I frown, "Ma..." I warn.
Mel laughs, "Oh don't worry, Mrs. Egan, he tried but I wouldn't stand for it. isn't that right?"
I scowl at her, remembering her calling me Egotistical Executive. "I still hate that fucking name."
She smiles wider, "Just as I hate Buttercup. You're not going to stop calling me that, so you'll forever be known as Egotistical Executive. Now, can you please let your family sit down and spend some time with our son before the dinner is ready and our son falls asleep?"
Ma laughs, "Oh I do love her. Mel, do you need any help?"
"Oh no, you're a guest, please sit. Your son will get you a drink, but please, make yourselves at home. Ethan's a bit shy at the moment but he's been really excited about meeting you all. I'll be back in a bit." She tells them as she makes her way back into the kitchen.
"Your mother's right, son, I love her for you. She doesn't put up with your crap. I can see that already. Egotistical Executive? Hmm?" He laughs which of course starts the barrage of questions of how the name came about.
"Drinks?" I ask dodging their questions.
"I'll have a beer," Devon says and both dad and Rhys nod in agreement.
"White wine if you have it please, son?" Ma asks.
"Daddy, can I have juice?" Ethan asks softly, he's gone back to playing with his Legos.
"Of course," I tell him as I look at my mom, she's crying. Fuck. "Ma?"
She waves me off, "I'm fine."
I look to dad who's got a shit-eating grin. "Your Mother never thought she'd see this day. She assumed you were all destined to be single for the rest of your lives."
Ma gasps, "Patrick Egan, I did not say that."
Dad nods, "Of course you didn't say those exact words, but there's little ears in the room and I can hardly call his dad a man-whore now can I?"
Devon and Rhys laugh, "Except you just did, Dad."
Ma sniffs as though she's put out. "I'll have you know, that I didn't say that word."
Dad sighs, "No, what you actually said was, and I quote. ‘You're never going to be a grandmother, because your sons can't get their acts together. What the hell is wrong with them? Not one of them a gentleman, they think it's perfectly fine to sleep with any woman they like, whenever they like. I tell you, Patrick, it's not right. Those three boys of ours, they're going to put me into an early grave with their carry on.’" Dad grins as Ma stares at him like he's grown three heads. "Then she said that you all make her sick, that you can't find a nice woman to settle down with instead you take the easy option. So I was making it easier by calling you all man-whores. Now, where's my drink?"
"Patrick Egan! You forget my birthday, you forget our anniversary, you forget your son's birthday, but you can remember a conversation we had years ago?"
I laugh, dad's in the dog's house this evening. I slip out of the sitting room and go to the kitchen. Mel's head is bent over the pots on the stove and I slide my hands around her waist. "You okay, baby?" I ask and she leans back against me. "It smells good." I can smell onions and stock, I think I smell beef too but I'm not entirely sure.
She nods against my chest, "Yeah, I like your family."
I kiss the top of her head, "That's good, baby, they love you."
She grins, "Go get them drinks, dinner is ready, will you get Ethan to his chair?"
"Yeah, is he having the same as us?"
She laughs, "Nope, he dislikes anything that's not processed. He's having homemade burgers and fries. He'll be fine."
I kiss her again, "Know that, baby. What drink do you want?"
"Wine, please."
"I'll get Ethan sorted and then get the others to sit down. Do you want any help."
"I'm good, thanks. Go, sit, drink, and catch up with your family. I'll be out in a few minutes." Her smile is bigger than I've ever seen it. Sheer happiness is radiating off her and I love it. No, fuck, scratch that. I just love her. Every single thing about her.
"Mel, that was an amazing dinner. I swear I've never had anything as good as that." Ma tells her and Mel smiles at the praise.
I was right, it was beef that I could smell. My woman made beef wellington from scratch and it was the best I've ever had. Fuck, it was perfect. Nobody left a crumb on their plate.
"I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you have room for dessert."
Dad grins. "There's always room for dessert."
Dinner was a huge hit. The conversation was flowing and Mel was conversing with everyone. She fits in my family, she's right where she's meant to be and my family adores her. They love Ethan, he made them smile throughout dinner as he argued with both Mel and I about him not eating and would pout when he didn't get his way. Eventually he fell asleep at the table and I carried him to bed.
