I woke up to an empty and cold bed. I stretched and rubbed my eyes the room was still in darkness as the curtains hadn't been open yet. "Elle?" I called out expecting her to pop here head out of the bathroom. She didn't.
I got a little concerned especially after yesterday. I don't like it when she doesn't sleep because she over works herself and when she does that she's grumpy and I have to deal with it. Her being grumpy can be kind of cute.
I pulled a top on and went downstairs to look for her. I went into the kitchen and she wasn't there. But there was a note on the fridge. "Happy Birthday! I made you breakfast (aka coffee) come to the lounge...x"
I found the coffee by the brewer and I smiled. It was still hot she she must have heard me upstairs and made it quickly. I grabbed it and went into the lounge like instructed. "Happy Birthday Daddy!" She said happily but my eyes were glued to the smiling baby in her lap. My smiling baby. I felt my face light up as I placed my coffee down and picked up my child. She was getting all excited. "I missed you so much babygirl. So much." I kissed her checks repeatedly and she was giggling away not a care in the world.
"Happy Birthday E." she said standing up. I wrapped and arm around her too pulling her into my side. "How in the world did you convince Nikki to let me have her. "She's your daughter. It's your birthday." "Please tell me she's still alive." I joked. "Suuure." She dragged the word out playing along with my joke. "This means the world to me." "I'm gonna go to Kats. You spend some time with your daughter. Nikki's assisent is coming to pick her up at 6." She tells me. I find myself nodding. "Aren't you staying." "You've not seen her in three weeks you need to be with her alone." I nodded again. "I'll be here to pick you up at 8 be ready." "What?" "Wear something nice." She winked and left the room. I held my daughter close to me. "Shall we go to your room." I say excited and she made a few noises. I abandoned the balloons and presents in here to play with my daughter.
I took lots of photos of her and the time went by too fast. "Daddy loves you.." I tell her kissing her one last time. I don't know when I'll get to see her again. As I passed the car seat over Nikki got out the car. "Ian?" She said before I was able to shut the door. "That girl. Elodie?" I nodded bracing myself for what she was about to say. "She's a good girl. She's the girl you've been looking for." I frowned confused. "I'm sorry I've put you through all this. Have your team email my team your schedule and we'll sort out days nights you can take Bodhi." I didn't know what to say. "Yeah." Was all I could muster. "I'll bring her over this weekend." "Really." "She's missed her dad." I nodded. "I missed her too."
"Come home." I say into the phone when Elle answered. "Why is something wrong?" "No I just want to show you call the cute photos I took today." "I'm glad you had a good day with her." "It was amazing." Then she hung up but the door opened. I scooped her up straight away and just held her. I'd never be able to repay her for what she had done but I wanted to show how thankful I was to her. Her legs wrapped around my waist helping me hold her up. "I can't thank you enough." I tell her as I place her back on her feet. She just smiled at me. "Seriously best birthday present ever...how did you keep it from me?" "You're a really heavy sleeper." I just smiled at her shaking my head. "We need to start getting ready." She informed me.
"Where are we going?" "Out." "Out?" "Side." "Funny." I said completely unamused. "I'm gonna go grab my dress." I frowned. "It's in my car." I nodded and she went. I went upstairs and put the speakers on and played some music. I was dancing to the music and turned around expecting to see Elle but I saw Paul and was laughing at me. "Happy birthday." He said through his laughter. "Was he dancing again?" Elle asked coming it holding a long bag that I assumed was her dress. "Paul isn't a dress." "He'd look pretty in a dress." "Doesn't count." "Well what about Candice and Kat in a dress." "No." She pulled a 'thinking' face as they walked into our room. "What about Nina on the phone." She said turning her phone to show me. Nina was on FaceTime smiling and waving. "How?" "Don't worry about it." She handed me the phone.
