LIZZIE'S POV
I have been staying with Nell for a few days now, she works a lot. With School and shoots and editing, there's hardly any time for her. So whilst she was out at work today I went to the grocery store and picked a few things up and made us dinner for when she came home.
She walked through the door in a foul mood. "Everything okay?" "Fine." She huffs putting her things away in the correct places before greeting me with a hug. "Are you sure?" She nodded not making eye contact. "What happened?" "Some guy followed me with a camera all day." "Huh?" "Apparently there's an article. Cassie sent it to me." She pulled her phone out of her jeans and tapped for a second before handing it over.
Eleanor Hastings, homewrecker.
"I'm so sorry," I say immediately not reading anymore. "It's fine, it's just Cassie is getting picked on at school for it and that's not okay with me. I can handle my name being dragged through the mud that's fine. Bad for business but completely fine. But my little sister it ends there." She says seriously. Was she going to kick me out? Was she going to shout at me? Are we no longer friends? I should go to stop any more problems for her. "It's not even like we're doing anything together. We've been out for like a handful of dinners. Are you not allowed to have new friends? You stay with Scarlett what's the problem with staying with me?" She was on a ranting roll and I let her go on until she stopped.
"I need to go and call home. So." "I made us dinner," I say sheepishly. She frowned. "You didn't have to do that." "No, I know. You just never have any time for yourself so I thought if I made you dinner you could have a relaxing evening, with wine and a bath and food. But I think that's gone out the window." I felt so guilty. She was young and busy she didn't need this on her plate. "Plus I was thinking about heading back to LA tonight." I slide in. "Because of all this?" She asked sitting at the island with her laptop, when did she even go get that? "I don't want to put you out any more than I have. And with me back in LA maybe it will all stop." I suggest.
Her phone started ringing I sneak a look it was Cassie, she turned it over and made it go silent. I frowned she always picks up. "Aren't you going to answer that?" "Were talking. Cassie will be fine for a few minutes." She says looking at me. "You should answer your sister." I fiddle with my fingers. "I will when we've talked about you leaving." "It's my fault." "No, it's not it's the lying news reporters' fault." I nodded though I knew it was my fault, if I wasn't in her life she wouldn't have this attention on her. "Did they follow you here? The guy with the camera?" "No, I lost them on the subway." She says. I nodded knowing she was safe because they didn't know where she lived. "Are you mad at me?" "Why would I be mad at you?" "Because if I just stayed with my mum or sisters like I was meant to then you wouldn't have any of this drama on your doorstep." I chewed my lip getting anxious. "I'm not mad at you. I'm just annoyed at the girls at Cassie's school." She explains. "That's also my fault." "No, it's not. None of this is on you." "But." "Elizabeth." "Eleanor," I say back in the same warning tone she took with me. She rolled her eyes at the use of her proper name.
"I should head back to LA anyway." "Why would you do that when Thanksgiving is literally a week away? It would make no sense." She says knowing my plans for thanksgiving. "Because I messed things up for you." She sighed and rubbed her face. Her phone rang again. "Cassie I need to call you back okay." She hung up not even waiting for a reply. She was really stressed. And it was my fault. She took a deep breath and stood up. My phone then started ringing. I pick it up from the counter. "It's my team." She nodded understanding and allowed me to leave.
NELLS' POV
I called Cassie back whilst Lizzie excused herself. "Are you okay?" I ask her. "Just been a long day." She says sounding defeated. "I know, bug. I'm sorry." "The girls at school hate you." "I'm aware," I say having received all her text messages throughout today. "You aren't really dating, Lizzie Olsen are you?" "No. I'm her friend." "But the article says your living together." "That's not correct. She's staying with me for a few days, yes but she'll be going to her sisters soon." "Because you're coming home." "I'm not coming home at Thanksgiving. I spoke to mum about this she was meant to tell you." "But Nell!" "Casandra please I can't right now," I say having so much on my plate. I'm about to sign a really big contract with a fashion brand, I have my regular clients, I have school assignments due. Lizzie, Cassie, The coffee shops, the press the girls at Cassie's school. Putting Cassie's disappointment on top of that seemed less than manageable if I'm being honest.
"You can't miss our first thanksgiving without dad." Her voice was quivering. "I have to work Cassie. It can't be helped." "But." "I took a lot of time off to come home and take care of everything. I need to focus on my business." "And act like none of us exist. Like dads not dead? That's what you're doing." She started to get angry at me. "That's not what I'm doing." "That's what it feels like." "I'm working my ass off right now to pay for your school fees. I sold my studio, I'm living in a crapy apartment, I'm attending school and doing shoots every single day for you Casandra." "And fucking Lizzie and ruining my life too." "I'm not fucking anyone!" I say back trying to not shout at her like she was shouting at me. "You're forgetting dad. That's what you're doing. You're going to block us all out like you always do. Like you did when Ria died!" "Cassie." I hear Mum's sharp voice in the background. "I hate you!" she shouted before hanging up.
