: Chapter 23

The sound of incessant buzzing wakes me up the next morning. I’m usually a pretty light sleeper with three children, but while last night was easily one of the best nights of my life, it was also pretty exhausting and I feel like I’ve been in a deep sleep for most of the night. Between the alcohol and all the orgasms, I was spent by the time I fell asleep. I’d never been more content though. Ellie passed out pretty much mid-sentence in my arms with her lips against my chest and I slept with her practically on top of me the entire night.

And now I want to spend every night in this position. The reminder that a phone ringing somewhere in the distance is what woke me up, prompts me to grab the device off the nightstand. When I see it’s not my phone that’s ringing, I look to the other nightstand where Ellie’s is charging.

Ellie is still lying on top of me so I rub her back gently. “Honey,” I whisper. I press a kiss to her forehead and then her nose. “Ellie, wake up, baby.”

I thought she was a light sleeper as well, but maybe she is just as exhausted. She did end the night with a dick in her ass, after all.

Memories of fucking her perfect ass come flooding back and I’m reminded of how good she felt. I’ve never had this kind of sexual chemistry with anyone. Let alone with someone who hadn’t had much experience before me. It makes me wonder if there is such a thing as soulmates.

When her phone starts ringing again, I realize it must be important, so I push her to her back. I get off the bed, walk to where her phone is plugged in, and see she’s got probably a dozen missed calls from her sisters.

Shit.

“Baby, wake up.” I shake her awake more forcefully this time and her eyes flutter open finally.

“Hi, handsome,” she says, stretching her arms out to reach for me. I grab one of her hands and press a kiss to her knuckles and then her lips. She must read the look I’m giving her because her face falls. “What is it?”

“I don’t know, but your sisters have been calling.”

She takes her phone from my hand and her eyes widen when she sees the call log. She puts her phone to her ear.

“Eden, what’s up? Why are you and Em blowing me up? Are you okay?” Her free hand flies to her mouth and tears flood her eyes as the phone drops from her ear. I still hear Eden talking and she sounds a little hysterical. I gently take the phone from her and bring it to my ear.

“Hey, Eden. I think Ellie is going into a little bit of shock.”

“Oh my God, who is this?”

“Ummm, I’m Ellie’s boyfriend. Is everything okay? What’s wrong?”

“Our dad had a heart attack. I booked the first flight I could get and I’m leaving school now but it’s going to take me about two hours to get there from Connecticut.”

“Shit, I’m so sorry,” I look at Ellie who is staring straight ahead with a blank stare. I grab her hand and rub my thumb over her knuckles. “Do you know if he’s stable?”

“I think he was when they got to the hospital? I’m not sure though. Emily is at the hospital. Call her.”

“Alright, everything is going to be okay, Eden.”

She sniffles and doesn’t say anything in response before she finally speaks again. “What’s your name, anyway? I didn’t know she had a boyfriend. Fuck, I’ve been so busy this semester. I’ve barely talked to her or Emily.”

“Well, Ellie can fill you in when she sees you.” I wasn’t sure if her sisters knew about me in the sense that I’m her boss and I don’t want to be the one to drop the bomb that I’m now also her boyfriend amidst all of this.

Though I don’t think I’ll be her boss for much longer.

We get dressed, pack up the car quickly, and shortly after we are on our way back to the house. I haven’t let go of her hand since we got in the car and though she isn’t saying much, I feel like I can read her already.

“There’s a two o’clock flight,” she says finally. “I’m going to be cutting it close.” She looks at her watch before turning to me. “Can you take me to the airport?”

“I can get River to take us.”

“Us?”

“Of course, I’m coming with you.”

“Rowan…”

“You’re upset and I want to be there for you. I’m also a bit worried about you traveling alone while you’re like this. I understand you may not be ready for me to meet your family; I don’t have to come to the hospital but I want to be close by.”

Tears well in her eyes and she brings my hand to rest over her heart. “You are so sweet, but I’m okay. We’ve been gone and we can’t both leave the kids again.”

“Baby, it’s an emergency. They will be okay.”

