Fighter {Completed}

Chapter Nine: I'm Not Starving Myself {Ellie}

Chapter Nine: I'm Not Starving Myself {Ellie}

Cole stands at the door, his large body blocking the exit. There's no escaping him right now, I realize, as I stare at him. His jaw sets, arms raising to cross against his chest.

Muscles bulge as he moves, making a strange heat rise to my cheeks.

The silence is heavy with unspoken words, both of us waiting for the other to begin. Cole stays standing like a bouncer outside of a club, only he's preventing someone from leaving rather than entering.

"Are you going to tell me what's going on?" his deep voice emerges from silence suddenly, almost stunning me.

Hesitating, my heart pounds in my chest.

If Keenan finds out I told anyone...

"I can't," I tell him.

"Why not?"

"Why do you want to know? I thought you hated me," I comment back, frowning at him as he rolls his eyes.

"I don't hate you, blondie. You just sort of... came out of nowhere. Why can't you tell me what's going on?"

Fuck, what can I say?

What can I tell him to throw him off my trail? Get him to leave it and me alone?

"Look, it's nothing. I didn't stop eating because of my phone. I just... got full." The lie comes out slow and stupid and very obvious.

Cole doesn't believe me for even a single second.

His dark eyebrow raises as his jaw continues to grind. A sigh escapes me as I sit on the bed, tearing my eyes from his silent storm of a body.

"How long are you going to keep lying to everyone, Ellie?"

As long as I have to.

"I'm not lying to anyone."

Yes I am.

"Yes, you are. You can't tell me that was the first time that happened. You've done it before when we ate breakfast and again when you sat in the livingroom with Seb and I while he played his game after my run."

I did, didn't I?

"I didn-"

"Don't. Don't lie to me, Ellie. Don't ever lie to me or you'll get on my bad side very quickly." His gaze becomes stormy as I look at him, hands now down by his sides as his fists clench. He looks angry, threatening, but sort of... handsome, in a way.

"I thought I was already on your bad side." The words escape me before I can even begin to hold them back, my smart mouth at work once again.

"Ellie," he warns.

After a moment, he sighs, taking a few steps closer.

"Listen. I can try to guess what's going on right now." I blanch, my head snapping up so look at him as he takes another step. "Or I can let you explain yourself, but either way, I'm concerned. So please, start explaining yourself before I just let Sebastian get it out of you."

"You can't get Sebastian!" My heart hammers hard in my chest and Cole raises his eyebrows, surprised by my outburst.

God, if Sebastian found out... He'd go to Keenan's house and then the pictures...

I have to tell him something. Anything.

"What are you hiding from everyone?" he asks, his voice strangely softer this time as he takes yet another step towards me, the distance between us being only a few feet or so now.