Authors: Dee Ellis
Charli
“Maybe it is our imperfections which make us so perfect for one another”
I feel like that’s perfect. I feel like you are perfect. I told you I was waiting for you but I had no idea I might really find you. Then to find you and you’re so much more than I thought I could ever find. I don’t know all the details, Charli. I know the important ones. I know your laugh hits me like a sledgehammer. I know you care about other people more than yourself; I see it with the kids. I know you have a dream that you sacrificed because you were tied down by obligations. I know you let people take so much of you, you don’t know what’s left.
You should know what you are now is enough for me. That I will help you build back up what others took from you. That I know we can’t make sense of this, and maybe we don’t need to. My parents met, fell in love and were married within the month. They showed me love can last, even if it changes and they don’t want to see each other some days. Pop looks at Mom like she’s an angel. I don’t know if I look at you like that but I think maybe I do. Because that’s how I feel, Sugar.
Fun facts. I only drink imported beers. Kidding, I drink whatever is on tap. I have this fantasy of getting you wasted and making you tell me what you thought of me the first day we met. I have lots of fantasies about you. Back on track, dick. I did read Pride and I did read this book. I like to watch movies. Anything. I’m really close to my sisters, but my baby sis Gigi especially. Did you meet her? I think Finn might have a thing for her, and I can’t let that happen. I want kids. Two. I want to go to Canada. And Australia.
Tomorrow is not the end of me and you, you better know that now. It’s not even the end of me mentoring so don’t get your hopes up. You aren’t getting rid of me, baby. I love these letters because I feel like we can be honest and say real shit. But....I want to talk to you right now and it’s four in the morning and I just came back from a rescue so...I can’t But....my number is here. Just in case you wake up one night without me there and want to talk to me or hear my voice.
Till tomorrow, Sugar.
PS. I want you. All of you. Your flaws. Your mistakes. Your imperfections. I want you, and only you. [Stole it].
I think I actually swooned. Like, out loud, in the privacy of my office. The office that just hours before, Cage had promised to bend me over my desk and fuck me in. I swooned again, my thighs clenching. I loved these notes and how sweet he was and how honest he seemed to be in them.
In just five days, with the notes and the class where he had to share so much about himself, I felt like I knew him. I felt like he knew me, even though I had shared much less. I felt like he said, like he had always known me and was just waiting to find me.
Not someone like me or even similar; me specifically. I never thought that romantic stuff that I read about so often was possible. Cage made me feel like anything was possible, that everything I had read was nothing in comparison to what we could be.
After dragging myself away from his letter to write my own, I thought about what book I wanted him to read next. I decided A Long Way Down was perfect and sat for a while writing another note, sharing more of myself with him. I felt giddy and hopeful like I had never felt before.
When I finished, I headed down stairs and grabbed A Long Way Down and headed to where Sara was chatting with Lola. Sara eyed me knowingly and I knew I turned pink under that look.
Lola just wiggled her brows as I slid the note carefully into the book after she checked it out. Sara wouldn’t bite her tongue, which I was grateful for, so I wasn’t surprise when she spoke up.
“You look different, pet. Five days knowing Cage has made you look woke. I do not see the same ghosts I saw that first day, lass. Just...be careful.” It was too late for careful but she looked like she knew that.
“I’m trying, Sara. Sweet Sara, he calls you,” I moved close to her side, resting my head at her shoulder, “I know why. You love with your whole being. Even after being hurt.” Sara slid an arm about my shoulder and gave a squeeze.
“More so after, lass. Always more after. The Cooper boys are intense men. They rarely take no for an answer so I suppose I was silly to think you stood a chance. I certainly didn’t.” I knew she was talking about Cage’s uncle, Griffin and knew he had been right about them.
“You lost him. You lost someone else,” We were talking quietly now, Lola leaving us be, “how do you...after that again and again, how are you in one piece?” Sara let out her sweet laugh and gave me another squeeze.
“Oh, pet, they made me whole. More whole than I had been before them. I lost pieces of myself when I lost them. But they had given me so much; I was not left empty when I lost them. I miss them and there’s a part of me that will never be whole again. But because I had them, knew their love and their life filled mine so, I would never wish not to feel. Even the pain of losing them means I’m alive and okay.” Tears flooded my eyes and I turned into her, seeking some of her strength.
“I might be crazier about you than I am about Cage Cooper.” We laughed and she hugged me, really hugged me like my mama would and I held on for a long time.
“Well I certainly hope not. I assure you I can do nothing for you that Cage can.” Sara teased when we broke apart, letting out a low whistle and wiggling her ginger brows.
“You are a pervert. A sweet, amazing fairy god mother of a pervert. I adore you, Sara Meyer. I was meant to meet you. I am sure of it.” Sara gave me one more squeeze and then shook her head, her eyes misty too.
“I think so, lass. Now...I have a meeting with Dr. Patel,” She clutched a hand to her chest, “I love a man with a stethoscope. Do you have prep done for his time next week?”
After I gave her all my notes and the outline I had drawn up for the second week, I headed out for the night. My heels kicked through the leaves as I maneuvered the streets, a smile at my lips. I was so excited and delirious at the thought of Cage and I, that I didn’t mind the cool night.
Although my brave choice not to wear panties had my lady bits frosty. Until I thought about Cage’s head between my legs, his magic mouth sucking at my pussy like he could feed off it for hours. Then it got hot and wet and my thighs quaked. Damn the man was good at everything he did to me.
A few blocks before home, I debated picking up dinner again. I had fallen into the habit of ordering in. It was fast and easy. Cooking for us had felt good. I knew he would stop by tonight, but I knew his shift would keep him late. Deciding I didn’t care what time, as long as I saw him, I stopped at the bodega again.
