Chapter 70

“Pony Express!” | shout out, winning charades for me and Reece. Game night has resumed for me,

giving me a much-needed fun night. We didn’t have it last Friday be cause both Reece and Gabe were

down with the flu, but tonight we were able to finally pick it up again.

Thad forgotten how much fun it was before my life did a three-sixty. I now feel like two totally different

people, though, and I’m not sure if I like it. As much fun as I’m hav ing with my friends, I don’t feel

whole, and it almost seems as though I’m lying to both me and my friends. Reece, and now Gabe,

know of the type of relationship that me and Jace have, but they don’t know to what extent it goes to.

Not that it’s their business, but with Jace not here with me, could really use someone to talk to about it.

I just don’t trust anybody enough to tell my secrets yet.

“Ella, do you need another drink?” Reece asks as she gets up to get a refill of her own.

“Yeah, sure. Thank you.” I watch as Gabe starts putting the charades game away while Collin pulls out

the Cards Against Humanity game, “I love this game.” I clap excitedly.

“That’s only because you win at this game.” Gabe chuckles.

I shrug, “Don’t I win at every game?”

“Pretty much,” Deke says dryly, “I don’t think she’s al lowed to win more than one game a night.” He

jokes.

“I second that!” Collin raises his hand.

“Hey, no fair! I can’t help if I’m good at games.” | pout but I’m really doing a happy dance on the inside.

I like knowing that I’m good at something in a social setting.

“I hear you’re good at other things as well,” Deke smirks.

I smile at him, a bit confused, “Oh yeah, what is that?”

Keeping my attention on Collin’s dealing as well, it isn’t until Deke speaks again that I forget all about

the other male and focus on the one that is talking about something he should know nothing about. I

freeze as he goes on about how I like to be controlled during sex and that he would be more than

happy to tell me what to do.

My eyes go straight to Gabe, but he can’t look at me. He pretends to be interested in the cards that

Collin dealt him. There is a little bit of a tick to his jaw, indicating that he isn’t happy with his friend for

mentioning it. I wasn’t meant to know that he had told his other friends. He had no right, and he knows

this.

“So, tell me, Ella. What would it take for you to let us tie you up and give you what you need?” Deke

wiggles his brows

“DEKE, ENOUGH!” Gabe yells at his friend.

I get up, gather my things and head for the door. I can’t stay here anymore. It’s not that I’m

embarrassed or any thing, but I feel outnumbered by people who don’t under stand my relationship with

Jace.

“What?” I hear Deke reply to Gabe, “I’m just messing with her!”

“Ella, please,” Reece begs, “Don’t go. Deke can be a jerk, but he’s harmless.”

I try to give her a smile, but I fail, “Sorry, I gotta go.” || flee their apartment and go back to mine, locking

the door behind me. Tossing my stuff on the nearby counter, I go straight to my room and throw myself

face down on my bed.

| want Jace here with me. There are still two more weeks that I have to get through before I can see

him again, and they are going to be the longest two weeks ever! I’m in need of a release so bad, and

I’m not talking about a simple vibrator release. I need to feel pain, that’s the re lease I need, but not just

any. No, only one person can give me what I need. So, feeling a little defeated, I head toward

my bathroom to take a long hot shower.

A knock on the front door draws my attention and I re direct where I’m going. Looking through the

eyehole, I hesi tate before unlocking and opening the door. Gabe stands on the other side, looking a

little sheepish. I cross my arms in front of my chest and wait for him to say something first.

Un

“Look Ella, I’m sorry for saying anything to the guys about your relationship with him.” He can’t even

say his name, “I was frustrated because I have been waiting pa tiently ever since I met you, for you to

be ready to date. Suddenly you come back, and you have a boyfriend who likes to hurt you…”

I hold my hand up stopping him right there, “First of all, Gabe, I have been crushing on Jace since I

was sixteen. We have known each other our entire lives and were best friends until we had a fallen out.

