SelfUs (eBook)

Once they found each other, they found it all ... or did they?

E. Williams (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
396 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-8885-7 (ISBN)

Infos

Meet Ellie and Derek. They reconnect at a tradeshow after years apart, igniting a passionate spark that leads them into a whirlwind long-distance romance.

E. Williams is a poet and novelist who has been writing since her teenage years. With a passion for capturing emotion and storytelling, she is thrilled to release her debut novel. E. Williams resides in central Pennsylvania, where she lives with her son and family, drawing inspiration from her life experiences. When not writing, she enjoys running, cooking, and reading fellow authors.

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When Ellie and Derek rekindle their connection at a tradeshow, sparks fly, igniting a passionate long-distance romance. But Derek's unresolved marriage casts a shadow over their love, leaving Ellie torn between deepening feelings and growing doubts. As promises unravel and trust waver, Ellie faces a heart-wrenching decision: wait for Derek or protect herself. "e;SelfUs"e; delivers a captivating journey of love, trust, and self-discovery with an unforgettable twist.

Textauszug

Chapter 10

I drive through all the back roads, like I am seeing it all for the first time through his eyes.

“It’s so pretty here,” Derek says, as we have a view of the mountain through the windshield. “I can see why you live here.”

“I think I appreciate it more because I didn’t live here for a long time. Between New York and LA, I was gone for nine years. Coming back here as an adult, I saw it completely different after living in the cities. Plus, it’s nice that it is still close to everything and easy to travel from.”

We have made our way back towards my house and still have a little time to kill.

“Hey, show me that place I was supposed to stay at. Allendale?” Derek suggests.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. You should at least put eyes on it while you are here.”

I continue driving past the town house a mile up the road and turn into the property. I point out the theatre, the lodging, and the restaurant before parking down by the water. We get out of the car and walk down along the water. Stopping where the small waterfall is, Derek stands back to look around and admire the property. It’s quiet and all we can hear is the water moving.

“This is gorgeous,” he says, taking it all in.

“I love the twinkle lights they have strung up everywhere.”

“Festoon lights,” he tells me.

“Festoon lights. Is that what they are called? I never knew that.”

“Aw, you’re so cute,” he teases me. “Well, let’s get you some for your patio!”

“For real?”

“Absolutely! Let’s do it. I’ve got tons of handyman skills. What else you got on your honey-do list?”

“Yeah, it’s called an I-do-it-myself list!”

“Listen, Miss Independent, not anymore.” He turns in front of me and stares into my eyes. “I want to do things for you, Ellie.”

I pause for a moment, looking back up at him.

“Okay?” he finally says.

“Okay,” I agree.

i

Later we walk the aisles of Lowe’s, comparing lights and ways to hang them. He decides on a hook that will screw into the ceiling of my patio, connected by a zip tie that will attach the string of lights to the hooks.

“Then all we will need to use at the house is your ladder,” he concludes after he is done explaining his idea.

“My what?”

“Your ladder. Woman, tell me you have a ladder?!”

I giggle and shake my head no.

“You’re killing me!” he laughs.

“I never needed one!” I retaliate.

“We are gonna get you a ladder, then.”

I hop on the cart and he pushes me down the aisle to go find the ladders. Both of us giggling like kids as he almost runs me, and the cart, into the shelves along the way.

Yes, we definitely are those people.

i

Back at the house, shiny new ladder in hand, we take everything out to the patio.

“Oh wait, I forgot something,” Derek says, running back inside. When he comes back out, his hands are behind his back.

“I got you a present,” he tells me.

“A present? For what?”

“Just because I wanted to,” he smiles at me. “Now close your eyes and put your hands out.”

I do as I am told and he places a box in my hands.

“Open them!”

When I do so, I am staring at a box with a teal-colored Bose speaker in it.

“No, you didn’t!” I shriek.

“Yes, I did! You must have a proper speaker to listen to all of this great music with me. And I know you are too cheap to buy it for yourself,” he teases.

“I love it. Thank you so much, you really didn’t have to do this.”

“I know, but I wanted to. Now let’s crank that puppy up and get yo ass to work!”

I laugh, opening the box to set up the speaker. Next, we begin moving the furniture around so it is easy to lay out the path of the lights. Derek starts measuring the distance between where each will hang and where the extension cord will gather to go down to the basement and be plugged in. It works out perfectly.

