Surviving His Memory

Chapter 13

We finally emerged from the shower after round three for the morning. I was getting dressed when I heard a knock on the door. "I got it. I bet it's my change of clothes." Ethan said as he headed for the door, only wearing a towel around his hips. Yum. I just had him and now I want him again. I'm going to have to stop looking at him at this rate.

Ethan returns with a black duffle bag and throws it on the bed. He makes quick work of pulling the fresh clothes on. After picking up his discarded clothing, it was scattered throughout the room. He shoves all of them into the bag and zips it up.

I finished dressing with his eyes scorching my skin. I pull on black capri leggings and snap my black bra into place. As I pull the light blue, almost see through, button up shirt over my head, I hear his throat clear. "You are far too sexy for your own good, Warrior. Watching you is my new favorite thing to do." He tells me as he walks toward me to wrap his huge arms around me. "Watch all you want big guy. I'm here for your viewing pleasure. But all other pleasures have to wait until I have some food in me." I told him with a laugh and a few little pecks.

"Can I ask you a question?" I finally got the nerve to ask. "Of course" he nodded. "Do you feel it too? Like this is...I dont know how to say it.." I trailed off, pulling away from his embrace a little. "I feel a lot of things Ellie. One of those feelings I don't think you're ready for baby." He pulls me back into his arms. "...but I know this. I will be whatever you want me to be as long as I get to see you and touch you." He finishes and kisses me. It's one of those gentle but passionate kisses that melts my heart. "Thank you for being patient." I smiled then. "Baby, I already feel like I have hit the lottery. You let me touch you, hold you, make love to you. I won't be pushy. We will continue at whatever pace makes you most comfortable." He tells me. This time, I got up to my toes and kissed him. "I like you touching me, holding me, and definitely like you making love to me. If I didn't need food for survival I wouldn't leave this room." He kisses me again and my knees knock. "Note to self...stock the fridge!" He grins at me and I laugh.

"Alright my little Warrior. It's time for breakfast! I have to go to team workout at eleven so we have a couple of hours." His words instantly made me sad. "Are you pouting?" He asked me "no." I'm not pouting...am I? "Team workouts only last a few hours. I can be back around three." I smile when he says that. "Maybe I was pouting a little." I tell him while I roll my eyes at myself. "You're beautiful. Even when you pout." He teases.

"So where are we eating?" I ask as I slide my sandals on. "Actually.." He walks to the sliding door and opens the curtain. "..we don't have to go far." He finishes just as the table comes into view. It is loaded with every kind of breakfast food you can imagine. "Oh wow. So much food. What are we going to do with all of it?" I laugh at how over the top our first breakfast spread is. "We could invite Cheryl or Cal or both?" He says, also laughing. "I'll text Cal. You want to get a hold of Cheryl?" Ethan asks and I nod as I grab my phone. I shot off a quick text.

"Breakfast on my patio...come on down. The door is open."

I walk to the door and flip the metal bar that prevents it from closing. Then I joined Ethan outside on the patio. Cheryl's response was quick. "Be there in two minutes. I'm starving."

"Cheryl will be here shortly. I think she likes food even more than I do. It's a tight race." I chuckle as I load my plate with a little bit of everything. "A woman after my own heart." He says as he shoves a piece of bacon in his mouth. I lean over for a kiss and he meets me halfway. This kiss tastes like bacon and him. It might be the best kiss yet. However, the kiss in the ocean still stands out.

"Hey babes! I have so much to tell you!" We hear Cheryl shout when she comes through the door. The exact moment Cal comes around the corner of the patio. "None of which is about me, I'm sure." Cal whispers and winks at me. I can't help but laugh. "I'm on the edge of my seat Cher." I holler back. "First we need mimosas." She says as he rounds the door and we all come into view. "Oh s**t! Hey...umm...how are you guys?" Cheryl stutters as she takes in Cal and Ethan's presence. "Better now." Cal says and the blush of Cheryl's cheeks almost makes me choke over a piece of potato.

"So..um..Sally, Diane, and Emery are coming to see us after Diane's shift ends at eleven." She says, looking at me. "Well good! It'll be nice to hang out with them," I told her. Allowing the subject to change because I'm a good friend. Also, because I don't want that conversation flipped on me.

"Yes. Don't forget tomorrow night is girls night. I may have bought you an outfit..." Cheryl drops that last part under her breath as she takes a sip of orange juice and avoids eye contact with me. I chuckled. "Well, your last selection was wonderful. I'm just glad you didn't shove me into another dressing room." I tell her chuckling. "Yeah yeah yeah...it all worked out." She says with the flip of her wrist. "I wonder how well.." Cheryl side eyed me and Ethan. "Perfectly." Thats all I'll say about it right now. "..and how was my pick?" I ask her. "Too good to be true." She says. Something happened between her and Cal. I'm just not sure what yet. I hear Ethan ask Cal something and when I look at Cal he nods. His shoulders slumped "..didn't go well." Cal muttered under his breath.

We all dig into the smorgasbord that Ethan ordered. I'm so full. I couldn't eat another bite if I wanted to. "Alright y'all. I'm gonna go. Thank you for breakfast. Cheryl, can we talk for a second?" Cal stands up from the table. "Yea, I guess that'd be okay." She stands and walks with him toward the beach.