She sighs. “I need to go by myself.”

“Why?”

“Because!” She wipes under her eyes. “Em said he’s stabilized and he’s going into surgery. I’m sure everything will be okay.”

“I’m sure too,” I tell her, doing my best to remain optimistic and help keep her spirits up. “But it doesn’t change the fact that I don’t want you traveling alone while you’re feeling vulnerable.”

“I don’t want you to leave them. Unless you turn around and come back the same day, you’ll more than likely be in Ohio overnight.”

“Ellie, I’ve had to go away for work where I’ve been gone multiple days in a row. They will be fine. River comes and stays with them at the house.” I can’t tell if she’s putting her guard up and pushing me away or if this is just about the kids, but it’s looking more and more like I’m not going with her.

“That’s not the point.”

“What is the point?” I probe her gently, not wanting to argue but wanting to understand why she is so averse to having me come with her.

“Margot is still really sensitive about this and us and I just…don’t want to take you away from them. I know you want to be there. I do, and I can’t tell you what that means to me, but I don’t want to be worried about them while I’m in Ohio.” She shakes her head and tears flood her eyes. “This isn’t about us or taking a step back, I promise. I just want to go by myself.”

I relent because I don’t want her to feel like this is about that. She has more important things to worry about and I don’t want to be the cause of any additional stress.

I called River and briefly gave him the rundown while we were at the lake house as Ellie packed her things, so he pulled Ellie into a hug as soon as we walked through the front door.

“I’m going to go pack. I’ll be ready in like ten minutes?” she offers weakly as she makes her way to her room. Her eyes are still red and watery and all I want to do is hold her in my arms and take every ounce of her pain away.

River winces when she disappears and we walk into the kitchen. “Are you going with her?” he whispers and I shake my head. “Why?”

“She doesn’t want me to. Said I should stay here with the kids,” I say while pulling a bottle of water out of the refrigerator.

“Oh man, I could stay if that’s what she’s worried about.” He shakes his head. “I would just need to run home and get some stuff, but Margot’s here.”

“I told her that. I think Margot’s attitude has her rattled and she doesn’t want to give her another reason to be upset.”

“Dude…I talked to Margot last night. For a while,” he tells me as he leans over the counter. “I gave her a beer to mellow her out…” he chuckles. “Actually three.”

“I could do without knowing that.”

He snorts. “That girl could drink you under the table. Believe me, she was fine. You’d be proud. I drew the line at her wanting to take shots though.” I glare at him but he continues. “It did get her to open up. Just give her some time. It’s an adjustment and she’s sixteen. This is really your first experience being around a girl this age since we don’t have sisters, but as someone who deals with hundreds of them every day, they’re a little moody,” he whispers. “And we always thought she took Bianca’s death the hardest. There are so many layers here. All that being said, she knows she has to work on her attitude.”

I’m not surprised that River was able to get her to open up. He has this way of always making people feel comfortable. Even strangers. He’s personable and likable in ways I never felt I was.

I hear footsteps on the stairs and then I see Isla in one of her Princess costumes. I get the feeling she was just about to rope River into something when we got home.

“Hi, Daddy!” she runs toward me and I scoop her up in my arms, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Hi, Princess. Did you have fun with Uncle River?” I ask, doing my best to sound cheerful.

“Uh-huh! He let me stay up until eleven!”

“Didn’t I say that was a secret?!” River points at her when he sees the look I’m giving him and then waves me off. “We were watching a movie and I let her finish.”

“What movie?” I ask, wondering what my younger brother has subjected my youngest to now.

“Relax, some cartoon shit.”

Isla giggles and presses a kiss to my cheek. “Where’s Ellie?”

“In her room. Listen, angel—”

“Ellie!!!” she calls, kicking herself against me so I’ll put her down before she takes off for her room. I was planning to tell her myself so Ellie wouldn’t have to and I can only hope it doesn’t make her more upset to have to tell Isla that she’s leaving. I follow behind her and when I make it to her room, I see Isla already in Ellie’s arms.

