Inferno Part 2

~190~ I Will Not Lie Again

Ellie's POV

Mason and Liam stick around for a few minutes, chatting, but everyone else goes home. We're still trying to recoup, and frankly, we've seen a lot of each other.

"Wanna bet something else, that was kinda fun," Liam chuckles as they are walking to the door.

Mason laughs and shakes his head. "Nope. My betting days are over. My ass is pissed at me."

Liam snorts. "Hurts huh?"

"Yeah. Sorry, Ellie, but I'm glad you weren't my mom growing up. I'll take you as a mom now that you can't whack me."

"Wouldn't be so cocky, BFF. That crazy lady has still smacked me a few times through my adult life. Doesn't hurt as bad as Woody, but she still packs a punch."

Mason laughs and I roll my eyes. Mason comes over and kisses me on the cheek. "Anybody who gets to call you their mom is lucky. Glad I'm in that group, now....I woulda' even taken Woody growing up if it woulda' meant having the childhood this loser had," he smirks.

I smile at him and touch his cheek softly. "Get home and sit on a pillow, young man."

He laughs again and nods. "Yes ma'am."

When they leave, Taylor kisses my cheek. "You make all of our lives better, Eleanor."

"You make MY life better," I say, kissing him softly.

He sighs and rests his forehead on mine. "Ready?"

"No"

"Me either. This sucks," he says as he grabs my hand and we walk upstairs.

We knock on Nolan's door and wait for his 'come in.' He's sitting on his bed, playing solitaire.

"Figured you'd be watching TV for your final few minutes," Taylor says softly.

Nolan just shrugs. "Didn't want to rock the boat."

Taylor nods. "I appreciate that, Nolan. You are a funny, kind, and obedient kid. The only problem is the lying. What can we do to get you to quit?"

Nolan shakes his head. "I had to lie to survive," he says sadly. On the verge of crying.

Taylor nods. "Tell me about it."

Nolan shrugs. "Drug dealers came to the house all the time. High people came over all the time. I had to do what I had to do to stay unseen. Uninteresting."

Taylor nods. "You don't want to go into detail?"

"No"

"K. I'll respect that. But you need to respect us. QUIT. LYING."

He just nods.

"Do you have any idea how much this woman right here loves you?"

Nolan won't look at me. "Probably as much as I love her," he says, looking down.

"Then why would you risk being taken away from her? Nolan, when Justin took you away, she wouldn't get out of bed. She wouldn't eat. I almost had to hospitalize her. You were still alive. You almost destroyed her with the lie you told me."

Nolan bites his lip, but still won't look up.

"Look at your mother, and tell her that you're sorry for putting yourself in a position where you almost died. BECAUSE OF A LIE!".

Nolan looks at me, and his eyes are swimming with unshed tears.

"I'm so sorry, momma," he chokes out. That's the first time he's ever called me that.