Fake it then Page 9

  In that moment, he resolved to tell Sarah the truth of how he felt for her. If she didn’t want him, then he would have to face it but he couldn’t let inaction cost him a chance at her love. Though he never thought he wanted a partner in his life, he suddenly couldn’t imagine a future without her by his side.

  “Then go and tell her how you really feel.”

  “But what about the dinner?”

  “I’ll handle the Board. Go and get the love of your life back. You deserve to be happy.”

  The words struck him. Maybe he did deserve that happiness. Sarah definitely did. He knew then that he would do anything he could to give her that same happiness.

  “I’m going.”

  “Thank God. Get out of here.”

  He turned and ran from the room. Why hadn’t he done this in the first place? It took ages for the valet to bring his car around, so he raced through the city as fast as he could to get to the gallery. As he pulled up out front, he was shocked by the size of the crowd.

  The Queller Gallery was a large space; it was packed full of people. In fact, it wasn’t until he made his way to the center of the room that he was able to take in all of Sarah’s work. He spun slowly. The pieces were all large and bright, but there was something so familiar about them. He could feel her passion within then and it made him feel as if they were inspired by their time together. In fact, he could see abstractions of their moments together, their first kiss, their night of passion, even the white of the dress she had worn on the night they said farewell. That piece had an overwhelming sadness to it that moved him nearly to tears.

  It was then that he saw her, standing near it and looking as if she was longing for something. Her dress was a pale gold and it brought out the glow of her skin. As if she could feel his eyes on her, she turned and stared at him in shock.

  Without hesitation, he strode across the room to her. He didn’t stop until they were standing toe to toe.

  “You’re here.”

  Her unfiltered response brought a smile to his face. It was clear that she was as affected as he was. It gave him hope.

  “I should have been here sooner. I know that you asked for space, but this is the biggest night of your career. I want to be here for you, if you’ll let me.”

  “Of course,” she said, blushing as she looked into his eyes.

  “Sarah, I want to stand by your side for all of it. I want to be the one who is with you for every big moment. I should never have let you think that I could walk away from this. We belong together.”

  Unburdening his soul brought an immediate sense of peace. Even if she didn’t want him, at least he knew that he had done all he could to show her that he wanted her in his life and in his bed.

  “How can this work?” she whispered.

  “We’ll make it work. We will both be there for each other. I love you. I think you love me too. We owe it to ourselves to try. I want to show you that I can be the person you need in your life.”

  “I do love you. I have for weeks,” she said, though she didn’t look happy to say it. In fact, she looked like her heart was breaking. “Is love enough? We have a whole life to live and I don’t want us to break each other’s hearts.”

  “My heart's already breaking and so is yours. If we don’t try, we’ll never know. I will do everything in my power to give you the happiest life I can. I just want to live my life with you beside me. Without you, nothing else matters.”

  “I thought that all you cared about was your career?”

  “I thought so too. I was wrong. I have been wrong my entire life. I placed value on things that don’t matter at all. What matters is having someone in your life who you can share it with.”

  “And you want to share it with me?”

  “You’re the only one I want to share it with. What about you? Do you want to share your life with me?”

  He stood there for what felt like an eternity as he waited for her to answer him. He could see tears welling in her eyes and he couldn’t tell if they were tears of joy or tears of sadness.

  “More than anything,” she said as she leapt into his arms. He caught her on instinct and lifted her up as relief washed over him, kissing her right there for the whole room to see. If people thought it was odd to see the artist being kissed thoroughly in the middle of her show, they were kind enough to hide it well.

  “So we are going to make this work?” he asked her when he finally sat her back on her feet.

  “Yes,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him. “This night should have felt perfect. The paintings are exactly what I wanted them to be and people have been complimenting them all night but it all felt so empty because I kept wishing you were here.”

  “I felt the same way about my new job. It didn’t mean anything without you there. What good is success if you don’t have love in your life?”

  “You are a very different man than you were a few weeks ago.”

  “I think that I have lived my entire life afraid to want this. I was afraid that I would never have it. I nearly lost out on love because of it. I won’t let that happen again. You are what matters the most. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that before.”

  He spent the rest of the night at her side, beaming with pride as each new attendee came up to shower praise upon her. It was wonderful to see her in her element, especially since she had spent so much time in his world supporting him. Now, it was his turn.

  When the gallery owner stepped up to a microphone tucked in the corner, he already knew that the man was about to sing Sarah’s praises.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s all put our hands together for the lady of the hour. This evening has been a tremendous success and I have faith that this young lady has quite a career ahead of her. If you are interested in purchasing any of the pieces on display tonight, do so quickly because they are selling fast.”

  The room erupted in applause, but Dylan was able to pick out a familiar voice behind him, cheering Sarah on. He turned to see Talbot and Grace Erickson standing there beaming at them.

  “Glad you got her back, Dylan,” Talbot said.

