by Betsy Poole
I could see her beautiful face and I knew she would be devastated. I knew she would take the whole blame upon herself, but most of all, I shuddered to know that Rick may take her away and make her life hell too. This surely wasn’t something I wanted to happen.
I tried to wrestle free, but he had a death grip. I wanted to close my eyes and I wanted to dedicate my last moments to the love of my life. I knew we had lived an uneventful life in a lot of ways and just when I thought that I would restart my life, I was staring at the end.
I could see moments from my childhood. Who would have known that I would die in the middle of a desert at the hands of a drug addict because he was too senseless to let me go? I prayed for Ila one more time and as I closed my eyes one last time, I heard a gunshot and I couldn’t understand what happened.
I closed my eyes and my heart resonated at the sound and I found Rick’s grip lose out and the knife fell on the ground.
Too many things happened together but the very first thing which I felt was that I was alive and the knife was no longer jammed on my face. I turned around and saw that Rick was lying on the floor and Ila stood behind him.
She had a gun in hand and tears in her eyes.
Finally, a killer but I have never been more thankful for her killer instinct.
Ila had shot Rick in the head and this had saved me right when I needed. She ran to me and collapsed in my big arms.
“I killed him. I am sorry, Larry. I am a killer now. I have officially killed a guy. I don’t know. We were just trying to start afresh. Why did he have to come here” she sobbed and I tried to console her.
“You didn’t kill him. You saved me and you did something for the guy you love and it isn’t a bad thing.”
We both kissed one more time and I knew that we had to leave. We couldn't stay here. We took the gun and hit the road and decided never to come back to this part of America again. The chapter was closed the real killer was dead and karma had given him the payback he deserved.
It’s been three years today since Ila killed Rick and we started our life together. We are now settled in a small village in Texas far away from all the rush of the city. We both have seen enough in our life to no longer crave for that rush and thrill.
We made our little life together and we closed the doors to our past, we were happy with the way our life shaped.
In the three years we spent with each other, our love has only deepened further and I have never been so happier ever before. My life is complete in a lot of ways and I know that I have everything I ever needed.
We have made a lot of friends and we love the community we live in. I go by the name of Andrew and Ila calls herself Elaine. No one in our little village knows of our past and we want to keep it that way. We have changed as a person and none of us are addicted to drugs or gambling.
I work in the town library and Elaine works as a designer. She has her own clothing store and almost every wedding in the village makes it a point to come to her shop.
Not only does she design the best clothes, but the love she has and the kind of relationship she makes with people has made Elaine one of the most loved people in the village. We have a little daughter Rosie who we both love.
I am particularly nervous today because, after three long years and an adorable daughter soon to turn one, I and Elaine decided to tie the knot. I am finally going to walk down the aisle.
After designing endless wedding gowns, the whole village came together for Elaine and I am sure that she is going to look just as lovely as she did when I first saw her. She is still sometimes scarred by the memories of the night when she killed Rick. Those are the nightmares she had to learn to live with, but I know she is stronger than those nightmares.
As I find her walking down the aisle, there is a part of me that wonders if she misses her family but then I see her sparkling eyes and how Janet is with her. Janet is our neighbor and Elaine's best friend, almost a sister.
Everyone is happy and John is holding baby Rosie. John and I are best buddies too and it is needless to add that he is my best man. We are one of those lucky people who managed to get a second shot after fucking once in life.
As she came closer to me, I whisper, “darling, you are the prettiest woman on earth, I love you, Elaine.”
She smiled and says, “I love you too.”
When I am sure that no one can hear, I ask her, “Regrets? Want to change your mind?”
She smiles and says, “None. I have always wanted this.”
“I am thankful because if you said no, I would chicken out. I love you forever, Elaine.”
“I love you too,” she says and we exchange our vows and we both look at our daughter. She is a bundle of joy and gives us reasons to stay true and be great people.
I can now understand why Mr. Stills wanted the best for her daughter. When you become a father, you change. I kiss Elaine one more time and I am never going to get tired of kissing her.
Everything about her is perfect.
She comes closer to me and slowly whispers, “Larry, thank you so much for saving Ila. If it were not for you, I would have been a lost soul. You are the only person I would ever be with because you are my soul. I don’t even exist without you. I will always love you, till the end of forever and then some more.”
I know, I am lucky because I never saved Ila, Ila saved me.
THE END
Collection Book 3: Serendipity Strikes (Billionaire Romance)
Some of us have it easy – a lot easier than the rest. Patrick Olsen was one of those hunks who were born with a silver spoon in his mouth. The only son of Mr. And Mrs. Olsen, Patrick never had a hard day in his life as far as finances were concerned.
Life was, of course, a lot more than just your regular money in the bank. However, Patrick was thankful for the life he had. His biggest passion was sports car and his father made sure that his son always had ample. With some of the flashiest and the most outrageous cars in his garage, he sure was a hit with his friends.
