The Billionaire's One

46. Day Thirty Four of Growing

Elliot kept his promise.

At least the ones where he told me that he would give me his time and call me whenever he could.

Meticulously, he plotted out my schedule over our conversations of two weeks and by the third week, he called me only at time when he knew I would be free.

"You were wrong," he tells me, sleepily, the moment I answer the phone.

I look at the time on my laptop which reads 11:37 PM, which means it's evening for him, but evening after putting in close to forty hours of work.

I try to wrack my brain to remember what I could be wrong about.

"What was I wrong about?"

I hear shuffling on his side and I'm pretty sure he's squashing his pillows into oblivion to get comfortable. I've heard him doing it so much in our weeks of conversations. It makes me smile knowing that he's getting himself ready to have a good night's sleep.

"You said that the worst thing about you is that you sometimes hold a grudge. That you tend not to forget things," he says, making my insides flutter, despite the fact that he listed some things that I don't particularly appreciate about myself.

"I did say that."

"You were wrong," he tells me, decidedly, like it's a fact he read in one of his many textbooks, "The worst thing about you is how far away you are."

There's a moment of silence as I allow his words to settle in around me, blanketing me in the warmth of Elliot's adoration. He stays quiet, used to this by now.

No one has ever told my such beautiful things using such mundane words, spoken at such inconspicuous moments.

"When you say things like that," I take a steadying breath, "I'm quite glad that you're far away so that you can't take my pulse."

Elliot chuckles and it gives me chills. Then, he groans. "See? You say things like that and you're too far away/ you laugh and you're too far away. You sigh and you're too far away, Aura. I should have never let you get on that plane, Aura."

I put a hand over my face to cover my expression from myself. "You need sleep, El. You're talking crazy."

"I'll sleep," he tells me, "When I've properly heard your voice. Tell me about your day."

I press my lips together to keep from smiling. "Uneventful," I say, short and aloof.

"And how is your family?"

"All well."

"And Miles?"

"Sleeping at dawn."

There's a short silence.

I stamp down my smile.

"Oh," Elliot begins, "I watched the first episode of Criminal Minds the other day because you were going on and on about it and it really was quite intriguing."

I sit up straight, nodding, despite the fact that he can't see me. "It really is, right? It really was something else. I was so excited to start the next episode at the end of it, you know? I love how they get into the inner workings of the minds of the criminal. I also love the shots that they do, with how they recreate the crime and transitions into the crime scene. I knew you'd find it interesting. I mean, in a way, it has to do with the brain and you're a brain doctor. Did you just not love the way they mentioned that serial killer in the beginning of the episode and then –"

Scrunching my eyes shut, I shake my head at myself.

"You must be thinking that you're so smart, doctor," I chastise.

Elliot laughs like it's been bubbling for a while. "I know how excited you are about it. What can I say? I know my girl."

"You're despicable," I tell him, trying, in vain, to keep the smile from my face.

"And I know you're smiling, Aura," he stifles a yawn.

Softly, I tell him, "And I know you need sleep, El."

"Mmm, five more minutes," he protests.

I laugh. "I'll be here to talk your ear off after you get some sleep, El. I promise."

Sighing, Elliot concedes, dramatically, as he usually does. "Alright, I shall sleep. But I will hold you to your promise." He pauses. "I miss you, Aura."

I close my eyes. "I miss you, El."

"I'll talk to you soon."

"I'll count the minutes."

"Goodnight, my girl."

I hope you're enjoying their story.

Much love!