A New Life - A Ransom Drysdale Story

Two - A challenge

Ransom takes the stairs two at a time as he makes his way to his grandfather's study. He feels insanely proud of riling up Elle. She usually hid her emotions so well, knowing he'd gotten to her gave him a literal skip in his step. Something that didn't go unnoticed by his grandfather.

"What did you do to the poor girl?" Harlan queries as Ransom sits in the chair that Elle had been in not an hour earlier.
"Nothing Grandfather, why must you assume I did something?"

Harlan places his pen down on the table. "The door slamming and you appear seconds later with a shit eating grin across your face. I write murder mystery's boy, I'm not stupid."

Ransom couldn't help but laugh. He hated his family, but with Harlan he knew he could be himself. "Okay fine, I may have wound her up a bit." He holds his hands up in surrender as Harlan shakes his head.
"Don't antagonise her too much, she's the best damn assistant I've ever had." Harlan looks at Ransom with a serious look on his face. "I mean it Ransom, she's been through a lot."

That piqued Ransom's interest. He felt something, almost rage at the thought of someone hurting Elle. Something he hadn't expected. He went to ask his Harlan what he meant by that, but Harlan held up his hand, silencing his question before he'd even asked it.
"It's not my story to tell. Just know she will easily put you on your ass if you take it too far."

***

After screaming into her pillow for what seemed like hours, Elle flips over and stares at the ceiling. "Don't be stupid Elle. You hate the stuck up cunt. Sure he's hot but you've been down that road before." She gives herself a little pep talk.

Deciding there was only one cure for her frustration she pulls her laptop out of her bag under the bed and loads up Netflix. Clicking on the first horror movie she could find, she loses herself in the movie. It didn't take long until she was asleep, something she rarely did during the day but emotionally, she was drained.

It was well into the night before her nightmares started.

"I'll fucking kill you, you little bitch!" A young Elle hides in her closet, hoping her step father will forget to look in there in his drunken state. Putting a hand over her mouth she silences her sobbing. It wasn't uncommon for him to come home drunk, and take his anger out on her and her mother. Tonight was the first time she'd tried to stop him, resulting in him gripping her throat tight. When she'd kicked him between the legs, he let go long enough for her to run and hide.

The closet door swings open, her step father grabbing her by the hair as she screams as loud as she can, hoping the noise would alert her neighbours. Not that it did. It never did.

Elle woke with a start, it had been a long time since she'd had a nightmare like that. Throwing her legs out of bed, she knew she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep that night. She grabs a fresh pair of shorts, a tank top and an oversized jumper, changing into them before grabbing her phone and laptop.

She decides to head downstairs, careful to avoid the noisy step. She stops in the kitchen to make a cup of tea before juggling everything and heading outside. The summer air nips at her skin slightly, but she doesn't mind too much. Coming from England she was used to the cold.

Elle places her laptop on the table before picking up a cigarette and lighting it. Once the laptop loaded up, she gets to work. Typing back emails and setting up meetings for Harlan.

Ransom woke up in the middle of the night, nothing unusual for him. Throwing on a sweater he heads downstairs. As he walks to the kitchen, something in the garden catches his eye. He changes directions to see what it is. Looking out the back door he sees Elle. She is sat with a cigarette in her mouth, her fingers gliding across the keyboard of her laptop.