Taking Shots (Assassins) (70 page)

When Elli realized she wasn’t the only one in the room, she met eyes with James. He gave her a half grin as he walked towards her, wrapping her up in his arms.

“
Hey.”

“
Hey, James, how are you?”

“
Good, better than you, I’m guessing.”

Elli nodded as the consent ache in her chest got worst. When Elli was in Boston she had bonded so much with James, and the fact that she hadn’t seen or spoken to him in the last couple months made her just as big of a selfish ass as Shea was. Elli was more a bitch though, how could she intertwine herself with these people and then just complete forget about them. How dare she? They deserved better.

“
I think my stuffed wolf fish is better than I am.” James chuckled, his arm still around her shoulders.

“
We miss you. You can still come see us, you know?”

Elli nodded, feeling worst than she did two minutes ago, “I know,” she said as she swallowed.

“
Jenna and Mark are coming in next week; maybe we all can do dinner. Shea will be out of town if they win tomorrow.”

“
Which they will,” Elli said as James nodded in agreement, “Give me a call, we’ll see, okay?”

“
Okay,” James said as Grace came back into the room.

“
James, can you get everything out of Elli’s truck?”

“
Sure can,” he said walking towards her, placing a kiss on her cheek before leaving the kitchen.

“
Have a seat, Elli. I’ll pour us some tea.”

Elli did as she was asked, pulling out the large chair before settling in it. She watched as Grace moved through the kitchen, gathering the cups, sugar, and spoons before coming to the table, laying everything down for them. Nothing was said as they made their teas, they didn’t even make eye contact.

Finally Elli couldn’t take it no more and said, “How have you been?”

“
Good, Amelia is finally sleeping through the night,” they shared a smile since that was one of the first things they talked about so long ago, “Ryan is doing wonderful in school, James is working a lot and so am I.”

“
Good,” Elli said, and she meant it. “Why hasn’t Ryan seen Shea?” Elli blurted out, Grace shrugged her shoulders as she swirled her spoon in her cup.

“
I’m not really sure, Shea’s been taking time to himself I guess,” Grace said before sharing a look with Elli that took Elli’s breath away. What was she supposed to make of that? Time to his self? For what? “How are you doing, Elli?”

“
That’s a loaded question, Grace. You know that.”

Grace smiled, taking a sip of her tea, “Elli, there was a time when I was convinced you would be my sister, so yeah it may be a loaded question, but I want to know.”

“
For you or for him?”

“
That’s not fair, I care about you.”

“
Yeah, but you care about Shea more, and that’s fine.” Elli said warming her hands from the cup she was holding, “I’m fine Grace, I’m starting a new chapter in my life and I have to move on.”

Sadness filled Grace’s eyes, “Why Elli? He told me what happened; you honestly don’t believe he kissed your sister do you?”

“
It wasn’t the first time Grace.”

“
What?”

“
When I was in Tampa, a girl at the bar kissed him and he didn’t stop. He said it was cause the girl sucked his lips off and I believed him, but when I saw him with Victoria,” Elli shook her head, “I still have nightmares about it. She swears up and down he kissed her from what my mother says, and he says she kissed him. So I just cut them both out of my life.”

“
And you okay with that?”

“
Oh, course not, I miss him every day, but what am I supposed to do?”

“
Talk to him maybe?”

Elli shook her head, letting out an aggravated sigh, “I can’t do what I did with the guy I was with before Shea. I always took him back, always accepted his apologies. I can’t do it this time, no matter how hard it hurts.”

“
Elli, he loves you, so much.”

“
No, if he still loved me he wouldn’t have been out with some woman last night.”

Grace pinched the bridge of the nose, closing her eyes as she let out a long breath, “What woman?”

“
I don’t know; some blonde. I went to this event last night knowing I would see him there; I was hoping that seeing him would-hell I don’t know what I was hoping it would do. I just wanted to see him,” a tear leaked from her eye, rolling down her cheek, “I just missed him, and to be honest, I’m not over him, no matter how much I say that I am, no matter how many times I say I’m fine. I’m not.” More tears ran down her cheeks before Grace wrapped her arms around Elli, holding her close as they both sobbed.