"Happy birthday to you." And now they're all singing. I spoke with Nina as I shaved in the bathroom. She seemed to be doing really well. "I've missed you so much." "I've missed you all so much!" She says back. "Hey, close the door a sec." she says and I did as she asked. "How's Elle been?" "She's been okay." "Yeah?" I nodded. It wasn't a lie. She was doing okay just a few things have happened. "She said that people found out we were sisters...has she been okay with that?" I nodded focusing as I ran the blade along my neck. "She's dealing with it best she can." "Promise." "Promise." "Paul said you've been looking after her?" "Trying." "Thank you... I appreciate it." "You know I'd do anything for her." "Please just don't let anyone hurt her. Paul's looking out for her. Candice is looking out for her but I'm asking you don't let anyone hurt her." "Okay." I nodded. "How have you been?" "I miss my sister. A lot. I can't wait until I can see her. So I know for myself she is doing okay." I nodded listening to her. "I knew she wasn't okay before I left. I just hoped she'd be doing better now." "She's been staying with me...I think she's going home after this weekend." "You'll still check in on her." I nodded "of course. We're going back to work a week before Christmas so we'll all be around each other most hours of the day."
"E? Can you zip me up?" Kat said coming into the bathroom cutting our conversation short. "Why didn't you ask the girls?" I asked as I reached for the zip. "Candice is doing her hair and Elle is doing shorts." "What!" Nina and I both said. "With Paul don't worry." "Don't worry?" "I'll go." I turned to Nina. "You keep phone Nina company." I tell Kat before going down to the kitchen. "No more." "Party pooper." She said placing the shot back in the counter. "Why would you let her take shots?" I asked Paul. "He's drunk...I did that." She said proudly pointing at the man talking to my coffee brewer.
"You're lucky I love you." I say to Paul and turn him around before pouring him some coffee. "Also a girl out drank you." I say swapping his short for the coffee to sober him up. I took the shot.
"You need to get ready." I tell Elle. "Do I don't look ready?" "You look half ready." I tell her honestly. "Where's Nina?" "With Kat." "I've missed her." "She's missed you." She nodded I kissed her cheek as we walked upstairs my arm over her shoulder. We left Paul drinking the coffee.
"You're going to have the best night." "What are we doing?" "You'll see." "I hate surprises." "You love them." She says entering the room. "Where's my sister?" She asked immediately before taking the phone her dress and her makeup into the bathroom closing the door.
She came out around half an hour later. Looking stunning Paul had sobered up by now and was mortified that Elle a teenaged girl out drank him. I think it bruised his ego a little.
"Nina wanted to say bye." She said handing me the phone before she went over to the dressed to get her watch and rings on. "Bye Nina we'll see you soon." I say "bye. Love you." "Love you." I hand the phone off to Paul so he could say bye before going to Elle. "Have you said bye already." She nodded fiddling with the clasp of her watch. "Let me." I took her arm and clipped it shut. "Thanks." "You look beautiful." "Gotta at least try on your birthday don't I." She reached up and fixed my tie and collar. "Would you want to stay at my place for a few nights?" She asked as we left to go downstairs. "If you want me to?" "Running out of clothes here. And I miss my bed." "I miss your bed too." I say thinking of the soft pillows on the bed that you just sink into them.
"We can stay at your place...tomorrow night." She nodded. The cars pulled up in the drive and we got in and waited for Paul to get into our car so we could leave.
We pulled up at a harbour. "What are we doing here." "Bucket list...party on a boat." "You remember everything." I say as we climbed out of the car. She just smiled taking my hand as I helped her ut the car. Paul helped her on the boat the rocky platform and tall heels didn't go too well together.
Everyone arrived and the party started. Elle was dancing with Phoebe and Claire whilst i was at the bar with Matt and Daniel. I kept looking over every so often. We were on the boat at sea, alcholh that she's drinking, in heels at the side of the boat. I was worried she'd just topple over. "You like her?" Daniel said. "What?" I asked looking away from the younger girl. "You like her" "Elle?" "Yeah." "I'm worried she's going to decide to go for a swim." I say taking another drink. It was an open bar. The girls did really well planning this it has been so much fun. "She's fine." Matt told me. "The other girls are way more drunk than she has." "Whatever."
