Benson Siblings Series: A Dark Romance Boxset

by Sarah Bailey

And I always will be.

  Chapter Twenty Seven

  James

  Ellie clutched my hand tightly as we walked up the path. It was a relatively nice day for late autumn. Red, brown and yellow leaves fluttered by in the wind. When I’d agreed to this, I’d been apprehensive, but it was time. I’d not spoken to her since the night of the charity gala and I missed her.

  The bench up ahead had a single occupant with a pushchair sitting next to it. As we reached them, Aiden turned his head up towards us, giving both Ellie and I a nod. I turned to my girlfriend, taking her face in both my hands.

  “You going to be okay?”

  She nodded, reaching up on her tiptoes and planting a chaste kiss on my lips.

  “You need this,” she told me as she stepped away and sat down next to Aiden. He had Afie on his lap, but he handed her over to Ellie without a second thought. I hadn’t seen her with a kid before and it made my heart ache. One day I wanted that with her, but right now, I needed to fix things with Afie’s mother.

  I gave them one last glance as Ellie and Aiden started to converse in low voices before I turned and walked towards the gravestones. As I neared the gravesite, there was a lone figure standing in front of it, her dark hair blowing in the wind. She was in a black coat, her head bowed as she stared down at the gravestone. I came to a standstill next to her and looked down at it.

  Margo Adrianne Benson

  Beloved Mother to Dante, Fiona, Jennifer and James

  The sight of her gravestone made my heart ache further. I was glad my father had never been included in the inscription. He didn’t deserve that after he’d stolen her from us. He deserved nothing at all but to rot in his prison cell.

  I felt her hand as she entwined my fingers with hers.

  “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

  “I’m sorry too.”

  Avery and I stood together staring down at my mother’s gravestone for the longest time in complete silence. I let go of her hand so I could crouch down and place the wildflowers I’d brought with me. They were Mum’s favourite. She told me she loved the simplicity of them. They weren’t perfect, but they were beautiful and wild, just like her four children.

  When I straightened, Avery turned to me, her eyes wet with unshed tears. The reason we were meeting here was because my mother had been such a huge part of both our lives whilst she was alive. And I hadn’t had time to visit her grave in ages.

  “I feel so stupid,” she said. “I never thought I’d lose you. I never imagined one day you’d disappear on me when you met the right person even though I encouraged you to. And I was so blind to how you were really feeling. How my actions affected you. I just… I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way I acted when we were teenagers. I’m sorry for overstepping the boundaries of our friendship. I know I forced that on you. It was so wrong. I knew that at the time, but I couldn’t stop…”

  Tears slipped down her cheeks. I wanted to brush them away because I hated seeing Avery so upset, but I didn’t. I stayed where I was, waiting for her to finish.

  “You’re my family and I fucked that up. I changed everything the day I kissed you. I made it impossible for us. Impossible for you. It was selfish and immature. So I’m sorry for putting you through all of that.”

  She put a hand to her chest, almost as if she found it hard to get the next words she wanted to say out because they hurt so much.

  “I miss you, James. I miss you every single day. I’ve been miserable without you even though I have Afie and Aiden. We’re okay by the way… Aiden and me. We’ve sorted things out. I think the stress of being parents got to us and it was made worse because you and I were so distant. Not that I’m blaming you for that because it’s mine and Aiden’s fault. We should’ve just talked to each other rather than arguing all the time over stupid bullshit. I just… I want you back. I want you back in my life where you belong. I can’t do this without you.”

  She sniffed, wiping her face with her sleeve.

  “I need you.”

  My heart was racing at a million miles an hour. There wasn’t much I could say to that so I just opened my arms to her. She hesitated for a long moment before she launched herself at me and cried on my chest, her arms wrapped tightly around my back.

  I’d always love Avery. That was never going to change. The difference now was I wasn’t in love with her. She was my sister. My family. I wasn’t about to ruin our almost twenty year friendship over this.

  “It’s okay, Ave,” I told her. “I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “You promise?” she sniffed, her words muffled by my coat.

  “I promise. Best friends forever.”

  She pulled back and looked up at me, her brown eyes shining as she gave me a half smile.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  “Even though I spend half the time being a dick to you?”

  She laughed, slapping me on the chest.

  “Yes, I even miss that.”

  I let her go and she stepped back, wiping her eyes on the back of her sleeve.

  “I’m sorry too, you know… for everything.”

  “I know.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. There were so many things I needed to tell her, but the words failed me. She’d missed some important moments of my life, but that couldn’t be helped. I knew she’d be proud of me for telling my dad where to go.

  Avery moved towards me again and tucked her arm into mine, encouraging me to walk with her. When we’d gone a few minutes without speaking, she looked up at me.

  “Tell me about her.”

  “Ellie?”

  She nodded. I looked back at where Ellie and Aiden were still on the bench in the distance and smiled.

  “She’s brave as fuck. After everything she’s been through, and she’s been through a hell of a lot, she’s never once given up. All she ever wanted was a normal life and to be happy. I’m trying to give that to her. She deserves it and not just because of her past, she’s just one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever known.”

