Forgotten Fates

Chapter Thirty-Three

Alice

As Eli agrees to go to bed with me early, I can't help but wonder if it was because he really wanted to, or because I was making him as his 'master.' But I'm not changing my mind about it. He had been here since Wednesday and we still hadn't been with each other. So, once we finish up the dishes, I go into the living room to tell the others we are heading upstairs.

I have Finn promise me that he will come up when the others do, and Paige tells me that she will make sure of it. Then I take Eli by the hand and lead him up to the bedroom.

We take turns in the bathroom, and when I am all finished brushing my teeth, making sure to get rid of all traces of garlic breath, I head across the hall to Eli. I find him lying on the bed in just in boxers, and I pause for a moment to take in the sight of him.

After leaving Finn's house today, I spent over an hour in my room, thinking. When I went downstairs to get water for Zoey, I was assaulted with the memory of the night he took me over there to meet his family. That night I had feelings for Finn that I knew were real. I may not have an eternity's worth of history with him, but what I did have wasn't the work of magic forces either.

Then there was Eli's proposal to think about. I felt conflicted at the time, but I know that after tomorrow I will have all my memories and feelings back and I won't have any more doubts about our relationship. I won't care if it's real or magic.

At first the thought of that made me uneasy, but when I weigh it against the threats facing my friends right now, I know I don't have a choice. Tristan said unbinding us will make us stronger. Will make us able to stand against Callie and Makaria. To me that is worth putting aside my doubts about our relationship as well as any lingering feelings I may have for Finn. And it's not like Elijah isn't a worthy choice. I may doubt why I love him, but the bottom line is that I do love him.

I close the bedroom door and begin to strip out of my clothing, leaving me in just my underwear. Then I crawl over Elijah until I am straddling him and then I remove my bra as well, before leaning down to kiss him.

"Yes," I whisper against his lips.

He pulls back to look at me. His face full of confusion, "What?"

"Yes," I say, again, "I want to marry you."

He sits up wrapping his arms around my waist. "What did you just say?"

"I said I want to marry y-" His lips are on mine before I can finish getting the words out.

He pulls back to look at me, stroking the side of my face with his hand then letting it rest on my cheek to whisper, "I love you, Alice."

"I love you," I say, and then his lips find mine again as he flips me over on to my back and removes the last bits of clothing separating us.

Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω Ω

I'm not sure when I fell asleep, but I know I must be dreaming, because I am back in the woods at the gazebo.

I am standing on the steps and looking out into the trees. I feel like something was watching me and I was trying to find it. But all is forgotten when I hear my name being called and turn around to see Finn, smiling and waving for me to join him. I climb up the last step and sit down next to him on a pile of pillows and blankets. He wraps his arms around my waist and leans in to kiss me softly, then whispers, "I love you, Alice."

"I love you, Finn," I smile.