"What didn't go well?" I whisper-shouted at Ethan. "He told her who we are." I let out a long breath. "Her dad was a professional hockey player...he was never there for Cheryl or her brothers. She hates him, from what I know. Her step-dad is her dad." I told him quietly this time. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. "That's not who Cal is though. Yea, he plays a game professionally, but that's where the similarities stop." He says, looking toward them. "Yeah. I'll talk to her but I don't know how much it will help." He reaches over and squeezes my hand. Suddenly, we hear Cal. "I'm not him though. I'm me. I'm not that guy, Cheryl. Let me prove it to you!" "Just let me think, Calvin. I can't think." Cheryl leaves him standing there and rushes back toward us, but she doesn't stop. She just keeps going. I can't tell if she left the room or if she closed herself in my bathroom.

I hadn't even realized that I had stood up until I felt Ethan's hand on my lower back. "Go talk to her baby. I'll go check on Cal. I'll see you around three if you're free. My number is on a paper on your counter. Let me know if you need anything from me." He's so sweet. "Okay. I'll see you later. Tell Cal I said to hang in there." He pulls me to him and kisses me goodbye. "See ya soon Ellinora." I smiled "I can't wait." I gave him my best smile. His eyes twinkle as he winks. He turns away from me and follows the path Cal took.

Now to go find my friend and make sure she's okay. I have an hour before the calvary arrives. Hopefully, I can handle this on my own.

"Cher? You in there?" I softly knocked on the bathroom door. The door opens slowly and I hear her sniffles. Coming around the door, I see her dissolve into a puddle, weeping on the bathroom floor. Why is it that us women always cry in bathrooms? "Hey honey. It's okay. He's gone. I'm here. Talk to me Cheryl." I slowly sat in front of her and began rubbing her arms.

She continues to cry for several minutes while I rub her arms and back and whisper my encouragement. "I didn't want him to leave. I..just...I dont know El. He's right, he isn't him. I know that but...God, why did he have to be an athlete? I've sworn against them!" Well at least she's finally talking, but now I have no idea what to say. "What do you think your mom would say? Have you spoken to her?" I'm grasping at straws over here. "We could call her?" Cheryl says a little more clearly. Her tears have slowed now. I guess the idea of talking to her mom settled her down a little. She pulls her phone out of her pocket and dials. "Mama Bear" pops up on the screen as she places the call on speakerphone. "Hello my favorite daughter! How is paradise?" Her mom's voice is soothing, even to me. "Mama?" Cheryl chokes out. "Are you okay baby? Do I need to book a flight? We can be there in fourteen hours." Her mom's panic snaps me into motion. "Hello. My name is Ellie. I'm here with Cheryl. She is safe. She just needed to talk to you." I tell her as Cheryl tries to pull it together. "Oh thank goodness! Hello Ellie. My daughter has spoken very highly of you. I can't wait to meet you. What's going on hunny? How can I help?" Again, her mom is so sweet. I wish I had a mom like that instead of the ignorant b***h that birthed me. "I'm sorry mamma. I'm okay, but I met someone and he's...gosh, he's wonderful. His name is Calvin, but, mamma, he plays football... He will just break my heart. Also, he didn't tell me at first. That kind of grinds my gears. He let me...start to really like him before he told me." Cheryl finally spills to her mother. "Oh baby. I know your feelings about athletes. I also know how many of those men are good, wholesome men. You can't judge an entire group of people by the actions of one. Do you remember how many of his teammates reached out and made sure we were okay? Can you remember baby? Do you remember Hank? He was once a teammate of your father and he helped so much with your brothers when they were young. They're not all bad CC." It is as if it all dawned on her at once. "Call Ethan. Tell him to tell Cal to come back. I'm a terrible person." Cheryl whispered to me. "I cant believe I had forgotten about Hank and even Eddie. I loved Eddie's wife and he was so great to her. Gosh mom, you'll love Cal. He's so big! He's handsome and funny. We went on a date last night and he treated me like a princess..."

I didn't hear the rest of what she was saying. I went for my phone. I have no idea where the team workout is, but I hope I catch them before they leave. After finding his number on the counter, I plugged it into my phone as fast as I could and hit send. "Hello?" His deep gravely voice gave me butterflies. "Ethan.." I said breathless. What is with me? I swear at this point, I am definitely in heat. "Hi baby, that was fast...not that I'm complaining." Even over the phone he can make me blush. "Hi big guy! Are you with Cal? Are you still here?" I asked. "Yes and yes. We have to leave in about ten minutes. Are you okay?" I let out a relieved breath. "I'm fine. But Cheryl wants to see Cal..before he leaves, preferably. While she has the guts," I told him with a laugh.

