Chapter 27

CHAPTER 27: A CALL FROM DAD

been in touch with anybody from my old life. Amy and Bree have both tried calling, but I’m still not ready

to go there just yet. As for Jace, maybe it’s best if I continue to have no contact with him. I don’t want to

hurt him, but I can’t give him the answer that he wants to hear, not yet anyway.

I miss him every single day, but he’s kept his word and has not contacted me at all. Although, he has

asked my mom about me, wanting to make sure that I’m still doing good. According to Elise, Jace has

gotten into two separate fights with other guys at school who have been trying to get with my sister. She

told me that she doesn’t even talk to Jace, so she doesn’t know how he is finding out about these guys.

I get an ache in my chest whenever they bring his name up, but I want to know what he’s been up to as

well. Maybe I’m doing it the coward’s way, but at least I’m not being hot and cold with him. It wasn’t until

this morning that I really started to think about the Ella and Jace topic, and it is only because my dad had

called me to let me know that the court date has been moved up to two weeks from today. I had originally

been told that it would be the end of April, but now I only have two weeks to prepare myself to not only

see my four classmates and attackers, but I’m going to have to face Jace.

“Ella, you have a customer.” My co-worker, Becky, calls out to me while she has her hands elbow-deep in

soapy sink water. I’m just standing here with a wet rag in my hand, spacing off, so I quickly toss the rag

on the counter and hurry over to the customer.

“Hey Ella! I was hoping you were working.” Gabe greets me with a smile.

I return his smile, “Hey, Gabe. What brings you to this side of town?”

“Ella, it’s like three blocks from our apartment,” he chuckles, “and I’m craving a frozen mocha with

whipped cream and drizzle on top.” He gives me the cheesiest smile ever.

Shaking my head, I grin, “Let me guess, you want it large, and with a shot of energy?”

“Look at that, you already know what I like!” He places his hand on his chest as if he’s endeared to the

knowledge of me knowing how he likes his coffee.

“Knock it off Gabe, you come in and order every time I work,” I giggle, “If I didn’t know any better, i’d think

you were stalking me!” || muse.

He shrugs, “You call it stalking, and I call it knowing when my friend works so I can come in and harass

her.” He winks.

“That you do! Don’t you have anything better to do?” I laugh as I start his drink order.

“Not really, Reece is on a cleaning spree and driving me crazy. I have a paper that is due by the end of

the week and I can’t concentrate on it when she blares her music while cleaning.” He holds his laptop

bag up to show me that he’s here to work.

Both Reece and Gabe go to the State University here in New Haven, and they are always trying to get

me to change colleges. I find nothing wrong with the State College, but when you have a full ride to Yale,

why would you switch? Yale will look much better on my resume than a State College, but I would never

say this to my friends. I don’t want to hurt any feelings, but this is my life, and I’ m going to do what it

takes to have a bright future.

Thand Gabe his drink as he hands me his debit card to swipe, “So, what’s the paper about?”

He rolls his eyes, “it’s for my Human Growth and Development class. I’m doing a paper on the individual

development of emotions and desires, and what the effects are.”

“Wow, okay then. I would love to read it before you turn it in, if you don’t mind.” As soon as he said

desires, it piqued my interest. I would like to see his findings on the human desires to see if it helps me to

understand my own better.

“That would be great, Ella. Thank you for offering to proof read my work before turning it in.” He grins.

“Well, I wouldn’t have called it proof reading, exactly. It just seems like an interesting topic, is all.” I hand

him his receipt.

Gabe glances around before leaning in, placing his elbows on top of the counter, “Are you wanting to

know the emotional part, or are you wanting to know more about the desire part?”

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A Call from Dad

His gaze is intense as he stares at me, waiting for an answer to his question.

I like Gabe, I really do, and he is a very good-looking guy; most girls drool over him, but I’m not

interested in dating anyone. He hasn’t asked me yet, but his flirtatious attitude toward me has become

worse and I know it will be any day now. Gabe is a great friend, and I’m not wanting to hurt him by having

to turn him down, so I have to figure out a way to get him to not ask me the dreaded question. I can’t

start anything with anyone until I know what is going to happen with me and Jace, anyway. Jace would

be my number one choice no matter what.

I chuckle nervously, “I have absolutely no desire to learn about desires! My only desire is to concentrate

on the next four years of schooling.”

