MasukEliana
The package sat on my desk like it might explode. There was a heavy cream colored card with my name embossed in gold lettering across the front.
Eliana Ashcroft.
My hands shook as I slid my finger under the seal and pulled out a letter. The header at the top of the latter made my heart stop.
International Marketing Excellence Summit - Milan.
No way. No fuckin
TheodoreThe house sat exactly where it had always sat, at the end of the street with the big oak tree out front and a porch that wrapped around the side.Eliana stood on the sidewalk, gaping at it in disbelief."Theo." Her voice came out barely above a whisper. "What did you do?""I bought it back." I announced feeling rather proud. The white paint of the house had been redone, the shutters that had been replaced and I had someone revive the garden. "It took four months to track down the current owners and another two to convince them to sell. They finally agreed last week.""You bought my childhood home?" ."Her eyes were moving between me and the house and back again like she couldn't quite process either. "Why?""Because you loved it and your best memories are here." I squeezed her hand. "I wanted to give you something that mattered for
ElianaHe didn't move from the doorway, standing there with his hands loose at his sides, his chest rising and falling like he had run the whole way here."You're here," I said stupidly."I'm here.""You said you wouldn't come.""I lied." He bit out roughly. "I tried but I can't do it anymore. I can't be hundreds of miles away from you, knowing where you are and not showing up."My throat closed up. I gripped the edge of the counter to keep my hands from shaking.He took a step forward, then another, moving slowly as if I would bolt if he moved too fast."You look good," he said. "The shorter hair. It suits you.""Th-Thanks,""I've been watching the restaurant for two hours. I had a whole speech planned. Mathew helped me practice it," He stopped a few feet aw
ElianaThe television mounted on a wall in the restaurant wouldn't shut up. Carl had tried three times, remote pointed at it like a weapon, jabbing the power button with increasing frustration while the press conference played on. Theodore's face filled the screen and the sight of his rather gaunt face tore at my chest."Piece of shit remote," Carl muttered, giving up.I kept my eyes on the plates I was clearing, stacking them carefully, refusing to look up, at the screen yet his voice boomed from the speakers, filling the restaurant."Project Lia represents a development in how we approach technology..."My hands are still on a coffee cup. Project Lia?"Hey." Connie appeared at my elbow, her phone already out. "Isn't Lia your name?""Nickname," I said quietly."Girl." She grabbed my arm. "He's talking abo
ElianaWas it just me or did she look different?There weren't any dramatic changes but her eyes weren't exactly glaring daggers at me anymore."Can you sit?" She gestured at the chair across from her and pushed the chair out with her foot slightly. "Please."I glanced back at the kitchen. Carl was visible through the window, frowning at something on his clipboard."I don't have all day, please make this brief," I said curtly,"One of my followers posted a story last week," she muttered, flicking her thumbs against each other. "They were eating here and you were in the background,""That's what you came here to say?""I've been looking for you for three months." She said quietly. "Dad won't talk about it with me and he just works, comes home and works more. Mathew keeps giving me these lo
Eliana"Lia."His voice filled the small kitchen of my new apartment, low and rough around the edges. It had none of the confident swagger his voice used to have. Or maybe that just became a recording. "I don't know if you're listening to these. I don't know if you'll ever listen to them. But I keep..." He paused, exhaling slowly. "I keep picking up the phone anyway. I don't know what that says about me."I stood at the kitchen counter with my coffee going cold in my hand. My eyes were fixed on the window and the busy buzz on the streets of San Francisco filtered in through it."I miss you." His voice dropped. "I just... I miss you. That's all I called to say."The message ended.I stood there for a long second after, batting my eyelids so hard. Then I set my coffee down, picked up my apron from the counter, and w
TheodoreShe had her back to the door when I came in.The evening light cut sideways across the room, hitting the lilies on every surface. The smell of them reached me before I was fully through the door. It had been a week of having them sent every morning.Eliana was looking at her phone, legs crossed on the bed, hair loose. She heard me and the amused expression on her face turned into a blank slate.How much longer would we have to do this?"Stop sending more flowers. The ward is huge but the flowers everywhere are making it look too small." She nodded at the lilies surrounding the room.I set the food I had brought on the bedside table and pulled the chair close. "Eat.""You say that every time.""Every time because you haven't eaten yet."Her mouth pressed together bu
ElianaThe golf course stretched out in every direction with pretty emerald grass that looked too perfect to be real. There were rolling hills dotted with trees in the distance and a white clubhouse gleaming in the distance.I stepped out of Theodor
ElianaSomething pounded inside my skull, sending waves of pressure behind my eyes.My wrists screamed. My shoulders burned like someone had poured acid all over me. Each breath felt like knives were being dragged across my ribs.I pu
TheodoreThe hall thundered with applause.I stood at the podium, looking out over five hundred faces, investors, board members, clients and employees of the Blackwell industry, all of them on their feet. The product launch had gone flawlessly. Numbers pr
ElianaNo one came to a place like this unless they didn't want to be found.Graffiti covered the rusted and dirty walls of the warehouse. There were broken windows scattered around the building. I gripped the small purse holding the eight tho







