Chapter 41 - Happily Ever After

Sunday, February 11th, 2007.

JC came down the stairs of the apartment to find Ellie drinking from a scotch tumbler at the kitchen counter. “You OK?”

She sighed. “I guess.”

“What are you drinking?” He went over to the collection of liquor bottles by the microwave. “I might have one, too.”

“You don’t drink dark spirits…at least not without a mixer.”

He took a tumbler out of the cupboard and poured himself a tipple of bourbon. “Bourbon?”

She nodded. “Yeah, bourbon.”

He pressed the glass on the lever to the fridge’s ice maker, watching five or so cubes fall into his glass. “You doing OK?”

“You know that dark spirits are best served at room temperature?”

He paused before he sat down next to her. “No, they’re not, and you know they’re not and you only like them at room temperature because you think it gets you drunker quicker.”

“With you being the wine connoisseur you believe yourself to be, you would know that bourbon, and any member of the whiskey family, is best served neat, meaning no ice and no mixers at room temperature so you can taste it properly.”

“Fair enough, but we both know that you don’t drink it neat for that reason. Anyway, I asked how you were doing.”

“Tired. I’m tired but I’m not tired enough to sleep…hence the bourbon.”

“We…I mean I can think of a way or two to tire you out.”

“No, I’m stressed because the baby’s sick and I feel guilty to want to sleep, so I also feel too guilty to do anything else that won’t allow me to get to her immediately.”

“Which is why you’re drinking.”

“It’s just a shot.”

“I know, I know. I’m not getting up you for wanting drink; the last few nights have been really stressful and you’re on edge ‘cause you don’t know if tonight’s gonna be the same.” He reached over and took her hand. “Let’s just enjoy how calm it is right now.”

Ellie exhaled as she squeezed his fingers as they wrapped around hers. “Do you want to go upstairs and fuck?”

“What?”

“Don’t tell me you don’t want it either.” She downed the last of her drink and put the glass in the sink.

“I guess that bourbon really did a number.” He followed suit as he drained his glass and tipped the ice into the sink and placed his glass next to hers.

She turned around just as she started up the stairs. “I mean, it’s been a few days for us and, as you said, we should enjoy our time alone whilst we still can.” She coyly pursed her lips and went upstairs.

“I said that we should enjoy how calm it is, not that we should enjoy our time alone,” he commented as he followed her.

“So, you don’t want this?” she asked, looking down at him from the top of the stairs.

“I never said that.”

“Then get your fine ass up here,” she said as she disappeared upstairs. He found her leaning against the wall by their bedroom door. “Come here and kiss me.” She reached out her hand to take his. “Press me against this wall and kiss me until you take my breath away.”

He took both her hands and pressed his body against hers as he pinned her to the wall, his burgeoning hard on pressing into her body. He placed his hand on her neck as he pressed his lips to hers, running the tip of his tongue along hers, their lips only parting when she absolutely needed to take her next breath.

“That was amazing,” she whispered breathlessly as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re amazing.”

He softly kissed her cheek and neck, pausing for a moment as her took in the sweet scent of his lover and wife. “You smell so beautiful when you’re turned on,” he said as he pressed his forehead against hers.

She slowly moved her hands down his chest to his lower back and pressed her body to his. “I don’t know if I’ve got butterflies because I know you’re going to make me come harder than a bullet train or because I’m about to see your beautiful cock very soon.”

He tugged on the waist of her sweatpants and ran his fingers along the curve of her hips, gently biting her neck before he started towards the bedroom. She grabbed his arm and watched until only the very tips of their fingers met. He looked back at her as she looked seductively at him.

He bit his lip. “If you don’t move, I’m not coming over there to carry you; you know this hallway is too small for that.”

“I mean, you could try,” she teased.

“I could, but I’m not going to.”

“But…but…” She put on a sickly sweet southern accent. “But I’m so hot and bothered that my legs are practically jelly.”

He paused for a moment before he went over to her and hoisted her over his shoulder. He carried her next to their bed and delicately placed her onto the floor, their lips meeting again. He stepped back as he took his sweatshirt off, sitting on the bed and watching attentively as she started to undress. Not knowing he was watching, she lifted her sweatshirt and tank top over her head as one, catching his eye as she peeled her bra off. She slowly traced her waist and hips with her fingers as she slid her fingertips underneath the waistband of her sweats, slowly revealing her pubic hair and thighs before she slowly dropped the remainder of her clothes, stepping out of her dark purple panties last.

She ran her fingertips along the curves of her thighs, tracing the edges of her pubic hair. “Do you want me to touch myself?” she asked as she stepped close enough to feel his breath on her stomach.

He looked up at her as she twisted his short curls in her fingers. “I don’t know.”

She kissed him again. “Get on the bed then.”

