beautiful mistake - joe burrow

73

The evening with Joe's parents went just wonderfully. Both, but especially Joe's mother, were very interested in Elle, asking her countless things about her childhood or her life and joyfully telling stories of Joe.

As they parted, Robin gave Elle another big hug. "I'm looking forward to the next time. It was very great meeting you, Elle" she smiled at Elle. "The pleasure is all mine. It was a lovely evening" Elle replied.

Joe put his arm around her as his parents walked to their car. They waved to each other one last time before getting in the car and pulling out of the driveway.

With the car barely out of sight, Elle and Joe were about to head back into the house when suddenly Ja'Marr ran up the driveway and waved at them both.

"What...is Ja'Marr doing here?" Elle turned to Joe, confused. "I asked him to come over tonight so...maybe you'd be calmer if we weren't alone for the evening" Joe explained nervously.

Elle smiled. He really did care, that was totally sweet. "That was a good idea" she pressed a kiss to his lips before turning to Ja'Marr, who by now had arrived at the front door. "hey, come on in" grinning she stepped aside.

"Nice welcoming committee. Could I get one of those every time I come over?" Ja'Marr asked laughing as he entered the house and immediately flopped down on the couch. "Don't get used to it, we weren't at the door for you" Joe stated dryly and ran into the kitchen.

It was a fun time with Ja'Marr. They all sat together on the couch and had a casual conversation. They laughed about last weekend when Elle was so drunk. Ja'Marr told a few stories from his college days together with Joe and they philosophized about the best moments in NFL history.

"Why did you guys invite me tonight anyway? Are the pink glasses starting to go black and white and you realize that the two of you are just bored with each other?" Ja'Marr asked jokingly, but bristled when the two fell silent and turned their eyes to the floor.

"Wait, you guys are still together, right?" he asked, startled. "What, yes, of course we're still together. It's just...." Joe tried to make an excuse. "...It's just me. I can't be alone with Joe when you guys lost" Elle finished the sentence sighing.

"What, why not?" Ja'Marr asked in surprise. Joe looked at Elle with concern. "You...don't have to tell him if you can't" he reached for her hand as Elle nodded. "I know, but...you trust him. That's why I trust him too" she smiled weakly at him before turning to Ja'Marr, who looked back and forth between the two of them in confusion.

"My ex...was violent towards me. He...emotionally and physically abused me multiple times when his...our team lost" Elle swallowed down the lump in her throat as Joe squeezed her hand encouragingly.

Ja'Marr stared at her stunned for a moment before simply standing up and pulling her into his arms. He knew that no words could say anything to encourage Elle at that moment. To make better what she had been through. He hoped that his embrace could at least give a little strength.

Sighing, Elle pressed against him as Ja'Marr stroked her back and gave Joe a silent, stunned look. He immediately saw from Joe that he, too, could not comprehend what this woman had been through.

When Ja'Marr let go of her, Elle brushed the single tear from her cheek and smiled weakly at him. "Thank you, that did good" she dropped back down beside Joe, who stroked her arm affectionately, which she only commented on with a smile in his direction.

"Thank you...for your confidence, Elle. I mean, I...I can come by anytime if...you...need me, ok?" Ja'Marr still hadn't quite recovered from the shock. "Thank you, that's very sweet of you" Elle replied.

The mood was down for a few minutes, depressed, but gradually it got better again. Although the laughs and jokes were no longer so light-hearted, and Ja'Marr realized that before every sentence he said he thought about whether it might trigger something in Elle, it was more pleasant again.

At one point, Elle yawned loudly, which made everyone laugh before she stood up. "I'm tired. I think I'm going to get ready for bed. Good night, guys" she pressed a quick kiss to Joe's lips before grinning at Ja'Marr.

"you want a kiss too?" she asked. Ja'Marr laughed out loud. "I don't think your boyfriend would like that" he winked at her as Joe cleared his throat. "He's right" Joe smirked. "Well then don't" Elle shrugged her shoulders in amusement. "Good night" she said another time. "Good night" the boys replied in chorus, waving at Elle as she ran up the stairs.

"Tough deal with Elle's ex, isn't it?" Ja'Marr turned to Joe when Elle was out of earshot. Joe nodded with a sigh. "She told me the whole story. Terrible that she had to go through something like that. And he got away with it"

"Unpunished? They didn't even report him?" Ja'Marr asked, startled. Joe shook his head. "They tried, but his dad's a lawyer and has good contacts in the DA's office. Apparently they couldn't prove it either that he beat up Elle like that" Joe explained.

"fuck, that's so unfair" Joe nodded. "Yeah, Nick said that was pretty much on Elle's mind. She was in therapy for it. She's been so into college and fitness so she could get away from all the stress."

"Wow, somehow you wouldn't think that behind that facade of friendly, young, talented atheltic trainer was such a broken past" Ja'Marr shook his head in bewilderment. Joe just nodded silently.

"Is that why Nick takes care of her like she's his own daughter?" Ja'Marr asked. Joe nodded. "Yes. She lived with the Cosgrays for a few months until she moved into her own place. The Taylors took care of her, too, because Elle's mother was afraid she'd fall into some destructive habit like drinking or something"

"Suddenly it all makes sense why Nick is so protective of her and she's like a sister to Zac" Ja'Marr stated. "Yeah, that's how I felt when I found out" Joe confirmed. "When...did you find out?"

Joe sighed at the memory of that horrible night. "After the game against the Packers. Elle told me she was still working, but Nick called me because I was going to be checked out for a concussion because of the collision, it just happened to come out that Elle wasn't working"

"Oh shit and you confronted her?" Ja'Marr asked, surprised. Joe nodded. "I went to see her. I just needed answers. She was totally surprised and..." he sighed again. "...When I got louder, she backed away more and more scared and...and that's when it was kind of obvious to me"

"she told you then?" "it...it was a little more complicated than that. She was slumped against the wall, she wouldn't let me touch her. Then there was a panic attack, after that she caught herself to some extent, needed closeness and at some point...it just burst out of her with a lot of tears and a lot of overcoming" Joe took a deep breath.

"She...told me everything. How it started to the point where he almost strangled her and she went to the hospital where the doctors immediately realized she didn't fly down any stairs" he summarized Elle's horrible past.

"Fuck, that....is just sick. Poor Elle" Ja'Marr sighed "I hope I never run into that guy because I don't know if I could hold back when I see that asshole" Joe sighed.

IM NEGATIVE AGAIN!!! OFFICIALLY SURVIVED COVID 😂🎉

What do you think about Elle telling Ja'Marr about her past?

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