Strangers to Lovers

Ellie's Demon

*Trigger warning*

0%. 

I look up to the ladies sat in front of me that are waiting patiently for me to break the news. "I'm not her dad." I breathe out and Ellie doesn't even look shocked in the slightest.  "Why do you look like you knew this would be the outcome?" I question her.

"Obviously I know I cheated on you Simon, so of course there was a possibility that Summer wasn't yours but I was so convinced she was yours or I think I was just praying she didn't belong to ..." She doesn't finish her sentence. Instead she looks off into space looking completely lost. I'm both relieved and gutted. I'm relieved that I have no ties with Ellie but gutted that such a sweet little girl like Summer isn't mine.

Sky stands and sits next to Ellie pulling her into a hug. In my little daydream I didn't even realise that Ellie had started crying. I'm so switched off to her that I just sit and watch not knowing what to do. "Hey it's OK. Don't feel pressured into speaking if you don't want too." Sky soothes Ellie as she speaks.

Ellie turns to me and begins speaking. "I'm sorry Simon. For everything I put you through. I used to cheat when you kept travelling for work because I felt lonely and thought you put your work before us. I was selfish and I'm so sorry." I look at her stunned. I don't think she's ever apologised. Not that I remember giving her the chance to anyway, she didn't deserve it.

"I was working hard to build us a future. That's why I travelled so often, so my business took off and we could be comfortable." I state not feeling any emotion towards her whatsoever now.

"I know. I see that now and I'm so sorry. Please can you forgive me?"

I turn and look at Sky as I speak. "I think I already have. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to let Sky in. She's incredible. She made me love and feel whole again. That's why I asked her to marry me. I wasn't letting her get away from me." Sky's eyes shimmer with tears as I declare my love for her infront of my ex.

"And I'm truly happy for you both. I really am."

"So Ellie, did you want Si here or you want him to leave so we can talk.?" Sky asks as she tears her eyes away from me.

"No he can stay, if it gets too uncomfortable then I don't expect him to stay." She looks at me for confirmation.

"As long as you're comfortable." She nods and begins her story.

"So I met this guy one weekend when Simon was away on a business trip. The girls and I decided to go to a bar after work on Friday and let loose. The other girls had picked up guys at the bar and I guess I felt a bit jealous that they did and I hadn't. I missed that buzz I guess"

I'm sat listening to how Ellie cheated on me the first time whilst I was working hard for us and I'm not even the slightest bit fazed. Should I be? I mean if she hadn't of done it, I wouldn't have met Sky.

"Anyway, this guy approaches me from where I'm sat abandoned by the girls and he's really charming. We talk for a bit and he appeared to be patient and understanding when I talk about how Simon was always travelling for work. At the end of the night we exchanged numbers and met up a few times for drinks before we actually had sex the first time. It was in the back of his car after we left the pub one night. I felt guilty but at the same time he made me feel so wanted and important. He kept telling me I didn't know what Simon was doing whilst he was travelling so it felt justified what we were doing. Fast forward a few months and Simon caught us having sex. After Simon kicked me out, he told me to try and fight for my relationship. I think he loved that I belonged to someone else but still had him in the background. His whole demeanor changed. He started getting aggressive when I had my own place and then played it off that he was stressed and being protective and that he really loved me."

I looked over at Sky who was listening intently and her face tells me that this is all too familiar.

Skylar's POV

As Simon and I sit and listen to Ellie, I just knew my instincts were right about what I had seen that day at the clinic. "It had been about 2 months after Simon and I broke up and things just got worse. He would come around at random times and I would get last minute notifications from him, sometimes none at all. I confronted him once about it and he hit me so hard it knocked me unconscious. When I came too he was having sex with me. I was so scared I didn't even move, I just let him finish. He got up and said he didn't know what came over him and left straight after saying he had things to go and sort out. I found out that week that I was 6 weeks pregnant."

I just keep listening as she continues her story. "Hence why I thought the baby was Simon's. A couple of days later he sent me a message that he was on his way over. I told him that night I was pregnant and I was sure it was Simon's. At first he seemed OK with it saying that I could get Simon back. When I told him Simon would never forgive me, it was like I flipped a switch. He beat me unconscious. When I woke up, I was in hospital. Doctors told me I was brought in by my boyfriend. Before I could ask them for help he appeared at the door with a menacing look on his face. 2 days later I was discharged and he took me home and cooked for me, gave me a massage and told me he forgave me."

"He forgave you?" I asked gobsmacked.

"Yeah for getting him angry. I blamed myself for everything because if I hadn't cheated on Simon none of that would have happened." I look at Simon and his eyebrows are furrowed like he is deep in thinking. 

"At 3 months pregnant I was at home when I received one of his infamous texts that he was coming over. I was getting tired of his coming and going so I decided to put an end to it that night. He came in looking very uneasy, but I had had enough. I told him I was fed up of not knowing where he was most days and that I needed to tell Simon about his child. The rage in his eyes instantly told me I'd regret those words. That's when I saw blood on his hands and asked what happened but he told me it was none of my business"

Ellie started to shake her head as tears rolled down her cheeks. "It's OK if you don't want to continue Ellie." I rubbed her shoulders offering comfort. She shook her head and continued.

"Before I knew it, he punched me in the face and knocked me to the floor. He continued to beat me although I tried to remind him I was pregnant. He told me he didn't need reminding. He was going to kill me and my baby. I tried as best as I could to protect my tummy before I passed out. My neighbour at the time heard the commotion and he called the police. I woke up in bed with him at my side and the doctors telling me that I was lucky to be alive. I had a concussion, broken arm, and a fractured ankle. I filed a report and a restraining order."

I pulled Ellie into a hug and a few tears slipped out of my eyes as I relived everything I went through with Domien. "Hun I'm so sorry you had to go through that. I understand exactly what you've been through. I ended up in hospital by my ex before I met Simon. I had a fractured wrist and a concussion."

I pulled back and wiped my eyes and she followed suit. "Is that why you approached me that day at the clinic?" She asks.

"I recognised that look of fear on your face straight away."

"I'm only trying to protect my baby. I have always had to protect her from him, before she was even born." I smiled at her and rubbed her upper arm.

"Well you are very strong, Ellie." She shakes her head and looks at me.

"Honestly I don't feel it. Domien scares the shit out of me." Both me and Simon whip our heads around to her like she had grew an extra head.

"Sorry, what did you just say?"