After picking up stuff for dinner and even desert, I chatted with Jorge awhile. Whatever affect Cage was having on me, he noticed too. Jorge had a good time teasing me about the new man in my life. Which felt absolutely amazing.
Walking with a bag full of groceries and a stupid smile at my face, I thought back on my decision to come here. I wanted to go out into the world and find myself and stop being just a widow who never got married, a sister to the town heroes, a daughter to the cancer patient.
My move was about me finding myself and I never thought becoming involved with someone could do that. I figured the label of girlfriend, if that’s what I was now, would defeat the entire purpose.
Cage didn’t make me feel that way; I felt like I had found parts of myself in him. The parts I didn’t know yet, he would help me find. It was exhilarating and I was as drunk on that truth as I was him.
Taking a longer route than usual, lost in thoughts of Cage and me, us, I realized how close the fire station was to the cottage. This somehow pleased me. As I passed by, I saw the roll up doors were open, two of the four trucks gone. Which meant they were already out on a call.
Calling up some nerve from somewhere, I headed inside, knowing Byrne usually was in his office. Byrne gave a knowing smile that made me flush when I said I wanted to leave a book for Cage.
After teasing me for turning Cage, an already dedicated hard working student, into someone who suddenly loved the library, he promised to get the book to Cage. I headed home with an even sillier grin at my face.
Quickly putting my groceries away after locking the door, as Cage insisted I do, I took a long bath. My lady bits were still getting used to the pleasure Cage was giving them and the soak felt amazing. I thought about the weekend and hoped I could see him more, hoped he could get better acquainted with my lady bits. I wanted more.
Last night, seeing his beautiful, huge cock, I had been tempted. So very tempted. I wanted him and was flying from the orgasms he had given me. When I rode him, something I didn’t even think about before I took him between my pussy, I almost shifted just so to let him inside me.
Until we discussed Tucker so he knew I wasn’t heartbroken over my loss the way he had thought, I couldn’t. Now he knew. Cage knew about Tucker and soon, because the note tucked away in that book downstairs, he would know the rest.
Now we didn’t have a ghost between us. I knew some of his truths, which had hurt to hear. Then again I expected Cage to have fucked hundreds of women so his real number was tiny in comparison. If I believed it. Which I did. All that mattered is I would be the next woman he would be inside. Perhaps even the last, if I had my way.
Sinking deeper into my bubble bath, I let myself get lost in visions of Cage; beautiful body poised above me, that soft look in his eye as he fucked me like I was his last. Like he was mine.
1
Cage
“Did you get laid? Because you look like you got laid.” Finn never minced words but Jesus he wouldn’t drop this line today.
“What makes you think I might ever talk to you about Charli the way I do some badge bunny?” We’d just come back from an accident involving two teens racing and he was wired.
“I mean I get its more than some bunny you take home from the bar, but...you disappeared for almost an hour, come back wearing that shit eating grin and walking like you got some pussy.” Oh, I got some pussy, alright.
“First, get this, bro, Charli is off limits. I won’t talk about her the way I do some broad I don’t give a fuck about. Second if you knew a thing about women you would know I don’t need to get laid for both of us to be satisfied. My girl is definitely satisfied.” I proceeded to contradict myself because I was talking about her, but that was all he would get out of me.
“Your girl huh? So does she know yet? Because last time I asked...” I snapped the back of his head with my towel and he yelped.
“What did I tell you then? Details? Well the details have been dealt with. Charli is mine. One thousand percent mine.” Her beautiful face and perfect tits and sweet, delicious pussy were all mine.
“I thought you might have been fucking with me this whole time. Something about that look in your eye tells me I was wrong. This girl is really it then? Congrats bro, she seems like one to hold on to.” We sank into the couch in front of the huge TV playing Cops reruns, exhausted just hours into our shift.
“Abso-fucking-lutely. Charli is the girl I take home to mom and dad.” Which I actually intended to do as soon as she’d let me.
“I hope your sisters like her. If Gigi doesn’t like her, the girl doesn’t stand a chance.” I tensed a little because he was right, but I knew they would love her.
Before I joined the others in the commons room, Byrne said he had a gift for me. Charli had dropped by with a book for me again. My girl made a trip just to get me that book, to share more of herself with me. To say the pleasure that ripped through me when I saw another note from her made me weak and hard at the same time was putting it lightly.
This special thing between us made me feel so connected to her. Charli felt free to share things with me this way that I knew were hard for her to share at all. That made me love her a little more. I spent a long time reading over her note today and my chest was tight when I finished.
Cage
,
“Hard is trying to rebuild yourself, piece by piece, with no instruction book, and no clue as to where all the important bits are supposed to go.”
I feel like lots of my important bits are you. This thing between us. This city. The library. This cottage. I feel like I could never have put my pieces together back home because they were never there. They were always here. Since I was little, I wanted to go to the city. Not New York or LA because they seemed more dead than alive. Maybe Chicago, I always said. I never thought I might have the courage. Then one day I realized I had it. Just enough. I packed my truck up with no idea where I was going to stay, what I was going to do, or who I was going to meet.
My mama would have been so excited. My mama...she is really the ghost that haunts me. The memory of her and the memory of Tucker both haunted me back home. So maybe back home is my real ghost. My mama died a slow, agonizing death at the hands of cancer. It ate at her body but never her spirit. I didn’t even know until it was almost too late. When I did, I shackled myself to that town hoping that we could save her. My dreams were always beyond those borders though. I think she passed quicker knowing I was holding on. So I could let go. I had dreams and mama wanted me to chase them.