by Aubrey Rose
“I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, Miss Blair. Would you like to take a seat?”
“No, I wouldn’t like to take a seat, I want you to leave my family the hell alone! Haven’t you done enough?”
The smile that slid across his face made Ellie want to launch herself across the desk and slap him.
“Miss Blair, I really have no idea what you’re talking about. I understand your mother is sick and you lost your father... Perhaps your brother knows something about the cause of this outburst?”
She could see it in his eyes, the satisfaction he felt in knowing the pain and suffering he was putting her family through.
“You leave Ricky alone. If you so much as touch a hair on his head, Grey, I’ll kill you.”
The smile slipped a little on his face, a look of irritation filling his eyes but in an instant it was gone, replaced with a look of shock and feigned concern.
“Miss Blair, I understand the pressure you must be under but I really do hope for your sake that you didn’t just threaten me.”
Ellie placed her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
“You heard me, Grey, and I meant every word of it. If you harm my brother or come after my family in any way I’ll kill you myself.”
He stood. Ellie watched as a dark and threatening look filled his eyes but she held her ground. It wasn’t the first time he had looked at her like that. A memory surfaced in her mind and she struggled to push it away. She wouldn’t be intimidated by a man like him again. She would protect her family no matter what. Grey moved around the desk towards her, his expression still dark but now it was tinged with some interest.
He came to a stop in front of her and dipped his face towards her, close enough that she could feel his breath against her ear and neck as he spoke.
“I’ve never forgotten our night together and the lies you spread after.
“You’re just like your father. He was strong and determined too. Unfortunately he wasn’t interesting—not like you... But interesting will only get you so far, Eleanor. It won’t protect you forever.”
He lifted his hand as though to stroke the side of her face. Ellie lashed out, her hand and nails connecting with the side of his face. She had always known he had killed her father but now he had as good as admitted it to her.
Grey growled, blood filling the two scratches that crossed his cheek. Ellie backed up in an attempt to escape his reach but his hand whipped out lightning fast, his fingers wrapping around her wrist as he jerked her in against his chest.
The door slammed open, the man Grey had called Wilson was framed in the doorway but this time he was on his knees.
Ellie gasped as Grey released her the moment the door opened and turned her gaze to the man who had the human mountain whimpering on the floor.
The guy from the diner smiled, a wicked curling of his lips. Wilson struggled and diner guy tightened the grip he had on his arm making the much larger man wince.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Who are you?”
Grey’s voice was filled with barely contained rage. Ellie watched as he brushed his fingers across his face, his expression growing more thunderous as he realised he was bleeding.
“I’m Stuart, Stuart Reynolds, and I realise this isn’t exactly the best way to introduce myself but it might be the best way to show you how I work.”
“Reynolds?”
Grey’s voice and expression suddenly lightened, the tension in the room coming down several notches.
“You’re Riley’s brother? He said you were good but I didn’t truly believe him... I’d appreciate it if you’d release Wilson, he’s been with me a number of years and he’s a good guy. I’m sure whatever little hiccup occurred between you both can be amicably resolved.”
Ellie moved towards the door as Stuart released Wilson, the larger man dropping towards the floor as he cradled his arm.
“You?”
Stuart seemed genuinely surprised as Ellie tried to slip past him. Ellie kept moving, she wasn’t going to stop. Although, she was grateful he’d decided to make his appearance when he did she couldn’t shake the feeling of disappointment that erupted within her the moment he’d appeared. It didn’t even make sense for her to be disappointed. It wasn’t as though she knew him and he didn’t owe her anything.
But deep down, part of her had hoped that he had been honest with her when he’d said he didn’t know Grey. It was important that he be honest... To find out now that it had been a lie? It hurt more than Ellie dared to admit even to herself.
She brushed past him and out into the hall. When he called after her she continued to ignore him and headed for the door, refusing to even acknowledge him.
Ellie made it back as far as the main road before her vision blurred badly enough to make her pull over. She didn’t want to cry. It seemed like such a weak thing to do and a man like Grey didn’t deserve her tears. Yet Ellie still found herself slumped over the steering wheel, sobs rattling through her body as she fought to breathe.
A light tap on the window had her lifting her head and peering out through the steamed up glass.
“I’m fine, thanks...” she called out, hoping whoever the blurred shape was through the glass would get the picture and just leave. The last thing she needed right now was to explain to a stranger why she was parked up on the side of the road sobbing her heart out.
“It’s Stuart... The guy from the diner...”
His voice was soft and for a split second Ellie imagined him saying her name, the thought of it sending a shiver rippling down her spine.
Don’t be so soft, Ellie! You don’t know this guy and if he’s hanging out with Grey Mattheson then he’s obviously a big creep.
The voice in the back of her mind instantly piped up, destroying the moment and Ellie shook her head, a frown settling across her face. Reaching down she tried to turn the handle to open the window but it was immovable, the window remaining frustratingly in place. She pulled the door handle and pushed the door open, squinting out into the sunlight that streamed down behind Stuart.
