[IC] City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

[Tyler Night]

Oh trust me, this paperwork will be one of the biggest things I have done in a while.

Receiving the second text he smiles.

Love you too sweetheart, I will text you back after the paperwork is done.

[DELETED08735]

A bigger smile broke across Ele's face, surely someone like Tyler wouldn't say 'I love you,' unless they really meant it. Stowing her phone away in her pocket,

"So, back to yours then?"

She asked Eric

[Tyler Night]

"Yep."

He says with a smile, heading back home with her. After arriving home he smells the house and smiles.

"Oh yeah, I smell the catalina dressing."

[DELETED08735]

Nodding her head in agreement, Ele inhaled deeper,

"It smells amazing!"

[Tyler Night]

Suddenly a voice calls out from the kitchen.

"Eric, you brought a girl home?"

Eric laughs.

"It is a protection job for Vale."

Lee steps out from the kitchen and looks at her. He wears jeans and a t shirt and looks fairly ordinary.

"So, you are the one being stalked and harassed."

He says walking over to her, extending his hand as he reaches her.

"Name is Lee."

[DELETED08735]

Shaking Lee's hand, Ele returned the greeting,

"I'm Ele, and yes. Thank you for letting me borrow your hubby until I go back to Michigan."

[Tyler Night]

He shakes her hand and says.

"You're welcome. Vale and your man have been good to us."

He breaks the handshake.

"I will continue with the taco salad. I am actually cooking the beans for it right now so it should be done in an hour."

[DELETED08735]

Ele liked Lee, he seemed very down-to-earth and stable. Sighing, Ele excused herself to go to the basement where she flopped on the bed unceremoniously. Eric had been right, the bed was divine, but Ele's mind was stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, her old flighty self was screaming for Ele to go back to her landlord and beg her lease back, to find a new job and resume her safe, single, life. On the other, Ele so wanted to believe that Tyler's omission of his preferences was just a slip of the mind, and that everything woulsbbe cleared up when she got home.

Sighing and staring up at the ceiling, Ele battled with herself to not pick up the phone and call Tyler, demanding an explanation. That needed to be a talk they had in person.

[Tyler Night]

Lee cooks the beans, tossing ham bones in the water with the beans. Meanwhile back in Michigan Tyler meets up with a real estate agent to finish his paperwork on the new building. After some time he completes the paperwork officially signing off on the purchase of a new shop. He smiles and prepares to text Ele to tell her but decides against it, electing to tell her when she comes back home. From the kitchen Lee calls out.

"Taco Salad is done!"

[DELETED08735]

With a groan, Ele got up and went to the kitchen, joining the two for dinner.

((We can skip ahead to the next day if you want.))

[Tyler Night]

Next day arrives and Tyler checks his phone, seeing no notifications he decides to text Ele.

Hey Ele, just a few more days and we will be together for good. I have a big surprise for you when you get back.

[DELETED08735]

In her apartment, Ele was busy directing movers on which pieces to take and which to leave. Feeling her phone in her pocket, Ele pulled it out and looked at the message. The night before Eke had gone to sleep before texting Tyler good night, and she had neglected to text him good morning. It was uncharacteristic for her, but Ele still felt wounded from the night before.

Reading the message, Ele but her lip,

Can't wait!

She sent simply, ignoring the strong urge to stop everything and run.

[Tyler Night]

I am taking the day off so I will be available all day to talk.

He sends the text heading out to the new shop to setup how he wants for his side.

[DELETED08735]

That squeeze on her heart again made Ele wince. Tyler having the day off would have made her jump for joy just two days ago. She would have spent as much time as she could on the phone to him, chatting about anything and everything.

Taking a deep breath, Ele looked down at her phone, her thumb over the call button. She needed to do this before she completely uprooted her life, completely changed everything for a man she had known for two weeks.

Pressing the green call button, Ele went out into the hallway, then to an empty emergency stairwell where she could have some privacy.

[Tyler Night]

He hears his phone ringing, picking it up and answering it.

"Hey babe, what's up?"

[DELETED08735]

"Hi..."

Ele said, unsure of how to start. Deciding that beating around the bush would only complicate things, she dove right in.

"Eric told me yesterday that you prefer younger women. How come you told me that you had only dated one woman, but not about the string of others that came after her?"

Trying to keep her voice even, Ele leaned her elbows on her knees, her long hair falling over her shoulders to curtain her face.

[Tyler Night]

"Yeah, definitely like younger women."

He says unashamed.

"Well, can't call it a string. I only dated one girl after my big break up that was a setup by a friend to try to get me back in the dating scene. The girl was nice but the dates were very boring cuz we had nothing in common. We had a mutual break up after like a month together."

[DELETED08735]

Listening quietly, Ele felt a little better, but something else poked at her. In a quiet voice she asked,

"And what happens when you wake up one day and see me as too old?"

There was a quiver in Ele's voice and she cursed her insecurity. This needed to be cleared up though.

"Or when a younger, prettier woman walks by and all you can see is my age?"

[Tyler Night]

Hearing the doubt and hesitation in her voice he replies to her doubts.

"Babe, you will always be a younger woman. Just because I like younger women doesn't mean I will only date young women. If I am in a relationship, it is for the long haul. You don't need to worry about anything like that, at all."

[DELETED08735]

Taking a shuddering breath, Ele felt tears spring to her eyes as her thoughts of staying in the city stilled and images of a life with Tyler took their place,

"I'm sorry, I just had to know. I love you so much Tyler, I can't imagine life without you now."

Wiping her eyes as hurried footsteps came up the stairs below her, Ele sniffled,

"What Eric said scared me, I could only think... Hey!"

There was a scuffle over the phone, and Ele's panicked voice rose incoherently, a man's voice said something, then the phone went dead.

Ele was screaming as Tony grabbed her, the two of them fighting in the stairwell, Ele's phone laid shattered on the landing below. With a grunt, Tony lifted Ele who screamed again, this time the two of them fell backwards, tumbling down the flight of stairs.

The last thing Ele thought was of Tyler, and how she would miss him so much.