Lizzie came back in and I tried to hide the fact that I wanted to cry right now and smiled at her. "My team are sorting it. They're working with Robbie's team to help get your name out of the media." I nodded. "Thanks."
"I'm going to go take a walk," I tell her putting my phone down. "I'll come with you." "I need a minute," I tell her and she nodded. I slipped my coat and trainers on before leaving the apartment and going to the closest park finding a bench and just sitting letting the busy people pass by.
LIZZIE'S POV
Her phone was going over every few seconds. I turned it over and saw it was Cassie and her mum texting her. Her mum was asking her if she was okay, and if she needed to talk and Cassie's were hurtful messages.
Nell came in and I handed her, her phone and she chuckled at the messages dryly. "Nell? Are you okay?" "Peachy." She says sarcastically. "Do you want me to go?" I asked not wanting to intrude. "No, let's eat the dinner you prepared." She was acting as if she hadn't read the messages on her phone. If my sister messaged me that I would be heartbroken and I know how much Nell sacrifices for Cassie. "Yeah... Yeah." I say going into the kitchen, I managed to still keep it warm and dished it up we sat quietly and ate.
"This is really good." She tells me. "Thanks. I love to cook. I filled your fridge too so I can make us dinner tomorrow too." "Oh, how much do I owe you?" She asked. "Don't worry about it. I've stayed here for free the least I can do is pay for our food." "It's my fridge in my house." "That I will also be eating. It's fine." I dismiss her and continue to eat dinner.
"I read those messages." "She's just upset, I'm not going home for thanksgiving." "You're not going home?" I asked shocked. "Nope, I have a job on thanksgiving." I frowned. "Some rich family wants their day documenting so I'm going to do that." "What about thanksgiving dinner?" "I'm sure I'll live missing one thanksgiving dinner." She chuckled. "It's time to spend with your family." "Well my family isn't exactly the same this year so I think it's okay that I miss it." "No, it's not," I say firmly. "It's time for a change." "Your sister needs you this is like the first big thing since your dad died." She freezes for a moment when I say her dad is dead and then continues to eat. "You should be together." "He's not there so why can't I miss it?" "I know it's difficult. " "Actually you don't know. I'm working because I have to work okay. It's my job therefore I'm being a responsible adult by going to work." "You're avoiding." "I just spent a month of my summer my busiest time for work watching my dad die and then another month nursing my sister and mum back to health after he died. With no help. I think I am allowed to miss one day." She snapped at me. "I'm working. End of. Cassie will get over it. Mum will calm her down. Tony will be going home to cook for them It's going to be just like normal." "Except you won't be there." "I spend half the time on the computer doing work anyway so they won't miss me all too much." "Your sister is really upset." "You don't think I know that?" She asked offended. "If I don't work she can't go to her school so loves so very much and then she'll be upset. Okay. So don't even start with me because I'm not in the mood tonight, Elizabeth." She picked up her fork again to continue eating. "I just think it's a time where you would want to be around your family, Eleanor. It's going to be a hard day for you." "Maybe so but I'm an adult and I have to suck it up." "You're 21, you're hardly an adult." "Legally I am." We stop the conversation as we were getting snappy with one another.
Even though she was annoyed at seemingly everything she didn't ask me to leave or to go stay with my sisters. She didn't leave. My drama was piling up and she didn't leave. She was quiet but she didn't leave.
We sat and watched TV like we did most evenings, she was doing her school work on the laptop and I looked over at her a few times she was so focused her brows knitted together she was chewing the inside of her cheek. She eventually stopped typing and I looked at her and she was looking up at the ceiling. I moved her laptop off her lap and laid my head in replacement she looked down at the shift in weight and I looked at her and smiled before looking at the TV again. "Tired?" She asked me. "A little," I replied quietly like we were in a movie theatre and there were other people watching with us. Her hand slowly brushed through my hair and I smiled to myself. She wasn't mad at me for this. I wish I could comfort her in the way she comforts me but she has strict boundaries. I crossed all of them today.
Talking about her dad is a no, no. Talking about her family. No, no. Talking about her personal life to any degree. Big no, no. She doesn't accept hugs well, I saw that when her mum hugged her at the house and she stiffened up and shrugged her away and her mum teased her about it. She'd hug Cassie when she needed comfort but wouldn't let anyone hug her. So I couldn't do that. It was kind of frustrating.
