Never Far Away

by Anie Michaels

  “You kids are going to be fine,” the doctor said with a smile. Ella couldn’t help but smile back at her because she knew the doctor was right.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ella

  With a prescription in hand, Ella left the doctor’s office with Porter following close behind. The doctor suggested that Ella come back for weekly appointments to try and help her transition into taking the medication and dealing with her anxiety. Dr. Evans said she didn’t feel Porter needed to come back immediately unless his feelings of guilt or blame didn’t start to decrease soon, or something else became an issue for him. They made it out to the sidewalk and Ella paused as Porter came to stand in front of her.

  “Well,” Ella said. “That was more exhausting than I had imagined it would be.” She took a step into him and rested her cheek against his chest. She felt his arms come around her neck and she snuggled in a little closer. She couldn’t help but smile a little at his scent of soap and wood. It was a scent she would love to smell over and over again. She inhaled deeply and felt his chest shake a little with laughter.

  “Everything ok down there?” He chuckled.

  “Yes. You smell good.”

  “Are you hungry? It’s about dinner time,” he said, brushing some hair back from the side of her face.

  “I could eat. Want to go back to my place?”

  “No, I have other plans.”

  “Oh you do?” She said, as she pulled back far enough to give him a questioning look.

  “Yes. Leave your car here. We’ll come back for it later,” he said matter-of-factly, and took her by the hand, leading her to his truck. She didn’t argue or mind. He opened her door for her and she loved the feeling of his hands on her hips as he lifted her into the cab. Would she ever tire of feeling his hands on her body? She hoped not. She watched him walk around the front of the truck, and when he got in, she let her eyes graze all the way down his body noticing how his muscles were evident through his shirt.

  “Enjoying the view?” Porter asked with a smug grin.

  “Immensely,” she returned his smile. “Where are we going?”

  “Out to dinner.”

  Ella took his short answer and decided it was all she was going to get out of him, so she decided to just enjoy the ride. She unbuckled her seatbelt and scooted down the bench seat until she was right next to him, and she laid her hand on his thigh, resting her head on his shoulder.

  “Buckle up, Ella,” he said, sounding more demanding than pleading. Ella rolled her eyes towards the ceiling of the truck, feigning annoyance at his protective nature. In reality, she thought it was sexy as hell when he worried about her. She would never take for granted that when she was with him she always felt safe.

  As he maneuvered the truck down the highway, Ella took the opportunity to admire one of her favorite spots in Portland. Driving towards a tunnel, completely surrounded by trees and brush, once you emerge from the other side all you can see are skyscrapers. The sudden and immediate transition from greenery to cityscape is something that always amazed Ella. It spoke volumes about the city of Portland as a whole; you were never far from a completely different landscape. If you drove an hour from the city in any direction you could encounter an ocean, rivers, a mountain, endless fields of crops, waterfalls, not to mention the windsurfing capital of the world. You had to be completely lazy and blind not to notice everything that surrounded Portland.

  “I love this tunnel,” Ella said quietly as they drove out the East end to a different kind of forest made of buildings instead of trees. “I love the juxtaposition. One second you’re surrounded by trees, then bam, buildings and bridges.”

  “I never really noticed that before,” Porter said thoughtfully. Ella shrugged her shoulders and smiled at him. They traveled in silence as she took in the sights of the city and the boats on the river. The fourth of July was quickly approaching, and she could see preparations being made on the waterfront for the annual Blues Festival.

  Ella couldn’t keep herself from cringing as Porter squeezed his giant truck down the narrow and busy streets of downtown. Every time she covered her eyes and made scared yelps, Porter chuckled and patted her on the thigh.

  “You think I’m going to hit something with my truck?” He laughed.

  “It’s just so big. I don’t know how you control it the way you do.” Porter looked over at her and waggled his eyebrows. It took her a moment, but she finally realized what she had said and slapped him in the chest. “You know what I mean!”

  “I’m an expert at getting big things in tight spaces,” he said, not even trying to hide his smile. Ella pulled away from him, trying to put a frown on over the smile that was surely taking over her face.

  “What are you, fourteen?” She teased. Porter shrugged as he pulled into an available space on the street to park.

  “I’m a guy, Babe. I call ‘em like I see ‘em. We’re here,” he said as he pointed across the street.

  Ella looked up to the Rock Bottom Brewery, one of Ella’s most favorite restaurants in Portland.

  “Babe, I love this place.”

  “I know. I asked Megan where I should take you.”

  They hopped out of the truck and headed towards the restaurant. Ella hadn’t been there in months and she was already perusing the menu in her mind, thinking about what she would order. When they walked in they were met with the sounds of a busy restaurant: plates clanking, people laughing, doors from the kitchen swinging open. The restaurant was made entirely of a dark wood and even in the brightest of late Spring evenings, you could still feel the dark golden light reflecting off the wood creating the aura of an intimate setting. Ella loved that you could find any type of person here: Business women and men, college students, families, and the ever-present hipster. It was the beer that brought everyone in. Portland was famous for its beer and Rock Bottom definitely upheld the reputation.