“I missed you!” she squeezes her and Ellie holds her tight against her chest.

“I missed you too! What did you do while we were gone?” she asks while she continues to pack some clothes into a small suitcase.

“Watched a movie and played Candy Land four times and I won six dollars and had pizza!”

I glare down the hall toward my brother at the thought that he’s teaching my six-year-old about gambling and Ellie chuckles.

“Wow. Stakes have gone up since I was a kid.” She looks at me in the doorway. “Your kids know how to gamble? I wish I would have known. My last job was with children of professional poker players and those eight-year-olds were good.” She sighs and puts a hand over her face like she’d briefly forgotten what she was doing and now remembers that she’s leaving.

“Honey, I’m leaving for a few days.” She moves to Isla and kneels in front of her so she’s at eye level.

“When will you be back?”

“I’m not sure. I have to go home.”

“But you live here.” A smile ghosts over Ellie’s face and she brushes some hair out of Isla’s eyes.

“I mean home to where my daddy lives.”

“Oh. That’s far, right?” Ellie nods and I can see the tears in her eyes before she blinks them away. “Why are you sad?”

She sniffles and puts on a smile. “I…I’m just going to miss you so much, that’s all.”

Isla’s eyes well up too and I wonder if seeing Ellie upset is triggering her. “You’ll come back, right?”

“Of course.”

Her bottom lip trembles a little and I think it’s hitting her that she’s leaving for longer than the length of a school day. “Can we talk on the phone?”

“Yes, your dad has my number.”

She presses a kiss to Ellie’s nose before giving her a hug, and I feel the emotions building within because that was something Bianca always did and I’d never seen Isla do it to anyone.

“I have something for you,” Isla says before she runs past me out of the room.

Ellie’s eyes meet mine as she stands up and I don’t waste a second closing the space between us to press my lips to hers. I feel her tears on my cheeks as my tongue moves against hers for no more than a second before I pull back to rest my forehead against hers.

“She’s taking it better than I thought she would,” she whispers. “You can call me if she wants to talk.”

I rub the space under her eyes to wipe at the tears forming. “What about if I want to talk?”

“Anytime.”

Isla comes running back into the room with what looks like a picture she drew and I realize it’s the one of all of us. “Here,” she says holding up the picture. “So, you don’t forget about us.”

Ellie drops to one knee. “Oh, Isla, I could never forget you guys.” She takes the picture from her. “Thank you so much. I love this, but are you sure you want me to have it?”

Isla nods. “Did you talk to Daddy about the puppy?” she tries to whisper and Ellie laughs before looking up at me.

“Not yet, but I’ll work on it when I get back,” she whispers back before she stands up. “We should go,” she says looking at me.

Isla’s brown eyes move to mine before narrowing slightly and I see the worry on her face. “Daddy, you’re going too?” I know this is what Ellie was worried about and while I hate that I’m not going with her, I know it’s for the best.

“I’m just taking her to the airport because she has to get on a plane. I’ll be back in a little while.”

She nods and I’m surprised she doesn’t ask if she can come too.

SJ comes into the room a second later. “Uncle Riv says you’re leaving?” he asks and Ellie nods.

“Yes, but just for a little. You’re in charge, ‘till I get back.” She points before she crosses the room, pulls him into a hug, and kisses his forehead.

“You got it. I’m…uhh…sorry about your dad,” he says while looking at the floor. SJ doesn’t show emotion often so I feel like he may be struggling with his feelings a little.

“Thank you. He’s going to be fine…I just need to be there.”

“Yeah.” He nods.

“I have to go, but I will let you guys know when I get to Ohio, alright?”

SJ nods and we all move out of the room. “Where’s Margot,” I ask them, looking around for my oldest daughter.

“Taking a nap,” Isla answers.

“She’s hungover.” SJ snorts and I shoot a murderous glare at River.

“I didn’t let him have any. Relax,” he says before shooting a glare at SJ.

“What’s hungover?” Isla asks and I turn to River.

“Handle this…like an adult please,” I say as I usher Ellie out of the door.