Family Matters

Chapter 11

Hey guys! I'm not back full force but I'll be updating each story here and there as I can. Thank you so much for sticking around and having patience! Xoxo

--

Ellie spent the night on the couch, wide awake, chewing her finger nails down to stumps as she obsessed over her next moves. Juice had barely made it back to Charming before she texted him to ask for a favor, one he agreed to instantly.

"Hi," Ellie sighed as Juice stepped into the apartment. "You don't mind?"

"Nah," he shrugged. "She's not in diapers is she?"

"No, she's not," Ellie laughed. "I'm meeting him for breakfast but I'll be back as soon as I can."

"All good," he looked somewhat sad but she was too nervous to notice. "She still sleeping?"

"Yeah, she should be up around nine though." Ellie threw her arms around Juice and hugged him, exponentially more comfort and eager than the night before. "Thank you, Juice, really."

"How hard can it be? She's a kid," he laughed.

Ellie laughed too knowing he'd learn but proceeded to lay out Poe's breakfast. "Leave her in her pajamas, she's a brat when it comes to picking her outfits, and I'll text you when I'm coming back."

"Please be careful," he said as she opened the door.

"You too," she winked before disappearing down the hall.

--

Juice sat in the same spot as Ellie, his feet tapping away anxiously lost in his own thoughts, until Poe crept out from the hallway.

"Hey," he waved animatedly. "Your mom had to run out. She'll be back soon."

Poe nodded and moved slowly out into the living room. "You were here last night."

"Yeah, I was."

"Are you my daddy?"

Shaking his head, Juice helped her crawl up into the couch. "I'm not, Poe. I'm sorry." His heart broke for her as she looked up at him with innocent eyes. "Do you want your breakfast?"

"Okay."

She jumped off the couch and went right for the table where she and Juice sat together again. Quietly, she ate, her little feet kicking back and forth under the table and her eyes never leaving Juice.

"So who are you?"

"I'm just a friend of your mom's," he shrugged. "She said you'd remember me from last night. Am I freaking you out?"

"No," she shrugged. "Mommy doesn't let people in, ever. Just you and Aunt Debbie, so its okay."

"Oh good to know, I wouldn't want you to try to beat me up or anything."

She smiled and laughed, giving him a little scowl before turning back to her yogurt. "Is Mommy working?"

"Uhh, I don't know, I didn't ask," he lied.

"Are you Mommy's boyfriend?"

"What do you know about boyfriends?" He asked in surprise.

She shrugged and giggled innocently. "I don't but a boy from the playground said his mommy has a new boyfriend. Jake doesn't like him."

Relieved she didn't know much and that it wouldn't lead to awkward questions Juice let her eat without saying much else. Once she finished, Poe bolted out to the living room and toward the front door.

"Can we go to the playground?"

"Why don't we watch a movie?" He asked nervously. "When your mom gets back we'll all go. Okay?"

She beamed and nodded, racing over to the couch and jumping up and down excitedly while he flicked on the TV.

--

"My princess," Bastian's smooth accent flittered through the air. "I've missed you."

Ellie smiled sweetly and welcomed his possessive kiss. "I missed you too, I'm sorry, work and me time. You know how I need to unwind."

"I could give you all the space you'd need...but you'd still be under this roof."

"You know me," she laughed as he took her hand. "I need my own space and whatnot, Bastian. I'm not into traditional roles and marriage."

They moved to the patio by the pool as she spoke all the while his grip on her hand grew tighter. Coffee and mimosas waiting for them already at the table beneath a thick umbrella to shield them from the LA sun.

Seeing her surprise, Bastian's chest puffed out with pride. "Do you like it?"

"I do," she smiled. "What's all this about?"

"You," he smirked. "I'm done playing those games with you, princess. We're going to get married and you're going to be under this roof." As he spoke he still smiled sweetly, his words and expression complete opposites and their drastic differences made her uneasy and unable to read him.

"I don't want to get married, Bastian," Ellie said calmly. "Not to anybody."

"But you will," his smile fell. "I'm not fooling around, Elvira."

"Bastian." Ellie started to explain, appease him without agreeing, but he slammed his fists down on the table and silenced her. "I'm sorry," she said quickly.

"That was me," he cleared his throat. "I apologize, my love, I've let my emotions get the better of me."

"Who are you?" She asked warily. "Are you hiding something?"

His dark eyes flicked up and met hers. "Not hiding," Bastian sighed. "I just haven't had the heart yet to tell you."

"What?" Ellie didn't want to know but she asked anyway. "Tell me what?"

"My father passed away," he hung his head. "Most of the decisions came from me but he was the family figure head."

"And now that's you," she said with fear. "So you need to do all that patriarchal, misogynistic bullshit for appearances?"

"And my mother," he shrugged. "I always hoped she's go first. I knew she'd push this and I knew you'd be a hard sell."

"Bastian, I'm...flattered, and I do love you, but I'm not the marriage type."

"I. Don't. Care." He growled.

"Okay," she knew better than to make him angrier. "Can I at least get a sweet proposal? It is every girls dream after all."

Sweeping the broken glass from his outburst off the table Bastian took her hand and guided her to the edge of the pool. Down on one knee he presented her with a stunning five carat diamond, the ring glittered and glistened in the sunlight as he smiled up at her.

"I love you," he started, "And there's not a woman like you out there, one that could hold her own and snap a few necks while still being so feminine. I need that," that was where she knew he had plans for her. "Will you marry me Ellie?"