"Lay with me tonight?" I asked her. She needed a good night's sleep this sofa couldn't be the best if she rolled over she would probably fall right off it. "Huh?" "In the bed, lay with me.?" I asked again trying to be casual about it. "You okay?" She asked stopping running her hand through my hair. "I'm okay," I say back and her hand returns. It was really relaxing. "So will you?" "We'll see." I nodded and snuggled into her more.
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"Night." She says exiting the bathroom, I was already in bed. "Stay." I pouted. "Please," I begged she rolled her eyes and switched the main light off. I put the lamp on so she could see and she climbed in the bed. "Thanks," I say softly as we both settled down. I turned the light off and then laid my head on her chest wrapping my arms around her, she tensed up. "Lizzie." "Please just let me comfort you," I asked her not giving her room to give me an answer. She slowly relaxed her hand laid on my head. "Goodnight, Elizabeth." "Goodnight, Eleanor."
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I woke up to the sound of a calm beating heart and I lifted my head slightly. Nell was still fast asleep so I laid back down and enjoyed the moment. Like I said she doesn't accept comfort from others so it was nice that I'm actually able to hug her like this. The sound of her heartbeat was actually really soothing and my morning anxieties washed away. The room was still pretty dark due to the curtains being closed so it was still relaxing to lay here.
She stirred a little but remain asleep and then her phone rang, her arm wrapped around my waist as she moved to keep me in place, did she think I was still sleeping? I closed my eyes and waited for her to say something. "Morning mum." She sighed out. "I'm fine, no I was sleeping." She says yawning slightly. "Why are you awake?" "I'll call her." "Yeah, well if she's missing mum I'm not going to just sit back and do nothing." "Just give me a few minutes and I'll call you back." Her voice was urgent but she kept her volume down.
"What's wrong?" I asked snuggling deeper into her embrace. "Cassie didn't come home last night." She says and I sit up quickly. "Why are you relaxed about this?" I asked looking for my phone on the bed. "Because I can't stress if mums stressing I need to just figure out where she is and get her home." "Has she done this before?" "No." She put her phone to her ear. "Cassie thank God! Are you okay?" She was so concerned, her voice still husky from the quick start. "Be mad at me all you like but you've had mum worried sick. Cassie, she has enough going on right now." I couldn't hear what Cassie was saying. But Nell looked saddened at her words. "Cassie please just go home. Mums worried. I'm worried." "Of course, I care." "I'm working." Tears filled her eyes. "Okay Casandra, call Jr have him pick you up." She hung up and pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes.
"Nell?" She took steady breaths. "She hates me." She sobbed and I wrapped my arms around her quickly as she had with me a few times over the past few days. "She doesn't hate you," I tell her. She pulled away she was quicker at pulling herself together than I was. Our eyes were locked. "What did she say?" "It's fine." "No, I talk to you about my problems all the time. You need to talk to me. It's how friendships work." "She doesn't get it." She says vaguely. "We have hidden a lot from her and she lives in this fake reality and now the real world is hitting and she's lashing out. It's fine really." "Nell. Please." "I don't do this. I don't talk." "Maybe that's your problem."
She gave me a challenging look. "Then let me take care of you today. Do you have any shoots today?" She shakes her head. "Classes?" She shakes her head again. "Editing?" She shakes her head again chewing her lip. "Let me take care of you like you've taken care of me." "I need to fix things with Cassie." "Let me." "No." "Why?" "Because I do things on my own." "Why?" "You don't get let down that way." "Let me show you I can be there for you by taking care of you and." "I don't need taking care of." "Yes, you do." I stand up from the bed taking her phone." "Give that back." I walked away. "Elizabeth!" I ignored her and got Cassie's number putting it into my phone. "Elizabeth give it back." "Here."
She pouts and goes to the bedroom again closing the door.
I text Cassie and we talk. I explain to her what she's doing to her sister and how much she loves her. And I explain why Nell works so much to support her and her mum. And by the time Nell comes out of the shower she was understanding more.
"I'm going on a walk." "Wait for me," I say rushing into the bedroom and going over to my case on the floor and throwing on a random outfit. She waited for me. "Hat, your hairs still wet," I say putting her beanie on. "You're such a mum." She complains swatting my hands away and adjusting them herself. "Scarf." "Elizabeth." She warned and I still wrapped it around her anyway.
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We walk the streets and paps are snapping pictures of us I ignore them putting my sunglasses over my face and Nell walked further away from me. I think this was because of the articles she felt weird about it. She's a good person and we're only friends. I reach for her arm and tug her closer she looked down at me. "Don't want you getting lost." She offered a tight smile and we continued to walk in silence. She needed thinking time and for the first time in a long time, my brain wasn't full of Robbie and problems.