“What do you want?”
Her voice was filled with irritation and for a split second Ellie felt bad as she watched his bright smile dim around the edges.
“I wanted to make sure you were alright, after yesterday in the diner and then today... Well, you seemed really upset when you left. Did he do something to... upset you?”
Stuart’s voice was soft as though he was talking to a fragile child. It irritated Ellie even more to think that he felt the need to speak so gently to her.
“I’m fine. You should go back and worry about impressing Grey Mattheson some more.”
Ellie couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice and it made her want to cry some more. He was obviously trying to be nice but she knew he couldn’t be trusted. If he really was working for Grey then it didn’t matter how nice he was being now. Ultimately somewhere down the line he would have to do something that in Ellie’s eyes would taint him.
“I’m not worried about impressing Mattheson. My brother wants me to get the job but I’m not committed to the idea... I’m Stuart, by the way.”
“Ellie,” she answered, hoping against hope that the ground would open up and swallow her—at least if it did it would make this easier.
Stuart paused and Ellie watched as he pushed his hand restlessly back through his hair.
“Would you like to get a coffee?”
Stuart smiled again, a grin that lit his face up and made Ellie want to forget that he was connected to the one man on this earth that she hated with every fibre of her being.
“I don’t think...”
He cut her off before she could get the full rejection of his offer out there.
“No pressure, it’s just a cup of coffee and you look like you could do with maybe someone to talk to.”
Whatever he saw in her face instantly made him change tack.
“Or not, you don’t have to talk to me
if you don’t want to... I’ll buy you a coffee and that’ll be it.”
Ellie smiled and dipped her head. She wanted to say yes, there was something about him that made her want to simply give in and agree to go with him. But how could she? It would be a betrayal of everything she had ever believed in. Everything she had ever held dear.
“Thank you, really, thank you...”
Ellie lifted her face and scrubbed her hands across her eyes, wiping away the drying tears.
“But I can’t. I’m sorry but I just can’t. There’s somewhere I need to be.”
It wasn’t strictly a lie. She was working back in the diner for the afternoon and evening shift but if she had really wanted, she could have made the time.
Stuart’s smile dimmed around the edges and the happiness that a moment before had filled his eyes now faded as though it had never been there.
“Sure, no problem. I shouldn’t have been so forward.”
He stepped away from the car and Ellie instantly felt guilty. He probably thought she was some sort of royal bitch. She wasn’t good at making friends and now she understood why, since she spent her whole life pushing people away. Well her life since the death of her father and her mother’s stroke, anyway, but then that felt like a lifetime all on its own.
She watched him head back to his own car, his name on the tip of her tongue. She could just call him back, it would be so easy. Instead she watched as he climbed back in behind the wheel of his car and turned it around, heading back in the direction of Mattheson’s house.
Ellie’s heart sank in her chest as she watched the tail lights disappear around the bend in the road. She was a fool, and there didn’t seem to be any cure for her.
Her chest felt tight as she closed the car door and placed her hands back on the steering wheel. She didn’t cry, even though it would have been very easy to simply give into the emotions. Instead she gripped the wheel hard enough to turn her knuckles white and flipped the key in the ignition once more.
She would go to work, and push all thoughts of Stuart and his infectious smile from her mind. Work would help kill any romantic notions she might have allowed to filter in through the pain and emotion of the morning.
She let the car pull slowly away from the side of the road, keeping it steady as she drove it back along the winding cliff road down into town.
Ellie found herself at home without even really thinking about where she was supposed to be going. Her plan had been to get to work early but instead with her mind so in turmoil she had gone home on autopilot. At least this way she could check in on her mom.
Stepping out of the car, she headed for the front door. Before she had left, she’d cleared the glass from the floor and covered the gaping hole left in the door with a piece of wood. It would have to be enough for now, it wasn’t as though she had any money to replace the door or the glass panel. Every penny she earned went into paying for the care her mom needed.
The house was quiet as she pushed open the front door. Ellie didn’t call out. Selena was probably somewhere around but Ellie just wanted to see her mom.
She headed up the stairs and paused at the top of the landing, her eyes catching sight of herself in the mirror there.
Her hair was in disarray and her face was blotchy from crying. She was a mess. Ellie stared a little harder at her reflection, suddenly disgusted by what she saw there. When had she allowed herself to become so pathetic? Overweight, drowning in debt, with absolutely no prospects for the future... This wasn’t the life she had hoped for, and it wasn’t the life she had dreamt of when she was a little girl.
Closing her eyes, Ellie moved past the mirror, relieved to simply be away from the reflection of what she believed to be all of her failures.
She pushed open her mother’s bedroom door and stepped into the darkened room. Selena had changed the sheets and the room smelled fresh.
Ellie could make out her mother’s shape beneath the blankets as she moved up towards the top of the bed, her soft breaths reassuring her that the world was still as it should be. Grabbing the chair next to the bed, Ellie pulled it up until it was as close as she could get it.