Patrick had a large group of friends, but he had his own close network too which spanned a dozen people. These friends made it a point to stay by him through thick and thin and regardless of what the tabloids often told about him, it was this small network of friends that knew him inside out.
Patrick often laughed at the tabloid reports that often did a lot of stories about him. One time, he was reported as gay just because a picture of Patrick and his best friend was leaked which was undoubtedly photoshopped as they were lip-locking. While these rumors rarely bothered Patrick, he knew Philips had a hard time as the paparazzi made it really hard for him to stay.
Most media channels weren’t allowed to interview Patrick as he wasn't a huge fan of the spotlight. This is why they made Philips the scapegoat and he went berserk with the questioning. Patrick had no other alternative but to tell the media that he was dating a hot chick so that these rumors could be put to rest.
Slowly, the reports of the two of them gay started to die down, but now the media was always buzzing with reports as to who was the secret girl that Patrick was dating. Patrick didn’t give a damn to what others thought about it and he let the rumor mill buzz ablaze with their speculation.
However, he did realize that once in a while, he wanted to have someone he could go back to and just let his head rest on her shoulder. He was tired of pretending that everything was happy when he really wanted one good relationship that could stand the test of times.
It wasn’t like Patrick had always been single. He had five relationships, but not one of them lasted really long. Three of his dates went down the drain when he realized that all they cared about was money and the rest of the things didn’t really matter to them.
He didn’t bother giving a hefty amount of money to his date, but he wasn’t a thing looking to be sold. He wanted someone to look at him and actually wish that they could stay together for the rest of their life. The rest two were even worse as one of them cheated on him behind his back an
d the other turned out to be a lesbian. God knows why she even dated Patrick!
So much of bad luck in the lanes of love had forced Patrick to stop considering love for some time. He decided that it would happen when it has to and whenever he needed some spice in his life; he could get it by reading the tabloids and their own versions of his love life.
If his life was half as exciting as how the tabloids reported to be, he would have been one badass Casanova. Regardless, he simply laughed these rumors off and didn’t give them much thought.
Chapter 2:
“Patrick, I don’t have a date! What is so hard to understand?”
“I don’t know Alicia! You have got to come. I am not hearing no as an answer.”
“Oh, Pat! Please try and understand. It is so embarrassing. It isn’t just the ten of us. There will be so many people.”
“Carry along a girlfriend of yours.”
“Oh really, Pat. You think I should do that? After the way, media snaps every single picture of your events.”
“Alicia, don’t worry about the media. I have kept it really low-key. Do me a favor. Get one of the hot girls with you, who know, I might just be interested. I am 31 and not getting any younger.”
Alicia laughed and agreed. She knew that Patrick would cook the lamest of all excuses for the sake of having his way. Alicia and Patrick had been childhood friends and even though she wasn’t as filthy rich as Patrick, she came from quite a wealthy family.
Alicia and Patrick had never considered dating each other because they had seen each other like siblings. Everyone wanted the two of them to go together, but Alicia almost puked at the thought. Yes, Patrick was blonde, tall, extremely fair and all kinds of handsome. But, you couldn’t go out with someone who felt like a bother to you, no matter what they said.
However, they made it a point to stick by each other and were heavily involved in each other’s life. There was a part of Alicia that felt guilty because it was she who had set Patrick with Linda, the girl who turned out to be a lesbian.
Linda was the one Patrick had got closest to and he had told Alicia how he had plans of proposing her too. She was thankful that the secret was out before Patrick made a fool of himself. Somehow, Alicia wanted to fix the damage but she swore not to meddle in his love life any more.
She looked at her watch and realized that she didn't have a lot of time. The party was late that night and apart from getting dressed and attending her salon appointment, she needed a girlfriend. The one terrible thing about Alicia’s life is that she didn’t really have a girlfriend. The boys always wanted sex and the girls always thought she was too bitchy, which didn’t really leave her with too many options.
She could have taken her mom along but it clearly wasn’t the party for her mom to go. She debated for quite some time until her assistant came in with a set of files.
“Would you have a minute, Alicia?” she asked.
Alicia’s eyes lit up and she knew that she didn’t have to think much. She needed someone to tag along and Natasha would be a great fit.
“Natasha darling, I need a favor and I am badly stuck and you are my only knight in shining armor that could play the savior.”
Although Natasha was Alicia’s secretary, they both went along very well and could easily pass as friends. Alicia never liked being one of those uptight people who would boss around other people. Natasha and Alicia had instantly clicked and they often grabbed lunch together.
Alicia would be spared the horror of going alone if Natasha could tag along.
Natasha, being the good girl she had always been obligingly asked as to what the favor was and promised to help her out.
“So, you must have heard of Patrick Olsen?”
“Yes, the tabloid does a weekly column on him, but I do not really read it.”
“So, he happens to be one of my closest friends and he has thrown a party and supposedly I am invited.”
“Okay, I don’t see how I fit in as a favor in your statement.”
“Natasha darling, I need a date to go along with me to the party.”
