were you eaves dropping the whole time?” I asked.

  “As a matter of fact, I was. So, tell me why you cut her off the way you did.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it, Denny,” I growled at him.

  “You never want to talk about it, Connor, but you need to face reality. You either love her enough to fight for her or you don’t, and if you don’t, then tell her and walk away. Go back to your old life and be the miserable prick you were.”

  “Damn it, Denny! Why can’t you just leave me alone?! I yelled as I slammed my fists on the desk.

  “Because you’re family, and family always interferes in personal matters,” he said as he stood up and pointed his finger at me. “You, my friend, will not destroy the best thing that has ever happened to you. I’m telling you exactly what I told Ellery the other day. Why do you think she called you? I set her straight as well, and now I’m setting you straight. Get your head out of your ass, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and get your plane over to California. I will not sit back and let you both ruin each other and what you have because the other is too stubborn to make the first move!”

  I looked at him in shock. I couldn’t believe Denny, of all people, spoke to me like that. I stood up, walked over to him, and gave him a hug. “Thank you,” I whispered.

  He patted me on the shoulder, “You’re welcome.”

  * * *

  I had a nice dinner with Cassidy and Camden. She asked where Ellery was, and I told her what had happened. She gave me some sisterly advice and she promised me she wouldn’t tell mom. I stared at Camden, thinking about the night that practically started all this. Ellery wanted children someday, but I couldn’t give them to her. I confided in Cassidy about it, and she told me to have my vasectomy reversed. She went on to say that her boss had it done, and now he had two beautiful, little girls. After dinner, I took Cassidy and Camden to the ice cream parlor. They were both thrilled for the treat. We took our ice cream and sat down at the small table. Being here made me miss Ellery even more.

  “I’m going to ask Ellery to marry me,” I said to Cassidy.

  “Connor, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you.”

  “Don’t get too excited. She hasn’t said yes yet, and who knows if she even will.”

  “Don’t be a fool, Connor. Of course she’s going to say yes. Women can’t resist the charm of Connor Black.” She smiled.

  “Very funny. I’m going tomorrow to pick out a ring and then I’m going to California.”

  Camden started getting fussy, and it was getting late.

  “I’m going to head on home,” Cassidy said as she hugged me tight. “Thank you for dinner, and good luck. I love you, brother.”

  “I love you too, sister.” I smiled as we walked out the door and onto the streets of New York. We drove back to the penthouse, and she got in her car and headed home.

  * * *

  The next day, I went into the office for a few hours to handle some meetings and then headed to Tiffany’s to buy a ring for Ellery. I walked through the doors, and the saleswoman escorted me to a private room that displayed rows of diamond rings on the table. I picked up every one and examined them closely, but I wasn’t seeing anything that was worthy enough for Ellery. The saleswoman told me that she’d be right back as she left the room. A few moments later, she came in holding a black cloth in her hand. She held it out and opened the cloth which displayed a beautiful four-carat, princess cut, and perfectly flawless diamond ring, with the infinity symbol covered in diamonds on each side of the band. It was the perfect ring for her. I smiled at the saleswoman and told her I’d take it. I also told her that I wanted to engrave the band. She asked me what I wanted to say as she held a pen in her hand.

  “To my love, my future, & my forever.”

  The saleswoman looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I smiled and handed her my credit card. She said the ring would be ready by tomorrow morning. I walked out of the store, and Denny was waiting for me at the curb. I slid in the back seat as he turned around and smiled. He knew what I’d done, and he was happy. I smiled back at him and pulled up Ellery’s picture on my phone. I couldn’t wait to see her again. Her treatment was in two days which worked out perfectly. I’d pick up the ring tomorrow morning and fly to California to talk to her and make things right before her treatment.

  I decided to go to the gym and workout for a while. I was lifting some weights when I looked up, and Ashlyn was standing over me. I sat up and looked at her.

  “Is your crazy girlfriend here with you?” she asked as she looked around.

  “No, she isn’t,” I responded as I couldn’t help but stare at the bruise on her face.

  “I just want to apologize for saying and doing what I did. I have issues, Connor, and I feel like I’m heading down a bad road. But I’m seeing a therapist, and I’m going to get my life straightened out.”

  I actually felt sorry for her at that moment.

  “You do realize that you can no longer work for Black Enterprises, right?” I said.

  “I know, and I just handed in my letter of resignation today. I asked Phil not to tell you because I wanted to do it myself.”

  “I’m also stopping your monthly payments, but I will pay for your therapy. It’s the least I can do since you’re seeking help.”

  “Thank you, Connor.” She smiled. She started to walk away and then turned around. “Tell Ellery I’m sorry and that she’s a lucky woman to have someone like you to love her.”