  “It was the best advice you have ever given me, sir. How did you get here so quickly? What about the Board?”

  “The Board?” Sarah asked in confusion.

  “Yes, your man here left a dinner with our Board of Directors to come here and win you back. Luckily I explained to them that he had a much more pressing engagement and they completely understood. I have trained them well to understand that love comes first.”

  “You did what?” she said, shocked as she turned to him.

  “It wasn’t as important as making things right with you. If they don’t understand why I had to do it, then it isn’t a place that I want to work.”

  “You did that for me?”

  “I would do anything for you. I’m just sorry I didn’t realize it until now.”

  “I love you,” she said as she wrapped her arms around him and kissed him again for the whole crowd to see.

  When they finally parted, Dylan looked over at Talbot and Grace and saw them then sharing a loving look with each other. All he could hope for was that he would have a lifetime of such looks with Sarah.

  “Will you wear this again?” he asked as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring she had returned to him.

  “You have it with you?”

  “I’ve kept it in my pocket since the moment you gave it back to me. It was like I had a little piece of you with me.”

  “I will gladly wear your ring again tonight. And every day for the rest of our lives.”

  He went down on his knee in front of everyone and held the ring up to her. The entire crowd turned their attention to them. All that mattered was that Sarah agreed to be his fiancée for real.

  “Sarah, will you do me the honor of being my wife and partner for all the days of our lives?”

  There were tears in her eyes and a smile on her face as she nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.
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br />   “Is that a yes?” he asked, grinning up at her.

  “Yes, yes, you silly man. Stand up and kiss me!”

  And he did just that. The entire crowd cheered behind them and the moment felt perfect. She had the accolades she deserved for her art, he had the job of his dreams, and, most importantly, they had each other to share it with.

  “Cheers to love,” Grace said as she clapped her hands in celebration of the couple.

  “Already celebrating, I see,” said a short man with glasses who came rushing up to Sarah.

  “Yes, my fiancée and I have a lot to celebrate!” she said without taking her eyes off of Dylan.

  “I should say so,” said the man. “You have sold every piece of art here this evening. I just processed the last sale.”

  “Every piece?” Dylan said, shocked and so proud of his fiancée.

  “Well, every piece but the three she held back. If you change your mind, Sarah, I have buyers for them too.” With that, he darted off into the crowd.

  “You didn’t put them all up for sale? Why?” he asked her.

  “Those three are more important than money.”

  “What are they?”

  “They’re inspired by us. One I painted after the night I gave you the ring back. Another is the one I was working on the night of the blackout, and the other is one I did to give to you to celebrate your new job. I just wasn’t sure when I would get the chance to give it to you. I wanted to leave a piece of myself with you, even if I didn’t get to keep you.”

  “Now I will always have you with me. We can have it all.”

  Much later, they lay in her bed together and Dylan felt complete peace for the first time in his life. He looked up at the ceiling of her bedroom as she lay sleeping against his side. They had celebrated their second engagement and the success of her show with slow and passionate lovemaking until they were both exhausted. She had drifted to sleep almost immediately. But he couldn’t close his eyes. He was too afraid everything was going to disappear if he closed his eyes. His real life suddenly felt like a dream.

  This was true success. Loving a woman like her and giving her joy and pleasure was what made a man truly great. Caring for her was the single greatest feeling he had ever known. Now that he was no longer fighting those feelings, it was so apparent he was shocked that he hadn’t realized the depths of his feelings earlier. He couldn’t resist reaching out and playing with a stray strand of her hair.

  She grew restless, moving more in her sleep and turning from side to side.

  “Why aren’t you sleeping,” she mumbled as she cuddled closer to him. He was sorry to have woken her, but she looked so sexy staring up at him that he couldn’t bring himself to regret it.

  “I was just thinking. That’s all.”

  “Thinking about what?”

  “About how very glad I am that you fell behind on your rent.”

  She laughed at that, so hard that he could feel her body shaking beside him. Soon, he joined her, letting the last of the tension he had been holding on to fade away.

  “And I’m glad you decided to ask me to be your fake fiancée.”

  “Who would have thought it would end with me having a real fiancée?”

  “Certainly not me, but the universe is a funny thing.”

  “Fate certainly did seem to have a plan for us.”

  “I’m glad fate didn’t give up. When we didn’t figure it out ourselves after all of these years of me being your tenant, the universe upped the stakes for us.”

  “If everything hadn’t happened exactly how it did, we wouldn’t be here together right now and I know in my heart that this is exactly where I am supposed to be.”

  “It’s where we’re both supposed to be. I can feel it. I felt it from the start, but it scared me. So, I pushed it away.”

  “We both did. But we won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Never.”

  “Prove it.”

