Call Me Ella (ft. Niall Horan)

Chapter 29 - Part Of The Family

Chapter 29 - Part Of The Family

“Ella, Ella, listen to me. Calm down!” Niall exclaims grabbing my shoulders and shaking me a bit so I can stop freaking out.

“You don’t understand, Niall. Ten days, that’s all I had to wait. Ten days. She’ll ask me to break up with you or she’ll make my life a living hell and I’ll have to quit, but I’m so close. I almost made it!” I snap, shaking as I imagine all the possibilities, all the ways she can ruin my life. She can even do something to my record, talk to her lawyers and ruin my chances or working somewhere else. Rhonda is powerful, Rhonda is resourceful. You can’t just shit with her.

“Ella, relax. If she tells you we have to break up you tell her you do and we can pretend. I can even leave now and complain to her. I dunno. But we won’t let her ruin us, okay? And I won’t let her ruin you.” No matter what he says, even if I trust him, I can’t stop shaking.

There are so many things she can do to ruin me forever. She may even do something so I won’t be accepted in Oxford and they will cancel my enrolment. I don’t know, but I just know she’s capable of anything just to get what she wants.

Niall hugs me tightly and I hold on to him, still shaking, scared. I’ve seen Rhonda ruining the life of employees just because they leaked a picture of some guests. I don’t know what she could do to me, for dating one… dating one that her daughter wanted.

“I’m scared,” I whisper against Niall’s chest, holding maybe too tight and he does the same and I’m grateful. “She’s powerful, Niall. She can’t ruin my dreams. All what I’ve planned.”

“Whatever she does, I’ll protect you, okay?” I don’t reply, I only hug him even tighter.

After that Niall takes me away as a way to distract me from what will happen. It’s a matter of time before Rhonda will call me and hell will break loose. And I know he’s really trying to make me smile and forget all this, but I can’t. I only imagine endless scenarios, and none of them has even a bearable outcome. But I look at Niall and pay attention to the way he makes me feel. I don’t want Rhonda to push me away from him, I don’t want to lose him because she doesn’t want me to be with him. I know we haven’t been together for too long, but this time has been precious to me. These past few weeks have been the happiest for me. How can I just give up on him like that? But how can I give up on my dreams? I know he says he will help me, but can he really do that? We don’t even know what Rhonda will do yet… maybe it’s going to be too much and not even Niall will be able to help. Then what?

I’m so stressed that not even brushing Ares is helping me and when Charlie runs into the stable I almost have a heart attack.

“Ella,” Charlie pants, his hands on his knees. He’s not used to run. “Rhonda is looking for you. What happened?” He asks, worry all over his features and I feel how a chill runs down my spine, dread consuming me.

“Ella’s stepsister saw us,” Niall answer for us and Charlie’s expression is of sheer terror. He knows, he knows how terrible this situation is. He knows Rhonda.

I feel Niall taking my hand, entwining our fingers together and squeezing gently. I look at him, my heart racing in my chest and I think I may throw up.

“It’s gonna be fine, I’m with you, okay? Whatever happens, I’m with you,” he tells me and I nod, trying to gather courage. “You own your life, okay? She doesn’t control you.”

He’s right. This is my life, I control my life. I chose with whomever I want to be, even if that person is Niall Horan, even if my stepsister wants him, even if he’s a celebrity. And I have Niall’s support, whatever Rhonda does, I’ll manage it somehow. He’ll help me. Charlie will help me. Liv will help me. I’m not alone.