Diamond S Ranch (II)

3-The Maitland's 2.0

Elle was sitting on her bed, up against her headboard, cross legged. She had Mr. Marshmallow wrapped up in her arms, hugging him tightly. That's where Jake found her when he stormed into her room. She barely glanced at him as he slammed the door shut and continued to stand there his hands planted on his hips. She waited. 

"I know you heard me calling you." He fumed.

Elle said nothing as she sat there staring down at the comforter. Suddenly finding the pattern the pastel tie-dyed colors made as they swirled across the bed rather intriguing. Trying to ignore the laser glare that was boring into her, she finally slowly rolled her eyes up to where he was standing. Yep, that's about how she pictured him looking, just standing there furiously glaring down at her. She still didn't answer him.

Jake was doing everything he could to keep his temper in check. Yes, he was aggravated with the fact that she had completely ignored him. However, he did also recognize that a lot of his frustration was not at her. A lot of it was from this whole situation with the Maitland's. 

Taking in a deep breath, he stepped over to her bed and sat down on the edge. He reached up and rubbed his face with both hands. He let his hands drop, resting his elbows on his thighs. Damn, he felt tired. 

"Okay, listen," he started, "we need to talk about some things." He turned his head to see if she was at least paying attention to him. It looked like she was. "I don't know what is going on in that brain of yours but," he paused to look back at her again, "whatever you think you are plotting, or planning to do, to make the Maitland lives difficult. You need to stop it right now."

Well, he could tell by the way her face just scrunched up, she was, at least, listening.

"What makes you think I'm going to do anything?" She asked, her face still showing her indignation.

Now it was Jake's turn to make a face. 

"Elleana Grace, can you honestly sit there right now and tell me, you aren't plotting to make their lives difficult, somehow?" He asked, his eyes locked onto hers as he waited for her to answer.

He was doing it again. How does he know that? Damnit. Maybe he just made a good guess, she thought to herself.  Either way it was apparent he was, at least, thinking she was planning on something. And now he was telling her she couldn't do anything... that was really starting to piss her off. 

"Why not?" She questioned her nose flung in the air. "If they said all those things I did was your fault. Then whatever I do when I'm with them well, it will be their fault. Makes sense to me." She shrugged off. 

Jake reached up, rubbing his eyes. Lord, this child was going to drive him crazy, he thought to himself. It took all he could do not to let his thoughts betray him by showing up on his face. But a slight smirk, did manage to escape before he regained control and turned to address her. 

"Elle, you listen to me and you listen good. I need you to understand something. I, ah, understand what you are saying. But, I need you not to do those kind of things. In fact, I am telling you not, to do those things. You understand me." He said, or rather ordered as he locked that hard blue gaze right onto her. Elle picked up that he wasn't asking.

"But why?" She pressed, not willing to give up just yet. "It almost worked for them, it will work for us." 

Jake understood what she was getting at and he could appreciate what she was wanting to do. But he was having none of it, for several reasons. And did she really just say, "it will work for us"? Jake reached up and began to massage the bridge of his nose not even wanting to think about what was going on in that little brain of hers.