Becoming Ella: An Opposites Attract Romance Page 22

  "So no personal assistant then?" I ask, blurting out the first thing that comes to mind.

  Will tilts his head to the side, confused. "Sorry, what?" he laughs.

  "I was worried that maybe the email on your website was like a business email and that you had someone who goes through that for you. I don't know. I've heard other Internet people talk about having helpers like that, so I was worried maybe you had one. I didn't even consider that last night. That was an anxiety I came up with like ten minutes ago."

  I blabber on, feeling more nervous with each word, making more and more of an idiot out of myself.

  Will doesn't seem fazed. Maybe he doesn't hear how stupid I sound.

  "Sorry, I'm not making any sense right now," I say, pinching my hand.

  "Nah, you're making perfect sense," Will says, clearly just trying to make me feel better.

  We sit in silence for a couple of minutes, just staring at each other. It makes it obvious how much space there is between us now. I wish we could go back to the day we first went to the fair before seeing my mom.

  But, a voice in the back of my mind says, if things had happened that way, you still would have been afraid. The outcome would have been the same because you weren't ready for Will.

  "What are you thinking?" Will asks, breaking the silence.

  "I'm thinking about how a part of me wishes that we could go back to the first day at the fair when everything was perfect and easy. But then another part of me knows that eventually, we would have had that fight. I wasn't really ready to be with you, and I wouldn't have been ready for you unless we had that fight."

  Will nods, digesting my words. I worry for a second that I was too vulnerable, too honest and that he's on a completely different page. Maybe he's already moved on from the idea of us being together and me talking about it this way now does nothing for him.

  "Why can't everything be perfect and easy now, between us?" he asks, shocking me.

  Out of all the things he could have said, I didn't even consider him saying something like that.

  I try to gather my thoughts. "I don't know…," I trail off. "I just feel like I ruined that easiness when I said all of those things in the van before you dropped me off."

  Will shakes his head. "You didn't ruin anything."

  His eyes are so compelling that I can't look away. I can tell that he is genuine.

  "Still. I'm sorry for everything I said. Truly. You were right about a lot of things… I was afraid. Still kind of am. And you saw that. I didn't want to be honest, so I pushed you away. I am sorry that I hurt you. I should have said I loved you back when we were on the sky glider."

  As soon as the words are out, it feels like there is a new heat between us. It's so intense that I kind of want to take it back because the way Will is looking at me causes an uproar of butterflies that has never happened before.

  But I also love the way it makes me feel.

  Just like I love him.

  Seeing him sitting across from at the table now, I realize that I love Will Keely.

  I love the way he makes me feel. I love the way I think when I'm around him. I love how he's brought so much happiness, excitement, and adventure into my life. I love how he is and how he's not afraid to live life and go after what he wants. I love him.

  "Apology accepted," Will says, reaching across the table for my hand.

  I worry he'll be grossed out by my clammy hand, but he doesn't seem to notice. Or if he does, he doesn't seem to mind.

  He grips my hand tightly and brings it up to his lips, planting three warm kisses on my palm. I feel the heat from his lips spread through the rest of my body.

  He doesn't let go of my hand when he's done kissing it. Instead, he keeps our fingers firmly intertwined. I like how our hands feel and look together. Together.

  "So," Will starts, breaking the silence again. "You really drove all the way to Big Al's for all of those trolls?"

  His question lightens the mood, and I laugh with him, spotting my nearest troll hung on top of the funnel cake vendor — the troll dressed like Rapunzel. The thin yarn hair attached to the troll is blowing softly in the breeze, looking creepily regal.

  "I know how much you love those things, and I wanted to add a couple to your collection, so you could have more of me in your van."

  "I love them," he says, looking me straight in the eyes.

  My cheeks heat again, and my stomach feels all wishy-washy in the very best way.

  "So, do you want to finish everything we should have on our first day here?"

  "Nah," Will says, looking me up and down.

  I heat under his gaze, knowing instinctively what he means.

  "I want to get all of those trolls down, and then I want to go back to Matilda and show you just how much I've missed you."

  "Will," I breathe, taken aback by his straightforwardness.

  "What?" he asks, playing innocent.

  He leads me away from the table and then asks each of the vendors for their stools so he can climb up and untangle all four of his new trolls. Some of the vendors give me enthusiastic thumbs up when they see us walking away hand in hand. I would have shied away from the attention just weeks ago, but I realize walking out of the fair hand in hand with Will that I like everyone knowing that he is mine and that I am his.

  Epilogue

  THREE WEEKS LATER

  I hear Matilda chug to a stop outside my house. Will kills her engine, and I hear the door slide open.

  I am running very late.

  I got everything packed last night, but I slept through my alarm this morning after working the last three days in a row. It's worth it, though, because I'm going to be off for a whole week. This will be the most time we'll have to ourselves in Matilda before school starts.

  I exchange my pajamas for a romper, cardigan, and some sandals. My hair will have to stay in a bun because there's no way that I'm going to put effort into detangling my curls and styling them when we're on a time crunch. Same for makeup. There's no point, especially since after our drive, we are going to be camping.