We go back to our conversation before. "Stop giving Steven the death glare." Paul says coming over. "Bourbon please." He ordered. "I'm not." "You so are." Claire said standing the other side of me. "Whatever." "Whatever." She mocked taking two glasses of wine and leaving again. "Just go over and dance with her." "Yesterday you wanted me to stay away from her and today you want me to go dance with her?" "I spoke with Nina, she just wants her to be happy, She seems to be happy with you." Steven was dancing with her, they were both clearly tispy. I could tell by the way they were swaying and stumberling. His hand was on the small of her back and hers was on his chest. It bugged me I'll admit.
"Ian!" She called me over removing Stevens hand from her body. He pulled a little face and went to go reach for her but she was already heading towards me. "You having fun?" I asked her and she nodded. "What's that?" She asked Paul. "Buorbon, you won't like i-" And she's drinking it and she's still drinking it and it's gone. "Not bad." She said unfazed but the strong liquor. "Come dance with me." "I don't dance." She rolled her eyes. Steven came over and she had her back to him her hand was on my shoulder half holding her up, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. Her face fell. "Get off" She said shrugging him off. "Let's go dance." He tried again. "Yeah, in a minute I'm talking." She said not turning around not moving. This infuriated me, but I tried to keep it contained she was handeling it. "Okay, meet you over there." He said and left her alone. "Kat was looking for you." She said to Paul. "Where?" "Up to top, where the food is." He nodded and took his new drink and left to go to Kat.
She took my hands and placeher palms on top of mine, sort of how I did when I was stopping her from pushing her nails into her palms. "You okay?" I asked interlocking our fingers. "Just taking a minute." I nodded and let her have a moment to compose herself. "Are you enjoing yourself?" She asked letting go of one of my hands and sitting on the bar stool next to me. "Yeah, I am." I said smiling. "Todays been the best." "Good." "You feeling okay? You've not drank too much?" "No I'm good." "I think I've found my new drinking buddy." She laughed. "Then lets drink." She said waving the bartender over. "Two shots of tequila please." I raised my eyebrows.
We did the shots and she had little reaction. "Party animal." "Maybe... Maybe not." "Want to dance?" "Dying to." She said dramatically leading me to the dance floor where most of the guest were. We danced for the longest time before we were requested on the front deck. The. cake
They sang happy birthday and then when they finished fireworks went off on a near by shore. "Thank you." I say blowing the candels out. "You guys are the best." I say giving a few of them close by a hug. We went back down to the main deck and continued to party until early hours of the morning.
The boat pulled up at the harbour and the cars were waiting for us and we got off the boat. Elle was making sure everyone was getting in the correct cars depending on where they were living, areas of the city as such. She had sobbered up at this point. I had too most of us had. Drank ourselves sober really.
"Everyones in the cars." I tell her. "Okay, where's Paul?" "That one." I say pointing at the one pulling off. "Didn't think to tell it to wait forus to actually be in the car?" "That was our car." She nodded being serious but bursted out laughing. "Well we're walking." The streets were empty no cabs driving around and our phones were in the car with Paul and all our other stuff.
We began the long walk back to one of our places, we hadn't worked out which one is closer yet. "Here take my blazer." I say taking it off. "You'll get cold." "I have my arms covered. You do not." I rest it over her shoulders. "Such a gentelmen." She said holding it with one of her hands. We walked a little more just talking about the night. Until she saw a bench and stopped. She took her heels off. "You lasted all night." "It's five in the morning, i'm tired and my feet hurt. I think it warnets me talking my heels off for the walk home." She says standing up again. "Here." I turn around. "Jump on."
I carried her home, to her apartment, which we figured was the cloests to us as we walked. We got in and both shwered before actually climbing into bed. "We have no phone." She said laying down next to me. "Paul will figure it out." I tell her rolling over. "Happy Birthday." I felt a soft pair of lips on my cheek. "Thank you." I replied rolling over to face her. Her fingers traced the edge of my face resting on my jawline.