She got on the bed and knelt as she waited for him to lie before her. Her hair lightly brushed against his skin as she traced her fingertips along the muscles of his chest and stomach, delicately dancing in his chest hair. She followed his hair down to the elastic band of his sweats, looking him straight in the eyes as she slowly pulled the waistband down, hooking his briefs as she exposed him. She ran her fingers back up his thighs, curling her hand around his balls before she ever so gently wrapped her fingers around his cock. She stroked him, twisting slightly as she reached the head. She repeated this motion again and again, increasing her speed until she was doing it as fast as she could. He stopped her, pulling her thighs until she straddled him. He grabbed her ass and pulled her close to him until she was lying on top of him, her skin pressed against his.

She pushed her hair over her shoulder as her lips hovered above his, kissing him lightly at first, then again and again until her lips completely covered his mouth, her tongue curling with his.

“Make me wet,” she whispered as she lifted her hips and placed his hand between them.

“You already feel pretty wet to me.”

“Then turn me over and fuck me.”

She turned onto her back and gently rubbed her pussy as she watched him kick off his sweats and take a condom out of the bedside table and unroll it down his head and shaft. She bit her lip as she resisted the urge to quicken her pace until she came.

He spread her legs as far apart as he could, grabbing her knee as he slid his cock into her. She moaned as he kissed her neck, sucking her skin. He kissed her on the lips before he started to thrust into her, matching the pace of her hand as she rubbed her clit.

She gasped in shock as she came almost instantly, digging her fingernails into his shoulders as she continued as long as she could. Her gasp became a breathless cry as she squeezed him with her whole body, her knees gripping his hips and her toes curling as she held her feet above his ass.

“This is the happiest moment of my life,” she suddenly blurted out.

“Do I make you happy?”

“Extremely happy.”

“Does my cock make you happy?”

“Yes, because I love both you and your cock.”

“I love you, too,” he barely whispered as he kissed her, stopping completely as he came.

He opened his eyes and smiled.

“Why are you smiling?” she asked as she started to relax, curling her fingers through his hair.

“I just saw the most beautiful woman in the world.”

“That weird, ‘cause I could swear that I’m looking at the most beautiful man in the world.”

“Don’t you think it’s weird how at this very moment the two of us are wrapped in the arms of the two most beautiful people ever?”

“No, ‘cause I’m with you and you’re with me.”

They stared into each other’s eyes, not kissing or speaking, only making the lightest of caresses.

“Is this the happiest moment of your life?” she asked in a whisper.

“Yeah…yeah.”

Monday, February 12th, 2007.

JC got up with Charley the next morning, changing her and taking her downstairs to feed her as Ellie slept. He was feeding Charley her second bottle of defrosted breastmilk of the morning as Ellie came downstairs after a shower.

“You didn’t have to let me sleep in.”

“I felt like you needed the lie in, plus I wanted some alone time with Charley.”

“That’s cool.” She filled the kettle up with water and placed it on the stove. “Do you want some tea?”

“Yeah, OK.” He finished feeding Charley and burped her as Ellie made the tea.

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked as she handed him a mug.

“What?” She sat across from him on the couch.

“You told me that last night was the, and I quote, ‘happiest moment of your life.’ What did you mean by that?”

She thought for a moment. “I don’t quite get what you mean.”

“Last night when you came, you said that it was the happiest moment of your life.”

“Yeah, so? You should see it as a compliment. I was happy, you made me happy and I told you that I was happy. It’s not that deep.”

“But we were fucking.”

“And you’re not supposed to be happy when you’re fucking? There’s no point if it doesn’t make you happy.” She took a sip of tea. “Anyway, I’m pretty sure you also said that it was the happiest moment of your life, too.”

“No, you asked me if it was the happiest moment of my life and I said yes.”

“But you’re saying that you didn’t mean it?”

“No, I mean, it’s not that I didn’t mean it, but I had just cum and you say weird shit when you’ve just cum. I also asked you if my cock made you happy.”

“And it does, so I said it did.” She made a frustrated sigh. “You’re being neurotic and weird.”

“I am not being neurotic and weird.”

“You are!”

“Am not.” He stood up and placed Charley in Ellie’s lap, starting to make his way to his office.

“Look, I get if you don’t want to finish this conversation.” She stood up and shifted Charley onto her hip and started to follow him. “But you can’t kick up a stink about me saying something positive during the throes of love making or whatever.”

“I get that, but you don’t joke about something like that.”

“It wasn’t a joke.”

“You couldn’t have been serious.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You don’t believe me, do you?”

He turned away from her. “I never said that.”

“But you don’t see how I could be serious in saying that?”

“I...don’t...know,” he said with a firm tone but with uncertainty still in his voice.

He sighed, his eyes tearing up.

“Baby, what’s wrong.” She turned him towards her.

“I...just...” He slumped down in his desk chair. “...just everything. This whole album and shit. I don’t know if it’s going to do well, and I’m feeling all insecure about it and shit.”

“Aren’t they predicting that it’ll do well?”

“They said that about Schizophrenic.”

“And it did; it went platinum.”

“Yeah, after Jive re-released it.”

