The Decuplets

I Trust That You Trust That I Trust You

Ella

The #1 first and foremost fact of life is that drunk Ella cannot possibly be mad at Zach.

I mean, I don't ever like being mad at Zach. Sometimes, however, it is necessary. But when I am drunk, there is only one thing I want, and that is for Zach to be holding my hand.

Hence why, despite all odds, as he wiped my melted makeup away, I grabbed his wrist and asked, "we'll talk in the morning, right?"

"Of course," he replied.

"I don't want to fight. I just want to talk. I love you," I said, my eyes beginning to water.

"Woah, woah, no tears, okay? We're going to talk and we'll figure this out. I love you, too," he added.

"Can I have a kiss?" I asked, sounding like a wounded child.

"Of course," he repeated, leaning down and kissing my forehead. I internally cursed him for being so respectful when I'm drunk.

He left and soon enough I fell asleep under the watchful eyes of the brother's girlfriends.

-

I woke up the next morning nauseated and with a pounding headache.

In other words, I felt like shit.

We got very drunk last night. Then we sobered up a bit. Then we got drunk again, this time worse.

And now I have to have the most important, make-or-break conversation of my young relationship.

Yay!

Despite all my fears and hangover anxiety, I put on a brave face and walked downstairs. Zach had already gotten up and left the room.

I found him sitting in the kitchen. "Good morning," I said, smiling nervously.

"Hey, El." Not wasting any time, he asked, "where do you want to talk?"

A couple of the brothers were scattered across the kitchen and living room area, so I suggested, "outside? We could take a walk on the beach."

"Sounds good," he replied, following me out of the back door.

The water was a vibrant blue with steady but gentle waves. The sun hovered above the horizon—a sign that, despite the already insufferable heat, it was only morning.

I stared at the white sand beneath my feet until he began. "Look, Ella," he sighed, "I really do trust you. I don't know how to prove it, but I do. Not a bone in my body believed that you were trying to do anything with Reece. The truth is that I just wanted to spend time with you, and I should've just said that instead of guilting you or bringing up your old relationship. I do want you to have a good relationship with Reece; he's my brother but he's also one of my best friends. I should've just been honest."

"Yes," I replied, "you should have. And you can't prove that you trust me, not that I can think of. If you can't trust me, then we won't work, plain and simple. It's just a matter of time."

"Well, I'm not worried about that," he smiled, taking my hand, and I let him.

"Oh yeah?" I grinned.

"Cause I trust you more than anyone in the world," he stated.

I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good. I trust you that you trust me."

"I trust that you trust that I—"

"Shut up," I giggled, swatting his arm. I paused, then said, "we still have three nights, which is still time to have the best vacation ever."

"For the next three days, you're stuck with me," he teased, pulling me under his arm.

"Longer than that!" I exclaimed, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Much longer."