The Hamptons

Chapter 25

I stood there, heart pounding and full of hope.

Me-"You love me?"

His gorgeous green eyes were about to pop out of his head as he realized what he just let slip. He looked around the room for a moment before sighing. He moved forward until he was right in front of me and took my hands in his.

Eli-"Clare, I have never met anyone like you in my entire life. Everything about you is so perfect."

I rolled my eyes and laughed sarcastically. He just squeezed my hands a little tighter.

Eli-"No, really. I don't care what you or anyone else thinks or says…..you're perfect to me. A few years ago I had a girlfriend named Julia. We had been together forever. Her and her step mom didn't get along very much, so she practically lived at my house. One year for Christmas me, my mom and dad went to Paris for business. I asked her to go with me but she said her step mom wouldn't let her. I thought this was a little strange because her dad and step mom were going to Fiji for Christmas. Well, on Christmas Eve I couldn't stand the idea of her being alone. So I got on an air plane and came home early to surprise her. I knew she would be alone at her house so I went there. When I got there I went straight to her bedroom because that's the only place in her dad's house she felt at home. I didn't bother knocking because she had always told me to just come on in, well… I walked in on her and my best friend having sex."

I was shocked. Yeah drew told me about it before, but here I was getting the whole story.

Eli-"All 3 of us ended up getting into this huge fight. Apparently they started having sex not 6 months after we got together. She said she never loved me and that the only reason she stayed with me was because I was paying her way through school. I was so hurt. My heart was torn to pieces. I told them both to leave me alone, and I never saw them again. I never let anyone close after that. I haven't been in any type of relationship since. I only used girls to fulfill my sexual needs. But then after a while I only slept with girls because that's what my life had become, and I felt like that's what people expected me to do. At first it was really bad. I was partying and drinking every night, and blowing my parent's money on booze and stupid stuff. But they didn't care. I was driving to this girl's house one night after a party when I had a car crash that almost killed me. My friends realized how bad I was and forced me to stop. I still slept with girls but not as much as I had when I first started. I used to hurt girls too. I used to be mean to them and reject them in the most hurtful way because I wanted someone….anyone to hurt as much as I was. After my crash I realized how out of control my life had become so I straightened up. I didn't party or drink. And my life was pretty normal for a while…until I met you."

I looked away from him and down to my hands that were laid perfectly in his. I felt bad for causing such a drama fest for him after everything he had been through. Everything I had ever said to him that was mean and hurtful flashed through my head and I felt like a thousand pounds were dropped on my shoulders.

He picked my face up by my chin.

Eli-"You changed everything."

Me-"I'm sorry."

I couldn't look him in the face, not now.

Eli-"For what?"

Me-"For making these last few weeks terrible. I was rude and mean. You have been through so much and all I did was make it worse."

Eli-"No you didn't. If anything you made it 100 times better than it would've been without you."

Me-"I doubt it." I mumbled softly.

Eli-"You know what you helped me realize these last few weeks?"

Me-"That I'm a bitch."

He laughed and shook his head.

Eli-"No, you made me realize that even after everything I have been through I can love. I love you more than anyone I have ever loved before…even Julia."

Tears pricked at my eyes and I tried to stop them from falling but I couldn't.

Eli-"Please don't cry."

Me-"It's just that I have loved you from the moment I met you I just didn't realize it until later, when we were in too deep. I was mean and hurtful to you and I wasn't fair to you. I had no idea what you had been through. I just looked at you like you were just another player. And for a while that's all I thought you were but then we would have amazing heart filled moments and my feelings for you began to change. I was so confused, I thought you hated me. And based on what I have said and done to you, you should." I sighed and sat down on the bed.

He sat down next to me.

Eli-"Clare…..the first time I saw you I loved you too. But those feelings were so raw and connected to hurt that I pushed them away the first time I started feeling them. I didn't want to feel those things, but being around you was so intoxicating that I couldn't help it and I was doing things with you that I never had with any girl, and it scared the shit out of me. I would catch myself and then push you away and shut down. That's why I was so mean and hurtful to you for no reason. You don't deserve that Clare….not from anyone. You are a beautiful woman who deserves to be loved and taken care of."

I shook my head.

Me-"I don't deserve those things not from anyone. I'm so judgmental to everyone, I mean I didn't even give you a chance."

Eli-"Yes you did and I pushed you away. It's my fault that we fought all the time, I was always looking for ways to make you mad at me and make you stay away. but it seemed like the more I did the more you wanted to get to know me. It was so frustrating. But that's what I decided that I couldn't stay away from you any longer. I need to love you. I want to."

Me-"I want to love you too…."

Eli-"Then let me."

I couldn't stand the distance between us. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. They were warm and responsive in seconds. My hands found his hair and he pulled me down with him to lie on the bed. Our hands roamed each other's bodies. He was everywhere. Invading my mind like a black hole. He was so close but not close enough. It was like he read my mind and pulled me closer to him. I don't know how long we kissed like that before anything happened but I knew it was a long time. I was trying to turn this into more, but he wasn't having that. I kissed him, feeling his emotions poured in to the kisses that he was returning. I wanted him. I had loved him from the moment I saw him and I was ready for this. It was meant to be and I wanted it to be with him. He was the one, my soul mate and I wanted to share that unbreakable bond with him and no one else. I pulled away and looked into his eyes.

Me-"Eli, please make love to me."

I thought he was about to protest and immediately say n but he didn't. He just looked at me for a moment.

Eli-"Are you sure you want me to do that?"

Me-"100% sure. I love you with my whole heart and nothing is going to change that. I want you. All of you, but only if you want to give yourself to me."

He stood there looking at me for quite some time. The minutes ticked on and on and I couldn't help the worry that clouded my heart and mind. He wouldn't say anything and I was dying for him to. I was about to burst into tears when he took my hands in his and stared deep into my eyes.

Eli- "Clare, I will always be yours. Forever and always."

He let go of one of my hands and wiped away a tear that escaped and was falling down my cheek.

He cupped my face with his hand and leaned forward to capture my lips with his. His kiss was amazing. It was unlike any kiss I had ever had. Fireworks exploded in my head, consuming me with the love I felt him put into this kiss. Once we were breathless we pulled away and looked each other in the eyes. His eyes were dark and full of lust and passion and it was my undoing. I grabbed his neck and pulled him to me. Once our lips connected all was forgotten, and we moved toward the bed. Falling on it we lost ourselves.