All Bets Are Off

Chapter Twenty-Nine - Ella Fordman: Wrong Kind of Distraction

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Dedicated to janeeta_x for being such an amazing chicka! Please check out her new book, The Best Friend’s Vendetta. I helped with editing, and I know you guys will love it. It would mean a lot to her :)

 

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~Chapter Twenty-Nine – Ella Fordman: Wrong Kind of Distraction~

“Mom, Dad, I’m home!” I called out wearily, shuffling through the large front doors of my house, carry-case in hand.

After the disaster Saturday night, I’d completely ignored any times Phoenix had attempted to call me, and spent the rest of the weekend with Leslie. I did manage to hit a few beachy boutiques and gelato shops with her, but I’d been pretty down for the rest of the weekend. When I’d been certain Phoenix was out, I sneaked into the room and grabbed my case, before dropping my key card on the kitchen table and making my way back to Leslie.

I’d made the trek back home with Leslie, Daniel and the Carlisle’s, and hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Phoenix since. I was glad to be back home, where it was a lot easier to avoid Phoenix.

“Ella!” my mom yelled, appearing from the kitchen. Her wavy blonde locks were tied back in a messy bun, and she still had a black biro in hand, as if she’d been making the weekly shopping list when I’d arrived home. The familiarity of the situation was stifling. She ran over and hugged me. “Hey, hon! How was it?”

I smiled and hugged her back, before dropping down my duffel. “It was okay. Hopefully.”

“Did you have fun? Did you enjoy the surprise?”

I grinned. “I loved it. Mom, you didn’t have to get us the honeymoon suite!”

“It was your big dancing debut!” she insisted, her blue eyes wide and shiny. “We wanted to make it special.”

“It was incredible,” I said sincerely. “Seriously. Thank you.”

She grinned and led me into the kitchen, where she was brewing a pot of coffee. “Phoenix got home an hour ago. I was a little worried that you weren’t with him. Where were you?”

“Oh,” I said, pushing my hair behind my ears—a nervous habit I’d developed many years ago. “Um, I actually got a ride home with Leslie. I wanted to spend some girlie time with her and, you know…”

My mom nodded. “I get it. I’m glad you had fun, though. Seriously, Ella. When do you hear back?”

I doubted I’d be getting any good news on that telephone, but I would still get a complimentary phone call. “Within the next week. The judges just need to review our tapes and decide which three couples get the scholarship,” I told her, making myself a coffee.