Before The End

Ch. 3

After assessing his offer, Elyce thought he was an even better actor than he showed on the big screen. While he knelt before her, so delectable, she decided he needed to leave and be gone from her life. She stared at him, penetrating through each layer of his beauty to get to the deep-seated truth. The answer wasn't so clear; it was blurred with layers of lust and pain. After Griffin's improvisational exercise, Elyce stood up and walked into the bathroom. She closed the door, locking him out. 

Once inside the tiny space, Elyce looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a sad, lonely woman with fading promise, advancing age, and rapidly diminishing beauty. Elyce thought she was fine living in the Allston-Brighton area and commuting to her job. Freelance work brought in extra income, and she had enough money for the occasional takeout at her favorite restaurants. Her brother, Lark, made sure to invite her to dinner every so often, letting her choose the place. At the end of their dinners, he'd send her off with an extra boxed dessert and a couple of hundred dollars tucked in the paper bag. Elyce would smile wistfully and spend the extra money on a fancy haircut, or a new lipstick from the high-end makeup counter.

After years of rejecting the wealth and lifestyle Lark had offered, Elyce now wanted it desperately. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to earn it for herself. Many plans flitted through her mind, but she didn't have the courage to break out of her routine and make it happen. However, seeing Griffin look so rich and handsome made her crave it all the more. Ultimately, Elyce didn't think wealth and fame suited her. She was basic and introverted. Griffin and Lark were tall, symmetrical, and extremely outgoing. 

She was surrounded by men who only wanted attention for what they could provide. Elyce only wanted Lark's time as a big brother, not his charity. From Griffin, Elyce wanted his continuous affection.

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

Her last boyfriend had left with a warning: "You'll never let anyone else love you." His words had reverberated in her mind for weeks and had come more often as Griffin's visit to Boston approached. It had been three months since that statement pierced her heart. Not long after, she'd said her goodbye to Griffin. Time away from him made daily living easier, and now his presence outside the bathroom door was unnerving. He had a way of melting all of her defenses. One glare from his beautiful, blue eyes rendered her hypnotized and incapable of maintaining her willpower.

She knew exactly what she needed to do. Griffin's intentions were clear; he wanted her tonight. While she prepared to primp herself in the way Griffin liked, Elyce knew what this night meant. It would be the final night of Griff and Ely. 

Tonight, she was becoming the woman she'd always wanted to be. She vowed to live her life the way she should have always lived. No longer would she be the last one on Griffin's list.

***

Griffin waited motionless as Elyce took her time in the bathroom, knowing he had crossed a line. She had bared her soul to him, and in his discomfort, he'd acted like an ass. He slipped off his jacket and undid his tie, folding it and stuffing it into the breast pocket. He tossed the jacket on her chair and looked around the small studio. Griffin's place was luxurious compared to hers, and he knew it was because she didn't earn much. Elyce had wanted more than to write columns, freelance work, and copyediting. She'd dreamed of writing a novel. 

Hell, she'd finished her first one in college, and had continued to fine-tune it over the years. She never shared her work with him. The internet alerts he received whenever her name appeared on the byline of an article informed him of her publications, and he read it all. Once, he learned of a short story she'd submitted to a contest. Ely won first place, but she never shared the news with him. How much more one-sided could this relationship be? He'd shared all his accomplishments with her. Well, his accomplishments were publicly lauded.