They stayed liked that for a long time. Elli didn’t realize how much she missed being hugged by someone, even if it wasn’t the arms she longed for, it still warmed her from head to toe. The only reason they parted, Elli thought, was because Grace’s phone rang. Grace pulled back, grabbing her phone explaining that it might be the pharmacy about Ryan’s meds. Elli knew by the look on Grace’s face, that it was Shea.

“
Hey, um, just having some tea, what are you doing? Oh, okay, yeah, um, he’s awake, yeah. Sure, okay love you, bye.”

Elli finished her tea before standing up and taking the cup to the sink, “He’s on his way over?” Elli asked as she moved her fingers through her hair, pulling it up in the pony tail.

“
Yeah,” Grace said standing up, “Why don’t you stay? James and I could leave with Ryan, and, you know, maybe it will help.”

Elli shook her head, “No Grace, he needs to spend time with Ryan, not see me,” she said before walking up to Grace, enveloping her in a tight hug. “I’ll come see you guys, I promise.”

When she pulled back, Grace was still crying. “Good, but I wish you’d stay.”

“
I can’t.”

“
Please.”

“
No, I can’t. The faster I get over him the easier my life will be,” Elli said as she made her way out the kitchen and down the hall to Ryan’s room. He smiled up at her when she entered; he had on Elli’s old jersey, along with the stick Shea had signed for her when he first got signed to the Assassins.

“
I’m leaving buddy, I just wanted to say bye.”

“
Okay, Ms. Elli, thanks for all my new stuff,” he said before throwing his little arms around her neck, hugging her tightly. “Will I see you soon?”

“
Sure darlin’, maybe I’ll come when Grandma and Grandpa get here.”

“
Awesome!” he said punching his fist in the air. Elli stood, and with a wave she left. Grace stood at the end of the hall and when Elli reached her, they hugged once more before walking towards the door.

“
Are you sure you can’t stay?” Grace asked again, hope filling her eyes.

“
I’m sure,” Elli said, walking down the steps, “but I’ll be back.”

“
Okay, bye Elli.”

“
Bye Grace,” Elli said with a wave, before getting into her truck and driving off. The new chapter in Elli’s life might not include Shea, but it would include his family.

Elli swore to that.

When Elli got home, she cried, and cried instead of doing something productive. There was a list of things she needed to do, but crying seemed like a better idea. Maybe she should have stayed, seen what Shea’s reaction would have been. Would he of beg her for another chance? Would he ask why she was there? Or would he just take her in his arms, and kiss her senseless?

What would she have done if he had said or done any of them things?

The questions swarmed in her head as she turned on her laptop, checking her email. She deleted all the junk mail before coming to the one from her Papa.

Eleanor, you are not sitting with me tomorrow night, sit in your seats. I know the family will be up in the boxes, but I need pictures since this is the final game. When we win it, we’ll be going to the cup finals. Not that you don’t know that, but still I better not see you anywhere but in your seats, taking picture.

Love you.

Well shit.

“
Was that Elli?” Shea asked when Grace answered the door. Grace stood there for a minute, before nodding her head. “What the hell was she doing here?” he asked as he came inside, still staring his twin down.

“
She came to drop off some things to Ryan.”

Shea’s eye brows drew together and his heart continued to hammer against his chest. He had missed her by a matter of seconds. She pulled out as he was pulling in. When he heard a pair of little feet running up the hall, he turned to see his special little guy with a biggest grin on his face and the biggest jersey on.

“
Unky Shea!” he yelled running to him, jumping into his arms. Shea caught him eagerly, nuzzling his nose in Ryan’s hair, taking in his scent, peanut butter and strawberries. When he pulled back grinning at Shea, Shea gave him a loud smacking kiss on the cheeks.

“
How is my buddy doing?”