A shadow passes his face, but he hides it right away, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, we all know that Ella is a nerd,

disguised as a hot chick.” He jokes, but there is some truth to his tone, maybe a little hurt.

I shrug it off, though, “I didn’t know that a hot chick wasn’t allowed to have brains too.”

“You seem to be the only one able to defy that rule,” He laughs and then holds his cup in the air as he

waves, “I better get to work; this paper isn’t going to right itself.”

“Oh hey, is game night still on for this Friday?” I ask before he walks away.

“Yes, and it’s at your place this week, correct?”

“Yeah, I wanted to make sure nothing has changed.”

He shows me his pearly whites, “Things won’t change unless we change them ourselves.” He turns and

walks over to a quiet corner table to work.

Were we talking about game night, or something completely different? He made it seem that there was a

deeper meaning in his words. I stand at the register for a moment, contemplating my friend’s words,

when Becky walks up and startles me.

“Damn, he’s hot! Why are you not doing the dirty with him again?” Becky is practically drooling as she

stares in Gabe’s direction.

“Well, for one, I’m not interested in dating anyone…”

“I’m not…”she cuts me off, but then I cut her off, because I know exactly what she’s going to say.

“I’m not doing a friend’s with benefits package with him, either! Have you forgotten my second reason

already?” I lean my hip against the counter and cross my arms while I face her.

“I know, I know, you still have your V card. If you want my opinion, though, I would definitely be willing to

give that stud, right there, my V card, if I had one to give.” She give grins and wiggles her brows at me.

I look over at my friend and take a moment to appreciate his good looks, “He would definitely be my

second choice.” I don’t realize that I say it out loud until I hear Becky gasp.

*Oh my God, you DO have someone!” She literally flaps her hands and bounces up and down in

excitement, “Oh, girl, you better start talking!”

Sighing, I curse myself for not being careful, “There isn’t anything to tell,” Becky is another girl that I’ve

gotten close to, and even though I trust her, I don’t know if I can let the whole Jace issue out of the bag;

Reece doesn’t even know about him yet, “It’s just a guy that I grew up with. We used to be best friends

when we were younger.” I walk over and pick up the rag to continue wiping the counters down.

“Oh, no you don’t! You don’t get to drop a bomb like this and not tell me everything!” I’ve never seen

Becky so worked-up before.

“I just don’t talk about him because it’s a sensitive subject.”

“Did the fucker turn you down? If that’s the case, then move on, babe.” Now she’s looking at me with

sympathy.

I wave her off, “No, it’s the exact opposite. He wants a relationship, but I’m the one holding back.”

I rub my forehead, “There is a lot of things about my past that I keep to myself, and it all has to do with

my decision to not jump into anything with him just yet.”

The only thing that I’ve told both Becky and Reece is about the attack. I figured that with court coming

up, I would have to go back

A Call from Dad

home at some point, and I didn’t want to lie to my new friends about why. The rest is for me to figure out

on my own, and I know Jace deserves to have an answer, instead of just waiting around. He deserves to

move on with someone who he can match his own needs.

Do I want him to move on? How would I feel if I were to see him with another girl? Oh my God, what if he

already has? I haven’t contacted him in over a month! He left me alone, so I could make the decision on

my own, and even though I still thought about him, I haven’t really, actually, thought about us for a while,

at least not as much as I should have been. I didn’t want to be hot and cold with him, and yet, I’ve left

him hanging and waiting! I wouldn’t blame him if he gave up, but when I really think about it, I don’t want

him to be with anyone else. Am I actually, making up my mind? I have to be certain, because once I say

the words, there will be no going back. That is one thing that I know about Jace, he will hold me to my

own words.

Just thinking about what Jace would do if I were to change my mind after saying ‘yes’ to him, has those

familiar tingles starting to form. I can picture him using that sexy as hell voice to order me to kneel in

front of him, or demanding that I bend over to receive my well-deserved punishment. The feel of his hand

coming down on my bare butt, leaving a much-desired burn in it’s wake, has me heading straight for the

restroom to clean myself. I haven’t felt this way in a while, and now that I’m once again thinking of the

guy that was once my bully, everything comes flooding back.