I never would have been ready to date anyone until I was completely over him.” | run my fingers

through my hair, “Look, you have been a good friend to me and I don’t want to lose that, but if it comes

down to it, I will choose Jace each and every time because even though I want to have you in my life, I

NEED Jace in my life, and I don’t expect anybody to understand it, but I do expect you to respect it.” |

stare at him for a moment, “As for him hurting me… he doesn’t do anything that I don’t beg him to do.

What Jace does to me is because I ask him to do it, not because he likes hurting me. Actually, he

doesn’t like hurting me, but he loves me and knows that it’s

what I want.”

“Ella, I’m sorry. You’re right, I don’t understand any of this, but I do know that I still want your friendship.

You’re cool as shit, and I’d be an idiot if I let my lack of knowledge fuck up a good friendship.”

| study him, hoping that he’s being honest with me, and when I finally believe he is, I smirk, “I am pretty

cool, aren’t

I?”

Grinning from ear to ear, he nods, “Yes, you are.”

“I guess you’re pretty cool yourself, but you need to promise me one thing,” I wait for him to nod, “You

need to promise not to be a dick when he gets back here. I told him not to egg you on and now I’m

telling you not to be a dick. I want my friends to like the man I love and know that I’m happy with him.”

He rolls his eyes but smiles, “Fine, I guess I can do that for you, but you need to let me mess with him

sometimes.”

U

I cock a brow at him, “We will see.”

“Come here,” he opens his arms and grins. I let him give me a friendly hug, “I truly am sorry about

saying anything, and I will make sure that they never bring it up again.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” I hug him back and then step away.

He drops his arms right away, “Why don’t you come back upstairs.” He nods towards the stairwell.

“Nah, I think I’m just going to take a shower and then head to bed. It’s been a long day and I need to

get a few things moved into the new apartment tomorrow.”

“That’s right, are you wanting any help? I’m free until about four o’clock.” Gabe offers.

“Any and all help would be great, thank you. I don’t have a whole lot, but I’m not looking forward to

walking up and down those stairs that many times. I have a few boxes that I was going to wait and

have my dad take up next week when they get here, but I prefer to have it all done by then.” I give him

a grateful smile, “Lunch will be on me, of course.”

“Not a problem. I’ll even drag Reece out of bed to help.” He snickers.

“Don’t you mean to supervise?” I smirk.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right” We have a good laugh to gether and then he heads back upstairs.

I feel so much better now that we have cleared the air. I wouldn’t want to lose Gabe as a friend

because he is a great guy, and a great friend. Locking the door once more, I head to the bathroom and

hop into the shower. Once I’m done, and in my cami and sleep shorts, I go in search of my phone. I

need to make sure I call Jace before I fall asleep. I find it adorable that he likes to be connected when

we sleep. We have been able to tell each other goodnight and wake up to the other in the mornings this

way.

I begin to panic when I don’t find my phone in any of the normal spots that I place it down at. I try to

remember if I grabbed it when I left Reece and Gabe’s apartment, and I’ m sure I did. Walking over to

the counter where I set every thing down at when I came in the door, everything that I had with my is

there, except my phone.

“What the hell?” I think out loud. Going to my laptop, I open it up to see if I can find my phone’s

location, but it doesn’t turn on. It must be dead, and now, I’m really getting frustrated. I go in search for

my laptop charger, and what do you know, that’s gone as well.

Throwing on my kimono, I grab my house keys and lock my door before taking the stairs two at a time

to Reece and Gabe’s. I can’t believe this is happening to me right now. It’s just my luck that not only do

I lose my phone but, can’t find my charger for my dead laptop as well.

Reece opens the door and chuckles at the state of

Un

dress I’m in, “I didn’t realize we were having a slumber par ty!”

| giggle, “You wish. I’m looking for my phone; I can’t seem to find it in my apartment or my laptop

charger. I’m sure glad my head is attached to my shoulders!”