  I double-check that everything's in my backpack one last time.

  Laptop, charger, backup charger, portable hard drive, two chargers, and a portable charger.

  I did most of the work for my classes because I wanted to enjoy my time on the road as much as possible, but I know that there will be times when Will will have to work, and I want to use those times for writing.

  My readers are just as hungry for my writing as ever, and seeing my growth every day has me more motivated than ever to write.

  It's crazy to think that a couple weeks ago, that never would have happened and that I would still be writing for BookCookie.

  Since I've published Because of You, I've already made a couple hundred bucks. And people are begging me for a sequel.

  I hear Will and my mom talking downstairs. After the fair, Will and I came back here, my mother ordered us pizza, and we all watched movies on the couch. After that, whenever Will comes over, he always spends at least twenty minutes with just my mom. It's cute to see how their relationship has been developing.

  When Will left that first night, my mother told me how surprised she was that she liked him so much.

  I make my way down the hall towards them, my backpack slung over my shoulders and my heavy bag trailing on the floor behind me. Will told me that I shouldn't pack much, but this is my first time going out on the road for a longer time. I want to make sure that I'm prepared for every situation.

  He had laughed at me, but he also got it. He said he was exactly like that the first couple of months he was on the road.

  They both turn to look at me when I am at the end of the hallway. Will has a funny look on his face, and my mother looks the most ecstatic I've seen her in years. She rushes over to me, enveloping me in a bone-crushing hug.

  "You have to text me every day," she says, pulling back. "And please, call me at least a couple times. They don't have to be long phone call
s, but I just want to make sure that you're okay and know roughly where you are."

  I chuckle at all of her concern. Ever since we had that heart to heart in my bedroom, she has been much more open with me. And it's made all the difference in our relationship. I know that I'll miss her just like she'll miss me.

  "I will, Mom. Promise."

  She smiles at me and hugs me again, her jasmine perfume filling my nose. Will steps up behind her and grabs my bag. It looks like he expects to sling it easily over his shoulder, but when he realizes how heavy it is, he struggles with it a bit.

  "Geez, Corren! What'd you pack in here? This thing is heavy."

  He goes at it with two hands, and this time slings it over his shoulder. He winces, and I bet it's from some of my books shifting and hitting him in the back. I giggle at his funny look.

  I follow him to the door. He swats away my hand when I try to get it for him. Instead, he opens it and smashes himself against the wall.

  "Ladies first," he says.

  My mom looks pleased as she walks us out.

  Matilda waits for us in all of her shining glory. Will said that he washed her the other day to make sure that she looks her best for the trip. I admire her shiny, pastel blue exterior, gleaming in the sun. Even her rusted spots look better, brighter.

  Will slides open the side door and scoots in as he arranges my duffel bag. My mother and I watch him for a minute in a comfortable silence. I know that parts of both of us cannot believe this is happening right now.

  "I am so excited for you," my mother says, turning towards me.

  I hug her again, squeezing her just as tight as she squeezed me in the hallway.

  "I'll be back before you know it, Mom," I say, pecking her on the cheek.

  "I know," she says, her voice thick with tears. "I'm not trying to cry. This isn't sad at all. I'm just so excited for you, so proud of you. So happy that you're doing something like this. Getting out there and traveling."

  She smiles at me, and Will closes the sliding door.

  "I'll see you in a week, Ms. Corren," he says, hugging my mom.

  Will heads off to the driver's side, where he pretends to futz with something, trying to show us that we're not pressured to hurry up.

  "He's such a nice young man," my mom says, wiping away the stray tear by her eye.

  "He is," I smile.

  "You know, you can call me if you need me, Ella," my mom says, surprising me with the nickname.

  Will's called me Ella in her presence, but this is the first time she's used it. Hearing her say it means a lot to me. I try not to tear up.

  "I will, Mom," I tell her, although I know I won't.

  Will and I are going to be just fine.

  We hug one last time, and then she pats me on the back. Her signal that she is ready for me to go.

  I step around to the passenger side and hoist myself up into my seat.

  "You ready to do this, Corren?" Will asks.

  "Yea, I'm ready."

  I click my seat belt into place, and Will shifts Matilda's gears. We start to creep backward. My mother and I wave as he takes us down the rest of the driveway. He swerves quickly when we're nearly at the end, muttering under his breath as he just narrowly misses taking out the mailbox.

  I laugh, and I can see my mom laughing too. Will honks once at her, and she waves again before heading inside.

  We are halfway down the block when it registers with me just how excited I am. Excited to be back in Matilda, eager to be back on the road with Will, excited to see where this week takes us and all the new memories we will make.

  "Will," I say, turning towards him.

  "Yea?" he asks, looking at me out of the corner of his eye.

  "I really love being in this van with you," I say, trying to show him how much this and him mean to me.

  A smile spreads across his face, and I feel mine quickly following. He stares at me for a moment; Matilda braked at the stop sign.

