Constant Repeat

Part 8.3

They all nodded and Matt was quick to reveal what had happened. "So remember how last night Breana told you her agency had allowed her to fly someone out with her for Fashion Week?"

Ella gasped, "Oh you sneaky bastards! I knew that was weird considering how long it is until Fashion Week."

Matt shrugged, "You still fell for it though."

Ella tried to look annoyed but her massive smile would not leave her face, "How much was it? I'll pay you back when–"

Jamie tutted, "No you're not."

"Cookie, it mustn't have been much and I told you to not get me a thing for my birthday." She tried to fight but they weren't having it.

"It's our birthday gift to you, so you stop it." Jamie scolded her, making her cheeks tint a subtle pink.

"Yeah, Eleanor. Stop it." Nick teased, still overcome by the discovery they'd made in the morning.

She froze, of course they'd found out about her actual full name like that. "God, no. Don't start calling me by my full name now, it feels like I'm getting told off."

Matt teased her a bit more then, "We're not letting it go anytime soon Eleanor, so get used to it."

Ella rolled her eyes, her smile still too big to even try and fake being annoyed. "I'll just let that slide because I'm way too happy right now." And she really was until she realized she would have to ask for a week off work—another one, only this time Ben and Aaron would know—, "Oh fuck, I need to tell Ben and Aaron. I'll go give them a call real quick."

She started pacing around the room trying to look for her bag but she was interrupted when Jamie said, "Alex already called them and we told them about it. It's all fine."

"Are you joking?" That gave Ella such a big sense of relief and she really wanted to pinch herself.

Alex smiled down at her, seeing her grabbing her phone to put it in the back pocket of her jeans. "They were completely fine with it, even more so when we told them we'd be taking that week off to refresh our minds and come back to the studio after you're back home with more ideas."

They all watched as she looked around at them and then back down at the ticket once more. All of them matched the bright smile on her face. Matt took another picture and Ella looked up after the shutter went off, "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Was all she could say before she threw herself at the person closest to her which was Alex.

It all had been his plan really. He had seen her so heartbroken for weeks now and she would mention her family from time to time with such melancholy and longing that he knew she really needed them in a time like this. Especially after last night, she needed family time more than ever.

The rest of the guys had agreed, after finding out what had happened with Julian they knew nothing would be better than for her to visit her hometown at least for a week.

Ella let go of Alex, who left a kiss on her cheek, and hugged everyone again before she went to retrieve her phone. "I need to call my mom and my sister but, uhm, you guys go ahead and I'll come back to record you."

Nick chuckled, "It's your birthday Ellie, you're not working today."

Ella opened her mouth to argue that it didn't feel like work being with them and seeing them record but Matt got his own thoughts in before she could.

"Besides we aren't doing anything today either. We're taking your birthday as an excuse to take the day off."

"But–" She tried to argue again but it was pointless.