Page 55 of Fourteen of a Kind

As soon as she walked out the sliding door, I looked at Ella. “As amazing and delicious as this omelet is, I’m very confused.”

“Sorry about that. She normally doesn’t show herself to the guys I date. Ava has D.I.D.”

“Dissociative Identity Disorder?” My brows furrowed.

“Yep. There’s Ava. Then there’s Ophelia, Freya, Luna, Kate, and Seraphina. Ophelia is a chef who studied culinary in Paris. Luna is a child, and Seraphina is the gatekeeper. I’d only met her once since Ava came into the family. Then there’s Kate. She’s the rebellious type and very protective over all of us. She’s strong and knows martial arts. If anyone crosses her, look out.” She smiled.

“Wow. I’ve never met anyone with that condition before,” I said, finishing my omelet.

“They’re all amazing people. They rarely come out anymore. Ava controls it, but sometimes, one of the alters slips out. I guess when Ava walked in and saw you cooking, Ophelia had to make her appearance. She loves to impress new people with her cooking.”

“But you said she never comes out around the guys you date,” I said.

“She must like you or saw something in you that made her want to introduce herself.”

“Man, this is wild. What about Camille?”

“Camille is extremely loved by all of them. They all take very good care of her.”

I stood up and grabbed our plates. “I’ll help you clean up and then I have to go.”

“You don’t have to clean up. I can do it,” Ella said.

I rinsed the plates and put them in the dishwasher. Turning around, I placed my hands on her hips.

“I had a great time yesterday and this morning.” I smiled.

“Me too.”

Leaning in, my lips brushed against hers. “I’ll text you later.”

“Okay. Enjoy the rest of your day.” A beautiful smile crossed her lips as she walked me to the door.

I was on my way home when I saw the exit sign. Swerving over, I got off the highway and drove. Pulling up to the curb, I stared at the house that was once my home—the home where I lived with my mother until she passed away and with my father—the home where it all happened. Gripping the steering wheel, memories flooded my mind.

“Fuck!” I hit the steering wheel and lay my forehead against it.

Suddenly, I heard a tap on the window. Lifting my head, I saw a woman staring at me. I rolled down the window.

“Can I help you with something?” she asked.

“Um, no. I’m sorry.”

“This is my house, and you’re parked in front of it. Do I need to call the police?”

“No, ma’am. I apologize. I used to live here until I was thirteen. I just recently moved back to Los Angeles and thought I’d see if the house still looks the same.”

“Oh,” she said. “Would you like to come inside and take a look?”

“No. Again, I apologize. I’ll be on my way.”

“Okay. Have a nice day.” She smiled.

I put the car in drive and pulled away. All I could think about was Ella and the feelings that were starting to develop. She was an amazing woman and didn’t deserve someone as fucked up as me.

CHAPTER 17

Ella

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