Inferno Part 2

~113~ Storm Brewing

Ellie's POV

Once we get Josie's room situated, Taylor and I sit on her bed with her.

"We need to have a chat, J" Taylor says simply.

Josie just nods.

"Now that you're living here, you're following by our rules. When Mason lived here, we let him run the show. Now that he isn't, it's our show. He let you get away with A LOT more than we did with our kids. If you ever feel like you're done following our rules, you are welcome to move back in with him. If not, then we expect you to follow our rules. Ok?"

"Yes sir"

He looks at her hard.

"Did something happen, Jos?" He asks gently.

She shakes her head.

"Ok. Well, we're here if you want to talk. On school nights, you are in bed by 10. We don't care how late you stay up on weekends. Homework gets done before you do anything. You want to go somewhere, we need to know about it. I don't care if it's just to Izzy's. You go nowhere without us knowing about it first."

"Yes sir"

He nods and kisses her head. "Thought we'd get Mexican food tonight. You good with that?"

She silently nods.

"K" he says as we get off the bed and go in the other room.

When we get in the kitchen, I look at him. "Bedtime is at 10? Since when did we have that rule?"

Taylor chuckles. "I'm hoping to make her life miserable enough, that she will realize how good she had it with Mason."

I shake my head. "That's dangerous."

He tilts his head and looks at me. "Why?"

"Every child deserves to have a safe haven. Right now, we are the safe haven for her. If we make her feel like she can't breathe, where is safe for her?"

He nods as he thinks about that.

"How did you get to be so smart?" He asks, kissing me.

"I've always been smart" I say, acting offended.

Josie adjusts pretty well the next week or so. Mason has not. He hasn't come over at all, and Josie hasn't gone over there. Sasha took her crutches and hobbled over today, to check on Josie.

"We miss you, Jos" she says, touching Josie's hand lightly.

Josie just looks at her.

"Can I go to Izzy's?" She asks after a minute.

"Sure" I say.

Once she leaves, Sasha shakes her head. "I'm so mad at her. After he brought her over, he came home and went to bed. He stayed in bed until the next morning. I've never seen him cry so much."

I sigh as I hand her a soda and cut us some of the cake I made.

"How's he doing now?"

"Not good. I'm relieved the school has been cancelled the last week. He won't hardly even talk. No way he could teach the way he is."

I take a bite and just think about that. I feel so awful.

"How's Dylan?"

"He's furious. He's refusing to come over here right now. He doesn't want to see her."

That's why we haven't seen him. That stinks.

"Has she told you why she doesn't want to live with us? Because from where I'm sitting, it's looking like this is my fault, and my husband is miserable because of me," she says, starting to cry.