“I saw you grab your phone when you left earlier,” Gabe says as he comes over after hearing my

predicament.

“I thought so too, but I can’t find it anywhere.” | begin to bite my nail. I need to call Jace and at least let

him know that I’m not ignoring him, “Can I use your phone quick?” | ask Reece.

“Sure, hold on.” She goes into the other room to go get

1. it.

“I can’t believe you misplaced your phone in the short time that you left.” Gabe goes into the fridge to

grab a wa ter. Offering me one, I shake my head, “I always leave my laptop on the charger while I’m at

home. Haven’t lost my charger yet.” He grins.

“That’s just it, I usually do too.” I furrow my brow.

Reece comes back and hands me her cellphone. Thank God I know Jace’s number by heart. When he

answers, he sounds confused as to who it is calling.

“Hey, babe, it’s me. I’ve misplaced my phone, so I thought I’d call you from Reece’s phone, to let you

know why I haven’t called yet.”

“Oh, that’s okay, I just got home myself. Why don’t you use your laptop to find it?” He asks and I

snicker.

“Well, I seemed to misplace my charger for it and it’s dead.” I hear him sigh and then chuckle himself.

“Here, hold on. Let me see if I can find it from my end. What is your username and password for it?” I

give him the information and wait for him to find it. “Uh, have you checked your pocket?” He laughs.

“I don’t have pockets. I’m in my pajamas and robe. Why do you ask?”

“Ella, are you in your apartment right now?” He asks a bit strangely.

“No, I’m up in Reece and Gabe’s apartment, why?”

“Your phone is in your apartment but it’s moving around.”

Chills run up my spine and I put the phone on speaker, “What do you mean, it’s moving?”

“I’m telling you that someone must be in your apart ment and has your phone because it’s moving

around!” He curses, “Call the police, Ella, now!”

“I’ll go check it out, quick.” Gabe states and leaves the apartment. It doesn’t matter though because

Jace’s voice comes back over the line.

“They just left via the fire escape!” Reece and I run over to their window that overlooks the fire escape,

and sure enough, there is a figure just jumping down to the ground. It’s too dark to see who it is,

though.

“Jace, someone was in my apartment while I took a shower!?” | begin to tremble, “They must have

been in there at some other point as well in order to take my charger and let my laptop go dead.”

“Call the police, Ella, now!” He orders.

“Reece is already using Gabe’s phone to do it.” I inform him as my friend nods at me.

“I’m coming back to you, Ella. You’re not going to stay there without me anymore!” He says.

“Jace, you have to finish school! I’ll be fine. I will stay up in the new apartment and get all the locks

changed.”

“I will figure it out about school, but i’m coming home to you baby.” I feel bad that he’s taking the time

from school to come to me, but I do feel better I knowing that I will have him with me.

“Only come if you are able to finish online. Promise me that you won’t screw your last two weeks of

school up just to come here.”

“Like I said, I will figure it out. I want you to stay with Reece and Gabe tonight,” he chokes out Gabe’s

name but nevertheless, he still trusts me enough to stay in the same place that Gabe is, “I will call

Reece’s phone tomorrow once I have another phone for you to pick up at the local store. Your phone’s

gone silent, so they must have turned it off and we won’t be able to track it unless they turn it back on.”

“Okay, thank you.” I say softly.

“I promised you that I wouldn’t let anything else happen to you, and I tend to keep that promise, baby. I

love you; go get some sleep now.”

“I love you too, Jace.” The line goes dead, and I hand Reece back her phone.

Gabe comes back, “The window to the fire escape was open, but your apartment is clear now.”

“Yeah, Jace told us the person was leaving through the fire escape,” Reece informed Gabe, “We saw

their form, but it was too dark to make out. Ella is going to stay here for tonight.”

“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I don’t think they will be back tonight, but I don’t want to take any

chances.” He states.

“The police are on their way now.” Reece informs us both, so all we have to do now is wait.