by Evie Drae
He’d claimed to be allergic to “strong scents” and found “thrifting” to be beneath them. After all, he could afford to buy her new things, so why slum around with second-hand purchases?
In reality, Ray had been trying to control Maggie. He’d never liked when she attempted to hold on to something from her pre-Ray years. And that included Ellis.
This house—the place Ellis had struggled to keep for so many fruitless, agonizing years—no longer resembled the home he’d once known. It wasn’t his mother’s anymore, and the more he thought about it, the more obvious the truth became.
It wasn’t the house itself he’d wanted to hold on to. It was her memory. And if being with Henry had taught Ellis nothing else, it had shown him that love didn’t require binding to a physical space to be real. After all, he no longer had access to any of the places where he’d made memories with Henry—Henry’s home. Henry’s dressing room. The remodeled green room, open only to the band and their chosen guests. And yet, Ellis’s memories of Henry hadn’t faded.
They never would, nor would his memories of his mother. As long as Ellis kept them alive in his heart, it didn’t matter where he was. They would always be with him.
A weight lifted free of Ellis's shoulders. “Sell the house. I don’t care anymore. In fact, good riddance to you. I hope you find happiness somewhere far, far away. But if you can’t, don’t even think of crawling back here for a handout.”
Seething, Ray glared at Ellis in such a way that, even two minutes ago, would’ve had Ellis recoiling in fear. Instead, it bolstered Ellis’s resolve. He straightened his spine. “Actually, there’s one more thing I have to say before I walk out that door and never think about you again.”
Ray huffed through his nose and crossed his arms, the liquor sloshing dangerously in his glass. “Yeah? And what’s that?”
Drawing up to his full height, Ellis looked down at his stepfather for the first and last time. “That utter bullshit you were threatening to leak to the press about Henry? If you so much as make a peep against him or his good character, you’ll rue the day you do.”
This time, Ray snorted. “So tough all of a sudden, huh?” He rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. Your little friend is safe from me. I ain’t got a reason to keep you around anymore, after all. Go ’head and crawl back if you want. Not like it’ll last. He’s too good for the likes of you.”
Ellis shook his head, a mirthless chuckle falling from his lips. “I don’t know why I was ever intimidated by you. You’re nothing but a weak, frightened old man who’s too touched in the head to realize what’s good for him and what isn’t.” He pointed his finger one last time into Ray’s face, just to feel the rush of shedding another layer of fear. “When you get wherever you’re going, buy a punching bag. Because if it ever gets back to me that you start taking your frail little easily bruised feelings out on Suze the way you’ve taken them out on me for the past twenty-one years? I’ll hunt your ass down and give you a taste of your own damn medicine.”
With that, Ellis headed for the front door, then slammed it closed in his wake.
He all but floated his way back to the theater, his fragmented heart finding solace for the first time in weeks. It might be Henry’s final night in Vegas, but if Ellis had anything to do with it, there wouldn’t be another goodbye in his future.
He’d have to figure out the best way to apologize and fix what he’d broken with Henry, but the love in his heart told him anything was possible.
Especially if he got a little help.
“This is quite possibly the most romantic thing ever.” Lizbeth dabbed at her wet eyes with a tissue. “Cinder is going to keel over dead in his tracks when he sees you.”
Ellis stood in front of a large three-fold mirror, his arms stretched out at his sides to form a T and his legs spread shoulder-width apart. A willow-thin man with round wireframe glasses and a comb-over bent at his feet, placing pins into the fabric of a pair of steel-gray dress pants.
Standing beside Ellis with a scrutinizing gaze laser-focused on the tailor as he worked on Ellis’s slacks, Kumiko hummed her agreement. “That boy’s been moping and moaning like someone ran over his dog and kicked him in the crotch all at once. He might short-circuit when all his dreams come true in a single breath.”
Rolling his eyes, Ellis tossed a look over his shoulder at Lizbeth, who had hiccupped out another sob following Kumiko’s words. “For someone who claims to be a total badass, you sure do cry a lot.”
