“Where did you find this?” Mrs. F glances up from the paper and locks onto Ella, shaking her head in disbelief.
“I found it inside the old footlocker my dad had from when he was in the Marines. I thought Clarissa had sold everything he owned, but it turns out I was wrong. It was inside the attic closet, and it wasn’t even locked.”
She narrows her eyes at Ella. “That seems odd, given the situation with Clarissa. When your dad came home from the service, he stored all of his medals and prized possessions inside. I doubt she even knows the trunk is in the house.”
“But why would she keep the room locked if she didn’t know?”
“You’ve lived with Clarissa for the last ten years. Do you honestly think she would have left the one thing that could cost her everything somewhere for you to find it? Think about it, dear. She has no idea this exists.”
“We need to contest my dad’s will. Can you help me?”
Mrs. F sets the papers onto the table and takes another sip from her cup. This woman sure loves her tea. “Yes, of course. I will call the family attorney in the morning to start the proceedings. Keep in mind that contesting a will takes time. If Clarissa fights this, and she will, you may have a very long wait until you see a cent of your father’s estate.”
Ella stares down and into her teacup, deflated and as if it holds the answer to her problem. “I have waited this long to get some closure. I can wait a little while longer.”
“This could take years, my dear. I will have my lawyer file the papers in the morning. You should take a bath and get in bed. I’m sure you can use some sleep after everything you have been through this week.”
Ella turns her head to me and gives me a worried look. I’m nervous for her, too, but also excited that she no longer has to live under the same roof as Clarissa.
“I thought I would stay with Shawn tonight,” Ella says, her gaze shifting back to Mrs. F.
“Oh, okay. Well, you have a room here for whenever you want to come back.”
“It’s just for the night. We haven’t seen each other all week, and I’d like to stay with him for the night.”
Full of surprises tonight, I almost forget that Ella is the sweet girl I met in the tutoring center a few months ago. So many things have changed for us in a short amount of time.
“I’m assuming that is okay with you,” she says to me. “With all the excitement, I forgot to ask.”
“Yeah, of course.” I thread my fingers between hers and keep our intertwined hands rested on my thigh.
I have Ella back. She told me she loves me. I told her how much I love her. And I plan to show her every day just how much she means to me.
Ella
Instead of spending the night at Shawn’s fraternity house, he drove to Penn’s Landing and booked us a room at the Hyatt.
He insisted he do this for me since his brothers are throwing another rager, and he wanted me to get a good night sleep, after all the ones I missed this week. But I have other plans than sleeping. After spending this time apart from Shawn and seeing how far he will go to save me, I want this to be the night we take our relationship to the next level.
We were both still freezing our asses off when we stepped inside the room. It overlooks the Delaware River, giving us a perfect view of the Camden Waterfront. The setting is perfect, and when Shawn guides me into the bathroom to fix me a shower, I demand that he comes in with me. I’m not wasting any more of my time being the good girl or playing it safe. I did that for years, and look where that had gotten me.
Shawn is the first naked man I have seen in person, and Dear, Lord someone save me. Between his chiseled arms, well-defined shoulders, and his massive cock, Shawn is doing things between my legs that I need him to handle.
I bite down on my bottom lip when he moves in front of me and slides his hands onto my waist, staring into my eyes with the same greed I saw the night of our date.
“Are you sure about this, Ella?”
I nod, nervous about standing in front of Shawn naked and vulnerable. But it’s the good kind of nerves that get the blood pumping and my heart pounding. “I have never been more sure about anything in my entire life.”
I press my palm against his chest, and Shawn takes a step back to guide us beneath the water. We share an intense moment before he reaches behind me to grab a tiny bottle of shampoo from the ledge.
“Turn around,” he orders, an
d I do as he says.
I lean back against his chest, with his length digging into my ass, making this more erotic than any shower I ever had, as he rubs the liquid into my hair. This is another first for me. I consider myself lucky to have experienced so many life-altering moments with the man I love and who loves me back.
He massages my scalp, the soapy water sliding down my face and onto my chest. I close my eyes and moan, my nipples hardening with each touch. I’m ready to beg Shawn to stop playing with my hair because I want him to reach between my legs and take care of the throbbing between them.