Wherever You Are Page 11

  Avery grinned and did as she was told. Soon they were wading into the water.

  El helped her onto the rubber tube. “Don’t worry. I’ve got you,” he said when she dug her nails into his arm. “You’re not going to float away. I have a tether. You’ll be connected to me the entire time.”

  Avery relaxed a bit. The sound of the current beneath her lulled her mind. She dropped her hand into the water, swirled it around. “This is nice.”

  “It is.”

  She felt water hit her face and then heard his laughter. Swooshing water in his direction, she said, “Ha ha. I hope you know you’re going to be paying my salon bill.”

  “Your hair is fine.”

  Avery wasn’t really worried about her hair. Jess had helped her wash and condition it before they’d left. Right now, it was in two double-strand twists.

  “How does the water feel?” El asked.

  Sighing, she took a minute to breathe in the air on the water and tune out everything else around her. “Warm from the sun. The current is slow, soft, which is surprising because it usually isn’t.”

  “And what do you smell?”

  Closing her eyes, she noted the smell of minerals, sand and pine from the nature trails. “Smells like peace.”

  “Peace?”

  “Yes. For the first time in weeks, I feel at peace. And it’s because of you.”

  “I wouldn’t say that.”

  “I would. Really. You took a vacation to bring me here, knowing it would mean the world to me. After everything that’s happened between us, it is the world to me. It matters.”

  Avery grinned when El picked up her hand and kissed her palm. “Avie, you don’t have to keep thanking me. This is a vacation for me. Time spent with you, away from the hospital is good for me.”

  Squeezing his hand, she said, “You’re good at what you do, you know?”

  “Where did that come from?”

  “I don’t know if it comes natural to you or if you’re doing it purposely, but I feel like I can see clear as day here with you. You’ve described the river, the dunes, exactly the way I remember. You could be a tour guide.”

  “Yeah, right. Can you imagine me walking around with groups of old women and couples showing them the sights with a smile on my face?”

  Avery laughed. No, she couldn’t imagine El being so chipper. “Well, now that you put it like that...hell no.”

  “Maybe when I retire, I’ll move up here full-time and spend my days hiking the trails with tour groups.”

  “Only if you can take your shrink hat off. If not, you’d try to doctor everyone.”

  “Right. I’d spot all of the sociopaths a mile away. Maybe I’d save the day for some unsuspecting person linked up with a serial killer.”

  “You’re so morbid.” Avery giggled. “But you probably would.”

  El grew quiet, and Avery wondered what he was thinking. “What’s next on the agenda?” she asked to break the silence.

  “Wouldn’t you like to know? It’s a surprise.”

  “I bet I know what it is.”

  “I’m still not telling you. So just relax.”

  Avery hoped he was taking her to his house. But she wasn’t sure. Either way, she’d roll with it. Every minute with him was a blessing and she’d make the most of it.

  * * *

  El pulled into the long private driveway of his summer home around five o’clock that evening. Avery had once again fallen asleep during the relatively short drive to his house, and he’d been left alone to his thoughts. While on the river, they’d chatted more about her goal for the Avery Montgomery Foundation. He’d offered suggestions on how she could launch it, and given her a few names of faculty who might be willing to help her.

  The idea of a foundation to help young women realize their dream of attending college and majoring in math, science or pre-medicine was amazing. Avery’s parents weren’t wealthy. So she knew what it was to work hard and struggle to find funding for college that didn’t consist of crushing student loan debt.

  Before he’d met Avery, he was admittedly sheltered. He’d rarely been exposed to life outside of the privilege of wealth. El never had to worry about how he would pay his bills. Being with Avery had exposed him to that element. Although her parents were considered middle-class, they couldn’t afford her college education. Avery had often struggled to make ends meet, and she wasn’t alone in her plight. There were many at the school with similar financial woes.

  It made him want to give back to his community. He wanted to make a difference in the lives of those students who weren’t as fortunate as he was. So he’d help her in any way he could.

  El couldn’t believe the way he’d kissed her on the beach that afternoon. One minute he was wanting to kiss her, and the next he was. And now that they were at his house, he wasn’t sure what would happen. Being in the car or on a public beach was safer than being alone in the house with a bed, a bathtub and a shower. It wasn’t like he could safely pull her onto his lap while he was navigating the streets. And he really wouldn’t have taken it too far in broad daylight at the park. Although he’d thought about it several times over the course of the day.

  Her smell, like warm shea butter and vanilla, had made him squirm in his seat. And her laughter. He’d missed the sound of her laughter. Avery laughed with her whole body. It started in her throat before it bubbled to the surface. And, like always, everything in him was pulled to her like a magnet to iron. And damn, my heart... It beat for her. Only her.

  Stopping in front of the house, El leaned his head against the steering wheel. He had a lot of plans for them, for the rest of their short trip. It wasn’t going to be easy, being so close to her. But he’d give it a try. Deep down, though, he knew he was a goner.

