Inferno Part 3

~52~ Butterfly Bush

Ellie's POV

"So, damned if I do, damned if I don't?" I ask after a stare-down with my brother.

"What?"

"You're mad I never came around, I come around, and now you want me to leave? K. You've been on my mind constantly for three weeks. I hated how we left things. Jake told me not to go when we dropped Nolan off to him this morning... He's actually pretty pissed at me. Guess I get an "I told you so," when we get home," I say as I turn around to leave.

Taylor follows behind me silently.

As I reach the door, Justin calls my name. I turn around and look at him.

"I'm drunk, Ellie. I'm sorry."

I nod. "Still want me to leave?"

"Yeah"

"K."

We leave and I get to our rental car, and cry. Taylor is completely silent as he holds my hand.

"Let's go" I finally say, still staring out the window.

He turns on the car and pulls out of the complex, where we make the rest of our trip home in silence.

The next week is weird. Jake isn't happy with me. We aren't in a fight, but he's mad. He thinks I'm coddling Justin, and I'm being unfair to Nolan. Maybe I am.

I haven't heard a single word from Justin.

It's Saturday afternoon and I'm working in my yard, dead-heading my roses. I've already gotten poked by one of the thorns, so I've stolen some of Taylor's work gloves for this dangerous job.

As I'm snipping another dead rose, I look up.

Jake's stupid dog has gotten loose and is DESTROYING my favorite flower bed.

I'm furious.

I get up and throw the gloves down, taking Happy by the collar and taking her back to her house.

I never knock on Jake's door, but since we aren't thrilled with each other, I do. Ok, the term "knock" might be used a little loosely. I'm actually pounding.

Jake swings the door open, startled. Once he registers that it's me, he gets annoyed.

"What the hell? You can't knock like a normal person? Who am I kidding, since when have you ever knocked? What's your problem?"

"$200"

"Huh?"

"That's what you owe me. Your crazy mutt just destroyed my Dianthus, my Butterfly Bush, and my Burning Bush. I'm pissed."

Jake blinks several times and then shakes his head.

"Ethan!"

Ethan comes to the door a few minutes later.

"Yeah dad?"

"You didn't make sure the gate was locked when you let her out a few minutes ago, did you?"

"Shoot! I thought I did. I swear Happy is tricky"

"Yeah? Well I'm officially UNhappy. You know how much time I've spent on that area to make it look perfect?" I yell at Jake.

Jake nods. "K. Here's what's going to happen...You listening?"

I just stare at him.

"It was an accident. Happy is like the reincarnated Houdini. You're going to quit yelling, right now."

I still stare at him, getting more mad by the second.

"I will make sure I reinforce the gate, so it doesn't happen again. Ethan, take Happy for a walk so I can yell at your aunt in private."

I narrow my eyes and cross my arms. He wants a fight? He's got one!

Once it's just us he comes out and shuts the door.

"Don't you ever come over here and pound on my door like that again. Who the hell do you think you are?"

"A beyond pissed off sister who is about to kick your ass."

"Don't threaten me. You came at me like a bat out of hell, and officially pissed me off too."

I shake my head. "You've been mad at me all week...This has NOTHING to do with me pounding on your stupid door."

"Yeah? Well it's because you're being so stupid," he yells.

"How am I being stupid? I was checking on our brother."

"For what?" He yells, getting even louder.

"Seriously? He's all alone."

"Yeah? How many years were you and I all alone? Once, when I had found out that you almost got raped when you were a paramedic, I called Justin to see if he could come down and check on you. I knew I was the last person you would want to see. Know what he said to me? He said "sorry, not my fault she's got a pretty face. She will be fine."

I just blink. I had no idea.

"He dropped his kid like trash. He was ALWAYS an ass to all of us. I'm sorry, I'm not letting him back in my life like that. Maybe one day I will if he earns it, but not now. You have no idea how much your leaving last week to see Justin bothered Nolan."

Nolan was upset?

"All he kept saying was...'If Justin comes back with them, can I stay with you until he's gone'?"

Dang

"Ellie, life isn't always roses and sunshine. You and I know that better than anyone. Sometimes people just aren't good people. Doesn't mean they can't change, but will they? I don't know....But it's not your responsibility to change them...It's theirs."

"He's all alone," I say, fighting tears.

"Yeah, and it sucks. You offered him a room if he ever wanted to visit. That's all you can do. Leave it alone and focus on your son....You know, the one Justin didn't want."

I just nod.

Jake's face starts to soften. "I'm sorry about Happy. I'll come over and see what I can fix. Everything I can't, we will go to the greenhouse and I'll buy you replacements."

I shake my head and wipe a tear that escapes.

"Why are you so upset about the flowers?" He asks, once he sees my face.

"Dad bought me the Butterfly Bush when we first moved in."

"Damn," he says as he pulls me into a tight hug.

"Let's see if we can fix it," he says as he kisses my hair and starts walking.

When we get to the spot Happy destroyed, he shakes his head. "I'm so sorry, Ellie. I'll fix that gate tonight. I'll probably need Wes' help. This is a mess," he says as he walks to our shed to get garden stuff.

Taylor and Jake work on the section for two hours. It's really not good. Once they do all they can do, Jake let's out a sigh. "Come on, I'll take you to the Greenhouse," he says sadly.

"I'm not in the mood to pick out plants."

Jake nods. "It's the Butterfly Bush that's upsetting you the most, huh?"

I nod, wiping another tear.

Taylor looks at me hard and gets on his phone. He looks at something for several minutes.

Finally he smiles. "Ellie Jane, we can save it."

"How?"

"We can take a start from one of the branches and plant it. It should grow back just fine."

"Really?!?!"

"Let's try!" He says, snipping off a piece that isn't ruined and doing whatever the phone tells him to.

Once it's done and planted, the three of us look at it.

Jake pulls me into him and kisses my cheek. "Justin is like this Butterfly Bush, Ellie. You did what you could. Maybe it won't grow anymore, maybe it will flourish....Either way, it's up to this bush. It has to do it on its own."