Lizbeth growled and threw a wadded-up tissue at Ellis’s head. He dodged the attack only to be stabbed in the ankle with a pin for his efforts. Yelping, he shot a glance at the tailor, who looked at him with a raised brow, as if to say, “I’ve told you to remain still. This is what you get for not doing as instructed.”
Snickering, Lizbeth held up her hands in innocence when Ellis shot her a glare.
He couldn’t believe he’d allowed Lizbeth and Kumiko to talk him into getting a bespoke suit in the first place, but with the deed imminent, excitement bubbled under the surface. Not that he was one to care about his attire, certainly not whether his expensive-ass suit was designer and fitted just for him.
But when Kumiko and Lizbeth had taken his cry for help and run with it in this direction, what was he supposed to do? Say no, sorry, he changed his mind?
Wasn’t happening. Especially not after Lizbeth had danced in a circle, proclaiming herself and Kumiko as his fairy godmothers ordained to prepare him for the ball with his prince. How was a guy supposed to turn down an exuberantly happy pregnant woman who wanted to dress him in fancy clothes so he could surprise the man he loved and, hopefully, win back his heart in the process?
Henry’s final performance had been the night before. After talking to Lizbeth during the show, and meeting with the two of them after it, the trio had made a plan. To celebrate the end of his stint in Vegas, Henry was throwing a fancy dress gala at his gorgeous desert home. It was going to be packed to the gills with celebrities rubbing elbows with the little people who made Henry’s show possible, which meant Ellis had been invited.
However, Kumiko and Lizbeth confirmed Henry didn’t think Ellis would show. So Ellis making an appearance—and dressed to the nines, as Lizbeth insisted—would be a definite surprise.
But showing up wasn’t enough. Ellis also needed to ask for Henry’s forgiveness. Although he still wasn’t sure whether he could go on tour with Henry—or whether that was even still an option—Ellis wanted to at least try the long-distance thing. He didn’t want to lose Henry forever. He couldn’t.
He just hoped Henry felt the same way.
When the tailor finished measuring him and promised to have the expensive rush order ready by the agreed upon time that evening, Ellis followed Lizbeth and Kumiko to a coffee shop down the street where they could strategize further.
With hot, sugar-laden beverages in hand—lattes for Kumiko and Ellis, and cocoa for Lizbeth—they gathered around one of the cutesy metal tables with mismatched wooden chairs. Lizbeth dipped a finger into Kumiko’s whipped cream and hummed in appreciation as she popped it into her mouth to lick clean. “Okay, so we’ve got your sparkly dress in the works. What’s next?”
“Sparkly dress?” Ellis squinted an eye. “You better not have sneak-measured me for a sparkly dress, or you’re fired and I’m going this alone.”
Kumiko snorted and yanked her drink out of Lizbeth’s reach before she could dip another finger in and steal more of her whipped topping. “No sparkly dresses, I promise. However, as your fairy godmothers, it is our duty to see you fully prepared to show up to the ball and sweep your prince off his feet.”
Huffing in defeat when Kumiko moved her cup even farther out of her reach, and Ellis did the same when her gaze jumped to his, Lizbeth leaned back in her chair. She threaded her fingers over her prominent belly and shifted her eyes between Kumiko and Ellis. “Right, so I repeat, what’s next?”
Humming, Kumiko tapped a finger over her pursed lips. “Well
, he’ll have his suit. And our rental car will be his pumpkin mobile. How about a tiara? Or glass slippers? Maybe a pair of those elegant long gloves?”
Lizbeth covered her mouth with a giggle when Ellis groaned and let his head fall to the table with a heavy thump. She patted his shoulder but continued, humor lacing her words. “I have a better idea. Why don’t we ask him the question.”
Lifting his head to catch Lizbeth pressing her lips together to hide a smile, Ellis glanced at Kumiko and found her nodding at her wife with approval.
With a squeal, Lizbeth turned in her seat and opened her mouth to presumably ask the question, but Kumiko held up a hand to stop her. “Wait. Before you say anything, I have to preface this with something important.” She pointed at Ellis, her expression more serious than Ellis had ever seen before. “I want it to be clear that what Lizbeth is about to ask you has nothing to do with Cinder, even if it might appear to be at least a little about him. Understood?”
