Best I'll Always Have

Prologue

Ophelia had just poured her heart out to Eli in the hopes that there was the slightest chance he wouldn't leave her this time. Up until this moment in time, she had always lived by her pride and rules, and never resorted to begging a guy for a future together. But despite having fought with herself to keep her mind from constantly thinking about Eli, she'd found her mind, body and soul longing for his sight, his touch, his warmth and his love.

He couldn't believe the words he was hearing. He knew he was completely consumed by Ophelia and that there would be no other for him in his life, ever again. Bliss, Lila Kate, Alice, they all faded away like a distant memory. None of them could make him feel the way Ophelia did. How on earth could someone like Ophelia fall in love with him? He wanted to question the notion as crazy as it sounded in his head, but he also wanted to take the chance she was offering him, as he would have wanted it no other way if he wasn't so hung up in thinking about the greater good for her sake.

The time he was taking in fighting his contradictory thoughts was the time she was spending doubting his love for her. She was starting to sound desperate for him and he realized she didn't know just how deep he'd fallen in love with her. He wanted to take away her pain, but didn't want to leave her with a new pain that she would perhaps be unable to bear over time. Was he really damaged beyond repair? One look at the emotion in her eyes, and her words bouncing off his ears, made him take her in his arms and pour his heart out.

The satisfaction and peace that reflected in her eyes proved to him that he had been wrong. Her life was better with him in it and she had already found a way to heal him.

She was happy that he felt the same way and that maybe after all, they did have a future together. She didn't want to let go of him they night. He continued to hold her in his arms.

There were many things unsaid, the past that needed to be reiterated and then locked away as a memory good or bad. The present where his grandmother faced a life consuming illness and how it could either bring the family together or break them apart. Then there was a whole big future to plan, if he wanted to be the man Ophelia truly deserved, then Eli had a lot of thought to put into how his future was going to shape out to be.