Fighter {Completed}

Chapter Forty-Eight: Get Some Rest, Ellie {Cole}

Chapter Forty-Eight: Get Some Rest, Ellie {Cole}

"I look stupid," I state. "I feel like a fucking circus monkey in this thing."

Ellie still stares off into space, sitting on the bed and ignoring me. With a sigh, I move toward her, kneeling down so that she stares at me instead of the floor.

"Hey," I begin. "What's a pirate's favorite letter of the alphabet?"

She shrugs, reacting to me for the first time, her eyes zoning in on mine as the ghost of a smile rests on her lips.

"None. Scientists say pirates would have most likely been illiterate."

She cracks a smile, finally breaking her spell, her emerald eyes meeting mine.

"You know, I'm down to go bowling or something if you want to ditch this," I begin. "I know she was your mother, but it's okay to not want to go to this, Ellie," I tell her, repeating the words I spoke last night.

After only a day apart, so much had happened to my girl while I was gone. The moment I showed up at the door to surprise her, she broke down crying. I'd spent most of the night just holding her, letting her cry out all the stress her shitty mother had put on her. Of course, even in death, the woman finds a way to hurt my Ellie.

Guilt shoots through me as I think back to her questioning - what had I been up to, and where had I been? I told her the truth... mostly.

I'd went and signed my contract, took a few pictures and did a short interview for the television series and then got on a flight home to surprise her. I didn't tell her about Maddie. I know I should've but she looked so stressed out already, and telling her I had the very girl who nearly broke us up the last time almost overdose in my apartment wouldn't exactly give her any peace of mind.

She didn't ask why I didn't answer her call, and I didn't bring any of it up again.

"You know I can't do that," she whispers, dragging me from my thoughts.

"I know." Releasing a breath, I reach up, palming Ellie's cheek, feeling her skin on mine. It feels like heaven, and I can't help but wonder what it'd be like for us to be fully pressed against one another, skin to skin and nothing else.

I shove the thoughts away as I stand, moving beside Ellie and sitting on the bed. She doesn't protest as I pull her into my lap, pressing a kiss against her cheek.

"You know he's going to be there, right?" She nods against me, closing her eyes. "We don't have to go, Ellie. You've done enough. Everything is taken care of. Stay home." Her head shakes as she takes a deep breath.

It's just one of those things you have to suffer through.

She'd said that to me once when talking about Keenan. The words ring deep as I realize how much Ellie has gone through and how much more she's going to go through today. My heart breaks for her.

"Let's get this over with." With her head held high, she leads me out of the room and to the front door.

We arrive to an already tense and angry atmosphere, too many people in Ellie's family seeming to want to be a part of today for the simple fact of attention. I lace my fingers with hers, leading her to the area where all the people are gathered.

The funeral is over fairly quickly, with one larger women seeming extremely exaggerated and dramatic with her crying, even peeking out above her tissue a few times to see if anyone was giving her the attention she wanted.

Ellie thanks everyone for coming, and people quickly begin filing out of the area, leaving the casket to be buried next to Ellie's father.

"God, that was a trainwreck," Ellie mutters as she buries her face into my chest. I chuckle. I can't get enough of the feel of her in my arms. It's something that I want every second of every day for the rest of my life.