The Wicked Collection

by Vivian Wood

  Meredith lined up behind the plate, waiting for the pitch.

  “Is not getting married a dealbreaker for you?” he asked just as she was about to swing.

  It had been ages since she'd gone to the batting cages, but she thought she'd try her best to hit at least one or two. When the whizzing ball flew from the machine, she swallowed hard and swung her body, hitting it with her metal bat.

  She still had it.

  “Long-term?” she asked, glancing up at him. “Yeah, that would be a dealbreaker.”

  “What about short-term?” he probed.

  She shrugged, waiting for another ball.

  “I don’t know. Maybe if I knew there was a ring waiting for me in the future,” she answered, chuckling softly at the hilarity of her statement.

  “Would you… would you consider keeping a relationship low-key if you knew that it would be rewarding eventually?” he asked hesitantly, making her stand up straight.

  Meredith's turned to look at him, completely missing the ball.

  “Is that your way of asking if I'm willing to be your secret girlfriend, Elijah?”

  He fell silent for a moment and averted his gaze.

  “Maybe.”

  Feeling insulted, she let go of the bat and pulled the helmet off her head. She had never dreamed of getting involved into a secret love affair. She had always been patient when it came to relationships, and she knew what she deserved.

  She knew her worth. And being Elijah’s little secret was not something she would gladly accept. She deserved better than that.

  She looked at him with a blank expression on her face. But deep inside she could feel an invisible hand squeezing her heart. She was hurt. And the pain was just too extreme for her to even cry.

  She felt like she was going to vomit any moment now because of the burning sensation in her chest. It was getting harder to breathe with each second that passed, and she wasn't leaving without giving him a piece of her mind. How dare he ask her to be his dirty little secret?

  But just when she was about to open her mouth and tell him off, a group of people recognized Elijah excitedly and he was pulled away to talk about the campaign, leaving her behind with a heavy heart.

  Swallowing her tears, Meredith slipped out of the arcade. She was in so much pain, and she just wanted to be alone.

  Expecting something good from him had been her biggest mistake. Thinking he'd be willing to go public with their relationship was nothing more than a stupid fantasy. She was an idiot for thinking her love life was some kind of fairy tale come true.

  Trusting Elijah Scott with her heart had been her second mistake.

  She should have known better.

  Of course he'd never give up his political ambitions for her. They barely knew each other, after all.

  She never should have gotten herself mixed up with him!

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Elijah's schedule was increasingly hectic. Instead of spending time on the road campaigning over the past week, he'd remained within D.C. and the surrounding area, attending a series of donor meetings and fundraisers. He'd barely spent any time at home. It had been over a week since going to the arcade with Meredith, and he was dying to be alone with her. But she hadn't made any effort to see him.

  He knew why she was mad, and why she kept blowing him off. And he knew what he'd asked her, however indirectly, was wrong. But he didn't know what else to do. He didn't want to lose her, but he was so close to winning the election. Going public with a relationship now would kill his approval ratings.

  What was even more irritating was that with Meredith making herself scarce, Sosie was back to acting like a clingy, jealous girlfriend. He was relieved when he was able to ditch her at the gala he was attending.

  He looked around for Henry, and found him chatting with Meredith by the veranda. She looked stunning in a white gown that hugged her curves perfectly. Her hair was styled into a loose bun, with a few strands loose on either side of her face. He felt a pang of longing as he watched her laughing gleefully while talking with his best friend.

  Walking toward them, Elijah worked hard to get his face straight. He missed her so much he thought he was going to slowly go insane. He stopped when he was just a few feet away from them.

  “Eli!” Henry spoke, noticing his presence. “I was just telling her how you puked the first time you got drunk,” he said with a laugh.

  It had been one of the most embarrassing moments of his life. No wonder Meredith had been laughing her heart out before he'd walked over. He wanted to tell her she looked gorgeous and pull her in for a kiss, but he knew that was impossible.

  Still, he thought she looked like a fucking angel in her white dress.

  Henry suggested they find an empty table, and Eli hoped that Meredith would sit next to him. Instead she sat next to Henry, laughing hysterically at his jokes. Eli didn't catch any of them, because he'd been too busy staring at her.

  She was the total package. Gorgeous, smart, hardworking... she deserved so much more than what he could give her.

  All too soon, Meredith stood up, saying she had to leave, mentioning something about a get-together at her parents' house. She politely said her goodbyes and left.

  Eli was barely able to wish her goodbye, sitting there stiffly as he watched her leave.

  “Want to go for a walk?” Henry asked, looking at him like he was truly pitiful.

  Nodding his head, Elijah rose from his seat and followed Henry, seeing them out of the crowded ballroom. They went down the illuminated pathway that led to the greenhouse and manmade river.

  The place was gorgeous, but he couldn’t enjoy the beautiful view because he was bothered by a lot of things. Plus, he didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with Meredith. He didn’t want everything between them to end just like that. But he didn’t have a choice, did he?

  “What’s wrong with you?” Henry asked, and he raised his head in surprise at the hint of irritation in his friend’s tone.

