Somewhere Else

Chapter 4

4

Jude

Throughout the ride back to my house, Elle kept nodding off into sleep. I didn't mind at all, but every time she felt her head droop, she'd snap back up with a small 'sorry' emitting from her soft lips. By the time I pulled to a stop at the curb, she'd dozed off entirely. I shut off the engine and snuck around to her side of the car. The moment I pulled open her door, she slumped into my arms with a start.

"Sorry—" Her voice was thick with sleep.

"No apologies, love. Let me carry you."

The gentle smile I so dearly loved pulled across her lips. Before scooping her up, I placed my own on hers. There are no words to describe how much I knew I was going to miss seeing her, hearing her, and holding her every day. Fucking hell it was going to be tough.

It may seem silly, but I loved carrying her. I loved feeling her in my arms and assuming full responsibility for her. When I was holding her, her safety was in my hands; I didn't trust it in anyone else's.

Once inside, I trudged up to our bedroom. Elle would fight me on whether it was my bedroom or ours, but I've told her repeatedly that she was as much of a member of the house as I was. Elle didn't have a home in London, so I did everything I could to make my home feel like hers. At times she would get really gutted, and I knew it had to do with her missing her family and all she has ever known as home. She'd tell me it was work related, but she's a shit liar—she always has been. I'd like to believe I'm enough of a reason for her to stay in London, but, just in case, I thought it'd be best to give her a home here as well. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I've no plans of losing her.

By the time I made it to our room, I could feel the pull of gravity on my own eyelids. I set Elle down on the duvet, unwrapped her coat and scarf from her body, and tossed them to the floor. I followed up with her boots and then dropped all of my outerwear.

I climbed in bed next to her and somehow managed to get us both under the covers. Elle squished her body next to mine; it was something she did every night. She'd press herself so firmly into me that it was impossible not to feel the rise and fall of her chest and the beating of her heart. I held onto every inch of her I could as I joined her in drifting off into sleep.

When I woke in the morning, the sun was nearly bursting through the shades. I could feel that Elle wasn't wrapped up close to me, so I shifted in bed to pull her into my arms. But she wasn't there. My heart went cold for a moment as realization sunk in that this was what I had to look forward to for the next few months. Maybe I could try to convince her one more time to come with me. She knows I can support her. She knows that she would never need to work another day in her life.

Bloody hell. I can't ask her to do that. Not again at least. I know she loves her job. There are times when she comes home and fucking raves about some manuscript she's read. Then she blushes and tells me not to tell anyone about the storyline, as if I would ever break her confidence. She's unbelievably endearing, and she turns me into a right lovesick teenager around her. I can only imagine what Theo would say if he could read my mind when I'm near her. I'd never hear the end of it.

When I turned back to my side of the bed to stretch and go find my Elle, I saw that there was a scribbled note on the bedside table.

"I love you. Let me spoil you sometimes, okay?"

She often joked that I had a strong memory due to having to learn so many lines, but she didn't ever seem to forget a single word I've said to her.

The moment I pulled open the door to our bedroom to go downstairs, the various scents of a traditional English breakfast hit me.