“Um, mom I’ll be the house in just one second.” Ellie turned towards me and held out her hand. “I’ll take those from you Gunner and thank you again for today. I had a wonderful time.” Ellie let a small but weak smile come across her face. Just as I was handing them to Ellie I heard a raspy voice start to talk.

“I always knew you would turn out to be a whore. There is no other way you could get a man…nope, you will never be wanted by someone like that Ryan boy or by this handsome fella. You give it up for this one also you damn whore?”

Ellie’s whole body started to shake and I saw the tears coming down her face as she slowly closed her eyes. Almost as if she was trying to block out what this monster was saying to her. I could not believe this was her own mother who was talking to her this way. At that moment all I wanted to do was take her away from here, from this woman who was causing her all this pain.

I took a step back away from Ellie. I turned and walked over to my truck and put the bags back inside. I walked back up to her and almost threw up looking at her distraught face. Her mother was still calling her names and going on and on but I tried to block her out of my head and only look at my sweet Ellie.

I walked up to the step right below the one she was standing on. She opened her eyes and looked at me. I took my hands and wiped away her tears. She tried to smile but the tears would not stop. All the life was drained from those beautiful blue eyes.

Holy Fuck…my heart has never hurt so goddamn much in my life.

“Do you have a suitcase sweetheart that we can pack your clothes in?” I asked as I heard her mother start to laugh. Ellie nodded her head yes.

“Let’s go inside and pack up your stuff okay? Can you do that for me sweetheart?”

My sweet innocent Ellie was just standing there broken. How could a parent say such hateful and hurtful things to their own child?

Ellie and I both turned to walk into the house. Just then her mother stepped in front of us.

“You can’t take her away from here. She has to stay with me she can’t leave me.” Ellie’s mom said in her drunken slurred voice. “She has to stay with me. She is not going anywhere with you so she can be your whore.”

I took a deep breath and looked right at her. “You really think I’m going to let her stay here with you and take this abuse? I suggest you move out of the way Ms. Johnson. You wouldn’t want me to call the police now would you?”

Ellie’s mother looked at me with a stunned look on her face. She stepped out of the way and I lead Ellie into the house.

“Show me where your room is sweetheart.”

Ellie walked towards her bedroom but stopped at a hall closet. She opened the door and I saw a suitcase sitting on the very top shelf. I reached up and took it down along with another bag and then walked with Ellie into her bedroom. I shut the door to her room only to hear her mother yelling.

“There will be none of that in my house you dirty whore! Pack your shit and get the f**k out of my house you no good for nothing bitch whore!”

I watched as Ellie slid down her door and hit the floor crying. My whole body started to shake. I balled my fists together trying to stop the anger that was growing inside. The emotions I was having were confusing as hell and scared the shit out of me. God I was being torn apart inside watching this beautiful girl fall apart. I just wanted to beat the shit out of somebody. I took a few deep breaths to calm down. I knew what I had to do. Now I just needed to do it.

I took out my cell phone and sent a text to Jeff. Did he know this was how his mother treated Ellie? Surely not….if he did he would have taken her away from this long ago. There is no way he would have let her stay here if he had known his mother was still verbally abusing Ellie.

“Ellie, where is your cell phone?”

Ellie reached in her back pocket and pulled it out and barely handed it to me before she just let her hand fall to the ground. Shit! It was her sprained hand too. Broken….my sweet girl was just giving up. Fuck I wish I could just take away her pain.

I slid down on the floor next to her and started to look for Ari’s number. After I sent Ari a text I set the phone down on the floor and picked Ellie up and moved her to sit on my lap.

I’m not sure how long we sat there while she just cried in my arms. She finally stopped sobbing and looked up at me. Those beautiful blue eyes red and swollen and so sad. I made a vow to myself right then I would do whatever it took to always protect and take care of her. Always…..

“You have to stop doing this.” Ellie whispered.

“Doing what sweetheart?” I asked her as I looked into her eyes.

Ellie put her forehead up against mine and I thought I was going to die right then and there. “Stop coming to my rescue, I’m going to expect it from now on.” She said with a slight laugh.

“Ellie sweetheart, I’ll always come to your rescue. For the rest of our lives……I will never let anyone hurt you ever again.” I said as I felt my heart beat pick up even faster.

I stood up making sure I did not let her go. I walked over and set her down on her bed. I opened the suitcase and started to take the clothes out of her closet and put them in the suitcase. I was starting to get a little freaked out because Ellie was not moving at all. She just stared at the floor. SHIT! Where the f**k was Jeff?

Then I heard him.

“What the f**k did you do her?” Jeff was yelling at his mother.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about? That little whore was out all night sleeping around and then came back here to my house and caused a scene for the whole neighborhood to see. It was disgusting.” Ellie’s mother said as they walked down the hall towards Ellie’s room.

