The Nerd Introduced to the Jocks Parents (In Editing)

Chapter 70- Shark Bait

(The dresses explained in the chapter are in the side media!!)

Chapter 70 - Shark Bait

Bud's POV

I had to hold back my shock, Payson and I were done giving Ella her space. Nana agreed to let us in and wait for her, but it was NOT what I expected to see. She walked in, at least 10lbs less than the last time I had seen her, her eyes held almost no sign of life. I had no idea how she managed to hide it from Tyler, who still regularly saw her Annabella shows. Her eyes watered and her emotionless face wavered, but was back in place quicker than most people would be able to see the slip-up.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked, her voice was scratchy and low. Payson didn't speak she just walked right up and pulled Ella into a hug. I watched as she stood there frozen in her best-friends embrace. Her eyes fluttered shut, and a single tear rolled down her cheek before she wrapped her arms around Pace and her body shook with tears. I walked up and took her from Payson's arm, lifted her much lighter body up, and carried her up to her room as she continued to sob, and whisper words I couldn't understand. When I got to her room, I didn't put her down, just simply sat on her bed with her on my lap.

"I'm so sorry." I said, interrupting the words I couldn't understand that she mumbled. She looked up to me, her bright blue eyes, unhidden by glasses or contacts, which meant there were no frames to hide the broken looking in her eyes. Was this really the same girl i knew not even a week ago? It couldn't be.

Payson went into the bathroom, and I heard the bathroom bath turn on. When she walked out, she sent me a confused look.

"Ask Nana where the wine is, get her a bottle." I told her, and she left. Ella just sobbed, then gave me an angered look.

"Why didn't you warn me!!" She sobbed. I looked at her, hoping my eyes showed her the answer my words couldn't. Really, what could I say? I had no reason to not tell her, Ethan didn't tell Payson NOT to tell her, I simply never worked up the nerve to tell her. I knew Payson and I were in the wrong. Which is why we let here hold onto her anger, we we let her use it as her strength. Ethan came to us Thursday night, telling us to get on with it, to start helping her. Which I knew meant, Ethan knew Tyler didn't feel the same way.

"I'm so sorry El. How could he not love you?" I whispered, she searched my eyes and must have found what she wanted, because she broke eye-contact, and buried her face in my shirt.

"Because I'm not her... I want to hate him. I want to be bad at him. But he didn't do anything wrong, I did. I fell for him." He voice trailed off and her shoulders shook. "I'm. So. Stupid." I felt a fire burn in my chest, I wanted to hunt Tyler down, and beat the shit out of him for hurting her. But she was right, he did nothing wrong. They made this deal, she knew what he wanted from it, so I opted for just holding her.

"Come on, take a bath, you kind of stink. And Payson will be back with the wine." When I pulled her back to look at me, I noticed something, a spark of death and insanity in her eyes. How could all of this be triggered just by him leaving her... Then I thought about it.... Her dad, who she loved, died. Her best friend, Died. Her mom, disowned her. Her friends.... set her up for a fall, and the boy, the first boy, she fell in love with.... left her. And it was pushing her past her breaking point. And yet she was sober.... Not drugged up. She really had changed... Part of it for the better, but the rest for the worse. She didn't move from my lap, so I just carried her to the bathroom and sat her on her feet. I looked at her, waiting for her to make a sign of moving, but she just stood there, staring at the running water.