I’m not sure how it will work out, with the distance, and my schooling, but I can’t deny myself any longer. I

know what I want, and I know who it is that I want to give it to me, because it’s like he’s always said, he’s

the only one that can give me what I want, and what I need. What I want is Jace Palmer. He is the only

one that I want and trust to give myself to. Yes, I have trust in him again. It may not be as deep as it once

was, but this is a different kind of trust. I’m going to gift him with my trust that he will give me and my

body everything it needs, and in exchange, I will submit.

Turning the shower off, I grab my towel and begin drying myself. I’m just wrapping my hair in the towel

when my phone begins to ring. Looking at the time, I see it’s almost nine at night. Wondering who would

be calling me at this time, I hurry to my phone and see my dad’s name on the call ID. I just talked to my

father this morning; did something happen? When my heart begins to race, thinking that something

happened to my mom or one of my siblings, I swipe the screen to answer.

“Dad, is everything okay?” I ask frantically.

“Oh yeah, I’m sorry to be calling you this late, sweetie.” He sounds contrite.

“Oh my God, no, it’s fine. I was just getting out of the shower, but I just talked to you this morning and I

thought maybe there was an accident or something.” My heartbeat finally starts to feel normal again.

“I’m sorry, kiddo. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he chuckles, “I just needed to call you back because I

received word that the Defense is requesting probation for all four of them. I wanted you to be prepared,

honey.”

“What do you mean probation? Like, they won’t serve any time for what they did to me?” I ask

unbelievably.

“That’s exactly what it means, but don’t worry, I will do my best to get them prosecuted. I won’t let

anybody hurt my baby and think they can get away with it!” Anger laces my father’s voice.

“Okay, but what if the judge rules in their favor what then?” I don’t want to believe that any judge would

be fine with just slapping their hands and sending them on their merry way, but judges can be corrupt

too.

“If, and that’s a big if, that happens, we will make sure they have a restraining order slapped on top of

that. They will not be able to come near you, legally anyway.”

“Yeah, like that will stop them. They already broke the law by assaulting me, a little court order like that

won’t keep them away.” | mumble.

“Hey, sweetie, think positive thoughts, okay. Soon this will be all over and you can get back to living your

life again,” He pauses briefly, “At least we will be together again real soon. I’ve missed my baby girl.”

I can’t help but smile, “You’re right, dad. I’m sorry for being a Debbie Downer. I’ve missed all of you, too!”

“It’s perfectly understandable, Ella, but I don’t want you worrying your pretty little head about this. All we

can do is hope that

Justice is served.”

“Okay, dad,” A thought comes to me, “Have you informed Jace of the new court date?” | ask.

I can hear a smile in his voice, “Of course, I did. He then asked me what day you were flying back.”

“He did?” A thrill runs through me knowing that he asked about me, “So, what day do I fly out? Were you

able to book me a flight?”

A Call from Dad

“Yes, your mom was going to call you tomorrow with the information. All i know is that your flight is three

days before we have to be in court. I thought it would be best if I go over everything with you and Jace

beforehand, and I wanted to make sure you were settled before throwing you to the wolves.” My dad

explains.

“Yeah, no, I get it. I will let my bosses know tomorrow, so they know not to put me on that two-week

schedule.” i bite my lip, “So, did Jace say anything else?”

“No, but he seemed a little preoccupied when I called him.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, honey. There was a lot of rustling in the background, along with some mumbling. I think he

was trying to muffle his voice as he talked to his mom.”

“Oh, I see. Okay, well thank you for giving me a heads up, dad. I better get going, I love you. Give mom

kisses for me.”

“I love you, too, baby girl, and I will.” He replies back.

After I end the call, I toss my phone on the bed, and sigh. Was Jace really talking to his mom, or did he

find himself a girlfriend? A voice inside me scoffs at my thought process, ‘He said he would wait for you’,

it says to me, but how long would he have waited?

Picking up my phone again, I type out a text.

ME: Hey..

An hour later, I plug my phone into the charger and go to bed, never receiving a text back from Jace.

I fly out on a Sunday, nervous as hell, because I’m about to come face-to-face with the guy that I finally

realized that I want to be with, only for him to have moved on. At least that’s how I’m taking it, since he

never replied to my text. I’m excited to see my family again, it’s been way too long. I’m in need of my

mom’s cooking, my father’s forehead kisses, my brother’s annoying behavior, and my sister’s bear hugs.

