Ratliff's pov:
I open my arms to welcome, Peyton into them. She snuggles up close to me. "I love you." She says before falling asleep. I sigh, and hug her. "Night Pey." I say, before falling asleep myself.
~Nightmare~
Peyton and I are at the park, when a dark figure approaches. "Sir, is this your kid." "Yeah, she's my daughter." "No she's not." The man pulls down his hood, to reveal my Peyton's dad. Peyton screams and grabs my leg. "Give me my daughter!" He says before lunging at Peyton. I pick her up, and I start to run. I have no idea where, yet, but away from that man. I run of 4 blocks, before I'm out of breath. "Man, I'm out of shape." I say. Peyton clings onto me. "Ellybear. He's coming." She says. I start to run again, until someone makes me black out. I hear Peyton yelling and screaming. "No! Ellington!! Let me go!" "Get the boy, we'll hurt him too." Her dad says, before someone picks me up.
When I wake up, I'm in a dungeon type place. I look around and see that I've been hit, and I'm bleeding. "Ellington!" Peyton says before throwing herself onto me. She starts to cry. "He's gonna kill us.. I want my daddy that loves me!" She says. Riker.... My phone. "Peyton my phone is my pocket, call Riker." "He already took it...." She says. "Okay times up!" Her dad says. He lifts Peyton up by her arm, and plunges a knife into my stomach. I groan, and fall over sideways. "Ell!" Peyton screams. "I'll be back for her later!" He says. "Ellybear, please don't leave me." "Pey... I'll... try.... not.... to..." I say. Those were my last words.
~End of Nightmare~
*7 days until Ellington's birthday*
"Ellington!" Peyton screams. I bolt up, and see that she's crying. "Shh.... come here baby." I say. She crawls over to me and sits in my lap. "What's wrong?" I ask, petting her hair. "My daddy found me, and he stabbed you." She says. Weird. We both just had the same nightmare. "Shh.." "Guys what's going on? You woke us all up." Ross says, coming out from behind the couch. Rydel sits up, Riker scoots over to us, and Ryland just walks over. "Pey? Honey what's wrong?" Riker asks sweetly. She buries her head into my chest. "My daddy found me and he stabbed Ellington." She says. "Peyton, you know that's never going to happen." Rocky says, sitting down in front of me. Everyone else joins us, and they all try and comfort her. "Princess, come here I wanna tell you something." Ross says. We all look dumbfounded, but I hand Peyton over to him anyway.
"Look. The cops have your daddy locked tight up in the prison. There's no way in heck, he can get through the security. Even if he does you won't have to worry. Why? Because he'll go to the orphanage first. He'll look for you there. He'll never find you. Okay? He'll search everywhere until the cops get him. But no matter what, you'll be safe with us." Ross says. He was finally was showing his older brother protective side. Peyton wipes last tear of her face, and looks at me. "What Pey?" She points behind me. I turn around, and see Issac, and Louis. "Hey, could you let us in? Please?" Louis asks. I nod and open the door. Issac runs in, and sits down on the floor next to Ross. Peyton smiles, and wiggles out of Ross' grasp. She down next to Issac, and hugs him. "He was dieing to see her. And I was dieing to see you." He says before twirling Rydel into his arms.
Anger starts to build up inside of me. Ratliff breath. Rydel blushes, and hugs him. "I'm gonna go outside." I say. I sit with my feet in the pool, thinking about the dream Peyton, and I had. He's her dad, not mine. Why was he in my dream? I don't know the man. So, why would he show up like that? And why would I been in the dream? I need a swim.
I slide my shirt off, and slide in. Maybe the water will help me figure myself out. Like why are my feelings strong for Delly? Why I was in that dream? Why I'm jealous that Rydel is showing interest in Louis? Why did Peyton and I have the same dream? I dive underwater, hoping a question would get answered. I swim back up, and nothing. Why am I drawing a blank? I pull myself up onto the side of the pool. I'm jealous. It can't be. I mean Louis has known Rydel for like 5 hours, where as I have known her my whole life. Why was I feeling this way?
I sigh. "Just think Ratliff. In 7 days you'll be 21. And you could impress her." I say quietly. I feel a hand land on my shoulder. I look up, and see Rydel. Great! Note the sarcasm. She sits down next to me. "Hey. Are you okay?" "Tutu I'm fine."
( A/N: Tutu is the nickname I made up for Delly, because she loves tutus.)
"No, Ellington your not." She says. "Yes I am!" I yell at her. She lays her hand over mine. I pull my hand away angrily. "Ellington Lee Ratliff! What is wrong?" She asks. I slip into the pool, and swim under the water. I hear her slip in right behind me. I swim up, and so does she. I go under, and pull her down with me.
I intertwine our fingers together. Her eyes flutter open. I smile, and she smiles back. I slip my hand into her back pocket of her jeans, and pull her close to me. She quickly wraps her arms around me. I lean in and place my lips softly onto hers. She deepens the kiss, and I smile into it.