  A young brunette hostess brought them to a table with a small candle lit on the surface. After they sat down Ella ordered her favorite beer and Porter took the same.

  “I can see why you like this place,” Porter said, smiling at her. She melted at his smile. After such an emotional afternoon with Dr. Evans, it felt good to see him happy, even if his worries were only suspended for the moment. She reached across the table and took his hand.

  “I love you,” she said, only making him smile bigger.

  “I know, Babe. I love you too.”

  “I just want to make sure you understand that. I know things are difficult, but I love you and nothing will change that, ever.” He rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, sending small shivers throughout her body.

  “Ella, I don’t want you worrying about me. I heard what the doctor said, and I’ve taken it in. But nothing in the world could make my love for you turn into something resentful. The only thing I resent is that it took thirty-two years for you to come into my life.”

  Ella bit on her bottom lip, trying to walk the fine line between trusting what he was saying and making really sure he understood where she was coming from.

  “Just promise me something,” she asked, begging him with her eyes.

  “Anything.”

  “Promise me that you’ll talk to me about what you’re feeling in regards to the accident and your guilt. I don’t want that to come between us.”

  “Done.” He said quickly in agreement. Ella was skeptical.

  “Porter, I’m serious.”

  “So am I. I have no reason to hide any of this from you, that’s not how I operate.”

  “Ok.”

  “Can we just have a relaxing meal now? I want to enjoy a dinner with my girlfriend and just let the stress of the last couple hours fall away.”

  “Done,” she replied with a smile. His smile returned, just as she’d hoped it would. With the touchy subject behind them, they spent the next hour chatting and eating what Ella thought to be the best bacon cheeseburger she’d ever had. They managed to learn things about each other that hadn’
t previously come up in conversation between them. Ella almost felt guilty that she had no idea when Porter’s birthday was, but immediately pulled out her phone to program a reminder for October first. He did the same for hers on April tenth, although they laughed about how neither one of them could ever forget her birthday.

  “Best and worst day of my life,” Ella chuckled.

  “More good than bad though, I hope,” Porter said, caressing her hand again.

  “Of course.” She smiled at him sweetly.

  “Are you about ready to go?” He said as he signed the receipt the waitress had left on their table.

  “Yes. Are we going to pick up my car?”

  “No, Megan picked it up while we were eating.”

  “What? Why?” Ella was supremely confused.

  “Don’t you worry about it. I’ve made plans. Trust me.” Well, how could she argue with that.

  “Ok. What’s next?”

  “It’s a surprise,” he said looking directly into her eyes, his voice low and sexy. Excitement ran through her body with his sultry words. He stood up and held his hand out for her to take. She gripped his hand tightly, trying to contain her rapid pulse. When they made it out to the truck he opened her door for her and again took her by the waist and lifted her onto the seat. He placed his hands on either side of her knees, keeping her legs hanging out of the truck.

  “Since it’s a surprise, you’re going to have to keep your eyes closed.” She smirked at him, his playfulness welcomed by her. “However, I don’t trust you not to peek, so we’re going to have to resort to drastic measures.” He pulled a bandana out of his back pocket and started folding it up to be long and narrow. Ella’s eyes darted between the bandana and his face.

  “You’re going to blindfold me?” He didn’t answer, just nodded his head, never removing his eyes from hers. “Are you serious?” Again with the nodding. She’d never been blindfolded before, well, except during piñatas at birthday parties in grade school, but she very much doubted this type of blindfolding was anywhere near that realm. Letting a man blindfold her wasn’t anything she’d ever experienced before. He continued to let his eyes burn into her, waiting for what? Her permission? Her acceptance? She decided that if there was anyone on the planet she trusted enough to let them blindfold her, it was Porter. She closed her eyes and bowed her head towards him, giving him the surrender he seemed to be looking for.

  She felt him wrap the cloth around her head and gently tie a knot in the back.

  “Is it too tight?” He asked quietly. She shook her head. His fingers left the back of her head and traced lightly over her cheeks and she felt him urge her face forward. She felt his lips connect with hers and she was instantly lost in the tender way his kissed her. The excitement she felt by his blindfolding her coupled with the gentleness in his kiss had her reeling. He pulled away but left his forehead resting up against hers.

  “You kill me with that mouth,” he rasped. His comment made her smile.

  “Where are you taking me?” she whispered.

  “Oh no, I’m not telling. We’ll be there soon.” With that, he nudged her knees inside the truck. She felt him reach around her to buckle her seatbelt and then close her door. The truck fired to life and the roar and vibration of the engine only intensified her climbing arousal.

  “Hang on, Baby,” he said. Ella could hear the smile in his voice.

  Porter

  It surprised him how much he enjoyed blindfolding Ella. He wouldn’t consider himself a sexual deviant by any means, but he would be lying if he said that Ella completely trusting him with her body and safety, giving herself up to him like that, didn’t totally turn him on. The entire way to his surprise destination, he kept stealing glances at her. Her small frame dwarfed even more by the size of his truck, she looked a little abandoned on the other side of the truck. At a stoplight he reached over and grabbed her around the waist the haul her to his side of the seat. She yelped in surprise, then laughed as she laid her head on his shoulder.

