Inferno Part 3

~42~ Horrible News

Doing a Trigger Warning for the next few chapters. I don't feel like it's intense enough for asterisks, but this could be pretty triggering for some. If you would like more info before proceeding, please send me a private message ❤️

Ellie's POV

I'm at work today, feeling funny. I can't put my finger on what's wrong, but I feel sad today. I feel lonely today. My guess is it's because Taylor went to work. Sometimes that affects me.

When I get to lunch, the boys are all goofing around. Nick throws a French fry and it gets stuck in my hair. That brings cackles from the entire table.

I just take it out of my hair and put it to the side, without even cracking a smile.

"Ellie, what's wrong?" Mason asks, immediately concerned.

I just look at him and shrug.

"Tell me"

"Nothing"

"Let's go to your office and talk in private," he says after staring at me hard for a second.

"Nothing's wrong, I just feel sad."

"Why?"

"I have no idea. I've been fighting tears all day," I say as I take a bite of salad.

Mason looks at me hard, studying my face. Suddenly my phone lights up.

It's Justin

"Damn. Justin is calling," I say as I answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ellie," he says in a really, really weird tone. He's crying.

"What's wrong?" I ask with an absolute pit in my stomach. I know I've said this a hundred times, but I'm going to reiterate. My dad and brothers hardly ever...EVER...cry.

The entire table is quiet, and Mason is watching my face hard.

"Um...man I don't want to tell you this over the phone," he cries.

"Just do it, Justin," I snap.

"Ellie, dad died."

My brain is completely numb. I put my hand to my mouth and close my eyes. When I open my eyes, tears are falling down. I see Mason, Nick, and Lance looking horrified. McKenna silently takes my hand. Nobody can hear this conversation, but everyone is reading my face. They don't know what's wrong, but they know something bad just happened.

"What?" I cry

"I just got the call. He died in hospice this morning."

"He was on hospice?" I choke out.

"Yeah. He wanted to tell you last month how bad his cancer was, but after the thing with Nolan, he didn't."

"Dad had cancer and was on hospice, and nobody told me or Jake?" I cry.

Mason immediately gets up and comes around the table, pulling me into him.

"I'm sorry," Justin sobs.

"I don't understand. He was fine last month."

"He wasn't fine. He hasn't been. He found out three months ago that he had stage four liver cancer."

I just put my head down and cry, while Mason rubs my arms softly.

"Does Jake know?" I finally get out.

"No. I was hoping you would tell him, and then you guys could get down here. I don't know how to make heads or tails out of this shit."

"Where's the funeral going to be?"