Rosalind’s features were relaxed and in sleep she looked much younger than she was. A small smile played around her lips and Ellie wished she could peek into the dreams her mother was having. She looked so peaceful and happy... It was the only thing Ellie had ever wished for her mother since she had suffered the stroke.
“Mom, what am I supposed to do? I want to do what’s right for you but I don’t know what’s best anymore...”
Ellie took Rosalind’s hand in hers, curling her fingers around her mother’s. Ellie dipped her face down, whispering against her hand. Her skin was thin and papery as Ellie brushed her fingers against it. It made her seem even more fragile than usual.
“Ricky’s in trouble and I don’t know how to help him. He knew Mattheson was bad news and yet he still got involved...”
Rosalind stirred in her sleep, murmuring softly and Ellie fell silent. She would have given anything to have her mom open her eyes, sit up and talk to her. But that was never going to happen. Rosalind would never be the woman she had once been and the realisation of that for Ellie was crippling.
Her mother hadn’t been an easy woman to get on with and often times Ellie had found her mother’s cruel words about her weight and appearance to cut to the bone. But that didn’t change the fact that Ellie loved her mother and she knew deep down that her mother had loved her in her own way. It was that love that had Ellie working constantly to juggle the medical bills. The only thing that had taken them this far was the life insurance money they’d received after the death of her father, but it wasn’t enough.
“Ellie, are you alright?”
Ellie jumped, her gaze instantly going to her mother’s face, as though half expecting a miracle to have occurred. Of course it was impossible and Ellie’s heart sank as she turned her attention to Selena in the doorway.
She stood and pushed the chair back, leaning down over the bed as she pressed her lips to her mother’s forehead.
“I’ll see you later, Mom.”
There was no response, there never was...
Ellie moved to the door and followed Selena out into the hall.
“I didn’t realise you were here until...”
Selena lifted the baby monitor and Ellie nodded.
“Sorry, I just wanted a few minutes with her... A few minutes to...”
Ellie cut herself off, suddenly unsure of where exactly she was even going with the sentence. What exactly was she expecting? Spending time with Rosalind was pointless. She was so out of it now she didn’t know when Ellie was there. Ellie didn’t even know if she understood what was being said to her even when her mother was awake. The doctors hadn’t been able to tell her anything with any great certainty.
The only thing Ellie knew for sure was that her mother seemed to spend more and more time asleep and when she was awake she seemed frightened... It broke Ellie’s heart to think that maybe her mother was living in a world that didn’t make sense, that maybe she was constantly terrified. If that was true then Ellie didn’t know what else she could do to make her more comfortable, less afraid.
“You’re too hard on yourself, Ellie. She knows you’re doing the best you can.”
“I sense a ‘but’ in there,” Ellie answered.
“But she would be better off in a place where she can get the round the clock care that your mom needs. Rosalind is strong and it’s great that she’s gone this far... I know right after her stroke her prognosis wasn’t good but she’s starting to really deteriorate now. Ellie, you need to think of what’s best for not just her but you too.”
“Selena, I can’t do it to her. It would kill her. Being here, being at home it’s where she belongs.”
Selena sighed and shook her head.
“Ellie, I know you want what’s best for her but trust me when I say she’s only going to get worse. There will come a time when
you’ll have a tough decision to make.”
“But that time isn’t yet?”
Selena shrugged. “I suppose not. For now we’re managing but, Ellie, I can see the weariness in you and I just don’t know how far you can go.”
“When the time comes, Selena, I’ll make the decision but for now, if I can keep her here, where she belongs for as long as I can, then I will.”
Selena nodded and drew Ellie into a hug.
“You’re a good daughter, Ellie. She would be so proud of you.”
Ellie shook her head and pulled out of the embrace.
“No, there’s more I should be doing...”
Selena shook her head again. “Let’s not get into another argument. Here, I forgot to give you this.” She held out a white envelope. “It came this morning.”
Ellie took it, her heart sinking as she recognised the postmarks on the letter. She plastered a smile across her face in an attempt to hide from Selena what she was thinking.
She turned and started down the stairs, holding the letter in her trembling hands. Ellie didn’t open it until she made it back to the car.
Pulling the folded sheet of paper out, she stared down at the typed words. Another letter from the bank, and it wasn’t friendly. The account was growing dangerously low on funds and Ellie knew that once her father’s insurance money finally ran out, that would be it... They would take the house, there would be nothing left to pay her mother’s medical bills.
Scrunching the letter up, Ellie threw it across the car, letting it bounce down onto the floor. The hard decision was coming and with the way things were looking money-wise, Ellie would have to make it before she lost everything.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The drive back up to Mattheson’s house was shorter than Stuart had hoped for. He contemplated just driving down to the beach and walking along the shore.
Stuart had seen the way Mattheson had grabbed Ellie. He’d heard her small scream, and the look of fear in her eyes had been unmistakable. But there had been something else there too. She was obviously a fighter.