  Avery’s smile was all I needed to see at that moment.

  “You’d like her, you know. She tends to say the first thing that comes into her head half the time and surprises me on a daily basis. I don’t know what I did to deserve her. Honestly, I don’t fucking care as long as she stays right by my side. She’s everything I never knew I wanted. I’m so fucking lucky she loves me because I love the fuck out of her.”

  She squeezed my arm, her eyes shining, but when she opened her mouth, I scowled.

  “James and Ellie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Ha ha, very funny.”

  “Just getting you back for all the times you wound me up about Aiden.”

  “Whatever, princess.”

  That made her scowl and shove me. We both burst out laughing the next minute and I knew everything was right in the world all over again. When we’d settled down and continued walking, she looked up at me.

  “So you really love her?”

  “Yeah… more than anything. I haven’t told her this, but she’s the one, Ave. The only fucking one. I can’t imagine a world where she doesn’t exist. She makes my heart race. Every morning I wake up and see her there next to me, it’s like everything makes sense. It’s easy. She pushes me to be better. To open up and not keep shit locked inside. Honestly, when you told me one day I’d meet the right person, I didn’t believe you… but it turned out I’d already met the right girl, I just didn’t know it yet.”

  I could see her expression soften and a smile light up her face.

  “I never thought I’d see the day…”

  “Yeah, yeah, okay, don’t rub it in.”

  She shook her head, leaning into me as we walked.

  “I’m happy for you, but don’t keep shit like that from me again, got it?”

  I shook my head, laughing.

  “Yeah, I get it. Don’t
worry, Mum, I’ll be a good boy.”

  The resulting relentless tickling I got for that comment was worth it.

  It was worth every moment knowing all was right with Avery and me again.

  ***

  I had no idea how long we’d been walking and talking together by the time we made it back to Aiden and Ellie. She looked up at me, a wide smile on her beautiful face and I swear my heart stopped in my chest. It happened far too often with Ellie. She caught me out with one of her smiles, her laughs or the way she looked at me with such intense love and affection. I had to remind myself that was my girl. The one who had my heart and soul for safekeeping.

  “Did you two kiss and make up then?” Aiden asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “There was no kissing involved,” Avery protested, pulling away from me and checking on Afie who was now in her pushchair.

  Aiden stood up from the bench and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

  “I know, princess.”

  I put my hand out to Ellie. She was quick to jump up and take it, her sky blue eyes twinkling. She was the one who urged me to do this. I think she knew exactly how much it hurt me to be on the outs with my best friend.

  “Okay, sweetheart?” I asked, stroking her cheek with my free hand.

  “Mmmhmm, we’ve just been talking about Tina and what’s going on with my dad’s trial.”

  The courts hadn’t set a date yet, but he was formally charged not long after he was arrested. With the evidence of what he’d done to Ellie and his flight risk, he was denied bail so was left to languish in prison instead. Ellie was glad of it. She’d washed her hands of her parents and I couldn’t really blame her for it. As much as I wished I could have my mother back, I understood Ellie couldn’t be around the woman who’d allowed her father to sell her into what was essentially sexual slavery.

  I leant down, my nose brushing along the curve of her ear.

  “Have you made a new friend?” I whispered.

  When I pulled away, she was blushing, but she shrugged, well aware that Avery and Aiden were still standing a few feet away from us. They were too busy with each other to notice us though.

  “You two need to get a room,” I said, startling the two of them.

  Avery looked a little sheepish as she pulled away from him, whilst Aiden just had a smug smile on his face. I was glad the two of them had made up, but I really didn’t need to see that shit. Not that it made me feel weird any longer, it was just kind of inappropriate in a cemetery.

  I turned back to Ellie, giving her a smile.

  “Did you want to meet Mum?”

  She glanced at the other two before giving me a nod.

  “We’ll be back in a minute,” I said, tugging on Ellie’s hand.

  We were all going out to lunch and I was fucking starving, but first I wanted my mum to meet the love of my life. At least in the only way she could. A couple of minutes later, we were both stood in front of Mum’s grave and I was trying not to let my emotions run away with me.

  “Mum… this is Ellie. You told me once you hoped I’d find a girl who made my heart sing. Well, I did. She’s one of a kind and you’d have fallen in love with her on sight. I guarantee it.”

  When I looked over at Ellie, she had tears in her eyes, but there was also a determined look on her face too.

  “Hi Margo. Thank you for bringing such a wonderful son into the world. I promise I’ll take care of him and love him the way he deserves. He’s done so much for me. I think you’d be proud of who he is. I know I am… more than words can express.”

  Two tears slipped down her cheeks. I was desperate to reach up and wipe them away, but I didn’t want to interrupt her. The warm feeling I got in my chest that she was talking to my mum was unlike anything else.

  “He means everything to me. I don’t know what I’d do without him. So I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you did to help raise him to be the man he is today. He misses you, but he knows you’re watching over him, Dante, Jen and Fi. You’ll always be right here.” She reached up and placed her hand on my heart, her eyes catching mine. “Where you belong.”