“Yeah, this was our decision.” Lizbeth placed a hand over Kumiko’s forearm. “Cin doesn’t even know we’re asking you, and no matter what happens between you two, the question still stands.”
Ellis furrowed his brow. “Ah… Okay.”
“Good.” Lizbeth grinned, darting her eyes once more to Kumiko’s before locking that storm cloud gaze on Ellis. “As you know, I’m going to be a mom soon. As terrifying as that may be.” She widened her eyes and placed a protective hand over her stomach. “However, scary or not, I’m in it for the long haul. I want to be a big part of this kid’s life, and we don’t want her to be raised by a nanny.”
Kumiko reached out for her wife’s hand, lacing their fingers together and smiling in encouragement.
“Anyway.” Lizbeth leaned her head on Kumiko’s shoulder and heaved a happy little sigh. “I’ve decided to be a stay-at-home mom. Or to be more precise, a follow-my-wife-on-tour mom.”
When Lizbeth didn’t say anything further, but they both stared at Ellis as if they expected him to say something, he scrunched his nose. “Okay, what am I missing? I mean, I’m happy for you. I really am, but I’m not sure what that has to do with me.”
Sending her gaze to the heavens, Lizbeth freed herself from Kumiko’s hold so she could lean into Ellis’s space, practically nose to nose. “It has everything to do with you. Why do you think I’ve been training you to run Cinder’s sound? I want you to take over as his audio engineer for the tour. Permanently, ’cause remember, I’m gonna be a follow-my-wife-on-tour mom. No more audio engineering for me. Unless, of course, you need a little guidance or decide to, like, break your arm or something. Then I’ll be there as backup.”
Ellis’s brain stuttered to a halt and he froze, mouth agape.
Giggling, Lizbeth settled back into Kumiko’s arms. “I’m gonna go with that’s a ‘yes.’ So, slugger, you’re gonna have the dress—erm, sorry, suit—and now you’ve got the answer to all your problems too. You can beg for forgiveness and promise to follow your man to the ends of the earth while still maintaining your independence. Not only that, but chasing your dreams too. Best of all the possible worlds and then some, if I do say so myself.”
“I…” Ellis shook his head, trying to clear the sludge of shock from his inner gears so they’d crank forward and allow his brain to process thoughts again. “You can’t. I mean, I can’t. I’ve never been an audio assistant. I’ve never even been a mic wrangler. How can I become a full-blown audio engineer with no experience? That’s… That’s ridiculous.”
Kumiko scoffed. “No, it isn’t. My Lizzy is a stubborn creature. She’s also very protective of her work and of those she loves. Including Cinder. She wouldn’t let just anyone run his audio, and she’s impressed with what she’s seen these past few weeks. You’re a natural. A natural, who, if I must remind you, grew up with an audio engineer as a parental figure. Not a quality stepfather, but he knew his business well enough. And you obviously paid attention. You know a lot more than you give yourself credit for.”
“Come on.” Lizbeth hobbled out of her chair with Kumiko’s help. “We’ve got a group mani/pedi scheduled in less than twenty minutes. Then we’ve gotta get you back to our place for a shower and some dolling up. Cinder’s hair and makeup manager agreed to swing by this afternoon to give you a trim, so you’ll be freshly coiffed to boot.”
Dazed, Ellis allowed his fairy godmothers to whisk him away for an afternoon of primping and prepping before the ball. Then, it would be up to him to chase down his prince and secure the happily ever after they both deserved.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Cinder’s road crew had spent the day packing up shop and prepping for the tour ahead, which meant they were letting off some much-deserved steam. The shindig was in full swing, and everyone was having a good time. Everyone except him.
It wasn’t fair for Cinder to stand under his grumpy little black cloud all night when they’d invited all these people to his home for a party. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t find even a marginal amount of joy to lean on as a crutch. Not when this “celebration” marked his last night in Vegas. Not when it all but guaranteed he’d never see Ellis again.
How was he supposed to find happiness and light in a world without the man he loved? Gods knew, he tried. After making a few pathetic and fruitless attempts at reaching out in hopes of talking through Ellis’s decision and maybe coming up with that magic compromise Kumiko had alluded to, Cinder focused instead on making peace with the situation.
