Page 48 of Not that Impressed
Until a loud siren alarm makes us both jump and Ellie squeals. I’m on my feet in an instant, holding Ellie behind me and whirling around. Is it my house alarm? Something sounds off about it.
Ellie pushes my arm down, sliding away from me to her phone, where I can see the screen blinking at her.
“I’m sorry. That’s probably Janelle.” She picks up her phone and scowls at it. “What’s so important,” she murmurs as she flicks open the screen. The blaring stops. She looks up at me as she puts the phone to her ear. “I missed three calls from her.” Her expression has gone from annoyance to worry.
I shift so that I’m sitting next to her, and she rests her hand absently on my leg. That’s my invitation to scoot even closer, putting an arm around her shoulder.
“Nell? What’s wrong?”
I can only hear a few words from Janelle’s side of the conversation, even sitting this close. It’s not surprising that Ellie has the volume turned down. Given her lifestyle, worrying about people picking up on her phone conversations is a real issue.
“What? When?” Her voice rises with tension, and I clench my jaw to keep from asking what’s wrong. Ellie will fill me in when the conversation ends. She murmurs several okays and then, “I’ll meet you at Mom and Dad’s. Love you. Bye.”
She turns to me when she pockets her phone, her eyes no longer fierce or hungry but worried. I pull her closer, but don’t press for information if she doesn’t want to give it.
“Libby went to Mexico with Grayson,” she says.
I gape at her. “What? I thought your dad told her to stay away from him.”
Ellie huffs again, full of frustration but also a hint of fear. “She didn’t believe us. She said we were just taking your side. Mom says she’s been trying to convince her but—‘this is what happens when youforbida teenager from something.’” She pitches her voice higher at the end, imitating her mom, I presume. She presses a shaking hand to her face and stands.
“I’ll drive you over,” I offer immediately. My stomach is twisting into knots, seeing her afraid like this.
She shakes her head. “You don’t want to do that. Mom and Dad were filming their date night. A game of Monopoly.” Shesmiles a little, but it breaks my heart more than anything. One of the things that should have gone through my head that first night I met Ellie was how down to earth I already knew her parents were. “And if Victoria was there when they found out, she’ll have pushed to keep recording. Dad put his foot down on talking about you and Grayson, but this is different.”
“I don’t care.” I take her hand and move to lead her from the apartment.
She resists. “Will. I don’t want to pull you into this.” I turn to her and cup her face in my hands, then I stare at her. She smiles again. “That’s not going to work.”
“I want to be here for you. This is a big deal. It’s scary. I don’t want you to be alone, even for the time it takes you to drive to your parents’.”
Her shoulders heave up and down. “Fine.”
I kiss her forehead and lead her from the apartment.
CHAPTER 21
ELLIE
I can’t help but wonder if it’s a bad omen that it’s always something interrupting me and Will.
That kiss was … I can’t even put it into words. I can still feel the fire on my back that his touch left as he pulled me closer.
Now he’s holding my hand as he drives me to my parents’ house to deal with whatever’s going on with Libby.
Is Will Pemberton my boyfriend?
We’ve had one date. One kiss. More fights than that. A concussion. It seems surreal.
And I can’t even deal with it right now.
Libby won’t answer any of my parents’ calls, which isn’t surprising. She sent one text to them—telling them she’s almost eighteen anyway and to calm down. She’s been texting with Janelle, and she’s trying to keep that line of communication open by not sounding too judgmental. Janelle has sent me screenshots of the conversation, asking me for confirmation that she’s not pushing too hard.
Ellie
You’re doing great.
We’re almost there.
