Adam tenderly draped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to his warm body.
"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that," Adam sighed into her neck.
"Adam," Ella smiled softly and pulled her head back to look up at his taller frame. "I have every idea in the world. Day and night, I've been waiting for this for so long...and now that it's here...it's just...it's just that it's so surreal, Adam. I just can't believe you're really here."
"And you think I haven't thought of you..." he shook his head and removed himself from her body, taking his new position climbing up the stairs.
The phone rang loudly, but neither cared to answer it.
"No, not at all..." she stammered as she traced his steps to their bedroom.
"Then why, Ella?" Adam yelled in frustration as he dropped his duffel bag on their bed.
"Adam, I don't understand..."
"Every single time...every time I profess my love and devotion to you, you question it."
"Don't be ridiculous, Adam. You know that's not true...you know that I love you..."
"Do you?" he snapped at her, the words hitting her like a ton of bricks, as she staggered to a seated position beside the midnight black bag.
Adam immediately felt guilt wash over him as he tossed the duffel bag aside.
"I'm sorry, Elles. I didn't mean it. Life on the road...being away from you...it's just..."
"Hard," she sighed and looked up at him with pleading eyes.
"Yeah," he chuckled awkwardly as he rubbed a hand over his newly buzzed hair.
Ella couldn't believe the things that were echoing in her ears. Did she love him? Of course she did, there was no question in her mind, nor should there have been in his, but the thing that scared her most? Did he really have to ask her that?
"When did we get like this?" Ella's voice interrupted Adam's rambling mind.
"Huh?"
"When did we get like this?" she repeated calmly.
"Like what?"
"To the point where we're questioning each other's intentions...each other's love. When did we get like this, Adam?"
"To be honest, Ella," he dropped his head into his hands quickly and then looked up again at her, "I don't know."
Ella quickly stood up from the bed and walked into their bathroom. She placed a hand on either side of the sink and rocked back and forth on her heels.
She desperately needed to be alone at that moment...she needed time to clear her head. And, Adam knew that...it was just that he wouldn't give into her.
Ella's peripheral vision caught Adam on her scope and she exhaled deeply before looking up at him through the mirror.
"That wasn't the answer I was looking for."
"I'd give it to you...if I knew what the answer was to begin with."
"You do know the answer, Adam..."
"And you seem to know to...so why don't you tell me?"
"Then there wouldn't be a point would there?" she shot back, sarcasm pouring from her voice.
Every little nerve ending in his body was telling him that he couldn't give in.
"Newsflash, Elle....there's no point in sight for miles."
"No, Adam...it just seems that there's a pea soup fog coating your vision."
No...he would not give in.
"Why don't you save us both the trouble and lift the fog?"
There was no way he could give into her.
"You want to know why?"
Nope...no way.
"Hit me with it, Ella."
He was an iron tower.
"Oh I'll hit you with it, alright..."
A brick wall.
"Just tell me..."
A stone statue.
"It would be the easy way out," she answered simply, causing Adam to smile brightly.
And now he was putty in her hands.
And he gave in.