“Shut up! Just shut the f**k up right now! What the f**k is wrong with you? That’s your daughter you are talking about. She is NOTHING like you so don’t you EVER call her a whore again. She is leaving mom and you will never see either one of us again. Do you understand me? That means no more money from me. No more help. My god……If I find out that you have been treating her like shit this whole time…..you will be out on the streets. When I paid this house off I made sure it was put in my name. You will have nothing! Do you understand me? NOTHING!”

Just then the door to Ellie’s room flew up and Jeff looked at me and then down to his sister who was still sitting on her bed but now she was crying again. I have never seen Jeff look so devastated before. I already knew he was blaming himself. Jeff would give up his own life for his sister. I could see it in his eyes…..he was hurting bad.

Jeff walked over to Ellie and fell to his knees and Ellie immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and just cried hysterically. God how I wish I could make her feel safe like that. Just then I heard Ari. I looked up and she was standing at the door. “Mother f**ker……” she said as she looked at Ellie coming apart in her brothers arms.

She looked over to me and tried to give me a small smile. I just looked down at the suitcase and back up at her. She nodded her head yes to me. Next thing I knew she had taken over packing up Ellie’s clothes and whatever little possessions she thought Ellie would want to take.

I just stood there. I had no idea what to do. What could I do to help her with this pain? Jeff got up and sat down next to Ellie who was still crying. He put his arm around her and just kept repeating…”Shhh it’s going to be okay honey….it will all be okay”

He looked over at me and gave me a look that clearly said thanks. I nodded back my acknowledgement to him. Once Ellie calmed down and somewhat stopped crying Jefferson started to talk to her.

“Ellie honey, you will stay at Ari’s house until we figure this all out. I need to run back and let them know I’m leaving for the day so Ari is going to take you to her house okay? Are you okay with that Ells?” Jeff said as he looked over to Ari who was now standing there with Ellie’s suitcase and another small bag. Ari gave Jeff a smile and it looked like Jeff could not tear his eyes away from her. He seemed to be lost in Ari’s smile. Something I knew a shit ton about after spending time with Ellie today.

He was f**ked….just like I was.

Ellie started to talk and that snapped Jeff out of his day dream.

“Um….sure that is fine but can Gunner give me a ride to Ari’s. I need to talk to him. I mean if that is okay with you Gunner?” Ellie said as she looked up at me.

Holy fuck, the look on her face about dropped me to my knees. She wanted me…..not Ari or Jeff….she actually wanted to be with me.

“Of course it’s all right sweetheart, anything for you.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Ellie……

I sat there on my bed devastated. How did this happen? What was Gunner going to think about me now after my mother called me a whore? Oh God I hope he didn’t believe a word she said. My hands started to shake again and I almost started to cry again. I could not lose him even though I knew we would never be more than friends but he truly did seem to care about me. I felt like I was in a box and everything was muffled. I could hear Ari and Jefferson talking. I looked over at them. What was Ari saying? Something about the cottage on her parents property. Gunner was standing next to me waiting. I was trying to find the strength to stand up.

Oh my God…we were going to have to walk by my mother again! What if she started calling me names again?

“Ellie, come on sweetheart let’s go. Jeff is going to walk out first and talk to your mom. Come on Ells its okay. Let’s go.” Gunner said as he helped me to my feet. Ari came up and gave me a hug. “I’ll see you back at my house okay sweets?”

I just smiled and nodded my head yes. I just wanted to be alone with Gunner. I had to make him understand I was not the things my mother said I was.

As we walked out of my room and down the hall I saw Jefferson standing over our mother. She was passed out on the sofa. Perfect. Why couldn’t her ass have been passed out 30 minutes ago? I’m not surprised……. this is just how my life goes. Another serving of shit served on a platter just for me. The Ellie special this week I guess.

Next thing I knew I was sitting in Gunner’s truck. He was standing outside talking to Jefferson. They both looked so pissed off. I was the cause of all of this or I should say me and my drunken mother were the cause. God I hated her more than anything right now. I never wanted to see her again. EVER!

Gunner opened the door and hopped in his truck. Once he had it started he turned on his iPod. I think he was trying to give me time to gather myself without there being an awkward silence. My god could he be any more perfect?

I had no idea where we were going. I was finally able to open my mouth to speak. “Um, can we go somewhere quiet to talk Gunner? Somewhere we can be alone if that is okay?”

I noticed Gunner tightening his grip on the steering wheel. “Of course we can Ellie. Is there anywhere you have in mind Sweetheart? We can go anywhere.”

Just then an idea popped into my head. “The canoes down at Zilker Park, I’ve always wanted to sit in one and just think….it seems so peaceful.” I said as I stared out the passenger side window. I was so afraid he just wanted to be rid of me.