There's a brief pause, while I assume he is telling Cal what I said. "We are on our way." He tells me with a laugh. "Cal is running. You may want to give her a heads up." I laughed then and holled toward the bathroom. "Cal is in-bound. Coming in hot!" I heard Ethan laugh with me. "Oh s**t. I have to go mamma. I'll call you back." Cheryl says to her phone and runs to the sliding door. About five seconds later, Cal runs out from around the privacy fence panel that shields my little patio area from the neighbors. I'm not sure why but I whisper into my phone, "he's here." Ethan chuckles. "I know. I can see him. I'll see you in a minute baby." He says. "Good." I tell him and end the call with a giggle. Dang it!

There I go again, acting like a school girl. This man is a drug and I, am admittedly addicted. I watch as Cheryl seems to be operating in slow motion, sliding open the door. "Cal. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have..." She doesn't have time to finish as he almost charges her, wrapping her in his arms. Such a beautiful scene. It brought a tear to my eye. The two of them look...wow.

Ethan comes around the corner with a smile on his face. "Hey.." He says with a smirk. He's in workout clothes. My brain misfires again and I swear I'm drooling. "Damn," I mutter. I feel myself biting my lip.

The smirk on his face turns into a mischievous grin. "Now you know how I feel, everytime I see you." He tells me. I wrapped my arms around his neck. He grabs me by the hips and lifts me, so that I can wrap my legs around him. This is my new favorite place to be. Our lips connect, as always. It's electric, mind-blowing, and beautiful. It is absolutely downright the sexiest feeling in the world.

You know the sound of a hotel room door hitting that little metal device that holds it open? Yeah, it startled me. I almost climbed Ethan before I heard their laughter. Emery and Sally hoot and holler as they come in. "We should have brought snacks." Emery laughs.

"I have to go baby. I'll see you around three?" I nodded and kissed him until he placed me back on my feet. Mmm. That's beyond hot. I sway a little in his wake and grab the counter for balance. "Have a great time ladies." Ethan waves at the girls and claps Cal on both shoulders. "Come on brother, we can come back later" he tells Cal as he pulls him away from Cheryl.

"Are there more of you?" Sally shouts at them both with a laugh. "I'd take a brother of their kind. Damn." Emery says, slightly quieter than Sally's dull roar. I'm already laughing. I love these women.

"Okay I have to say this out loud... I spent the night with Ethan...and all morning. That man is...wow." I threw myself onto the couch. Diane must have come in as I made my announcement. "You know who he is now, right? He told you, right?" She asks me with a concerned face. I nodded. "You knew the whole time?" I asked her. "No. I had my suspicions, but I didn't realize it until they sent the flowers. I spoke with both of them about the matter. It seems they kept their end of the deal." Diane says, very matter-of-factly. I smile at her. This woman confronted two men. Both of them probably have the power to take her job. She did that for two women she had only just met. "I love you!" I told her. "I forgot what it felt like to have a family. To have people who look out for me. Thank you." I told her as I got up to give her a hug. "I have your back lady." She squeezed me. "Now, spill! Tell us everything!" Emery says as all the girls gather around and take their seats.

"I don't know where to start... He's amazing. I can't emphasize that enough. I feel like a teenager again. When he kisses me, my mind shuts off. Hell, sometimes that happens when I look at him." I can't hold back my swoon. "...he picks me up a lot and I freaking love that! He's so sweet too. He knows I'm not ready for the spotlight, but to be honest, the more I think about it..I kind of want to tell the world that he's mine. Is that crazy?" I feel like I'm rambling now. "Girl!" Sally is fanning herself. "We saw the raw energy between the two of you at the restaurant. I've never been a huge believer in the whole love at first sight stuff. But honestly...the restaurant silenced some of my doubts. The way he looks at you. The way you look at him...it's fascinating to say the least." "Whenever he's near me, I feel like I'm in heat. When did I turn into an animal?" I asked them but their response is extremely loud laughter. "Shoot girl. I'm in heat when I'm near someone that looks like him too. Let alone if he were to look at me like he looks at you." Emery slaps her knee as she continues to cackle.

"I'm going to screw Calvin's brains out. As soon as he gets back from team workouts," Cheryl singsongs. We all hoot and holler. A lot of "get 'em girl" shouts echoed around us as Cheryl fell onto the couch on top of Diane and myself dramatically. Our laughter filled the room.

"Alright. Where are we going for lunch?" Cheryl asks. "Actually, can we go to the Brickyard Grill? I have some business there." I announced and Cheryl's eyes went wide. "Yes! Let's put that b***h through a table!" She shouts like a crazy person. "Woah woah woah... what b***h?" Diane asks. I explained to them what happened yesterday. I told them I wanted closure and I needed to do that face to face with the woman that abandoned me. "I needed to tell her that I didn't need her. I am a better person, a better woman, and one day I will be a better mother in spite of her." I feel better just getting that off my chest. "Damn straight!" Emery says. "Lets go!" Diane stands. "...and if you put her through the table...I will personally pay your bail." Cheryl adds. "I mean I just want you to know you have options. Also, one of the lawyers at our firm does a lot of work here in Hawaii." She says seriously. I laugh but hugged her to my side. "You are the best friend a girl could ask for." I told Cheryl, then looking around the room I added, "you all are!"

Let's go deal with mommy dearest. I want to shut her down,, one last time, and move on with my life. I'll move on from here, knowing that I'll never have to speak to her again.