Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Thirteen

The fight left her body, and she automatically fell into his arms, where he was waiting to catch her. "Oh, Ry," he said softly, stroking her hair. "I'm just trying to be strong for the both of us. You know that, right?"

She hiccuped. "I'm- I'm sorry-"

"It's okay. Come on, now. Are you okay?"

She nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yep. Let's... let's give Nick a good birthday. Right?"

"Exactly."

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"Dinner!" called Gabriel, and Elle clicked her tongue annoyedly, putting her pen down. This pen, Drew's pen, was the only thing other than photos of him that she had left. She was trying to get better at writing, so that when she got back, Drew would have something to be proud of.

Gabriel insisted on having dinner together every night, and ever since Adrian had moved to America for college, he had insisted Adrian join them every Saturday evening. But today, it wasn't just Adrian at the table. The man leered at Elle, and she averted her eyes, keeping her expression completely neutral.

"You've met Frank, yeah?" asked Gabriel, sitting down and serving them the bolognese pasta. As much as Elle hated him, she was hungry, and began digging in to the meal.

"We've met," she said.

"Sure have, sweetheart," said Frank with a grin.

Cassie glanced at Adrian, and he smiled at her, before saying, "So, Gabriel, how've you been?"

Elle glared at Adrian. Damn him with his superhuman good looks, his golden blonde hair and his forget-me-not blue eyes. Damn him for loving Cassie as much as he did. Damn him for not helping her to leave this cursed place.

Well, it wasn't that he wasn't helping. She was sure that if Cassie would just explain to him what was happening, he would help. But she never freaking did. "What if Gabriel finds out that we're telling people? What if Adrian can't help us and then we die?"

Easy for her to say. Elle, on the other hand, had nothing left to lose.

He smiled at Elle as though he cared about her, and she gave him the most sarcastic smile she could muster, before looking back down.

Frank and Gabriel were laughing and chatting, and Elle sighed quietly. She couldn't see herself escaping this situation without repercussion. "How are you, Elle?" asked Gabriel, looking at her across the table.

She glanced up. "Same as ever, Gabriel," she said, sounding aloof.

"Will you ever start calling him Dad?" asked Frank.

"None of your business."

"You've got some nerve-" started Frank angrily, but Gabriel hushed him.

"It's okay. She's fiery, like her mother."

"She's not my mother, and you aren't my father," responded Elle with an air of finality. "And I will never address you as such. I'd like to excuse myself from this meal." With that, she stood, leaving the table.

She walked back to the room that she shared with Cassie, sniffling quietly to herself and trembling. This wasn't f*cking fair. She wanted out, she wanted out of this goddamn house. She wanted Drew.

Honestly though, Drew might have moved on. He might consider her dead and already have moved on. To be fair, she did break up with him in the worst way possible. How else was she going to save him?

But, of course, there was no point thinking about it now. She f*cked up. She f*cked up, badly. She just missed her family. She looked at the date on Cassie's calendar, and realised that it was Phoenix's thirteenth birthday.