Mel's cell rings and she excuses herself to answer it.
"You're a lucky son-of-a-bitch," Devon says and I grin at him. "She's perfect for you."
I hear Mel answer the phone and softly say, "Hey, Dad."
"Yeah she is. Don't be jealous.”
"Oh god." I hear Mel say and it sounds like she's crying.
"Excuse me for a moment." I tell my family and go to Mel. I find her in the kitchen on the floor, tears streaming down her face. "Thanks, Dad," She whispers. "I'm okay. Eli's here." She nods at whatever he's saying as my feet take me to her. "I'll see you tomorrow." She ends the call and sobs.
"Mel, baby, what's wrong?" I ask as I lift her into my arms. My heart’s pounding as her sobs grow louder.
She wraps her arms around me and burrows deep into my chest. "Eli…" She begins and my heart sinks. "Mom—" she hiccups on her sob, "she's—" Another sob, "Gone!" She holds tighter and I feel tears sting my eyes as I hold onto Mel, offering the only comfort I can. "She's really gone."
"Oh baby, I'm so sorry."
"What…" She lifts up and looks at me and it fucking kills me to see the heartache in her eyes. She swallows a sob, "How are we going to go on without her?" Her sobs continue and I hold her tighter.
"I'm not sure, baby, but you will. I know you will. I'll be right here, right by your side."
"Promise." That doubt in her voice guts me.
"On my life, baby. I'm not going anywhere." I promise her, I'm unable to stop the tears from sliding down my face. Fuck, how can this hurt so much? I only met the woman once.
"What's happened?" Ma asks and I turn to find my family staring at us.
I hold on to Mel as I walk past them. "I'll be back soon. Keep an eye on Ethan for me?" I murmur to them and Mom nods her head as I move Mel and I toward her room. Mel continues to weep onto me, soaking my t-shirt with her tears, her arms so tight around me it's a wonder I'm able to breathe.
Once we're in her room, I lie her on the bed, getting in beside her and holding her. Whispering to her, making sure she knows that no matter what's happened, she's not alone. I could fucking kill her father. Who the hell tells their daughter that her mother's died over the fucking phone?
Her sobs start to slow down and her arms loosen around me. I continue to hold her, not wanting to move her and make her sob again. I know that she's sobbed herself to sleep and I know that as soon as she wakes again, the pain is going to return tenfold and all I can do is hold her then too.
An hour later I slip out from beside her and go in search of my family. They're sitting in the sitting room and I see that they've cleared the dishes. The kitchen, dining, and sitting room are spotless. No doubt Ma went into overdrive.
"Oh, Eli, what happened?" Ma asks as soon as she sees me, she's up on her feet and walking over to me. I slip my arm around her neck and pull her into me. She wraps her arms around me and holds on tight. "I've never seen someone so upset before."
I pull away from mom and sit on the vacant chair. "Her mom died this evening. That call was from her father, telling her that Beverly had passed."
Dad shakes his head, and my brothers bow theirs. Ma on the other hand looks as though she's going to kill someone. "Oh my poor darling girl. Her father on the oth
er hand. My God, would it have killed him to stop by the house and tell her?"
"I know, that's my feelings about it too. Right now, she's asleep. She's got to tell Ethan what's happened too."
Mom shakes her head, "We'll go, let you get back to your girl. We'll leave you be, but if you need us. Call. We'll be here right away. Tell Mel that we love her." She gives me a kiss as I get to my feet, dad pulls me into a hug and they turn to leave.
"Bro..." Devon says quietly, "I'm fucking jealous. Your woman is amazing. I'm sorry about her Mom."
"I know." I'm not sure what else there is to fucking say. It's not my ma that's died but yet I feel as though I've lost someone.
"We'll see you soon," Rhys says, and I follow them to the door, saying goodbye and shutting the door.
Taking a deep breath I get my cell out and call Chance. She's going to need her family around her and that includes him and Aubrey. Once I've told him, I'm going to crawl back into bed with her and hold her.