  El froze when he felt the cool tips of her fingers flit over the back of his neck. He turned to her and she was looking right at him. Tilting his head, he gazed into her eyes. “Can you...? Can you see me?”

  Avery gave him a slight smile. “I can see your shadow. No color. I’m almost afraid to blink, because I don’t want you to go away.”

  El couldn’t help it. He grinned like he’d just won a prize. “If you blink and I’m gone, can you just be okay with that? For now.” She drew her fingers back, but he gripped her wrist. “I don’t mean be okay with not having your sight. But be patient that this is a sign of good things to come. That you’re going to regain your sight. At any minute, it could come back and stay. Focus on your inner healing on this trip. That’s what it’s for. Okay?”

  He could tell she was hesitant, but she nodded. “Okay,” she agreed.

  El got out of the car and helped her out. He’d called ahead and had his property manager clean and air out the house. The house had been his parents’ summer home. It had been left to him after they both died. It was situated on Torch Lake, Michigan’s longest inland lake. Located about twenty miles from Traverse City, Torch Lake had become a popular spot for development due to its crystal-clear water. It was an anomaly, in his opinion. There was a Caribbean quality to its water, and because of that, the area was beginning to attract wealthy developers and celebrities looking to purchase the prime real estate on the lake.

  Fortunately for him, his parents had bought their place way before it became the sought-after spot it was now. His father had loved to fish, and the lake was popular for fishing. One of El’s first memories was of being on the boat, splashing his feet in the water as his father sat on his big chair with a fishing pole in his hand. It was the only good memory he had of his father, because that trip was the only one he’d been on with his parents before he went to live with Lawrence. So he guessed it was fitting that he remembered it so vividly.

  He opened the door and led her in. The housekeeper had left the strong smell of Pine-Sol and bleach in her wake.

  “Have a seat,” he instructed a
s he guided Avery over to the sofa. “I want to show you around, but I need to get our things.”

  Running outside, he made quick work of unloading the car. When he was finished, he locked the door and joined Avery on the couch.

  “El?” Her voice was soft, almost unsure. “Is this your home?”

  “Yes,” he answered.

  They’d been here several times, spending many nights sitting quietly on the deck or the small beach or on the boat he owned. He’d brought her there after exam week one year, and it was where they’d made love for the first time.

  El knew he was taking a chance immersing them in a place that held so many fond memories, but he knew it was what she needed. She needed to get away—from everything and everyone—for just a little while.

  “Do you remember the layout of the house?” he asked.

  “Yes. How could I forget? I’m glad you brought me here.”

  El recalled the way her eyes had lit up when he’d brought her here all those years ago. She’d remarked then that she could see herself living in the house all year round.

  Interestingly, El didn’t remember how the house had looked when he was younger. But he knew it wasn’t as big as it was currently. When the lawyers handed him the deed, he’d traveled up one weekend and found the property in the middle of a massive renovation.

  At that time, he’d explained to the contractor who he was and what had happened to his father. Instead of stopping the construction, he’d worked with the builder to finish it, infusing his own personality into the details. The house was beautiful, but his favorite place was the great room they were currently sitting in. The floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood flooring and warm colors made this a place he could call home.

  El stood up, pulling Avery to her feet. As he refreshed her memory of the house, taking her through each of the rooms, he watched her reaction to things. Impressed, he waited as she stepped into each room alone, felt around for the light switch. She’d counted her steps and the doors.

  That was the medical student, the doctor, in Avery that he’d loved more than life itself. Once he was done with the tour, she asked him to take her outside to sit on the wraparound porch, which had always been her favorite spot.

  Outside, she leaned back in her chair, her face tilted up to the sky and her feet tucked under her bottom.

  “I bet the sky is beautiful,” she said. “I remember staring at it for what seemed like hours one time we were here.”

  “Not as beautiful as the person sitting next to me.”

  El blinked hard. What the hell?

  “We should probably talk about some things,” she said.

  “What about?”

  “I want to tell you something. It’s something I’ve never told you.”

  “I have someone bringing dinner in for our first night. Didn’t feel like cooking.”

  She seemed to accept his change in subject when she said, “Okay, that’s fine. What time is the food coming?”

  El glanced at his watch. “Should be here within half an hour. Do you want to go take a shower or freshen up?”

  She straightened in her seat, scooting to the edge and standing slowly. “Sure. Just...follow me. Let me see if I can find my way back.”

  Once again impressed with her tenacity, he let her walk ahead, followed her to the bedroom he’d designated as hers for their time there.

  She stepped inside and turned to the door. “Can you describe the decor?”

  El smirked. “I sure can.”

  The room was painted gray like the rest of the house, but there was a yellow accent wall. The interior designer had thought the yellow would add a softness to the room for guests, should he decide to rent it out.

  El had never really considered renting it out. The place was special to him, to Avery. Aside from letting his nephews come there every so often, he’d kept it for himself.