  “We’re almost there,” he whispered in her ear. He enjoyed watching her shiver and saw the goose bumps appear on her neck.

  “This better be a good surprise,” she mocked complaint.

  “I hope you like it,” he answered honestly. To be fair, he wasn’t sure she’d like it at all. She might think it over the top, or unnecessary, but there was this pestering need he felt inside to do this for her. And, of course, there was a little bit of payoff for him as well.

  He pulled up to the sidewalk in front of a big posh building.

  “I’ll come around and help you out,” he told her. When he came to the valet, he threw him the keys and then held his finger up to his mouth to indicate to the young man not to say anything to ruin his surprise. He opened Ella’s door and helped her climb down from the truck, not being able to resist placing a small and innocent kiss on her lips as she got her bearings.

  “Ready? Take my hand and I promise I won’t run you into any walls,” he said as he took her hand in his. She held his hand tight and kept him close, banking her forehead on his bicep, putting complete trust in the fact that he wouldn’t lead her astray.

  He walked through the lobby of the Hilton Hotel in downtown Portland. Lush furniture and green plants lined the elaborate room. He saw the woman behind the counter give him a knowing smile. Perhaps he wasn’t the first person to lead a blind folded woman through her hotel. He pushed the button on the elevator and when Ella heard the ding announcing the arrival of the car she perked up.

  “Is that an elevator?”

  “Yup, take a few steps on, Babe. We’re going up.” He led her on to the elevator and then pushed the button for their floor. As they stood alone in the elevator Porter couldn’t help but run his nose along the side of her neck. A small groan escaped from her.

  “Porter,” she breathed, “where are we?”

  “Does it matter?” He said with his lips brushing against her skin.

  “Um, kinda. How do I know we’re not in an elevator with a bunch of strangers? Wait, are we in an elevator with a bunch of strangers?” She sounded a little panicked, but it didn’t stop her from moving her head to the side so he could get at more of the skin on her neck. He continued to lay kisses along her bare skin, taking small nips at her, trailing small bites up and down.

  “We’re all alone,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist, moving his hands up her back and pulling her into him. They passed a few more floors and he was glad that their ride was uninterrupted by any other passengers. Once the doors opened he pulled her out and led her down the hallway to their room. He saw that she was biting her lip, obviously still a little worried about where he could have taken her. He pushed his keycard into the lock and pushed the door open. When they entered the room he took a moment to make sure everything was perfect. When he was convinced that she would love it, he slowly took the blindfold from her head. Now it was his turn to wait.

  She blinked a few times, trying to acclimate to being able to see again. When her eyes finally opened and she took in what she was seeing, her mouth turned into a sweet smile and he hand came to her chest, covering her heart.

  Laid out, on the floor of the posh hotel room, was a blanket, with two sleeping bags rolled up on the side, a bottle of champagne, two champagne flutes, and makings for smores. Porter came up behind her and placed his chin on her shoulder.

  “Remind you of anything?” He asked, hoping she remembered that night as vividly as he did.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “Our picnic. On the beach.” She turned and brought her hands up around his neck. “That was the first time I told you I loved you.”

  She looked up at him with her crystal blue eyes, smiling, and running her fingers through the hair on the nape of his neck. He flipped his nose on the tip of her nose, then pressed his lips to hers.

  “That was one of the best moments of my life, hearing you say those words to me.”

  “Mine too.”

  “Sorry I couldn�
�t make this happen at the beach, but as I remember, you had a problem with the visibility factor at the beach. So I thought perhaps you would appreciate the privacy of the hotel room.” She turned and looked around the room, still taking it all in. He saw when she took in the giant picture window that overlooked all the skyscrapers that lined the night sky, twinkling lights and all.

  “Wow. Porter, I’ve never seen the city like this before. It’s so beautiful. Definitely a change of scenery from the beach, but I like it just as much.” She turned back to look at him. “How did you pull all of this off anyway?”

  “Well, I left work early and came here with all the supplies, then while we were at dinner Megan and Patrick came to help get everything set up.”

  “This is very sweet, Porter, but I don’t need all of this.”

  He could tell she was worried about his work, and how much he must have spent on the hotel room. He placed his hands on her waist and brought his face down level with hers.

  “I was thinking all morning about how stressful the last week had been for you. And I know that there aren’t many places you feel safe at the moment.”

  “I feel safe with you,” she interrupted him.

  He kissed her for that.

  “I’m glad you feel safe with me, but I want you to feel safe all the time. This morning you had to leave early because you didn’t want to be at my house alone and I know you have issues being at your place. I just wanted, even if it’s just for tonight, to give you a place without any negative memories, where we can relax and enjoy each other.” He kissed her again, this time she leaned into him and he brought his hands up to her face to hold her right where he wanted her. Eventually he remembered the one part of this surprise that was one hundred percent, completely, and undeniably all for him. He pulled away from her with a smile.