Clearly, Ellis had made up his mind, and continuing to bang his head against that immobile wall of hope wasn’t doing Cinder any good. Still, he hadn’t had any better luck accepting it than he had with getting Ellis to talk.
Cinder rubbed a hand over his chest, as if the gesture could somehow dampen the constant ache. He returned a few errant waves from crew members and friends, prizing a smile from his lips in their honor.
He spotted Kumiko and Lizbeth making their way through the throng, pausing to exchange hellos and pleasantries with everyone they passed. Their beaming faces emitted a cheerful radiance only seen with true love in its purest form. When they made it to where Cinder stood, Lizbeth had a glint of mischief in her eyes as Kumiko leaned in to kiss his cheek.
“Hello, boo.” Kumiko licked her lips. She was far better at hiding things than her wife, but Cinder had known her too long not to catch the tells she tried to disguise with an exaggerated swoop of bangs.
He narrowed his eyes. “What are you two up to?”
Widening her eyes in mock naïveté, Lizbeth shook her head. “Nothing at all. I can’t fathom why you’d ask such a question.”
Snorting, Cinder glanced between Lizbeth and Kumiko, both of whom wore a mask of puritanical innocence. “Yeah, you two look as guilty as they come. What have you done?”
Before either could come up with another nonanswer, the DJ’s voice boomed through the house. “Ladies, gents, and enbies, I’ve had a special request that I daresay you’re all gonna love. While we don’t have a professional recording available yet, please enjoy this live ditty by our host with the most. From an unreleased future album, here’s Cinder’s ‘Until I Found You,’ recorded live at the Colosseum.”
“What the…?” Cinder scrunched his brow, casting his eyes across the open-concept living space to where the DJ booth sat tucked into a corner. His stomach clenched and his throat slammed closed.
It couldn’t be… could it?
Parting the crowd like the Red Sea, Ellis strolled across the room toward Cinder. He wore what appeared to be a bespoke steel-gray suit with a sky-blue shirt and silver tie. His beachy blond waves were combed back, and his gorgeous eyes shone with the same unshed tears that choked Cinder.
Kumiko gave his arm a squeeze and Lizbeth winked before they stepped aside, allowing Ellis to take over the space in front of Cinder. Under the hushed and mesmerized gaze of the partygoers, Ellis straightened his shoulders and held out a hand. “May I have this dance?”
Speechless, all Cind
er could do was nod. He took Ellis’s proffered hand and followed him into the heart of the room until the riveted crowd surrounded them, keeping a safe distance, but remaining entranced by the scene.
Ellis pulled Cinder in close, pressing a hand to his lower back and lowering his forehead to Cinder’s. “I’m so sorry. Words will never be able to express the level of regret and heartache I feel for the way I ended things. It was wrong for a million different reasons, not least of which is because I knew how badly it would hurt you and I still did it.”
Cinder closed his eyes and relished the feel of Ellis in his arms, something he’d been all but convinced would be a gift he’d never know the joy of again. “It’s okay—”
“No, it isn’t.” Ellis shook his head and held Cinder even tighter. “I didn’t mean anything I said. I never wanted to lose you, and I never felt overwhelmed. Not where it mattered. Not with us. Not by us.”
Opening his eyes, Cinder caught Ellis’s watery gaze boring into his own, their foreheads still joined close so their words could fall as private whispers for their ears alone. In the background, Cinder’s own voice crooned about finding happily ever after, something Cinder had almost given up on over the past few weeks.
Ellis huffed out an irritated sigh and pulled away to glance around the room. His cheeks pinked when he seemed to realize how captivated their audience was, yet he refocused his attention on Cinder. For someone who hated to be the center of attention as much as Ellis did, that gesture alone meant the world.
“I love you, Henry. I was weak and let things influence me that never should’ve played a role in our relationship. Things that don’t deserve to have that much power over me, yet I always seem to… seem to…” Ellis groaned and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. For everything. I’m nowhere near as good with my words as you are. I mean, I could never do something as beautiful as this”—he indicated the music surrounding them—“even on my best day. I just… I don’t…”
