Carved

CHAPTER 15

ELLA

I want to take away the pain.

When I was released from the hospital after that horrible night I was alone, kind of.  My mother hired a nurse to take care of me while I healed. Other than that, I was alone.  I didn’t have Dylan, the love of my life, because I was told he moved after he was released from being questioned by the police.  Colton, whom I considered a brother as well, had also moved after his release. I didn’t have my own brother Louis to comfort me. Grammy was asked to leave the house.  My mother blamed her for a horrible job in raising us. Grammy was sent to a retirement home in Florida. My father moved out of the house while I was still in the hospital.  He could no longer look at any of us the same. My cheating mother was too distraught to be home and spent more time at the country club. My friends stopped talking to me because I somehow was the one responsible for running off the Merricks and Jake’s family the Riesen’s.  All I had was a nurse that I didn’t know and didn’t know me.  

Right now, at this very moment, I find solace in a pair of arms that I needed years ago.  I finally cry the tears I have held in for so long. The last thing I want to do right now is let go.  Please, don’t let go.  

“Are you okay?”  Dylan wipes a tear from my face and kisses me where he wiped it away.  He wipes another tear and does the same. He’s been wiping away a lot of tears lately.  He’s held a lot of tears and pain in those hands. So much hurt and pain has been placed in these hands.  All I can think to do is hold them in mine and replace them with love.

“I’m sorry.  I just feel like I needed that cry.  I held it in for so long. I didn’t realize those words…”  I look back up to him and see the tears in his eyes. He was as affected by the words as I was.  I remember feeling him stiffen up and pale to the words that were spoken. When I grabbed his hand it was cold and he held it tightly.  I don’t think he was even aware. It’s what woke me from reliving my nightmare. We stare at each other than lean in for a kiss. Before anything happens I feel another pair of arms wrap around the both of us.  

“Colton!  You scared the hell out of me.”  Dylan laughs in frustration.  

“I thought DP needed a group hug.”  Colton frowns. “Are you guys okay?”

“Better, thank you,” I say.  

“Sorry to ruin your kiss.”  Colton smiles at us sheepishly.  “Anyway, the cars are ready to take the bands.  I came to check if Ella will be leaving with the girls.”

“Can you ask them to wait while I freshen up first?”  I ask.  

“Sure, Ella.  Dyl, are you coming to say bye to the bands?”

“I’ll be out.  I’m going to give Ella a key to my place.”  Dylan pulls out a set of keys from his pocket.  He quickly covers something he had on his key ring, but I had already caught a glimpse of it.  It was an engagement ring. My breath catches for a second. When Dylan didn’t mention getting engaged I thought Becker could have been wrong or lied.  Dylan purposely covered the ring to hide it from me. He doesn’t want me to know about it. Who was she? He said there was nobody else. Was Dylan lying to me?  Has everything been a lie?  

I feel Dylan place the key into my palm closing my fingers around it.  I stare at my hand not wanting to look at him. We start to walk out of the office but Dylan grabs me and shuts the door behind Colton.  I almost start to panic. No. No. I don’t want to talk about this right now. He lifts my chin so I am facing him and gives me a few gentle kisses.  “It scares me to be interrupted when we were going to kiss. I needed to make sure we were still okay.”

I try to smile to reassure him, “Of course, we are.”

We open the door and Colton is standing there with a smile on his face.  Dylan promises to meet us back at their place after they close up. He punches Colton on the arm before they leave.  I go to the restroom and start to shed more tears. I try to forget about the ring. I wash my face and meet the girls by VIP.  When we start walking out I see Serene looking at me up and down. She waves goodbye with her fingers and walks to where Dylan is standing by the bar.  I want to stay, but Stan is behind me leading me out the door. He helps us get into the SUV and waves goodbye as he turns to go back to the club.