  In a couple of minutes, we will be driving away from this town to a new place. Exploring together. As a couple.

  "I love you too, Ella," he smiles, taking his foot off the brake.

  He reaches for my hand, and we intertwine our fingers.

  And off we go.

  About Mia Evans

  Mia Evans writes contemporary romance of varying levels of heat. Anything from cavity-inducing sweet romances to steamier love stories are fair game. As long as the men are hot, and there’s a story to be told, she’s in.

  She published her first work, For Forever, in November 2020.

  She lives with her cats and book boyfriends in Wisconsin.

  Already hooked on her stuff? Join Mia Evans’ VIP club to subscribe to her mailing list and receive her newsletter and release notifications! Join here: https://bit.ly/2KeXoPv

  Thank you so much for reading! Please remember to leave an honest review! Nothing helps an author more!

  Happy reading!

  Want more of Will & Ella?

  Click the link to receive a cute short of what life is like on the road for the two lovebirds. And, it’s from Will’s POV!

  https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/q2n0i7

  Then, read on for the first chapter from Mia Evans’ first work - For Forever!

  Also by Mia Evans

  For Forever

  What do you do when the only girl you've ever loved is 100% off-limits?

  My name is Elijah Gray, and I'm in love with Samantha Wilson.

  There are two major problems with that.

  1.) She's dating another guy (a guy I can't stand)

  2.) She's been my best friend since the first grade

  Even after she ditches the guy, getting with her could ruin our friendship.

  That's age-old advice, right? Don't try to date your best friend.

  I'm terrified of losing her, but I can't stay in the best friend zone much longer.

  I guess it doesn't matter.

  Sam's never felt that way about me, or so I thought…

  After a kiss (okay, a couple of kisses), a part of me thinks that Sam may feel something for me too.

  She's been working on getting her life back together, and maybe I'm a part of those rebuilding plans.

  After all these years, will we break through the friendzone? Or will both of us become broken in the process?

  For Forever is a standalone, full-length, new adult contemporary romance with steamy love scenes and a sweet HEA. It features two best friends meant to be together so bad it hurts and their journey to growth, healing, and love. No cheating and no cliffhanger.

  For Forever Chapter One

  SAM

  My heels clack as we make our way across the street to the restaurant the girls wanted to go to. I wish I were with Eli because my heels would have been off. After being on my feet much more than I'm used to, I'm definitely over these heels today. Actually, I'm definitely over this entire outfit.

  Sue and Marissa are talking animatedly about the guys they find cute from IT. Lucy is staring down at her phone. When I peek over her shoulder, I can see she is texting her boyfriend. Makes me think of Zach. Maybe they're fighting again? If they are, we'll surely hear about it over dinner.

  I try to participate in the boy conversation, but I cannot find it in myself to scrounge up the excitement. The men they're talking about aren't even that cute. Derrick, their newest obsession, is already starting to bald, and he is in his early twenties like us. He also thinks his lame IT jokes make him the funniest man on Earth.

  "What do you think, Sam?" they ask.

  "Sorry, what was the question?" I ask. I wasn't paying attention.

  My mind was wondering to Zach. He said that he might be coming over tonight, but honestly, I hope that plan gets canceled like most of our plans lately. Eli told me that if Zach doesn't end up coming over, he'll order us Romano's, and we can spend the night on the couch watching Disney movies. I like that idea much more than hearing Zach talk more about the newest deal he's w
orking to close. Or about how all the other guys in his office don't know shit compared to him.

  I smile when I think of Eli. Today, he sent me one of the funniest things I've seen in a while. He knows that my friends are obsessed with the guys from IT, and he found the perfect meme that looks just like Derrick.

  "Doesn't Derrick look like he knows his way around the kitchen?" Sue asks, her big brown eyes going wide.

  I snort. I can't help myself. The question is so ridiculous that it catches me completely off guard. Lucy looks up from her texts and laughs too.

  "What?" Sue asks, innocently.

  "You think about how good around the kitchen men are when you crush on them?" Lucy jokes.

  Sue shrugs. "I want a man who can cook!" she exclaims.

  Marissa laughs with Lucy and me, and Sue's cheeks heat.

  I think of Derrick. Every part of him comes to mind, but no part of me can imagine him knowing his way around the kitchen. He seems like he would be the type to trip over his own foot, knock a hot pan over on his way down, and then splatter everything in the kitchen with hot oil.

  "No, I don't think he would be good in the kitchen," I say, disagreeing with Sue's fantasy. "I think he'd be too clumsy for that."

  Sue frowns like my answer disappoints her, and Marissa changes the subject.

  "Was that Zach texting you?" she asks.

  Out of my group of work friends, we are probably the closest. But that level of closeness is nowhere near the level of closeness I have with Eli.

  "No, it was Eli," I say, cringing because I know that they are going to try to shift gears towards him now.

  After Eli brought me lunch to work one day, they have asked me a million questions about him whenever I bring him up.