  “What?” he asked, confused.

  “You finally found yourself an amazing girl, but you're all moody. Are things that bad with the campaign?” Henry asked, kicking at a tiny rock.

  Elijah took a closer look at Henry’s face. The man was serious.

  “No, the campaign is going great, actually,” he answered.

  “So what’s wrong?”

  He stayed quiet for a moment, staring blankly at the dark night sky filled with stars. Henry was right. Meredith was amazing. And she deserved better and more than what he could offer.

  “I care about her, a lot… but I wish I could give her more,” he spoke in between sighs. “There’s no way she’s going to stay with me as things are.”

  He didn’t understand why, but tears started to form in his eyes. The mere thought of Meredith leaving him was tearing him apart. He wouldn't be able to bear it if he saw her with someone else.

  “How things are?” Henry repeated, still puzzled.

  “I’m a presidential candidate, Henry. Goddamn it! I can’t exactly bring my twenty-something girlfriend out onto the stage for a kiss and expect people to applaud,” he spoke while gritting his teeth as his hands clenched into fists. “My political enemies will rip her to shreds. And that’s only the beginning.”

  “I see.” Henry patted him on the shoulders while nodding his head, finally understanding what was wrong.

  “I just… I know she’s going to leave. And besides, I’ve got other things to worry about. Christ! I’ve got the fucking campaign to win.”

  “So… that’s it, then?” Henry asked.

  Eli wiped at a tear rolling down his left cheek.

  This was the first and only time in his entire life he'd ever been scared over losing a woman. Worse, he knew he'd fucked up, and he'd never have the chance to tell her how he really felt about her. He never thought he could be in so much pain over someone he'd only known for a few months. How was this even possible?

  You found love, said a voice in h
is head.

  And this time, he didn’t have a reason to disagree. What else could it be?

  Yes, he loved Meredith Fields.

  He was madly and infuriatingly in love with her.

  “Yeah, Henry… I guess that’s it,” he murmured in agreement. The realization gutted him.

  “How ‘bout a glass of whisky?” Henry suggested.

  After a moment of silence, Eli nodded his head and Henry led the way back to the large ballroom. He hoped the alcohol would help lessen the pain he was feeling. He silently wished it would help his heart grow numb.

  Chapter Thirty

  Eli and his campaign team arrived in Boston a few days after the gala in D.C. After the conversation he'd had with Henry regarding his relationship with Meredith, he was having a hard time getting to sleep – just like the other night. And he was getting more and more irritable with the slightest things – especially Sosie.

  Sitting at the foot of his bed, he dialed her number as he planned to cancel all his plans for the day. He wanted some time alone for himself, to clear his mind.

  “Reschedule all of my plans for today,” he said the moment Sosie picked up.

  “What– You can’t,” she answered begrudgingly. He could imagine the sour look on her face. “You can’t cancel your plans for today. You're meeting–“

  “If you can’t, then I’ll have to find someone who will,” he said cutting her off, not bothering to hide his annoyance. He didn’t have the patience to put up with Sosie’s nagging anymore. He was just too tired of having silly arguments with her.

  She gasped over the line, making him feel a pang of regret for talking to her that way. More than anyone else, he knew that Sosie was doing her job perfectly. And if it weren't for her efforts, he wouldn't be leading the polls, and the campaign wouldn't be as good as it was.

  “Fine,” she responded curtly, cutting the call short.

  Elijah was more than happy to finally get some time to himself. When he checked his phone, he decided to attend the Navy SEAL’s funeral at the last moment, locking himself in the bathroom to get a quick shower.

  He had donned a black suit and sneaked out of his hotel room. As he marched through the corridors, he hesitated when he passed by Meredith’s room. He found himself knocking on her door, thinking about something to say.

  When he was finally able to make up his mind, she opened the door, a crack, surprised to see him. She opened the door a little wider and he found her looking beautiful as usual, dressed formally in a white blouse and black pants.

  “Today’s events are canceled,” he informed her, looking deep into her ocean blue eyes.

  “Yes, I just got Sosie's announcement. You shouldn't have bothered coming all the way here,” she said coolly.

  “I want you to come with me somewhere.”

  She bit her bottom lip, looking hesitant while looking down at her outfit. He suspected she felt self-conscious about what she was wearing.

  “You’re perfect,” he whispered, tucking a few loose strands of hair behind her ear. “You’re always perfect.”

  Meredith flushed but smiled at his statement, nodding her head.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  Intertwining his fingers with hers, he led the way out of the hotel. His grip was firm, and he didn’t have any intention of letting go of her hand. When she struggled to pull away from his grip as people around them watched, he only held her tighter.

  Meredith shot him a confused look. Her face was beet red by the time they got in a cab. Clearly she was embarrassed with the attention they got from the people in the hotel. But he wasn't the least bit bothered by it.He just wanted to spend some time with her.

  Elijah expected her to question him the moment the cab pulled away from the hotel. But she remained silent. She was just staring out the windows as they traveled to their destination. She stopped trying to pull away, and let him hold her hand.

