Dangerous Daydreams

Chapter 4- How'd You Know?

“Ellie!” Chase called, stomping down the stairs, as his wife was mixing the salad. She sighed, and met him half way, nearly colliding into Chase in the hallway.

            “What?” she said annoyed for no apparent reason.

            “I love you.”

            And then Ellie let out a giggle. “You sounded so mad… And you came down here to tell me you love me? My goodness, what did I do to ever deserve your love?” she asked, carrying on the light tone, receiving a grin in return from Chase.

            “Last night, I had a dream… about us. And I realized that I don’t tell you enough.”

            “Well then, I guess I love you too,” she said.

            “You guess?” Chase said, wrapping his arms around his wife’s waist, his lips hovering on Ellie’s. He felt a grin spread across her face and then her lips met his. A few seconds later, she pulled away, a familiar pink tint flooded her cheeks. Chase pecked her lips one more time.

            “I love you too, Chase. Now I have to hurry… my parents will be here soon.”

            “But I was going to help you…” Chase said.

            “No you weren’t, you just like to watch.”

            “When have I ever just sat back and watched?” Chase asked, sounding confused.

            Ellie mentally cursed herself. “Right. I’m sorry.”

            The person who would always watch her cook, would never get to watch her cook. He’d playfully argue with her until she sighed and let him leave. Zayn said Ellie was adorable in her apron and that he’d rather watch. Chase was the complete opposite.

            An hour later, after Kennedy arrived home, there was a knock on the front door. “Can you get that please, darling?” Ellie asked her daughter as she mixed the salad dressing- an old family tradition.

            “Yes, mommy.” The eight-year old chirped, dashing to the front door, eager to see her grandparents.

 Chase came in from the back patio with a plate of freshly cooked steaks. “Those look great.” Ellie complimented her husband on his cooking.

“I’ve got my eye on something else…” he said with a smirk and then a wink.

“Later.” She whispered, but she wasn’t quite sure if she would give in or not.

Then she heard the front door close. Walking into the foyer, Ellie put on a smile and hugged her parents as any good daughter would. Chase greeted them as if they were his own parents.

“Where’s Ryder?” Ellie’s mom, Leslie, asked sitting at the kitchen table while everyone else was in the living room watching a baseball game.

“I’m not sure. He was meeting a… friend this morning and I told him he better be here for dinner, so he should be…” Ellie was silenced when a car door slam. Peering out the kitchen window, she saw her son, and a familiar looking brunette. Ryder waved from the car and began walking to the front door. Kennedy greeted her brother at the door.

“Ry!” she squealed, earning a grin from Ryder. Even though most of the time he acted as if he hated his sister, Kennedy meant the world to him. He was a sucker for her smile that consisted of missing teeth-the tooth fairy was currently doing good business- and those freckles that matched Ellie’s.

“Hey Kennedy,” he said. “I’d like you to meet my new friend. She’s from London.”

“Hello. I’m Stella.” A high-pitched British accent floated through the house.

“I’m Kennedy. Ryder’s sister. You’re pretty.” The eager eight year old said in nearly a breath.

Ellie walked around the corner, her pink high heels clanking against the mahogany floors. “I’m glad you made it, Ryder. And if I heard correctly, I’m glad you could make it, Stella. I’m Ellie.”

And when Ellie caught a glimpse of who her son had brought home, she had to catch her breath. This girl had so many features of her “imaginary” daughter, Scarlett. The same long, brown hair, and those astonishing golden-brown eyes that could only belong to one person…

“I don’t mean to sound straight-forward, but are you somehow related to Zayn Malik?” Ellie asked, earning a confused stare from everyone, except Stella.

“I figured at least one person would recognize me,” she said, her accent now heavier than ever. “Yes, Zayn’s my dad.”

Ellie smiled, pretending not to freak out. “Well I’m glad you could join us today, and I’m sorry for that question… I tend to say what I think.” Except what I think about every night and still haven’t told my husband, Ellie added mentally.

Later that night, once Mr. and Mrs. Taylor had left, and Kennedy was in bed, Ellie and Chase were left alone downstairs, curled onto the couch, Ellie practically laying on top of her husband. Ryder had just left to take Stella back downtown to her car and super-famous dad, so it was quiet. Ellie couldn’t believe that Zayn’s daughter had come home with her son today… the thought was almost distracting. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Chase’s warm breath against her neck.

“Hey babe?” he whispered, sending tingles up and down Ellie’s entire body.

“Hmm?” she asked, not really paying attention.

“It’s later.” Chase’s hand made its way down Ellie’s chest, then stomach, then legs. Ellie’s toes curled as she relaxed into Chase. The dress she was wearing only made it harder for Chase to focus. “I think it’s time we get you out of that outfit…”

His wife’s giggle brought a smile to his face. She still looked like she had when she was twenty… pure and innocent. She was absolutely adorable to him.

“And what if I said I wanted to keep this dress on?” Ellie asked, teasing her husband more and more by the second.

“Then I’d say too bad.” Ellie squealed as Chase stood up and pulled her into his arms. Before they could make it down the hall, to their room, Chase had her pinned against the wall, her legs wrapping around his shirtless stomach. His lips were on her neck, no doubt leaving marks that would appear tomorrow. Ellie’s fingers ran through Chase’s naturally messy brown hair and then he managed to open and close the bedroom door.

He place Ellie onto the bed, gently, watching her grin as he climbed onto the bed and hovered over her. They hadn’t been this way in a long time. They hadn’t been this hungry for each other in a long time… Just as Chase’s hands slid up Ellie’s back, finally ready to pull off that dress, she stopped him.

To Chase it looked like she just wasn’t interested anymore, but Ellie’s brain was telling her to stop for other reasons.. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, tears threatening to spill.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Chase asked, once again sounding nothing like the evil guy Ellie had dreamed up in her coma.

“I need to tell you something…” she mumbled, her hazel eyes clouding over. Chase could tell she was in a totally different place right now.

“Is it about that Zayn guy?” Chase asked, and Ellie’s breath caught.

“How’d you know?”

“I saw the way you got nervous when you saw Stella… the way your face clouded over when she said Zayn was her dad… just please, please tell me you haven’t slept with him.”

“I haven’t slept with him.”

“Then what is it?”

“It’s a long story…”

“I’ve got forever.”

And from that moment, Ellie knew that once she told Chase her story, her life would never, ever be the same.