Blue Violet - By Abigail Owen Page 0,61

he told her privately. Ellie agreed.

As soon as they got home, Alex murmured something to Lucy, who then shooed them all out of the kitchen as she started on dinner.

Alex grabbed Ellie’s hand and led her up to her bedroom. Once he got her there, he said, “You’re dead on your feet.” He pulled her onto the bed and tried to get her to lie down. She pulled away slightly and shot him a half-impressed, half-irritated look.

“I’m going to have to get used to how well you seem to read me,” she grumbled good -naturedly. “Usually only Griffin can figure me out, and he’s cheating,” she smiled as she tapped her temple.

“Mmmm…” He tugged her down to snuggle with him. “It seems like we both have a lot to get used to.” He placed a tender kiss to the back of her neck. “You can work on being harder to read later. For now, let’s sleep until dinner. I’ve wanted to hold you in my arms for a long time you know,” he whispered.

“Mmmm… feels better than I dreamt,” Ellie breathed as she slipped into blissful sleep.

“Me too, baby.” Alex closed his eyes.

After dinner, Alex moved Ramsey into Ellie’s bedroom with Griffin and brought her into his room. Both were still somewhat old-fashioned from their upbringing, and by unspoken mutual agreement, knew that they would spend the time in the room simply getting to know one another and growing their relationship.

“Tell me about yourself.” Ellie prompted, as she finished stuffing the last of her clothes into a dresser drawer.

Alex chuckled. “What do you want to know?” he asked, watching her from the bed as she flitted around the room like a little pixie.

Ellie bounced over beside him. Sitting cross-legged, she took his hand, unable to resist touching him. “Let’s start with where you come from.”

“I was born in Louisiana in the late 1800s, shortly after the Civil War ended,” Alex said.

“You don’t have an accent though!” Ellie exclaimed.

Alex laughed. “It’s been a long time since I’ve spoken with any discernible accent,” he drawled in a thick southern twang. “Or if you prefer, I can bring out my bayou roots, chere,” he continued in an even thicker Cajun drawl.

Ellie giggled. “That one’s kinda sexy,” she teased. “Who were your parents?”

Alex gathered his memories for a second before speaking. “My mother was the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner. My father was a poor sharecropper who rented land from her family. I never knew my father. He was killed, not in battle, but by a band of thieves as he was making his way home after fighting bravely for the South.”

“I’m sorry,” Ellie said softly.

Alex shrugged. Turning her hand over in his, he started tracing the delicate veins in her wrists. “Like I said, I never knew him.” He looked up into her eyes. He hadn’t shared this part of himself with anyone in a very long time. His new adoptive family knew bits and pieces, but he rarely talked about his early life.

“I was raised by my mother and her parents until I was ten,” he continued.

Ellie tipped her head to the side, considering his last statement. “Until you started coming into your powers?”

Alex nodded. “I couldn’t control them at first. And it scared her. Scared them all. So one day my mother packed a bag and took me to my grandfather. My father’s dad, who was still a sharecropper on a plantation a few counties over.”

“She just dumped you on someone else?” Ellie was shocked. Nothing but death could ever have separated her own mother from her children. She couldn’t understand any woman doing something like that.

Alex shrugged, solemn. “Don’t be too hard on her, Ellie. She was heartbroken about it. I was very young, but I still remember that. But she was just a normal person. My power must have been terrifying to her.”

Ellie just shook her head.

Alex continued, “In hindsight, it was the best thing she ever could’ve done for me. I had inherited my powers through Grandfather, although my mother hadn’t been aware of that when she took me there. Sharecropping was a very difficult life. Although my mother left me her inheritance when she died many years later, we didn’t benefit from that for quite some time. But I had Grandfather, who taught me everything I know about my power, tutored me in it. He was a wonderful man, strong, dependable, and very funny. He died fighting in World War I. I’m very proud to have