We pull away, and swim up gasping for air. "Ry? Did you get it?" Peyton asks. I pull away from Delly's gaze, and look at the rest of the guys. I then glance at Peyton; who didn't seem mad at all. She finally understood why I was showing interest in Rydel. I feel Rydel move around in my arms, until she's comfortable. "Ry, is your camera water proof?" I ask, slightly pinching Rydel's bum. She squirms around, and glares at me. "Yeah, and I saw that. And all I'm gonna say is whoa!" He says. Rydel giggles, swims out of my grasp. All of a sudden she grabs me and pushes me under. "And that's what you get for pinching my butt." She says, before swimming over to Peyton. I resurface, and swim over to them. Everyone else was in the pool, except Ross, who had to go and wet his hair.
(If Ross doesn't wet his hair before he goes swimming it will turn green!)
Peyton wraps her arms around me, and I pull her in. Rydel grabs Issac, and we bring them over to the sallow section. We leave them there, before swimming off over to Ryland. "Ready you two?" "Wait." Rydel says. She swims over to Louis, and she hugs him. Again anger starts to build up inside of me. "Now, lets get this over with." She says swimming back over to me. She knew I was jealous. That's why she came out here. "Lets hurry up, Makenna, Kylie, and Madelyn should be here any minute."
I pull her down with me, and I hear Ryland come under. I intertwine our fingers together, again. I slip my hand into her back pocket of her jeans. I pull her close to me. She quickly wraps her arms around me. I lean in and place my lips softly onto hers. She deepens the kiss, and I smile into it.
We swim up, and she hugs me. "Cut!" Ryland says. She swims away, and I follow. Ross hears the doorbell ring. Ryland jumps out of the pool, and heads out the front gate. I hear people talking, and few minutes later, Ryland comes through the gate, with the girls. 4 of them. "Rebecca. She's here?" Rydel whispers in my ear. "Yeah. Ry forgave her." I say. I glance at Ross, who was happily talking to Rebecca.
I look at Ryland, who was sitting with Makenna, down by the kids. Riker was talking to Madelyn and Kylie. "Player!" I yell catching him off guard. "Shut it!" He says. I look over at Peyton, who is hugging Makenna. I nudge Rydel, and I point at them. "Come on." She says, before diving under the water with my hand still intertwined with hers.
I follow her, and when we pop up, Ryland splashes Delly with water.
"What was that for?" She asks. "I don't know. Kenna dared me to." He says wrapping his arm around Makenna. "Hi, Makenna. I'm Rydel, Ryland's older sister." Rydel says holding out her hand. "Hi. Ryland's told me a lot about you. Like how-" Ryland slams his hand over her mouth. "Hmmm. Something I shouldn't know." She says sighing. "I'm Ellington. But they call me Ratliff. I respond to both." I say. "I'm Makenna." She says shaking my hand.
Peyton swims over and grabs my arm. I lift her up, and put her on my shoulders. Makenna, and Ryland slide in, and swim over to Ross. With Peyton on my shoulders I bring her over to Rocky; who was sitting alone in the grass. He looks at his phone sad and hurt. "Come on, Delly. Some thing's up with your brother." I say. I sit down by him, on his right side, and Rydel sits on his left. I slide over and set Peyton on Rocky's right leg. He sits there, and doesn't look up from his phone. Peyton hugs him, and he looks down at her.
With tears in his eyes, he lifts her up, and makes her stand. He then wraps his arms around her, and hugs her. Everyone else walks over to us, and sit down by Rocky. Riker had his girls both basically on his lap. Rydel moves over by me, and sits down on my lap. "Okay, Rocky what's up?" Makenna asks sitting down next to him. "Its Callie.... She..... broke up with me." He says. "I knew I had a bad vib about her." Peyton says, before snapping her fingers. Rocky laughs for what must be the first time today. Issac comes over and kisses Peyton's cheek. "I gotta go Peyton. I'll see you tomorrow." He says. Peyton hugs him, before Louis walks away with Issac in his arms.
"Ohh..... Peyton's got a boyfriend." I say teasingly. She blushes, and hides her face into Rocky's hair. "Correction Peyton has her first crush." Riker says, moving over to her. Everyone gets around Rocky, and we hug. This day was probably the best this week.
*2 hours later*
Everyone is passed out in the grass. We were to lazy to go upstairs, so we mad a little fort with Peyton, ans slept in there. Makenna, Kylie, and Madelyn had to go home. Rydel snuggles up to me. "I love you, Ell." She says looking up at me. "I love you too, Tutu." I say before kissing her. "GET A ROOM!!" The guys, and Peyton yell. Rydel giggles, and lays her head on my chest. I watch as Peyton snuggles up between Ross, and Riker. "Night guys." I say. "Night." They say back.
Thats another chapter closer to the end and Ell's birthday. Yes the book ends on his birthday. I'm so happy for the 2.6K reads on this book. I hope by the end I have at least 3K. So.... look out for the next chapter!! And sorry Callie, about the break up!
~R5's Angel~