  I smiled and nodded my head, and then she was gone. I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I finished my workout and then went home to prepare for my departure to California.

  When I got off the elevator, Peyton was sitting in the kitchen, talking to Claire. I walked in, sat down on the stool next to her, and kissed her on the cheek. “Is everything alright?” I asked her.

  “Everything’s fine. I just stopped by to see how my friend is doing.” She smiled.

  “I’m good. In fact, I’m fantastic,” I laughed.

  Peyton narrowed her eyes at me. “The only way you’d be fantastic is if you saw or talked to Ellery. So spill it, Black. I want details.”

  “I bought Ellery an engagement ring today, and I’m going
to propose to her.”

  Peyton threw her arms around me. “I’m so excited for you!”

  “Don’t get excited yet. She hasn’t said yes. There’s a possibility of her saying no.”

  “Ellery will say yes, Connor. Trust me. She loves you too much to say no. Plus, she knows I’ll kick her ass if she turns you down.”

  “Please don’t tell her about this,” I commanded.

  “No worries, Connor. Your secret is safe with me. I love my best friend, and I wouldn’t ruin this for her.”

  “Call Henry, and let’s have dinner together.”

  “Great idea, I’ll call him now.”

  The three of us had a nice dinner out and great conversation. I really liked Peyton and Henry, and I could see the four of us hanging out together and being great friends for as long as we lived.

  After I got home, I packed my bag and made sure everything was ready for the morning. I climbed into bed and laid there, planning the perfect proposal. Ellery deserved the best, and I wanted to make sure it was something that she’d never forget.

  Chapter 24

  Tiffany’s called me the next morning to inform me that Ellery’s ring was ready. I threw my bag in the limo, and Denny drove me to pick it up. As I put the box in my pocket and headed back to the limo, my phone rang.

  “Valerie, what’s up?” I answered.

  “Mr. Black, you need to come to the office. There’s a problem with the Chicago building, and Phil needs you here right away for a meeting.”

  I sighed heavily into the phone. “Tell Phil I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I hung up and told Denny that we needed to stop by Black Enterprises first. I called my pilot and told him that I’d be delaying the flight for a couple of hours.

  I walked through the doors of Black Enterprises and headed straight to my office.

  “Tell Phil I’m here, and let’s get things moving,” I said to Valerie.

  I looked at Phil as he walked through my office door. “What the hell is going on?”

  “The Chicago building caught on fire and burnt to the ground last night. I just got the call. Connor, everything’s destroyed.”

  “Shit. Are you kidding me, Phil? Do they know what started it?”

  “The firefighters are saying that it was arson,” he said.

  I shook my head and ran my hand through my hair as I dialed my pilot. “Change of plans, we’re flying to Chicago first and then California,” I told him. “Let’s go and see how many millions of dollars I just lost.”

  We flew to Chicago and met with the local police and the firefighters. They said it was definitely arson, and they’d be working hard to try and find the person who did it. They asked me and Phil a number of questions about employees, friends, and various people we knew. I couldn’t think of a single person who would purposely do this to me. I looked at my watch, and I needed to get on that plane to California. I told Phil to stay in Chicago for the night, and I’d send the plane back for him first thing in the morning. He needed to stay behind and fill out a bunch of paper work anyway.

  The flight to California seemed unusually long. I got out of my seat to use the bathroom, and when I came back, I noticed I had a missed call from Ellery. I was arriving in California in less than an hour, so I decided that I’d call her when I landed. Upon arrival, I got into a cab and headed to her apartment. I tried to call her, but she didn’t answer. I arrived at her place, and I knocked on the door. I was feeling nervous to see her again. I didn’t know what to expect from her. When she didn’t answer, I went downstairs to Mason and Landon’s apartment. Landon came to the door, and he didn’t look very well.

  “Hey, Connor. It’s good to see you, buddy,” he sniffled.

  “Hi, Landon. Are you sick or something?”

  “Yeah, I caught some kind of virus. What brings you here?”

  “I’m looking for Ellery, but she’s not answering her door.”

  “Her and Mason went to Club 99 for an evening out. You can find them there.”

  “Thanks, man, and feel better,” I said as I left.

  I hailed a cab, and he dropped me off in front of the club. The line to get in was long, so I pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of my pocket and handed it to the bouncer. He smiled at me and lifted up the rope. I walked inside as the music was blaring, and the floor was thumping. There was no way I was going to find her in this crowd. I decided to hit the bar for a drink before I started looking for her. As I was almost there, I saw Ellery and Mason standing there doing shots of Tequila. I stopped and stared at her from behind. The little black skirt she was wearing barely covered her ass, and she had on high black boots that came to her knees. I felt like I didn’t know that girl standing there. She looked like a slut to be exact.

