Lexi nodded and Elena's smile grew wider, "Lexi, of course! I'd be honored to make your wedding cake. Thank you so much for choosing me."Emily, too, beamed with delight, feeling the warmth of the moment. "That's wonderful, Lexi! Elena's cakes are absolutely incredible. Trust me when I say this, your wedding cake will be stunning!"—--------The date for Elijah and Lexi's wedding drew closer, and although Chandler was genuinely happy for his brother, he dreaded that day. Elijah and Lexi had somehow agreed to listen to his step mother, who claimed that she had the perfect church for them to get married in and they'd agreed. That meant not only would he be going back to the home he hated visiting, but he'd also be seeing his father and step mother again. Elijah's wedding was going to be one more thing they'd use to compare the both of them, and even if he and Elijah had fixed their issues and were very close now, he wasn't looking forward to seeing their family. He wasn't going to enjoy

Needing to put some distance between them, Elena took a step backwards, "Everyone is waiting for us," she told him, "Let's go," Then she left him standing there and walked towards his car. Chandler noticed she'd also left her luggage for him and he grabbed it, gladly in fact, because just watching her walk away was worth it in his books. She might not have forgiven him, but they were a step closer to that if he played his cards right. And God bless Lexi for her decision to make her ride in his car. One more point for his future sister in law. —----------The silence in the car was deafening….so quiet you could hear a pin drop if not for the soft purring from the car. It wasn't an awkward silence either, more like they didn't know how to begin to say what needed to be said. Elena sat facing the window with her arms wrapped around her body. Her legs remained stiff against each other, and she looked like she'd rather be anywhere else but there with him. Her short sundress looked even

A small boy sat on a broken curb, looking down at a dirty, smudged ball in his hands. It was worn from play, clearly overused. His hair was dark and messy, his lashes long against the pale skin of his cheeks. You couldn't see his eyes, but in the background, two other kids played together. They were out of focus, not meant to be the focus of the shot. Staring at his shoes, also dirty and worn from use, Elena found her eyes welling up unexpectedly."Goodness, that's a bit depressing, isn't it?" a deep voice came from next to her.Elena glanced over her shoulder. Grayson Kendrick was staring at the photo, his head tilted to the side as he frowned at the image."I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you," he told her. Elena shook her head, "Oh you didn't startle me, sir. It's fine," She clasped her hands in front of her body and returned her gaze to the photograph. "It's moving, I think." Grayson hummed, tucking his hands into his pockets. The disbelieving sound made her smile. "You disagr

She nodded slowly, tilting her head ever-so-slightly as she studied him. "Okay. Maybe I will," she said, He pointed a finger at her. "Nope. We're not going back to that topic. None of that. No psychoanalyzing. I don't care how beautiful you look. That's not allowed."Elena smiled slowly. "You were the one who brought it up again," "Stop it."The smile spread even further, wide enough that her white, even teeth showed behind her pink lips. Clearly she was really enjoying teasing him. He huffed. "Let's go inside, okay?""Okay."Her agreement was too quiet, too pleased with herself, and that made him swear. "Be careful while you move. Some of those flowers have thorns?"Elena's eyes glowed. "Thank you for caring. That's incredibly...sweet ... of you.""Fine. You know what? Do whatever you want. Get scratched by one of them, see if I care." He leaned toward her, "And don't come to me for help when you get bruised because you didn't take me up on my practical, logical suggestion to stay

Elena's heart broke for him. No matter what else he'd revealed, what snippets of his past he'd given her , this was the first time she felt just how deeply he'd learned how to protect himself. Him pulling away was so much more about him than it was about her. "And do you normally give speeches like this to the women you kiss or sleep with?" She asked. But she asked it tentatively, with a gentle voice free of censure. "Make sure they won't regret a night with you?"Chandler swallowed hard. His eyes searched her face. "They know what they're getting into. They're not thinking past one night, trust me.""But you think I am?"The tip of his finger tilted her chin up, and his thumb brushed her bottom lip."I think you look at me differently than they do, Elena. You look at me differently than anyone does. And if you can't quiet those things holding you back, I don't want to be the man they all think I am. Not with you. The one who'll push where you let me, who'll convince you with my lips"