Miles

Chapter 7

"You did what?" her mother's bright eyes stared at her with unbelief on her face. Ella opened her mouth to speak again when her mother's eyes fell on the ring on her left hand. She pointed a finger at it and then shook her head.

"Tell me you did not just accept that boy's proposal."

Ella sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "Mother, don't be upset. It came as a surprise."

"So you just said yes?! I've had my fair share of surprises and if I were to say yest to all of them you'd have a load of siblings!"

Ella shut her eyes from that horrific image and walked past her mother to the living room where she sat down. She rubbed her face and admitted that it was a little sudden, but when it came to life, who had patience? All morning long, the buzz at work had been about her as the new CEO's trophy wife. She couldn't take it anymore and left early home. But the look on her mother's face told her that she hadn't been too far gone from the emotions she'd left behind from work.

"Ella," she said with a breathless sigh. "May I remind you what a horrible person his mother is? How are you going to marry a man whose mother hates your very breath of life? Can you stand it?"

Ella shrugged her shoulders and placed her hands together. "I can't run from her forever. I love Miles. I will be with him and if it comes with a mother like her, I will do my best. Besides, it's not like he doesn't stand up for me. He does, every single time, so I'm not worried about anything."

Her mother covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "I worry about your sanity."

Ella walked to her and pried her hands free. "Mother, I'm going to be fine. Now, I need you to stay put together because I'm going to need help with the wedding as much as possible. If you're not straight in the head, I will be the worse bridezilla ever!"

Laughing, her mother replied, "Now that I can't wait to see."

It was surreal, Ella thought, as she stared at the ring on her hand. It hadn't been that long since he proposed yet it felt as if it had been forever since she said yes. The ring felt a little like an intruder right now because she wasn't used to it. But it was only because she had to make it fit her.

Ella, a wife, she smiled at the thought, as she placed her hand on her chest. She never thought it would end up this way. When she thought back to their beginning, she had been like a frightened cat, always looking for a way to feel safe and comfortable. The hurtful words his mother had said to her that made her run off was still in the back of her mind. But they didn't burn her like it used to. It didn't make her want to run away again.

Her phone buzzed beside her and Miles' name lit up on the screen. She smiled, reached over and picked it up. "Hello, husband."

A soft purr came on the line. "Hmm...say that again."

"Hello, husband."

"Hot damn, wife," he replied. "That is one hello I love to hear every single time I call you. How are you? How did your mother take the news?"

She leaned back against the headboard on her bed and switched the phone to her other ear. "It was as expected. She wasn't happy but I never did think she would, knowing our history together."

"Well, she was dating Henry at one point."

Ella laughed. "That too. How is dear old Henry, by the way?"
"Looking for another woman to please at the moment. I swear, my mother and him have a gift of running through partners like water. I'm glad I didn't inherit anything from that."

"Well, he's your stepfather, so you wouldn't." Ella cleared her throat. "So...when did you want the wedding to be? We haven't really discussed more than just me saying I do."

A chuckle came from him. "Technically, "I do," is all I need from you."

Ella felt her heart flutter. "You know those will be the words you hear when you see me in white." Her smile faded and she got serious. "Miles, is there anything your mother can use to hurt me? I mean, to stop me from marrying you that I don't know about?"

"What do you mean?"
Clearing her throat, she said, "What I mean is, is there anything in your past that you haven't told me about that she can use to hurt me? To force me to let you go?"

"Ella," his voice was steady. "We've had this conversation already. You know everything there is to know about me. If something comes up, it's something I am unaware of that she's purposely trying to use to break us apart. Don't fall victim to it and don't believe her so fast. As I told you before, until you hear it from me, the truth is yet to be told. I need you to stay strong for me. Can you do that, Ella?"

She sighed deeply. "I can."

Miles entered the front foyer of his mother's house and found her setting up the table with breakfast. This was the first time he'd seen her do this kind of work and he was shocked. He took out his phone and began snapping photos. She stopped and looked up, her face holding an expression that she didn't appreciate what he was doing.

"Mother," he said with a grin. "You can't blame, can you? I mean, this is the first time I've seen you ever doing such housework. I have to capture this moment."

"You're such an ungrateful son."

He lowered his phone and slipped it into his pockets. "Now, now, don't start with the name calling. Who started this?"

She laughed and turned to face him. "You think just because you put a ring on her finger, I will accept her into my home? As soon as she says, "I do," I will make her life miserable. She will be mine to torture legally."

Miles walked to her and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Mother, this conversation is getting old and frankly, I'm tired of repeating of myself. Remember this moment when you are nearing the age of nursing home. I have no problem signing you off to whatever retired home that will take you. You gave birth to me and I think I more than paid for it by enduring your bullshit through the years, mother. But I already told you...she's my last draw of endurance. You pick on her and you gain not one enemy but two."

She gave him a weak smile. "I am appalled at you. You're just like your father, always picking up dirt poor woman to polish."

He walked to her and bent down to whisper in her ear. "Careful, mother, you're talking about yourself there."