  He was glad she didn't want to talk. He didn't have any answers for her, none she would like at least. All he knew was that he wanted to be with her.

  When they arrived at a cemetery, she shot him a puzzled look.

  “What are we doing here?” she asked.

  “We’re attending a funeral.”

  She paused, still confused.

  “Whose funeral?”

  “A friend. He died while serving the country,” he murmured softly.

  Meredith fell silent again, regretful for asking questions. He squeezed her hand softly, reassuring her everything was fine. He was fine – because she was with him.

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “You don’t have to be,” he said, then sighed.

  He looked at the crowd of mourners. He felt incredibly guilty, watching the sobbing family members of the SEAL who had died in the strike. The outcome of which he'd altered for selfish reasons. Smiling bitterly, he uttered a silent apology.

  And as much as he wanted to regret what he'd done, he didn't. That could have been his brother they were burying instead, his mother sobbing at the graveside.

  It was an impossible decision to make.

  But he'd done it for his family.

  And he knew others in his position would have done the same. Not that it brought him any comfort.

  He sighed, feeling the heavy burden even more.

  “Every time I see something like this, I’m reminded how fleeting our lives are. That we should chase what we want with the time we're given. You have to do it… while you can,” he said as tears formed in his eyes. He was getting all choked up with emotion.

  His late father had always taught him to live life to the fullest, so he wouldn't have any regrets. Eli shook his head and clenched his jaw tightly. He was living his life the exact opposite way of his father's advice.

  Life always found a way to get in between him and his dreams.

  He knew happiness couldn't be achieved without sacrifice. But did he really have to sacrifice Meredith – his happiness – for his political ambition?

  He felt Meredith's cool hand on his face as she looked deep into his grey eyes. It was a little difficult to make out her face because of the tears in his eyes, but he could see she was worried. She leaned in and kissed him gently on the mouth, murmuring softly about how everything would be alright.

  He gathered his composure. As they got down from the cab, he held Meredith's hand and together they walked toward the funeral party.

  Just for today, he thought, squeezing the hand of the woman he loved.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  It had been several days since Meredith and Elijah had attended the funeral. Elijah had stayed busy since then, meeting with donors and campaign strategists. Meredith missed him so much. She was starting to feel like he'd completely forgotten about her.

  He's worked so hard to get to this point. He can't give up now, she thought while staring blankly at the screen of her phone, wishing Lily would call her.

  She was feeling restless and bored, but she couldn't find the motivation to be productive. And all she could think about was Elijah – wishing she could be with him right now, wishing he were here so they could kiss and hug and have amazing makeup sex.

  She missed his touch so much. It hadn't even been a week, and she felt like she was dying without him. How was that even possible?

  I’m getting more and more pathetic, she winced.

  Meredith thought about how special Elijah was to her. With him, she'd done things she never thought she could do – particularly in bed. Having him around made her feel secure. He reminded her constantly how beautiful he found her.

  Being with him made her feel perfect – and complete.

  A knock at her door brought her back to reality. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping it would be Elijah. She almost couldn't believe it when she saw him standing outside her door.

  “Hi,” he said huskily.

  God, how she'd missed him awkwardly saying that word!

  “Hi,” she replied.

  “L
ook, I just want to tell you that I’m so sorry,” he mumbled softly, looking at the floor.

  Meredith's face fell.

  “What do you mean?” she asked, confused.

  Without saying anything else, Elijah stepped inside her room, locking the door behind him. He pulled her into a deep and long kiss. She was surprised at first, but she soon relaxed against him. She'd been longing for his touch for so long.

  And now, she was finally back in his arms.

  Elijah’s embrace was growing tighter, making her squirm uncomfortably. He was making it hard for her to breathe.

  “You’re going to kill me, Eli,” she whispered, breaking their kiss, trying to pull away from his grasp.

  “I’m so sorry for not spending time with you lately,” he whispered, his voice cracking.

  And for the first time in a while, she felt like she was going to melt. She was totally aware of Eli’s responsibilities and plans. And she wasn't expecting him to apologize like he was afraid of losing her.

  Speechless, Meredith found her mouth being devoured with intense softness. There was longing and sincerity with the way he moved, making her respond with the same intensity.She was growing hot as he brushed a hand down her hair. But he stopped kissing her, pulling away.

  “What is it?” she blurted, annoyed.

  A mischievous smile flashed on Elijah’s gorgeous face before walking away to pull down the blinds and close the curtains of her room.

  Licking her lips, she walked toward him and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his body. She planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. She didn’t care about anything else, not now. All she knew was that she'd missed him terribly, and she wanted him to fuck her right here.

  Meredith smiled when he pulled her body closer to his, squeezing her ass.

  She broke contact for a moment, stripping naked and leaving her body free for his hands to explore. It didn’t take long before he started squeezing and cupping her breasts. His mouth moved from her collarbone to a pebbled nipple, making her gasp in pleasure.