Page 4 of Look how well You take this C*ck

“Ellie…”

My ears ring, and my heart pounds. I barely register anything else that comes out of his mouth. It can’t be her. My Ellie. Right? Except she’s not mine. She can’t be. I arrested her father on multiple counts of murder and discovered the reason she was in foster care from age ten to twelve was because the man in question was on trial for her mother’s murder. I wonder if she knows that detail.

“Are you listening, Dad?” Damon’s brows furrow with concern.

“Sorry, son, say that again.” He rolls his eyes at me.

“Ellie, she’s not having an easy time of things at school or home. She needs a break, and I thought we could binge movies and eat junk all weekend.” I nod mutely, knowing I’ll be disappointed it’s not my Ellie because the social worker has assured me she’s in a good home, happy and healthy.

“Yeah, son, that’s fine. She can stay.”

Turning away, I get back to fixing dinner, oblivious to the girl my son’s brought home and vaguely wondering if he’s interested in her or if they’re dating already.

I open the fridge next to me and reach in to grab a beer. Popping the tab open, I chug the brew in one long gulp before turning back around and nearly losing my tongue.

“Dad, this is Ellie. Ellie, this is my Dad, Lars. He’s nicer than he looks.” Damon laughs, oblivious to the tension thickening the air.

My Ellie.

Is the friend Damon has spending the weekend with us.

She’s lost weight in the three weeks since I’ve seen her. The dark circles under her eyes speak to how little she’s been resting, and the sadness in her gaze worries me. The glazed look from the day I ruined her life remains, only it’s more pronounced.

“Ellie.” I say her name softly, and she focuses on me. Tears well up and slip over her thick lashes, pouring down her cheeks in waves of agony.

Cursing, I place my empty can down and go to her. Dragging her into my arms, she lets out heavy, hiccupping sobs as she wraps her arms around my waist.

“Dad?” Damon is confused.

She wouldn’t have told anyone what was going on if she could avoid it, but I don’t know how close the two of them are. Hell, I didn’t even know they went to school together.

“Watch the stove?” I ask as I pick Ellie up in my arms. He nods, no less confused, as I begin to walk away. “I’ll explain; just give me a few minutes, okay?” Another nod as I head up to my room.

Setting Ellie on the bed, I rush into the bathroom and grab a washcloth. Wetting it, I return and begin wiping her face as I sit next to her.

“Sweetheart.” Her swollen eyes meet mine. “What’s going on?” I already know I won’t like the answer based on the range of emotions she attempts to cover up as they flit across her features.

“Nothing,” she finally whispers, dropping her gaze from mine.

“This is not nothing. You’ve lost weight; you aren’t sleeping. You just broke down. I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me what’s going on with you.” Trying to convince her is like taming a dragon–a fictional dream.

“It doesn’t matter; nothing will change. It never does.” I hate the defeat in her tone.

“I’ll make sure it does.” I can make her a thousand promises, but none of them will matter if she won’t open up to me.

Brushing the hair away from her face, I wait patiently. Something I’ve excelled at my entire career.

“They’re nice enough.” She sniffles, and I hand her a Kleenex from the box on my side table. “Clara likes to bake, and she does it when she’s nervous or uncertain.” I remain quiet, knowing she needs to get this out in her own way and time. “Connor works at a car dealership as a manager; people seem to like him.”

“Do you?” I ask, beating down my jealousy that she might like another man, even if it’s in a parental role.

She shrugs. “He’s okay, I guess. We haven’t spent a lot of time together.”

“They have kids, too, right?” And I suspect that they’re the problem. Or at least one of them is.

Ellie hesitates before nodding. “Carly and Cory.” She bites her lip and hugs a pillow to her chest. She looks so young yet so mature in this moment. “Cory’s okay. He mostly games and hangs out with his friends.”

“And Carly?” I somehow already know the story.

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