Natasha gave a very shocked look and didn’t quite know what to say.
“So?”
“What do you mean so, Natasha? I just asked you out.”
Natasha couldn’t believe the bomb Alicia had just dropped.
“Alicia, I am sorry if I gave you any kind of wrong signals or hints. I am straight. While I am a feminist and I am all for equality and I support lesbian rights, but I am really sorry as I am not into women.”
Alicia laughed out loud and Natasha couldn’t figure what the matter was.
“I am not into girls either. Patrick told me I could tag along any of my girlfriends as well. He would like to meet some hot chick too and you are the perfect fit for this.”
“Are you trying to set me up?”
“No dear. It is just that the party is tonight and all I have is you. Can you please salvage my pride?”
Natasha debated for a minute, but she knew that Alicia really needed her help and she wondered what harm would a night of party be. She agreed and Alicia was surely ecstatic and blew her a flying kiss. Count on Alicia to fake pretend being lesbian now! She giggled and decided to take an early break so she could be home and get dressed.
Alicia promised to pick her up at 7 and they would make an early exit if needed.
Chapter 3:
Patrick Olsen was a name known to all. There was hardly anyone who wouldn’t know what was going on in his life because the tabloids made it a point to follow his every move. He was one of the most eligible bachelors who were rumored to sleep with a new girl every week.
Patrick was definitely not someone Natasha was interested in. She went to the party because her boss wanted to and Alicia was undoubtedly one of the sweetest bosses she ever had. However, not liking Patrick didn’t mean that Alicia didn’t want to dress like she could rule the world of fashion.
Natasha was tall and extremely hot. Her green eyes were magical and when she applied a dash of mascara and the perfect eye makeup, she looked all kinds of sexy. She wore a little black dress and teamed it with her killer red stilettos. She checked her reflection and saw that she did look kind of good.
Natasha didn’t wear makeup that often, but she knew the art like a pro. She had grown amidst three sisters, two of who were graduates from fashion school. This meant that she knew her share of expert makeup tips and once in a while, she enjoyed trying those perfect expert tips on her too. As she was ready for Alicia to pick her up, she decided why not to know a little more about the man whose party she was going to.
As she checked out the details of Patrick, she wasn’t surprised to see what a brat he was. He was the last person Natasha would like to know as she hated the kind of men who were full of themselves and believed that money could fetch them every damn thing. It was actually a surprise that Alicia was friends with such a guy.
Regardless, her job was to tag along with Alicia and so she did.
“Goodness, darling! You look like a complete sex kitten!” Alicia said.
“Damn, should I change? Did I overdo it?”
“Oh for the love of god, stop worrying. Patrick is going to be so blown looking at you and so would all other guys. What a hottie! How come I never noticed you at the office?”
“Alicia, are you really trying to get into character and hitting on me?
“Oh, you know me, baby, I do everything with 100% commitment.”
They both laughed and Alicia told her about the party and how it was one of those reunions where all of them gathered once in a while. It would mainly be the upscale children and everyone would bring a date. Alicia told Natasha that there may be a few rumors about them but that shouldn’t really be a cause for concern because they both knew what reality was.
Natasha relaxed in Alicia’s presence and she realized that once in a while, she needed such nights where she could forget about the work and concentrate merely upon the beauty of the night.
Chapter 4:
Once they reached the venue, Alicia introduced Natasha to some of her friends. When Alicia finally met Patrick, she hugged him and showed Natasha off. Natasha saw the way Patrick’s jaw remained open and he shamelessly checked her out.
She could see the way he was ogling her and she knew that the tabloid reports about Patrick were true. He was every inch the badass Casanova. Natasha decided not to spare him another thought and after the usual greetings excused herself and went to the bar.
Patrick was blown by the kind of beauty which Natasha had. He knew what he was experiencing was a sheer attraction, but Natasha was exceptionally beautiful. She was the kind of girl who could make you stop in your tracks. Patrick had seen her enchantingly beautiful green eyes and he had almost drowned in them. She looked jaw dropping in the black dress and he could see the slightest hint of her cleavage and he knew she had the curves to die for.
Patrick knew he had to chase her and the fact that she didn’t give a fuck to him, was bothering him.
“Can I help you with a drink, beautiful young lady?” he asked in what he thought was his sexiest accent.
“Ah! Thanks, but I will help myself.”
“Are you trying to avoid me?” he asked cutting down the chase.
“Did you give me a reason to do that, Mr. Patrick?”
“Oh Please! Drop the Mister. I am just Patrick here. This is a social gathering.”
“Okay, Patrick.”
“That is it. You don’t feel the need to add something.”
“What is it that you want to hear?”
“I don’t know. Maybe that I am really hot and you kind of like me.”|
“Did anyone ever tell you that you are so full of yourself?”
“Did anyone ever tell you that you are extremely beautiful and drop-dead gorgeous?”
“How many times have you used this as a pickup line?”
“Looks like you follow the tabloids a bit too seriously,” Patrick said and decided to leave.