"Hey Eli..." he says as he answers the phone, the confusion clear to hear in his voice. I take a deep breath and get ready to tell him what’s happened.
21
Mel
Numb, that's all I feel. It's been four days since I got the news that brought me to my knees and yet, I feel as though it was only yesterday. Tears slide down my face as I look in the mirror, I'm wearing a black dress that hugs my curves and flows just below my knees. My hair pulled back into a ponytail and my face void of makeup. There's no point in wearing any today, it'll only get ruined; I've not been able to stop crying since I've got the news. Poor Ethan, he's not sure what to make of it. He doesn't understand other than he won't be seeing his nana again and his mommy is really sad about it.
I don't think I'd have been able to get through the past four days without Eli at my side. He makes sure that Ethan is looked after when the pain hits me and steals my breath away. He feeds me because I forget to and most of all, he holds me, showing me that he's here for me and I love him. I truly do, I told my mom the day she died that I loved him and she was happy. Truth is, mom met Eli and she too fell for his easy smiles and laid back persona. He was sweet and charming with her and she loved the way he was with me and more importantly how he was with Ethan.
A knock on my bedroom door has me turning to see who's there. Eli's family have stayed longer than they had planned, even though they never got to meet my mom, they want to be present at the funeral, offering their love and support to both Ethan and I. They've told both Eli and I, that they'll watch Ethan, so that Eli can be there for me during the service. I wanted to cry at their thoughtfulness. Besides my mom, I haven't had anyone take care of me the way that Eli and his family have.
The door opens and Cass walks in, she too is in a black dress. "Hey, how are you doing?" she asks softly.
I shrug, "I'm not sure, I'm numb, I know that it's going to really hit me at some point."
Her eyes fill with tears as she pulls me into a hug. "God, I still can't believe she's gone."
I nod, "I miss her so much. It doesn't feel real. Every time my phone rings, I half expect it to be her."
"Are you ready? Ethan's ready; Eli got him dressed."
I close my eyes, these past few days, I've really neglected them both. "I'm such a bad mom."
She gasps and holds me at arm's length as she looks at me, there's so much sadness in her eyes, that I wonder how bad mine are. "Mel, you're not a bad mom, why on earth would you think that? You're the best damn mom in the world. You love Ethan so much."
"But I've been neglecting him. I've been so spaced out since mom died."
"Cassidy, please could you go wait with Ethan," Eli's voice is vibrating with anger and both Cass and I turn to look at him. "I need to have a word with Mel," he glances between us both, before adding, "please."
She nods, "Of course."
He stalks toward me once Cass closes the door behind her. "Melanie—" he begins, and I brace myself for what's to come. Since he's met Ethan, he's called me Mel, now, I'm Melanie. "You are grieving, fuck, baby, I wish I could take the pain of what today means away, but I can't. You're hurting and that doesn't make you a bad mom. It means you’re human and you know what? You have people to lean on so when that pain hits, you can deal. Ethan is sad that his mom is hurting, he doesn't think you've neglected him and neither do I."
I glance up at him through my tears. "How did I get so lucky?" I whisper, he's the best man I have ever met and I'm damn lucky that he's here with me.
"What's that baby?" He murmurs as he pulls me into his arms, his hand against my back while the other at my cheek.
"How did I get so lucky to have you?"
His eyes soften and he places a short but sweet kiss against my lips. "I'm the lucky one, baby, you've given me everything I never knew I wanted. My life didn't make sense until you."
I close my eyes and rest my head against his chest. "You, Eli Egan, are the best man I've ever met. I love you."
He pulls me back so that I'm looking at him. "And I love you."
My breath catches as I stare at the beautiful man that's holding me. "Really?" I ask in disbelief.
He nods, "I told you, Buttercup, my brothers have been telling me for four years that I was in love and I didn't believe them until that night at the event. Seeing you again, it put everything in perspective. You are it for me Mel. Not just because of Ethan. I knew I wanted you before I knew about him. I've been trying to get you to see that."
Warmth spreads throughout my body at his admission. "You're going to make me cry." I warn him, I'm so emotional right now and listening to him tell me he loves me means everything.