Music playing, we get to work hanging, thankful there is still light to the late afternoon.

“I love that you can see the lake right from your patio,” Derek says enjoying the view from the top of the ladder.

“I certainly love this view,” I tell him, staring straight at him. He smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile back. I hand him the next zip tie and we continue around the perimeter of the patio, putting in the screw and zip tying the light cord to it. Once that is done and we are happy with the placement, we go back around and install all the light bulbs.

Finally, Derek climbs down from the ladder for the last time.

“You do the honors,” he says handing me the light cord and extension cord.

“Okay. Are you ready?”

“Ready,” he says as I plug the cords together and the lights come on.

“Ooooooooo!” I exclaim.

“Haha! Can you please make that sound always?” he teases.

“It just happens. What can I say, I am easily amused!”

“And I love it!”

“Look at these … festoon lights. They are amazing! Thank you so much,” I say, taking in the view.

“Hey, baby, it’s what I do. I like doing things with you.”

“Now I am going to think of you every time I am sitting out here.”

“Exactly,” he says, and we both smile.

We put the furniture back and sit to enjoy the view. He puts his arm around me, and we watch the ducks swim across the lake. It’s dusk, and as the sun begins to set, I realize how late it has gotten.

“I am a horrible host. I never fed you lunch.”

“I know. I’m starving.”

“Oh my god, are you? I am so sorry!” He laughs at me.

“No, I am kidding. I am fine. I usually don’t eat a ton during the day.”

“How about we get cleaned up and I take you out for sushi?”

“That sounds fantastic. Patio, we will be back for you later,” he says, turning the new lights off and grabbing the ladder on his way into the house.

Man, I like this, I think to myself as I watch him go in.

We change and head to a small sushi and hibachi restaurant just a few miles away. We are seated right away, and the waitress comes over to ask what we would like to drink. We both order water.

“You could have gotten a drink,” Derek says. “Just because I don’t really drink, please don’t let that stop you. Let your hair down.” He shakes his hair and I laugh at him.

“Oh, I know I could have, but I don’t drink all of the time. It’s nice to feel like I don’t have to, if that makes sense,” I explain. “More importantly, what are your feelings on sharing sushi?”

“I think we should share everything,” he says winking at me.

“Man, you are good.”

“Well, we did complete a home improvement project before even going on our first official date.”

“We did, didn’t we?!” We both laugh.

We order sushi, each picking a few rolls from the menu. As we wait for our food, he tells me stories from his childhood. My favorite is about his grandmother Betty, originally Elizabeth, and how fantastic she was. He loved to spend time at her house in the summer as much as possible.

“Betty was a badass. She loved you fiercely, but you didn’t cross her. She had the sweetest southern accent and would drop a ‘bless your heart’ when someone was acting like an ass, but she still wanted to sound polite about it.”

“Oh, she sounds wonderful! Sweet and spicy at the same time. I am sure I would have loved her.”

Our dinner arrives, and we continue to share stories. I tell him about my grandparents and how I have been so lucky to have all four of them in my life for so long. He listens to me talk, as I did him, so sweetly. His eyes watching me the entire time. It’s like we are the only two people in the restaurant.

We finish up our dinner and head back to the house. I suggest music under the new festoon lights. It’s a beautiful night but a little chilly, so I grab a blanket for us on the way out.

“What about your parents, what are they like?” he asks.

“They were high school sweethearts and total cool kids. Mom was a hippie and dad was a rock star. He has been the drummer in one band or another for most of my life. We grew up with music; he was always playing in the basement. That’s actually how I got my middle name.”

“How?”

“It’s after the Kiss song ‘Beth.’ My dad originally wanted to name me just Beth, but my mom wouldn’t let him. She said they had to name me Ellie but that they could make my middle name Elizabeth.”

Derek’s face lights up.

“What?” I ask.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

“What is it??”

“I too loved that song when I was a kid and used to sing it all the time. One summer night at Betty’s house they filmed me performing it. There is a recording out there somewhere in the world of me singing the Kiss song ‘Beth.’”

Now it’s my turn to say what?!

“Are you serious?! How old would you have been?”

“Dead serious. And I was probably around six years old, if I had to...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 24.1.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-8885-7 / 9798350988857