  I placed my hand over hers, giving it a squeeze.

  “Ellie…”

  “She’s always here, James,” she whispered. “And now so am I.”

  Could I love this girl any more than I already did? Today proved to me I could. Now more than ever I hoped what I had planned for her would make her happy. That’s all I wanted. To give her the world and make her happy.

  “I love you so much, sweetheart.”

  “I love you too.”

  Her smile set my whole damn world on fire and I couldn’t help dragging her towards me and kissing her right in front of my mother’s grave. I knew Mum would be okay with it. She knew exactly how I felt about Ellie. I’d go to the ends of the earth for her.

  When I pulled away, Ellie was smiling, her blue eyes shining with happiness. I cupped her cheek, brushing away the tears which had fallen.

  “I promise, sweetheart, no matter what the world throws at us in the future, we’ll face it together.”

  I don’t know why I needed to tell her that. I just did. I’d make a thousand promises to Ellie if it meant we could stay like this. The two of us at one with each other.

  I’m going to love you forever, Ellie.

  I promise.

  Chapter Twenty Eight

  Ellie

  If I’d known six months ago I’d end up meeting the love of my life and be living with him in such a short space of time, I probably would’ve laughed because that just sounded like fairy tale bullshit to me. Except it wasn’t a fairy tale at all. Even during my years of captivity, I hadn’t felt this much for another person. I hadn’t experienced heartache and emotional pain quite like the way I had with James. But what surprised me the most is how all of that turmoil was worth it. It was worth the pain because I had him. My handsome, complex, smart, caring and kind boyfriend who would go to the ends of the earth for me. At least he’d said that last week after he’d found me crying in the bathroom. They’d set the date for my dad’s trial and the relief I felt at knowing it was almost over overwhelmed me.

  What I hadn’t expected to be doing was standing outside the bar where we’d first got to know each other mid-morning on my twenty fourth birthday. I hadn’t been to Frankie’s in a while because of everything with James and my parents. I missed the place, but I still had no idea why James wanted to come here. He’d woken me up with toe-curling sex, followed by breakfast in bed before shoving me in the shower and ordering me to get dressed. Not wanting to ruin his good mood, I didn’t complain, but I did wonder what had him looking so nervous now.

  “It’s not even open,” I said, looking up at him.

  He said nothing, merely took my hand and dragged me down the steps with him. He produced a key from his pocket and unlocked the door. This was the first sign I had that James had clearly been up to something I wasn’t meant to know about until now.

  We walked in together and he flipped the lights on. The bar looked exactly as it had the last time I’d been in here except it was empty. I turned to him and I was pretty sure he could see the confusion written all over my face.

  “What did you do?”

  He pointed to the bar. There were papers sitting on the countertop. I eyed them for a moment before glancing up at him again. There was a hint of concern in his eyes, but he quickly masked that with a smile.

  “Go and look, Ellie.”

  I left his side, feeling apprehensive as my palms started to sweat. What the hell had my perfect boyfriend done? I hopped up on one of the stools and dragged the papers towards me, scanning the front page. My stomach dropped out from underneath me, but before I had a chance to say a word, the door to the bar opened and in walked a very smartly dressed man.

  “James,” he said, his voice deep and disarming. “It’s nice to see you and I take it this is the lovel
y Ellie.”

  “Felix, thank you for coming down,” James replied, giving the man’s hand a shake before the two of them walked over to me.

  The man James had called Felix walked around behind the bar and stood before us.

  “Uh… hi,” I said, completely dumbfounded by this whole thing.

  “I’m Felix Williams, the Benson’s solicitor. Normally I don’t do house calls, but this is a special occasion.”

  I shook his hand on automatic.

  “What’s going on?”

  Felix looked at James who had the decency to look sheepish.

  “You didn’t tell her?”

  “It was meant to be a surprise,” James replied, shrugging.

  Felix turned back to me, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

  “Well your boyfriend here bought this building from the owner who’s retiring and will continue to live in the accommodation above us, but this,” he waved around the room, “this bar will be yours once you sign these papers.”

  I stared at Felix for a long moment unable to comprehend his words. Sitting in front of me were papers that detailed the transference of ownership of Frankie’s which confirmed Felix’s words.

  My boyfriend had bought me a bar for my birthday.

  He was completely insane.

  I turned to James, tears welling in my eyes.

  “Why?” I whispered.

  He took both of my hands, giving them a squeeze.

  “You loved working in the bar at the hotel and I know how much you love this place. When it came up for sale a couple of months ago, I decided then and there I wanted to give you this for your birthday. Felix and Dante helped me rush through the sale. I just want to make you happy, sweetheart. So I’m giving you something you can make your own.”

  I had no words. James was the sweetest man in the whole entire world. There was no way I could thank him adequately for this. So I did the only thing I knew how. I launched myself off the stool and into his arms, kissing him with everything I had. Trying to pour all of my love and appreciation into that single kiss. I wasn’t even mad he’d gone and done this behind my back without asking me.