Crash Into Me

Chapter Nineteen: Alli

The unsettling feeling of not telling Eli everything like I told Rachael I would lingers in the pit of my stomach. The rush of relief from him saying that we could start fresh was overwhelming and I let it take over my determination to tell him about Abbey and that night. I just hope that whoever sent those messages will leave me the hell alone. Only time will tell...

There's a knock at my apartment door and I'm wondering if it's Eli, but it's only four o'clock. He said he wouldn't be here until six. I peek out of the peep hole to see who it is. A delivery man is standing there holding a big white box with a giant white ribbon bow affixed to the top. I open the door, wondering what it could be.

"Allison Smith?" The man holds out a handheld digital device for me to sign.

"Yes, that's me." My stomach swirls with excitement and curiosity as I take the bulky device and sign my name.

"Thank you," he smiles and hands over the box. "Have a nice day," he nods.

"You too," I wave and scurry back inside.

A little note is attached to the box dangling next to the bow. I flip it over and read the handwritten note in what I assume is Eli's hand writing: To a fresh start with the most breathtaking woman I have ever met. I know you'll look stunning tonight. Love, Eli.

I close the door and hurry to the table in my living room and pull apart the ribbon to open the box. Luckily it's not taped down to where I have to find some scissors to cut it open. I glide my finger along the bottom and wriggle the lid off. Inside is some white tissue paper wrapping up something soft. Unwrapping the paper, an immaculate royal blue V-neck dress is folded neatly inside. I carefully pull the dress out and let it unfold in front of me. It's knee length with long sleeves--absolutely perfect. My attention turns toward my buzzing phone alerting me of a text message.

I carefully tuck the dress back into the box before grabbing my phone off of the couch and see a message from Eli: So, what do you think?

A smile spreads across my face as I type: It's perfect. Thank you so much, Eli.

Little dots appear across my screen as he types and I anxiously wait until he responds: I'm glad you like it, beautiful. I'll be there at six.

I zip the dress up and peer around in the mirror to make sure it looks good from all angles. He really did good. It fits like a glove. The diamond earrings he gave me last night sit in the ceramic jewelry dish on my dresser. I put them in, one after another and can't help but feel like I might have seriously lucked out with this guy.

***

"Are you okay?" Eli laughs as we park in front of his parents French renaissance-style mansion.

"When you said 'mansion,' I guess I didn't expect a mansion." I gulp, feeling intimidated by the looming pillars and two-stories of extravagant wealth. Warm lights hover tastefully over each perfectly sculpted window. Impeccably well-designed landscape and architecture stare down at me reminding me of how out of my element I am. I feel my palms sweating and my heart pounding in my ears.

"Alli," he shakes my knee and pulls me out of my insecurities and back to safety. "Don't worry about any of this," he waves his hand at the mansion. "None of this stuff matters. What matters is you and me. I know that my parents will adore you, just like I do." He smiles that handsome smile before looking away like he wants to say something.

"What?" I laugh nervously.

"There's something you should know before we go in...about my mother."

"Well that doesn't sound terrifying at all," I joke. "What about her?" My nerves make me start to jitter again.

"She's...a little over-protective. And she can be rough around the edges when she first meets someone." I exhale a deep breath of dread before he shakes my knee again with a bigger smile, "But I know she will warm up to you! Once she knows she can trust you, she's the most loyal and loving person, I promise. And once she sees what I see in you, I know she'll open up to you."