  With that, he pulled her roughly to him and kissed her until they were both dizzy. In one smooth motion, he moved himself into position and entered her. She moaned, urging him on as he began to move within her. There was nothing he wanted more than to bring her pleasure and make her come again. Making love to her felt like sealing a vow. They might not be married yet, but something had changed between them. Finally, they were both letting their walls down. It made love-making to her even sweeter. Neither of them were trying to fight against the emotions that they were feeling. In fact, they were finally embracing the true nature of their connection.

  The way it felt to be inside her was like flying. Never in his life had he been so free. He knew she felt the same way. When their bodies were joined, it was like their souls were also one. He could sense everything she felt and he could feel just how deep her love was for him. It was illogical and improbable, but they had found each other and neither was going to let the other go again.

  After, when they were both satisfied, he held her close and finally let himself drift off to sleep. This time, as he watched her face through his sleepy eyes, he did not feel the sadness he first had. Now, he felt joy knowing that he was going to wake up to her smiling face tomorrow morning and every morning for the rest of this life.

  Also by Elle Woods

  Honeywell Hospital Series

  Emergency Love //Emergency Dilemma //Emergency Reason//

  //Emergency Care//Emergency Healed//

  Honeywell Boxset Book 1-5

  Excerpt

  Feel Good

  Prescription

  By: Elle Woods

  Copyrights

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2020 Elle Woods– All rights Reserved

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Recommended for Mature readers

  Sneak Peek

  “Okay, Phoebe. Now I’m gonna need some help,” said the nurse, her long chocolate hair pulled back by a red hair tie. The young girl across from her nodded shyly and ran pale fingers through her flaming ginger hair. The nurse took out her stethoscope and held it up to the little girl’s lips. “Can you breathe on this for me? Make sure it’s nice and warm.”

  “Like this, Nurse Erica?” Phoebe asked before blowing.

  “Hmmm, that was more Big Bad Wolf. I’m looking for a dragon's breath. Try one more time?” Phoebe smiled and tried again, fogging up the metal of the stethoscope. “Excellent,” Erica commended. She proceeded to listen to Phoebe’s heart beat, monitoring the clarity of her lungs and the strength of the pumps. Erica could feel the parent’s eyes on her back, but she ignored them. They’d get their turn with her. “Well Phoebe, I believe you’re even better than before. Have you considered becoming a superhero?” The little girl grinned back at her, a wide space where a front tooth was attempting to grow in.

  “She’s going to be just fine then?” a gruff voice asked behind her. Erica’s demeanor hardened as she turned to the girl’s father.

  “She’s stable. However, Mr. Ramsey, you need to be more careful.” The mother, a kind looking woman, grabbed her husband’s arm. “How long has your daughter had asthma?”

  “Well, since we can remember I suppose?” the mother answered curiously.

  “Then why would you refuse to get a refill on her inhaler pres
cription?”

  “Well with the colder months coming we figured she’d be less active. And I read online that children can often outgrow their symptoms-”

  “And was the internet right?” Erica asked sternly, pursing her full lips. The husband’s eyes widened, a glimmer of anger shone in the hazel irises.

  “Now wait just a minute, don’t tell me how to parent our daughter.”

  “I’m not. I’m simply telling you how to properly care for an asthmatic. While some children do grow out of it, your daughter showed no inclination of this. Wishful thinking doesn’t keep her safe.” The couple fell silent under her steely gaze. “Anyway, she’s fine now. The doctor will be in shortly to ensure that she’s fit to go home.” Erica gave the slightly stunned couple a forced smile before exiting quickly. She turned out of the room, her clipboard falling to the floor as she smacked into the hard chest of Dr. Emerson.

  “I know this is the emergency room, but no need to rush at all times,” Dr. Emerson stated blandly, leaning down to pick up her fallen clipboard.

  “Dr. Emerson, I’m so sorry,” Erica began, her cheeks feeling hot. Light green eyes studied her carefully, and she found herself struggling not to stutter. “The um- the patient in room 207 is ready for you.” She felt small in his presence, almost like a little girl looking up to a frozen statue.

  “Oh yes I’m aware. I’ve been outside this door for a minute or so.” Erica’s eyes widened, and she tentatively took the clipboard from the doctor. “You’re quite good with children, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I- I like them a lot. More than their parents,” she responded in a joking tone. “Were you spying on me?” she added.

  “Nurse Silva, I was listening because I see great potential in you.”

  “In me?” she asked, the wind escaping her lungs. Dr. Emerson was possibly the best doctor in the state. A compliment from him was not given freely.

  “Of course. You’re intelligent, capable, dedicated. I like to be aware of the power players on staff.” Dr. Emerson had arrived at Grace Clinic three months ago and had rapidly become the talk of the emergency room. He was excellent with patients, if a bit stern towards coworkers. He quickly established himself as a leader, and his physique made him rather popular. At 6’ 2’’ with a chiseled jaw and blonde hair, he quickly became a favorite topic of discussion amongst the nurses. Erica often tried to excuse herself from her gossiping coworkers, but she could not deny the ‘professional crush’ she held for Dr. James Emerson.