  The queen-sized bed in the center of the room was new. But the interior designer had outfitted it with a gray and yellow comforter set and a mound of matching throw pillows. The wood was a rustic gray color, and a flat-screen television was mounted on the wall.

  When they walked into the attached en suite bathroom, he explained that the color scheme of the bedroom flowed into the bathroom, as well. There was also a garden tub and a walk-in shower. “For two,” he added.

  El smiled at the blush that had begun to work its way up Avery’s golden skin.

  “For two?” she repeated, with an arch of her brow.

  “Shower or bath?” he asked.

  “Bath, please.”

  With his eyes lingering on her small frame, he started the bath, throwing lavender bath salts into the water as it filled the huge tub.

  “Did you need help getting your things?”

  “I can do it,” Avery said, resolve in her voice. “Jess helped me by labeling everything. She used raised stickers on pieces of paper that spell out what it is that I’m touching.”

  “That’s cool,” he said. He stopped the water. “Well, you’re all set. I’ll leave you alone. But if you need anything, let me know.”

  “El, actually, I do need something.”

  “What is it?”

  “I need you to answer a question for me.”

  El hoped it wasn’t a deep question. He didn’t want to delve into the past. For tonight, he just wanted to be in her company. “Go ahead.”

  “We’ve skirted over the issue of us all day. And I just think we should talk about it.”

  Sighing, El relented. “Okay.”

  “You mentioned the other day that you didn’t hate me. And I just wanted to say I’m glad you don’t. I don’t think I would be able to make it through this if you did.”

  “I wanted to hate you,” he answered honestly. “Believe me, I tried. I kept telling myself that there had to be more. There had to be a reason why you’d cut us off like you did. I mean, you just walked out on everything we had built together. Yes, your career was taking off when you got the book deal. But I thought you would have at least given me the option to decide for myself what I wanted. The fact that you didn’t, that you took my choice away, was especially hard because I’ve always supported your choices, even when I didn’t agree.”

  Avery bowed her head. “I know,” she murmured, her voice shaky. Avery hugged herself, squeezing her eyes shut. “I didn’t leave you because I wanted my career over you. I know that’s what you think.”

  “Why would I think anything else? That’s what it seemed like. Then again, I don’t know. You didn’t talk to me. You never said anything. You just ended it.”

  “This is hard for me. Because telling you the truth would be admitting that I ran scared, that I let someone else dictate my choice.”

  Confused, El asked, “What does that even mean?”

  “I left because of your brother, Dr. Law.”

  El froze. “What?”

  Avery sighed. “Your brother told me that I wasn’t good enough for you. He basically harassed me for months, at my job and my house. Eventually, I started believing him. So when the show got picked up, I... ended us.”

  Chapter 11

  Avery stood silent and still after her confession for what seemed like an eternity, unsure of what El was thinking. She knew he hadn’t left, because she still felt his presence in the room. She knew he was watching her, trying to figure out if she was telling the truth. But she didn’t have it in her to plead her case anymore.

  At the end of the day, she was guilty. She’d been the one who broke his heart. And she would be the one who would regret it for the rest of her days.

  “Explain,” he said, startling her.

  Avery went through the story, telling him about the many visits Dr. Law had made to her, the taunts and the offer to pay off her student debt. When she was done, she let out a huge sigh of relief that e
verything was out in the open.

  “Did you take the money?”

  It felt like a slap, the accusatory tone in his voice, the question itself. “No,” she screeched, grasping at her throat, which had gone dry. “I would never take his money.”

  “But you did take his advice. You let me go.”

  “I made a mistake. I let him get in my head.” She shook her head. “I should have never let you go.”

  Yes, Avery had been the one to walk away. But she’d left her heart in the palm of his hand, tucked away and out of her control. There was no one, no other man who could ever hold it. She’d figured out a long time ago that it was just the way it was. Unfortunately, it didn’t bode well for her, living hundreds of miles away. But now that she was so close to him that she could smell him, touch him, she felt whole again. Even without her vision, she felt like pieces of her puzzle were falling into place.

  “Your bath is getting cold,” he said, dousing all of her hopes that this conversation would lead to forgiveness. “I better get ready for dinner.”

  Then she heard the click of the bathroom door.

  Later, Avery and El sat at the dining table eating dinner. The ease they’d had with each other earlier had been replaced with awkwardness. The only sound in the room was the clinking of the silverware on plates, the thud of the glasses on the table. She’d tried to start a conversation several times only to be ignored or answered with one-word responses.

  Avery needed to do something fast because the peace she wanted to feel with him was slowly being replaced with dread. It was obvious he was holding back with her, probably because of her blindness. He was angry. He didn’t have to say it, she felt it rolling off him in waves. But he’d chosen to hold it in instead of telling her, which infuriated her.

  If they stood a chance of getting past the hurt and pain, even if they only ended up friends, they had to start telling the truth. She needed him to treat her like he thought she was the strong woman he fell in love with. Starting now.

  “El?”

  “What?” he grumbled.

  “You want to know how I knew you loved me?”