Flawed Creatures

Make It With You -10-

CHAPTER TEN

She managed to stay away from Ellie's house a whole six hours before pulling up at the curb. Worriedly nibbling her bottom lip she hoped her presence wouldn't upset or annoy her...what were they now? Were they friends? Cara spent a few seconds pondering the word and then nodded. Friends would work. She wasn't used to having girls as friends since most of the females she interacted with she just wanted to get naked. Now if she were honest with herself she wouldn't mind getting Ellie naked as well, yet there was more to it than that. Cara discovered herself genuinely wanting them to be friends. A strange but nice thought.

A deep breath taken she exited the car and took her time walking up to the door as she was still hesitant about being there and the reason she chose to return. Upon knocking on the door Cara was still unsure yet resolved to go through with it. A young man wearing a pleasant smile answering the door, she figured he had to be Ellie's brother so she smiled back. Introducing herself as Ellie's friend from school he invited her inside.

"She's never mentioned you," Jeff said, voice chock full of politeness.

"I'm not surprised. We haven't been friends long." Cara chuckled. "Not even certain she considers me a friend, but I'd like us to be." She felt the slightest bit uneasy when he took his time studying her from head to toe. She wondered what he could possibly be thinking. When his amicable smile returned and he said he would go retrieve Ellie she began to relax, thanking him.

"Would you care for a drink?"

She shook her head. "No thank you, Mr. Temple."

"Mr. Temple was my dad, may he rest in peace." A sadness filled eyes the identical shade of his younger sibling's. Blinking several times, it vanished and he pasted on another smile. "Please call me Jeff."

Moving closer to him, Cara patted his shoulder, gripping it for a moment as she replied, "You have my deepest condolences, Jeff. Never knew my mother since she passed shortly after my birth so I can't imagine what you and Ellie must have went through."

"Thank you, Cara. The only reason I was able to survive losing both our parents was because I had Ellie." The sudden smile lit up his face. "She's my little sunshine."

"Good you had each other."

Jeff readily agreed. "She's in her room. I'll be right back." Pointing toward the couch, Jeff invited her to have a seat before heading toward the stairs.

Instead of sitting Cara checked out the framed photographs scattered about the living room on the walls, above the fireplace, along its mantel and atop the stereo console and television. The large family portrait nailed above the fireplace was the first to garner her attention. A soft smile curving her lips she observed the four people posed for an obviously professional photograph, all dressed in similar colors, their hairstyles perfectly arranged.

She agreed with Ellie. Mrs. Temple definitely was a beautiful woman, her daughter the spitting image of her. Cara guessed the photograph couldn't have been taken too long before their deaths since Ellie looked to have reached her teen years already.

Moving on, she studied other photographs, a lot of which featured Ellie or Ellie with someone else. She even found a photo of a much younger Ellie and Robyn, both missing a front tooth as they beamed toward the camera at what appeared to be a birthday party if the cone-shaped hats they donned and the balloons floating in the background were any indication.

A picture of a toddler Ellie asleep on a blanket with her little mouth open and a teddy bear tucked against her chest was so cute Cara seriously thought about snatching it when a pinky brushed hers. Looking toward the left she smiled at the young lady already smiling at her. Good. She didn't appear upset to see her just hours after they said their goodbyes outside.