He chuckles, "Cry, I don't mind." He holds me again and I relish his touch. "When you're ready, we'll go. Everyone is waiting. I'm sorry today is going to suck baby, but I'm going to be by your side every step of the way."
My heart swells at his words. "Thank you."
He kisses my lips gently, "Always, baby. Take a minute and come out when you're ready." He gives me a small smile and leaves the room.
Taking a deep breath I reach for my shoes and sit on the bed. I take a few more calming breaths hoping the tears stay dried up for a while. Once I slip my heels on, I walk out of my room and into the hall. Voices drift toward me and my steps falter, there's a lot of people here.
"Melly..." That husky voice stops me in my tracks. "Oh, Melly."
I glance up and yet again tears slowly make their way down my cheeks, I can’t breathe as I see her standing there. She’s not meant to be here. "What are you doing here?" I ask, my feet moving toward her. "I thought you couldn't make it?" I can't believe that Zoe's here. She's supposed to be in England.
She rolls her eyes at me, "Mama Karlson was a second mom to me, did you honestly believe that I wouldn't be here today of all days?" She shakes her head, "Mel, you're my best friend. I couldn't not be here. You're closer to me than my sisters."
I move toward her, glad that she's here as soon as I'm close enough, I throw myself into her arms. "God, it's so good to see you."
She sighs, her arms convulsing around me. "Girl, devastating reason. But yeah, it's so fucking good to see you."
Arms wrap around me and I instantly know who it is, I move one of my arms and wrap it around Cass' body. The three of us cry softly as we hold onto each other. Since our first day of college, we've been friends, and that's never going to change. Having them here, it's the best thing ever.
When we break from our embrace, I realize that we're being watched. Eli and his family are staring at us.
I release a small cough to clear my throat. "Zoe, this is Eli..." I make the introductions. Eli met Cassidy the day after my mom died. She's been here every day since we found out.
"Um, Mel—" she sighs, "when you told us about him, you left a couple of things out." Cass giggles and I glare at them both. "You didn't tell me how hot he was," she says loudly and I groan when I see Eli has a smug smile on his face, his family are all wearing bright smiles.
/> "Uh, Zoe, she actually did." Cass whispers.
I nod, "I'm pretty sure that Cass' words when you asked if he was hot were ‘Extremely so’." I hiss at her, heat rising through my cheeks.
Eli laughs and I close my eyes and groan. "Can we please stop talking about this. His ego is big enough as it is. If it grows anymore, I'm going to need a bigger house."
Devon chuckles and Margaret smiles. "Oh I do love her. Darling, how are you doing? Will you try and eat something please?"
I give her a grateful smile, she's been mothering me constantly and I'm not going to complain, I think it's sweet and appreciated. "I want to get the service out of the way first."
"You mean your father. Seriously, Mel, what the hell is wrong with that man?" Zoe curses and she's right. He's been weird, he stopped by yesterday and yelled at me when I started crying. Thankfully, Eli wasn't here, he’d taken Ethan to the park to get some fresh air. Cass was with me and has obviously told Zoe.
Eli's jaw clenches and I walk over to him, my hands sliding across his waist. "Where's Ethan?" I ask, he's very quiet.
"He's playing in the yard with CJ and Bree. Aubrey and Chance wanted to check on you before we all went to the service." He leans down and brushes his lips across my head. "You have a lot of people who care about you."
I nod, "I know, I'm extremely lucky. We should probably go."
His expression is the softest that I have ever seen and I swallow past the lump in my throat. "Yeah, baby, we should go."
He guides me outside, both Cass and Zoe behind me, staying close. For the first time in days, I inhale the humid air, letting the sun wash over me. "Mommy!" Ethan cries running over to me, I bend down, catching him in my arms and pulling him up into my body. "Don't be sad anymore, Mommy. Nana's watching us. That's what daddy says, that Nana will be watching over us."
Once again, I'm fighting my emotions, this time the lump in my throat takes a while to disappear. "Yeah, baby boy, your daddy's right. Nana's watching over us. I'm just sad that I won't be able to see her."
Egotistical Executive: A Hero Club Novel Page 15
