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Ella woke up the next day to a text from Sebastian that read:
i'm sorry if i did or said something last night
Ella sighed, her arms falling onto the fluffy comforter of her bed, staring at the ceiling until her phone started ringing a second later. She lifted the phone back to her face, letting out a deep groan before answering up the call.
"Hello?"
"Hi sweetie," her moms sweet voice rang through the speaker, "What are you bringing for your dad tonight?"
"Mom, I'm not coming tonight," Ella sighed thinking about her father's birthday party tonight, which was just an excuse for a bunch of celebrities to get dressed up and party.
"Just stop by, please, it would mean a lot to your father and I," her mother begged.
Ella took a deep breath knowing there was no getting out of it, "Fine, what time is it at? And where?"
"Six pm at the top of the Ritz," her mother said smiling on the other end.
"Okay, I'll see you later," Ella said before hanging up the phone with a dramatic sigh.
Ella decided to get to the party early-ish, ya know like thirty minuets after the start time, hoping to just say hi and slip out before things got crazy. She messed with the buttons on her top as she road the elevator up, a little nervous to see her parents.
Ella made her way to the open bar, getting a glass of wine before trying to find her mother. Who she quickly found talking to a man who's build reminded her a lot of her father's but unlike her father this guy very short buzzed hair.
"Ella!" her mother cheered, ending the conversation she was having with one of her old costars, John Cena.
"Hi, Mom," Ella smiled, "Hi, John"
"Hey, Ella! How have you been?" John asked, genuinely curious. Ella never came around her parents and their friends anymore, she didn't want to be in the spotlight like them.
"I've been good," Ella smiled up at him.
"I haven't seen you since the Blocker's premiere"
Ella nodded.
Her mom was the only and only Julie Taylor like the one from Blockers, 17 Again, and so many other movies. Who married movie star and former teen rapper John Taylor from movies like Ted, Transformers and so many Ella lost count. Ella was a nepotism baby in every sense of the word.
"I'll let you two talk, it was nice to see you both," John smiled, patting both girls on the shoulder.
"Uhm where's dad? I brought him a gift," Ella held up the little black bag.
"He's somewhere mingling, what did you get?" Julie smiled, oblivious as always to her daughter and husband's falling out.
"It's a belt," Ella shrugged, "Should I just leave it on a table or..."
"Ella just chill for a second, enjoy the party! I haven't seen you in months!" Julie smiled, gently putting her hands on her daughters shoulders.
Ella took a deep breath.
"How's work?" Julie asked, hands falling back to her own body.
"Good," Ella nodded, sipping her wine
"How is Melissa? I haven't seen her in ages!"
"She's good, keeping her and I very busy"
"What about your love life? Anything exciting going on there?"
"Nope," Ella lied.
"You'll find someone one day," her mother was a hopeless romantic and had found her person, she believed there was a person for everyone. Ella honestly thought she was crazy.
Ella hung around the party a bit longer, trying to put the past behind her, mingling with people she had grown up around like Camilla Mendes, Gideon and Odessa Adlon.
She let herself forget about whatever was happening in her life, just enjoying time with old friends and family she hadn't seen in a while.
Now hours later Ella stood in the crowd next to one of her uncles, her father standing on stage giving a thank you speech.
"I want to thank you all for coming out tonight," her dad was wrapping his long speech, "But I want to most of all thank my wife and daughter," he shaded his eyes from the light to try and find them both, her mother near the front while Ella hugged the wall in the corner.
"Come here you two!" he smiled once he saw them both. Ella took a deep breath and she snaked through the crowd to the DJ stage her dad stood on.
John wrapped his arm around his wife, mic to his mouth while Ella stood off to the side her eyes looking out at the crowd of familiar faces.
"I love you both so much," he smiled, Ella tried to not roll her eyes knowing these were drunken words, "Here's to 50!" he pulled Ella into an uncomfortable hug, her body flinching from the sudden movement, when her eyes met the one person she hoped wouldn't be here.
Even in the dim party lights, she could tell it was him and he knew it was her. Her whole body froze until her Dad finally let her go.
"I left you a gift with the rest of the ones on the table," Ella said, looking up at her father, the family still standing on stage while the party became a dance floor again.
She could see him making his way up to her through the crowd, eyes focused on her.
"But I have to get to work early in the morning," Ella rushed the words from her mouth, "It was nice to see you both," she looked at both of her parents.
"C'mon! Stay! Just a little longer I haven't gotten to talk to you!" her dad tried to put his arm around her again, Ella ducking away.
"It's because you're drunk," she mumbled, pushing herself off of him, "I really have to go," she looked at her mom who nodded before the girl rushed off the stage, walking behind it where she was stopped by someone's hands on her shoulders.
Her eyes slowly looked up from the floor, not wanting to face him, she hope it wasn't him.