“So.” Ellie pointed to the platinum record plaque for Schizophrenic to JC’s left. “So you like to hang up that plaque like it was an achievement that your album went platinum, but you don’t like to acknowledge the fact that you had to re-release it for it to go platinum?”

“Yeah, and you like to tell anyone who will listen that you gave birth drug free in less than seven hours.”

“Yeah, and I did; you were there. Every album you’ve released solo and in a group has gone platinum and I gave birth drug free in seven hours. We both have our achievements and the reasons we see them as achievements.”

“Yeah, but...”

“It’ll be OK. Everything will be OK.” She bent down, lightly kissing him on the cheek. She readjusted Charley up on her hip. “Someone needs a diaper change.”

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007.

Ellie tapped lightly on the doorframe to JC’s office. “Hey.”

“Hi. What’s up?”

“Um, since Tyler’s here, we talked and he said if we wanted to got out to dinner or whatever whilst he watches Charley, he’d be fine with that.”

JC checked his watch. “But, it’s Valentine’s. We’d be lucky to get a reservation this late.”

“I was thinking maybe we could go for a ride over to Manhattan Beach, or something. Do something low key.”

“That’s fine.”

Due to the motorcycle, their trip over wasn’t filled with conversation. They immediately got dinner and sat on a sandstone wall dividing the boardwalk from the tiny strip of beach. They ate in silence, watching a young couple play on the beach.

“A year ago, that would’ve been us,” Ellie pointed out.

“Really, ‘cause I remember last year you refused to leave the house because of strep throat, and you were also pissed off at me ‘cause I spent all day in the studio instead of spending it with you.”

They watched as the couple met in a long kiss.

“Is this what you wanted when you started dating me?” Ellie asked.

JC shrugged. “I don’t think my plans ever got further than us getting super kinky. I honestly thought we would get sick of each other by now.” He played with the strap of his glove. “This is honestly the longest relationship I’ve had in a good eight years or so.”

Ellie chucked. “Yeah. I can’t believe I’ve managed to have a relationship up north that’s lasted this long. I thought I would’ve move back home and married the son of one of my parents’ friends by now.”

“So, you just married me ‘cause you didn’t want to do that?”

“No, I am genuinely in love with you. I’m just saying, if you hadn’t come along, that’s what I would’ve done. I don’t think I would’ve stayed here for much longer if you weren’t here.”

“OK.” He nodded.

“What did you mean by ‘this is the happiest you’ve ever been?’” he asked after a short silence.

“I meant, not that I wasn’t happy in the moment, but I meant that I feel like that this period of time is the happiest I’ve ever been.” She scratched her arm through her jacket. “I mean the happiest I can remember being.”

“And you think I did that?”

“Could be you, could be Charley. It could be knowing that I don’t have to worry about money, or bills. It could be because I know my parents are happy and well. It could be because I’m no longer trying to reach this external idea of achievement or happiness. It could be because I no longer give a fuck about Miles and his bullshit—“

JC splayed out his fingers, making a downwards motion in front of his face with both of his hands. “The evil has been defeated.”

She mimicked him. “The evil has been defeated.” She went back to her main point. “Maybe, I’m just supposed to be happy right now.” She looked over at him. “Are you happy?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

“I mean, are you really happy?”

“I said that I was. Do you think that I’m not?”

She shook her head. “No, well, I hope you’re not. I just don’t know how you’re truly thinking or feeling. I can only hope that you’re telling me the truth.”

They sat in silence, watching the tiny waves of the river lap up on the shore.

“What would you do if we got divorced?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. Probably move back home and live with my parents until everything was settled, buy a nice house somewhere in Baton Rouge, somewhere with a porch and a backyard for when Charley gets older.” She lifted her knees up to her chest. “What about you? Would you forget about us like those other girls and move back to L.A., start with your cuddle buddies again?”

“I might do that, realise how worthless that is, either try to get you back or kill myself.”

“Are you serious?”

“I would rather die than not have you in my life. At least, right now.”

“Whoa, things got super serious there,” she joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Really? Really?”

“Do you think we can do the happily ever after thing?” she asked.

“I hope so. I mean, it can’t be too hard.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I mean, if we commit to it and don’t try to do each other wrong, I think we could.”

“So, you believe in us?”

“Honestly, the moment you didn’t blank me for four days after our first fight, that’s when I said ‘I think we might make it.’”

“You’re joking.”

“Kinda, not really. What about you?”

She leaned onto his shoulder. “I mean, it’s what I want, so of course I believe in it.” She squeezed his hand. “The thing is, as I figure, is that you can’t plan or try for happily ever after, you can only hope and wait and see if it does happen.”

She looked up at him as he watched the water. Here was the man she had met that September afternoon less than two and a half years ago, but it felt like longer, but he now sat beside her as her lover and husband, the lights of the city reflecting in his eyes, the eyes that he gave their daughter, the eyes he would give all of their children. She snuggled into his coat, knowing that what she felt in her heart was truly love. “I hope it does.”

He put his arm around her, lightly pressing his lips to hers. “I hope so, too.”