  I decided to stay back and watch her. She downed six shots of tequila, grabbed Mason’s hand, and went to the dance floor. I didn’t know how much she had to drink before I got there. I followed her to the dance floor while keeping some distance. I saw a guy approach her and they started talking. My blood was boiling, and I could feel the anger rising up. They started dancing together as Ellery was grinding and moving her body up and down his. I was ready to kill. I went up and tapped the guy on the shoulder. I slipped him a fifty-dollar bill to leave and indicated that she was mine. Mason saw me across the crowd, and his eyes widened. I shook my head at him not to let Ellery know it was me standing behind her. She moved her body up and down me. She brought her hands to my arms. I tightened my grip on her hips. This girl was in big trouble with me. She turned around and shock overtook her expression as she looked at me.

  “Let’s go now!” I ordered.

  “What the hell are you doing here, Connor?” she asked as she jerked her arm from me.

  “Why don’t you tell me first, Ellery?!” I yelled.

  “I’m having fun,” she slurred.

  “You look like a total slut on this dance floor, and thank god I was here or who knows what that asshole would have done to you.”

  She looked away from me and headed towards the bar. I weaved in and out of the crowd, trying to catch up with her. She’d already downed one shot by time I caught up with her and picked up the next glass as I grabbed it out of her hand.

  “You’re drunk, and we’re leaving. Let’s go.” I demanded. I threw some money on the bar and grabbed her hand, pulling her out of the bar with Mason following behind us. She tried to get out of my grip as she was screaming at me to let her go. She was so drunk, and it killed me to see her behave this way. She stopped dead in her tracks and wouldn’t move, so I picked her up in the middle of the club and threw her over my shoulder. She started kicking and screaming for me to put her down.

  “Ellery, knock it off or so help me.”

  “So help you what, Connor?!” she yelled as I put her in the cab and climbed next to her. She looked at me as I stared straight ahead. I couldn’t look at her at that moment. I was too pissed off.

  “You have no right!” she spat.

  My angered eyes turned and looked at her. “I have no right? What the hell do you think you were doing in there? Were you trying to get yourself raped? Look at you, and the way you’re dressed. You’re just asking for it.”

  She flipped out and started hitting me in the chest. “Fuck you, Connor!” she screamed as she proceeded to beat on me.

  Mason grabbed her arms as I grabbed her wrists, trying to calm her down. The cab pulled up to the apartment building. Mason and I climbed out, and Ellery sat there with her arms folded.

  “Get out of the cab now!” I yelled.

  She glared at me and then flipped me off.

  “Real mature, Ellery,” I said as I leaned into the cab, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out. I threw her over my shoulder and carried her straight to the bedroom, throwing her on the bed. I paced back and forth across the room while running my hands through my hair, trying to calm down.

  “I can’t believe you, Ellery. I came here tonight to surprise you, and I find you dry humping some guy in
a club, drunk off your ass. What the hell were you thinking?”

  “I was having fun instead of being cooped up in this apartment, crying over you every damn day!” she screamed.

  I stopped and looked at her. I could see the affliction in her eyes, and it hurt. “Do you think this has been easy for me?” I asked calmly.

  She put her hand over her mouth and ran to the bathroom. She leaned over the toilet, and I heard her vomiting. I walked in behind her and held her hair back with one hand while I softly rubbed her back with other. As she began to cry, I walked to the sink and ran a cloth under the warm water. When she was finished, I wiped her mouth with it and helped her off the floor.

  “Let’s get you in your pajamas and into bed. You have your treatment tomorrow,” I said as I took her nightshirt out of her drawer. I walked over to her, and she grabbed it out of my hands.

  “Let me help you,” I calmly said.

  “I don’t need your help. I can do it myself!” she yelled and undressed as I watched her

  She climbed into bed and pointed at the door for me to leave her room. I rolled my eyes and sighed as I grabbed a pillow and laid myself on the couch. I turned on the TV, but it was playing a DVD. The woman on the screen looked just like Ellery. I restarted it from the beginning and watched as Ellery’s mother spoke to her. No wonder she went to the club and drank like that. Between watching this video and me, the girl was a wreck. I felt horrible, and I should’ve been here for her while she watched it. I wanted nothing more than to climb into bed next to her and hold her tight. I wanted to tell her how much I loved her and that I was here for her. But it was the last thing she wanted, so I respected her wishes and slept on the couch.

  * * *

  I woke up early the next morning and put on a pot of strong coffee. Ellery was going to need it because she was going to have one hell of a hangover. I leaned up against the counter, waiting for the coffee to brew as she emerged from the bedroom.