Twenty Five.

Chapter fourteen

"Okay joey, we are going home." Ellington said, leaning on the back on the stroller after walking around the zoo for the third time. Joey began crying and ellington sighed, rubbing his forehead slightly. Rydel, who had been making polite conversation with Sophie for the majority of the trip, wrapped her arm around ellington's waist and looked down at joey. "Come on baby boy, we've been walking around ages and we're tired. we can come back soon i promise."

Joey crossed his little arms sulkily, fat tears flooding down his little cheeks. Ellington groaned a bit, his sleepless night reflecting his mood.

"I'll take him." Sophie spoke up, the first time she had said a word to ellington the whole trip. She allowed herself to pick joey out of the stroller and hold him in her and. "You guys could do with a break anyway."

Ellington looked at Rydel, hoping she would find an excuse to say no and then they could go home.

"I don't see why not." Rydel said, pulling ellington closer to her.

"Just." Ellington sighed out of defeat. "Don't take him to the lions. He's scared of them of he'll start crying."

Both of them stood and watched as Sophie disappeared with joey, both of them giggling a bit. Rydel guided ellington to a bench and sat down with him, cuddling up and holding him close.

"I don't trust her." Ellington said simply.

"I know you don't baby but it's just one day. Let her have a bit of fun and then she can leave. Don't worry." Rydel replied, pulling her phone out of her jacket pocket and scrolling through her new messages with one hand whilst chewing on her other sleeve anxiously. Ellington messed with the end of her hair, kissing her head softly and inhaling the beautiful scent of her hair in the process.

"Anything about getting that promotion?" He asked Rydel quietly, still messing with her hair. Rydel had gotten a job in fashion again and was doing what she loved on a large scale. After working at the diner for a few years, ellington decided that after moving to Colorado he was going to go back to college and study to do something that he wanted to do.

"Nothing." Rydel said, half heartedly sighing and slipping her phone back into her pocket. "I really want this promotion."

"I know you do and I'm sure you're gonna get it. Just give it time." He told her softly, both of them sitting up.

"By the way, my brothers are coming to Colorado for Christmas and i said they could stop by the house. You haven't seen them in years and joey hasn't even met his kind of uncles. I thought that maybe they could teach him how to ice skate so they can play hockey next time they visit."

"Joey can't even walk yet. I don't suppose that's a great idea..."

Rydel giggled. "Okay i lied a bit. I thought they could teach you how to skate considering last time you couldn't because you " had a cold" and missed out."

Ellington squirmed in his seat just at the thought. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

Rydel looked at him, placing her hands on his torso. "And when you're done, I'll greet you with a huge mug of hot chocolate and a million cuddles and kisses because I'll be really proud of you."

A smile tugged on his lips. "I like the sound of that."

She pecked his lips. "Yeah you do."

He smiled a lot, completely forgetting about how worried he was. He talked more with Rydel, laughing.

A mixture of screaming and crying filled the air and ellington immediately sat up. Joey crawled up to him, crying hard and Sophie followed not reacting to his tears in the slightest.

Extremely concerned, ellington scooped him up and tried to stop him crying. Joey held up his hand. There was a deep cut on his palm that was bleeding. "Lions." He mumbled in between sobs. He threw his tiny arms around ellington's neck, holding onto him.

"I thought I told you not to take him to the lions. He's scared of them and he doesn't understand not to touch the spikes on the wire!" Ellington snapped at Sophie. She just stood grinning, seeing no error in her actions. Rydel took joey from ellington and wrapped a bandage around his hand whilst trying to calm him. A few minutes later, he sat on her lap, hiccuping from the crying and looking fascinately at the bandage that covered the majority of his hand.
Ellington was annoyed. "I thought I could trust you." He grumbled.

"I think we should head home." Rydel added, strapping joey into his stroller.

After a trip to the gift shop where joey fell in love with a cuddly bear and wouldn't leave the shop until he got it, they were all sat in the car. Joey was asleep, tired from his tantrum and Sophie sat next to him, looking at things on her phone.

Rydel glanced at Ellington as he drove, the stress and frustration clear on his face. She rested her hand on his upper thigh, wishing she could do something to cheer him up.

"Thanks for spending the day with us. Now goodbye." Ellington said harshly as soon as they arrived home, picking joey up out of his seat and resting him against his shoulder. He was still asleep, a tight fist on his teddy.

"Oh come on Ellington. You can't make me leave just like that. I don't have anywhere to stay and its cold and supposed to snow soon..." Sophie said persuasively. She twirled her red hair around her fingers, chewing on her lip softly. Rydel slid her hand into Ellington's back pocket. She knew ellington wouldn't like what she was going to do but she had made her choice.

"Well, why don't you spend the night?" She asked Sophie. She could feel all of Ellington's muscles tense against her body but she didn't look at him.

After all, it was only one night. How bad could it be?

Again, im not updating until I get a bunch of comments. I'm building up to a really good bit so tell me your thoughts! :)