Breathe (Mates Saga #1) *Wattys2015*

Chapter 8

        It was almost 5:30 when Akira finally realized I hadn't come downstairs and she poked her head into my room. "Ella? Are you awake, Ella?"

        I groaned softly and rolled over in bed, pulling my covers farther over my head. I couldn't find the strength, or will, to get up and I didn't care enough to explain why I was acting that way.

        Akira's voice became soft and filled with sympathy as she whispered, "Ella, where's Will?"

        Realizing she must've had something to do with Will coming to visit, I jolted upwards, whipping around to face her. I knew my hair must have been a huge mess, but I couldn't find it in myself to care. "How do you know he came to visit?"

        Akira gulped guiltily, and my eyes narrowed. "Um, well, you see, he asked me when it would be a good time to visit you and I just told him that four o'clock on Saturday afternoons is your Movie Marathon. He just decided he would visit you then."

        I had the feeling that she wasn't telling me the whole truth, but I just shrugged. "Fine. But why do you care where he went?"

        Akira turned even paler, if that's possible, and she stared at me blankly for a few moments. "It's just that, um, I didn't think he'd leave so soon."

        I fell back against my mound of pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "He left after he woke me up to ask me who was the star in almost all of the pictures on the walls. I told him that the guy was named Alex and that he's the only guy that I've ever loved and ever will love. He stormed out of the house after that."

        Akira leaned over me and when she heard what I had told him, she winced. "Ella, I don't think that was the smartest thing to say."

        I shrugged and rolled over, refusing to let her make me feel bad. "Well, if he can't take the truth, that's not my problem."

        Akira turned even paler and she stared at me for a couple seconds. Then she pulled her phone out, dialing a number. "Hi. Is Olive there?"

        I blinked. Why was she calling Olive of all people? The two had never even met.

        "Hi, Olive. Do you think that you could talk to Ella for me? She told Will that Alex is the only man she's loved and ever will. I know that we can't tell her the whole thing but could you help me get the idea across that it's a bad idea to say that?" Akira was pacing back and forth, playing with a couple of strands of her short, black hair anxiously.

        "Um, Akira?" I said, but Akira held up her index finger, signaling for me to wait a second.

        Suddenly a smile stretched across her lips painted red. "Great! Here she is."

        She shoved her bright purple phone in my face and I took it from her reluctantly, staring at her suspiciously. I held it up to my ear, muttering a, "Hello?"

        Instantly, Olive started chattering, scolding me for telling Will that. "You shouldn't have told him that! He's going to be flipping out. I just know that he's going to hurt someone. You need to call him and talk to him. He'll calm down after hearing your voice."

        "Hang on, hang on, hold on just a moment, Olive. Why would Will flip out after hearing me say that I love Alex and won't love anyone else?" I asked her curiously, curling up on my side. I rested my head on my right elbow and held the phone to my ear with my left hand. "It doesn't make any sense to me."

        "Um, well, you see . . ." Olive's voice trailed off and there was nothing but silence on the other end. "Ella, I can't tell you that," she whispered after a few moments, sounding as if she was about to tear up. "I'm sorry, Ella. I can't tell you. You have no idea how much I want to tell you, but I'm not allowed to."

        I sat up, propping my weight on my right elbow. "Who's forcing you to say this?" I demanded, clenching my right fist and staring at it. "Who's blackmailing you into telling me this?"

        Olive was quick to reassure me that no one was forcing her to say anything, but I didn't buy it.

        "I don't believe you," I said bluntly, narrowing my eyes at my fist as if it was at fault for the problems I'd been facing. "Tell me the truth, Olive."

        It sounded as if Olive choked back a sob and my glare softened as I whispered, "Are you okay? Please, Olive. I just want to know the truth. I feel so left out and I just want to be included. Please, Olive. I don't want to force you into anything, but I really need to know."

        After a few moments, Olive spoke again, her voice soft, "It's all right, Ella. I'm sorry that you feel left out. Really, the only one who can tell you what's going on is Will. If you ask anyone else, we aren't allowed to tell you. I wish that I could tell you so badly, but I don't want you or anyone else to get hurt."

        "Will's the one threatening everyone, isn't he?" I asked, rage flaring up inside me like a bonfire when you pour gasoline on it. "I swear, I'm going to have to kick that boy's ass. Who does he think he is!?"

        Olive tried to deny that it was Will, but I was too bus ranting about how pissed off was at Will to hear her. I didn't care what Will had going in his favor as far as romance goes. He'd gotten me into trouble, tried to feel me up, creeped on me, followed me around the school like a lost puppy dog, but this was the last straw. The minute you threaten and blackmail my friends, you have officially earned yourself a painful death via me.

        I hung up on Olive mid-sentence and threw Akira's phone at the wall. Luckily for her, her reflexes had improved drastically and she caught the phone before it crashed into my wall. She looked down at her baby and then back at me. "Seriously, Ella?" she whined. "You almost broke my phone."

        I just pointed at my door, giving her a blank stare. She walked out of the door, swinging it shut behind her. The last thing I saw was the apologetic look she shot my way. That only made me even angrier. That meant she was in it too.

        I reached across my bed and grabbed my phone off my nightstand. I scrolled through my contacts until I found the number and grimaced at it. Unfortunately, it was the only way to get answers, so I pressed the call button.

        After three rings, they picked up. "Hello?"

        "I need answers. Now."