Page 189 of New Growth
“Tired,” I admitted. “But I can’t sleep.”
He frowned. “I’m sorry, Peanut.”
I patted the space in front of me, and he didn’t hesitate to slip under the covers, wrapping his warmth around me.
“Today was a disaster,” I whispered.
He nodded. “It was.”
“We lost ourselves. That wasn’t who we are. That’s not what we stand for.”
“I know.” He looked down at me, brushing a damp strand of hair from my face. “But I don’t regret it. I’ll never let anyone disrespect you, Ellie. I don’t care who they are—family or not. No one talks to you like that in front of me.”
My throat tightened. “I know, Puddin'.”
El looked over at me, brow furrowed. “What was your mother even yelling about?”
“She wants to sell Daddy’s house because Ryan’s pregnant.”
“What?”
I shrugged. “Daddy did leave Ryan the house. If she graduated.”
“Did she graduate?”
“No.”
“Well then that settles that.”
“El,” I said, shifting slightly, “she’s pregnant. That changes things.”
“In what way?”
“She needs the money.”
“She got married. Her husband can’t handle it?”
“I guess not.”
He scoffed. “Fuck, Ellie. You almost married that deadbeat.”
Huh.He was right. If things hadn’t unfolded the way they did, I’d be exactly where Ryan was. The thought made me chuckled under my breath, then it built, rising into full-blown laughter.
“That… was almost… my life!” I said between gasps. “Pregnant by an asshole while my mother tries to sell my dead father’s house for money.”
“El…”
“And what’s worse is he probably still would be fucking my sister!”
“Ellie, baby, you’re turning red. Breathe.”
I laughed and laughed until the tears came. Not sad tears, just the kind that came when everything stopped making sense and all you had left was the absurdity of it.
“What a joke,” I muttered through a sigh. “All of it.”
“You done?” he asked.
I nodded, breathless.
