“Ellie, who did this?”
I must have zoned out because Aiden was in front of me, blue eyes practically glowing with emotion, pinning me to the spot I stood on. I knew his eyes were beautiful but every time I saw them I was blown away. Seafoam and blue like the ocean. I could almost hear the ocean and feel the coastal son just looking into them.
“Ellie?
I snapped back to reality again.
I told you I slipped at work.” I mumbled, my cheeks probably turning several shades of red.
Aiden didn’t believe me. His eyes told me just as much.
I’ve seen enough bruises to know the difference between a punch and a slip.” Aiden growled.
“Well I’m telling you it’s from an accident.” I snapped back.
The silence was tense enough to cut with a knife. It clouded over us like fog, thick and heavy and clinging to my skin and squeezing my chest. My heart thrummed against my lungs with anger, frustration and fear. I could feel the corners of my eyes burn and prickle as hot tears of frustration threatened to spill. I wanted to scream, I wanted to cry, I wanted to sink onto the cool kitchen floor and let the weight of it all press onto me until I couldn’t breathe. I trembled under the weight of the emotions surging in my veins hating myself for letting them get to me like this.
I resisted to react to my emotion and stood my ground.
The whole time Aiden’s eyes remained locked with mine, dark and unreadable.
“Um, guys?”
The tension snapped like a thread pulled too tight as Kyle walked in, clothes and hair rumpled from sleeping, eyes glazed and struggling to focus.
I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as Aiden’s eyes finally left me, no longer pinning me down.
“Everything okay?” Kyle’s probed, a soft frown of worry collecting on his brows.
“Yeah.” I croaked after a moment. “I had an accident and Aiden was overreacting.”
If looks could kill, I’d be six feet under.
“I’m not overreacting Ellie.” Aiden managed between gritted teeth before looking at Kyle. “Someone has clearly hit her. Do you know anything about this?”
“No.” Kyle was clearly shocked, his eyes flitting between us before he took a step towards me, concern shimmering in his eyes. “Someone hit you? When?”
“I wasn’t hit!” I shouted, anger bubbling over again. “It was an accident so will you both just leave it alone?”
For true dramatic effect I had of course stormed out of the kitchen, ignoring both Kyle and Aiden calling for me to stop. I couldn’t work out what made me more angry; that didn’t believe me or that Aiden had figured out the truth so easily. I was an idiot. I shouldn’t have given Noah an excuse to hit me (not that it mattered because he would have found another excuse to torture me). I shouldn’t have told Aiden. I shouldn’t have shouted at them. I shouldn’t have let Aiden hug me. I shouldn’t have thought I could have friends.
What an idiot!
Kyle and Aiden left me alone for the rest of the evening and well into Saturday until after I came home from work. Aiden’s truck was unsurprisingly not in the drive and there was no sign of him in the house.
However, Kyle was there when I got back that evening just as the sun was setting and casting long shadows across the land. I was surprised to find him sitting in the living room, the TV turned to some sports channel. We both froze when our eyes met and I could see everything Kyle was thinking and feeling in that moment from confusion to pity and worry.
1/2
Chapter 14
I sighed, feeling my annoyance bubble up again and in no mood to deal with whatever pity party Kyle had planned for me.
“Ellie, wait!” Kyle jumped off the couch as I turned to leave and head to my room.
My shoulders tensed as 1 froze mid–turn, my brain going on what to do. I could just ignore him and hopefully he will go away, or I could hear him out, I ended up choosing the latter and with my shoulders slumping in resignation, I reluctantly turned to look at Kyle again.
“Look, uh…” Kyle looked as awkward as I felt, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck as he looked away for a moment. I thought he wasn’t going to speak but in the end he sighed and looked at me again. “I’m sorry about last night. We should have believed you and we didn’t.”
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Stephanie T–H
he’s going to attack her publicly and Kyle will see and get involved then Aiden will get involved
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