“
Good, I’ve missed you so much. Where have you been?”

“
Been busy, Ryan, I’m sorry.”

“
It’s okay, you see the new jersey Ms. Elli brought over, you should see all the things she bought me, it’s awesome!”

Shea cut Grace a look, but she wasn’t looking at him, “Ms. Elli came by to see you?”

“
Yup, and she said when Grandma and Grandpa come next week, she’ll come! Isn’t that great?”

“
Sure is, bud,” Shea said painfully as he put Ryan on his hip, walking with him towards his room.

“
You should come, too,” Ryan gushed.

“
Probably can’t bud, got the finals next week.”

“
You should try.”

“
Yeah, I should,” Shea agreed as they walked down the hall. When he saw all Elli’s things from her foyer, he felt like the last nail to his coffin was nailed in. Elli wasn’t kidding when she said she was done with him. Maybe he didn’t fight hard enough, but he did everything short of breaking into her house and taping her to a chair to make her listen. He sent flowers for weeks, called at least three times a day, sent texts every hour it seemed. He fought, he tried, but what else could he of done?

After spending the afternoon with Ryan, Shea played dolls with Amelia. It hurt to see how much Amelia had changed in the last two months. Ryan was basically the same, a little taller, but not Amelia. She was taller, had longer hair, and she was talking so much more. How did so much change in two months and how could he have missed it?

When he made his way back into the kitchen, Grace was sitting at the table. She had her hand under her chin, the other tangled in her long black hair as she leaned on her elbow. He watched her for a moment, she was so beautiful, and he wondered what she was thinking.

“
Amelia is talking a lot more,” he said pulling out the chair that was across from her, and lowering himself into it. She looked up at him, nodding her head.

“
She is, James says just like her mommy does.” Shea smiled, nodding his head. They all knew how much Grace liked to talk. “How are-”

“
What did she say, Grace?” Shea said cutting her off, he didn’t mean too but he didn’t think he could wait much longer to know. He felt like the biggest ass since the whole time he played with Ryan and Amelia, all he was thinking about was what Elli told Grace.

“
What do you mean?” Grace asked innocently.

“
Come on now, I know she said something.”

“
Just that she was doing okay.”

“
Liar, tell me what she said.”

They shared a long intense look before Grace cracked, like Shea knew she would, “She said she went last night to see you because she missed you and that she isn’t okay or fine, she just tried to act like she is. But when she saw you with some blonde, seeing that you moved on, she figured she needed too.”

“
Is that why she brought her stuff over?”

“
She said she didn’t want to give it to goodwill.”

“
Okay, so she brings it over here, knowing I’ll see it?”

“
I don’t know what she was thinking Shea; she just wanted Ryan to have your things.”

Shea was getting more pissed by the minute, “Pack it all up, Ryan can’t have it.”

“
Shea! That’s not right.”

“
No, I want her stuff because I’ve had enough. She is gonna listen to me. I don’t want anyone else but her. I’m not over her, and she’s gonna know it,” he said as he stood, slamming the chair against the table.

“
Where are you going?”

“
Home.”

“
Home? I thought you were gonna go talk to her!” Grace said, following him from the kitchen to the door.

“
I need to get my speech out right; I’ll get her tomorrow before the game. I know she’ll be there, from what Harper said she has been sitting with Bryan all this time.”

“
Oh,” Grace said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek, “So you’re going to do this in front of your boss?”

Shea nodded, “If I have too, but she will know tomorrow that I love her and I haven’t given up on us.”

Shea felt good the next morning. He worked out with Jakob, went to have lunch before going home for a nap, all with the confidence that by the end of the night not only would he be going to the Stanley Cup Finals, but he would have Elli back in his life. For good. He was done with all this nonsense, hell he was done with it two months ago, but she wasn’t getting away anymore. He would tell her everything he felt, then he would kiss her. He knew that when their lips met everything would be okay. She would feel all the love he had been holding onto just for her. He just knew it.