The Walls that Separate Us | E.W.

10• Ellie's Story

STELLA

The next morning arrived rather quickly, the sound of pitter-pattering raindrops hitting the roof lulling me out of a deep dreamless sleep I hadn't even realized I fell into to. No nightmares.

But another thing I also didn't come to realize until mere moments after were the comforting arms of Ellie Williams wrapped around neck and draped over my shoulders, our bodies pressed flush against each other providing me much solace and comfort.

Oh fuck.

I froze my nervous shuffling as she moved gently around me, tightening her hold and allowing a small huff to fly past her nostrils. As surprised as I was supposed to be, I was the most content person in the world. I could tell she needed someone to hold, someone to look after. Someone with her that she felt like she could trust. Since I've met her she's seemed so guarded and circumspect that this would've been a downright crime to her if she had woken up to find herself cradling me in her arms. But that didn't seem to matter to either of us as she was so warm and her embrace was so comforting and I was someone she needed in the moment.

I gazed up at her through my lashes, hers fluttered closed and lips slightly parted as she snored gently, her chin resting atop the hair of my head. Stubborn strands of auburn hairs tickled my nose and fell over my forehead and lashes. Her lips were slightly chapped as they passed soft breaths onto my forehead. So out of place yet so fucking pretty.

I mindlessly trailed my fingertips over the skin on her tattooed arm with my eyes comfortably closed, tracing the scarred, ragged ink beneath my fingertips. Nothing at that moment ran through my head as I mentally imprinted the feeling of her skin underneath mine. My heartbeat raced but also was the slowest it's ever been as I memorized the scattered constellation of freckles on her face and memorized how her lips were shaped and how lightly chapped they were, the slash through her eyebrow and the way strands of her hair stuck up in multiple places. Her pores were sunkissed, lashes dark and fluttered closed. She was so pretty and peaceful while she slept. Even if her face was tilted, smushed into the side of my head as a pillow.

I'd never been more content.

She must've cradled me in her sleep - I'm sure she won't remember this later. She'll wake up and likely pretend it never happened, safe to say cracking a joke and ignoring the situation.

But the thoughts didn't feel like they mattered. Not right now, anyway. Right now all that mattered was the freckle faced girl holding me tight in her sleep like I'm going somewhere else.

This was so unexpected. Just a few days ago, we were bickering nonstop and today, I'm in the arms of my so called enemy. But it felt so fucking good to do so. I hadn't realized how my heart fluttered at the fact that I actually loved feeling protected. Finally, I felt safe with someone I felt like I could share almost anything with.

Once again, I hadn't realized I drifted off to Ellie's comfortable breathing and warm embrace until I woke up a little bit later to find myself trembling with a chill and alone, curled up in a thin blanket with Toby lying at my feet. The feeling of Ellie's skin and warmth gone from my reach. Shit...What if I scared her off? Was I dreaming? And last night? Oh my god. Was it even real?

With a fast stretch, I wiped the sleep from my eyes quickly and headed towards my jeans hanging from a clothing hanger which thankfully Ellie was right about, were just about fully dried. My mind wandered to last night when they were being removed and I felt blood rush to my cheeks but not before I could shake them away and make myself look more presentable and less naked.