Most of all, I’m in need of closure. If Jace has moved on, then I need to know for sure, so I can close this

chapter and move forward.

Sleeping on a plane is a lot easier than I would have thought. I remember take off, being asked if I

needed anything to eat or drink, and then waking up to the flight attendant informing us that we are about

to land. That didn’t help my nerves any, but it did help with the excitement of seeing my family once

again.

All four of them are there, standing in the airport holding up big signs, embarrassing the hell out of me,

but loving them even more for doing it. I run and fling myself at all of them at once, almost knocking us all

to the floor. Tears stream down my eyes at seeing the people I love again. I knew that I missed them, but

didn’t realize how much until now. We have always been close, and this time apart has shown me that I

have the greatest family ever.

“I’ve missed all of you so much!” I cry while my mother tries wiping the tears away.

“Even me?” Eli asks, grinning widely.

| ruffle his hair, “Yes, even you, little monster!”

I’m suddenly squeezed tightly from behind and know that it’s Elise, “Can you let me go, so I can give you

a proper hug?”

“Nope, this is fine.” She says, laying her head against my back. I grab hold of her hands and squeeze

them.

When she finally lets go, I give her a quick hug before letting my mom wrap me in her arms, and kissing

me on the cheek, “Welcome home, sweetie.’

I hug her back, “It’s good to be home again.”

Last, but not least, my father pulls me from my mom’s embrace, earning him a glare from mom, and lifts

me up as he hugs me, himself, “My baby looks like she’s grown since she’s been away!”

“Your baby hasn’t grown that much, and she’s right here, so you don’t have to talk in the third person,

dad.” I giggle.

He sets me down on my feet and takes my head in his hands, scanning over my face, “Still as beautiful

as ever!” He leans in and kisses my forehead, “I bet the guys are beating each other up over there, trying

to take you out.“

This is his way of asking if I have a boyfriend yet, “Dad, I’m not there to date, and no, nobody is fighting

over me.” | giggle.

“I bet Jace will be happy to hear that.” My mom muses.

A Call from Dad

I roll my eyes, “I doubt it. He probably has a girlfriend and that’s why he never responded back to my

text.”

We are heading to the luggage claim when my mother stops walking, her forehead creases, “When did

you text Jace?”

“The night that dad called me to tell me about the Defense asking for probation.” I answer.

“Hm, that’s weird, because he stopped by the other day with a piece of our mail that went to their

address and we got to talking. He said that he hadn’t heard from you since the beginning of February.”

“Well, he’s lying because my text went through and it said that it was seen, so… ” Now I’m just annoyed

that he’s lying to my mom.

* know nothing about that then, but I’m pretty sure he isn’t seeing anyone. His mom said that all he does

is go to school and work, and then comes home and mopes around the house, that’s it. Oh, I guess he

started learning how to cook more as well. His mom said that he’s always making these new dishes for

them to try out.” She chuckles, but I’m not really paying any more attention to her words.

I’m utterly confused as to what is going on now. I guess my only option is to talk to Jace and see what

the heck is going on. I mean, maybe he was busy when my text came through, and then forgot all about

it, but then again, I can’t see his mom’s store being that busy.

It doesn’t take long to see my luggage, and my dad sooops it up as it gets to us. We make our way

through the crowded airport, and then to the parking garage. Me and my siblings sit in the third row seat

of my parent’s SUV, me in the middle, so I can be by both of them. I lift my arms up and over their

shoulders as they lean their heads against me, and this is how we remain until we pull into our driveway.

Stepping through the door to our home causes many things to come flooding back, all of them good, and

I smile. Exhaustion takes over, even though I slept the whole flight. I tell my parents that I’m going to go

rest for a bit, and my mom informs me that supper will be in two hours, and that she will come wake me

when it’s done. I kiss her cheek and thank her before turning toward the stairs.

I open the door to my bedroom, peering in at the familiarity of it all. The blinds are closed and so it’s a bit

dark in my room. I flip the switch and go in, closing the door behind me. I roll my luggage over to me

closet, I’m too tired to unpack at the moment, so I leave it sitting by the closet door. Turning to head to

my ensuite, I grab my chest at the startling sight in front of me.

“Hello Ella, it’s nice to see that you are still alive.”