We find a park bench and settle there. I guess this is where she comes to think. "You good?" She nodded looking off into the distance. I lent my head on her shoulder. "Don't." She says. "There's cameras." "So?" I asked still resting my head there. "I don't want the drama and you don't need it either." "We're friends," I tell her. "I know that but I don't appreciate my family name being dragged through the mud." "We're fixing it."
We stay like this for a while until the winds start to pick up. "Come on, let's get home. You'll get sick." I tell her standing, she didn't hesitate and we walked home, we were about a block away before the rain started to downpour on us. She froze in the street and looked up at the skies. A smile broke out on her face. "What are you doing?" I asked. "Dancing in the rain." She says, this street performer was still playing near us and she danced around. "You've lost your mind." 'Maybe but I promise you'll feel better." She says taking my hand and pulling me to join her. I laughed at her antics, her mood switched so quickly.
"What was that about?" I asked as we rushed back to the apartment. "Ria and I danced in the rain when we were sad... Makes me feel better." She says still smiling slightly. I smiled widely at her though she was looking ahead. She pulled me inside quickly and we fought in the hall to get to the shower first. I won, I think she let me.
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When we both warmed up I had soup ready for us and then we went to bed with the intention of having a movie day. We settled down and played the first film. Nell fell asleep quickly I brushed her hair off of her face and she rolled over on her side facing me a slight pout on her lips. She frowned in her sleep and I found her hand running my thumb over her knuckles and her face softened again. "Night Nell," I mumble to her. She'd wake up for dinner surely. But she was clearly tired.
I laid there tracing patterns on her hand until my phone rang and I spoke with my publicist who was getting a statement together about Nell and Robbie agreed to do the same so Nell wasn't dragged into it. As mature as she was she's still only 21 and I had the urge to protect her. She wouldn't be involved in this mess if I hadn't developed an attachment to her.
I was dreading Thanksgiving. I would go to my sisters and then go home and we probably won't see each other for months. Texting isn't the same. After spending all this time with her I didn't want to not see her. We have fun even when we're doing nothing. And she's so sweet and she listens to me and she tries to understand where I'm coming from. She doesn't judge and she doesn't care about my last name or the money in my bank. She treats me like anyone else. Okay maybe she treats me a little softer but I think that's due to my emotional temperament than anything else.
I hang up the phone and lay down to soon have Nell snuggle up to me her head resting on my tummy. I smiled at her, she was adorable.
I must have fallen asleep because I woke up to the smell of vegan stirfry and the weight on my body missing. "Nell?" I called not wanting to get up out of the warm sheets. "Nell!" I called again. Nothing. "Eleanor?" I got out of bed and went into the main room she was dancing around the kitchen with her AirPods in. I filmed her for a few moments before making myself known by tickling her sides. "Boo," I say as she turns to face me squirming. "Stop." She pleaded and I did.
"You didn't have to make dinner." "I promise you can eat this." Nell wasn't a chef. She could just about manage breakfast foods. I chuckled. "I swear I cook it for Cassie all the time." She informed me proudly. It did smell good. "Here try. It's cooked." She gave me a sample, it was actually good. "I like it." "Don't be so surprised." We laugh together and I sit on the counter. "I was meant to be taking care of you today," I tell her as she moved around the kitchen. "You was sleeping and I was hungry." She shrugs. "We watched 0 films today." "I'm aware." She says. "Sorry, I'm just so tired." "Understandable you work non-stop." I point out. She didn't reply and dished our food out. "Besides you did enough this morning, fixing me and Cass," she says not looking at me. "Thanks for that." She says handing me my food. "Told you I could help." I brag.
We take the food to the sofa and put on a TV show on Netflix whilst we eat. I take our empty bowls and wash them before joining her on the sofa. I scan her face as she takes on her phone, I caught a glimpse she was talking to Cassie. But I watched her, she was stunning. Breathtakingly beautiful. Her eyes were this dark green colour with flecks of browns, she had strong bone structure and plumb lips, olive skin. "Staring is rude, Olsen." She mumbled not looking up from her phone. "How did you know?" "I can feel your eyes on me." She says looking towards me for a second.
"You're really pretty." She laughed and looked at me. "I mean it," I say shocked she didn't believe me. "Thanks." She went all shy and blushed. "You're pretty too, Olsen." She says flicking her eyes to me before going back to her phone. "I have a meeting in the morning... Can you take me?" "I don't have a car." "Well, will you ride with me?" "Why?" She asked amused. "Because I'm calmer when you're around." "Then I'll be there, Miss Olsen... Maybe I should change my bio to Elizabeth Olsen's assistant." "Life coach." I correct and we both laugh loudly at my joke.
We spent the evening watching the TV show and then I went to the bedroom to sleep and she stayed on the sofa. I still felt bad about the arrangement but she insisted and arguing with her is like arguing with a brick wall. There's no winning.