Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,54

fought it. You were supposed to be a normal girl. Too young… too... well, let’s just say too a lot of things. And then I didn’t know who or what you were, or if I could trust you.”

Ellie closed her eyes, trying to block out his painful words.

“…But you kept showing me your heart, over and over. I discovered that you are a kind, loyal, generous, and brave. You are so damned incredible.” He shrugged and his voice cracked. “When I saw you risking your life to save my family… and you went down under those wolves…I realized that if I lost you, there’d be nothing left for me. And that’s when I knew.”

He cupped her face in his hands. “Te’sorthene.”

A smile lit up Ellie’s face. She threw her arms around his neck, laughter bubbling up and bursting out of her in a gloriously exultant sound. She took his face in her hands. “I’ve been fighting it like crazy, too! And have been completely miserable without you the last several weeks. I didn’t know that someone could become the center of my world like that so fast.”

The look of elation in Alex’s eyes took Ellie’s breath away. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers. After a moment he gathered her into his arms and very gently laid his lips on hers in a kiss so achingly sweet, Ellie thought she might cry.

“You’re mine now, Ellie Aubrey,” he whispered in her ear as he ended the kiss and pulled her into a tight embrace. “Just as I am yours.”

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” she whispered back.

Chapter 26

“Can I come in now?” Griffin called loudly from outside the door.

Their blissful reverie interrupted, Ellie moved to get off Alex’s lap, but he just tightened his grip. “Come on in,” Alex called, his arms firmly around Ellie’s waist.

The door swung open and Griffin walked in, eyebrows raised. “I guess you’re feeling better?” he teased. He’d never seen his sister look so happy, practically glowing. And although he felt the slight pinch of his own loss, knowing their relationship would have to change in some ways, he loved her too much to begrudge her this happiness.

“Much,” Ellie answered. “What time is it anyway?”

Griffin checked his watch. “About six a.m. on Wednesday morning.”

“I’d better get ready for school then.” She hopped off of Alex’s lap and started opening drawers.

“Wait,” Alex said, looking incredulous, “You’re going to school?”

“Of course!” she answered as she pulled out a pair of jeans. “I am a high school student for the time being. I have to keep up that appearance.”

They all understood that if they survived this, they’d eventually need to continue their lives as they had been before. None of them felt like uprooting and starting over just yet, and so, to the rest of the world, they needed to continue to act like normal human beings.

“Yes, but…”

“Aren’t Nate, Lila, and Adelaide all still attending school?” Ellie paused from searching through drawers to face him, her hands on her hips.

“Yes,” he admitted.

“Then I should too. Putting aside the need to keep up appearance, I can protect them better if I’m right there with them,” she asserted, her chin assuming a stubborn tilt.

“But they didn’t just spend three days passed out in bed healing from major injuries,” he pointed out. Alex levered himself off the bed and crossed the room to where she stood to frame her face with his hands.

“That’s true,” Ellie conceded. “But I’m better now, so there’s really no excuse.”

Alex ground his teeth in frustration, pushing away to return to the bed and sit down. He glanced at Griffin, who was lounging in the doorway watching the exchange with interest. Griffin gave a resigned shrug, his expression clearly saying, Good luck, dude.

“Then I’m driving you to school,” Alex insisted.

But Ellie was already shaking her head. “As much as I’d love that, it doesn’t fit with our story,” she reminded him. In an exaggerated southern accent she said, “You ah just too old for little ol’ me, Mr. Jenn-ah. It is positively indecent.” She batted her eyes at him dramatically.

Alex merely grunted in return, looking highly irritated.

“She’s always like this,” Griffin confided. “I can’t say that I’m sorry that you get to deal with it now. I’ve had to put up with her on my own for years.”

Ellie gave her brother an affectionate slug on the arm.

Seeing that Alex still wasn’t pleased, she crossed the room and placed a quick kiss on his lips, feeling a