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City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

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.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

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.))

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

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.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

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."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Nodding her head in agreement, Ele inhaled deeper,

"It smells amazing!"

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

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

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Don't go getting too crazy with that paperwork!

Ele replied with a half smile, imagining Tyler, bored out of his mind, doing a stack of papers for the shop. Sending a second text, Ele felt a funny squeeze in her chest,

I love you Tyler, so much.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Pulling out her phone when it buzzed in her pocket, Ele's stomach flipped when she saw it was from Tyler. Taking a breath, she typed a reply,

Ywah! Eric fed me tacos and took me spraypainting! Tons of fun!

Sending that, she hoped it sounded perky enough to pass as her usual self.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Shaking her head as,they walked, Ele smiled at the thought. If she ever convinced Tyler to come out to the,city with her, maybe they would look the place up. Unless... Ele's smile faded as she thought about what Eric had said, how Tyler had had a string of younger women, what if she was just the new, pretty thing in town to occupy his mind for a while?

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Nodding eagerly, Ele smiled, trying to be happy for Eric. He was making a good effort to make sure she was comfortable and had a good time,

"Oh yes! This was amazing! I can't believe I've lived in the city this long and never knew about it!"