Chapter 20
Kennedy flutters her fingers toward Ella. “Hi there,” she says in a voice that’s not exactly friendly.
“Ella,” I say, trying to get her to look at me instead of my ex. We’re still standing in the open doorway of the hotel room, and Ella takes a step back into the hall.
Her jaw is set, but the temporary shock on her face has melted away. “Ella,” I say again, reaching for her. “Let me explain.”
She pulls her arm away. “Don’t talk to me,” she hisses. An anger I haven’t seen in her eyes before flashes at me just before she turns on her heel and walks down the hallway.
“Well, that’s awkward,” I hear her aunt say. Dakota is still playing with the dog and I don’t know where my parents are, but I’m grateful they haven’t witnessed this.
I look at Kennedy. “What the hell did you do?”
Her eyebrows shoot up in innocence. “Me? I just said hello.”
I grit my teeth. “You did something. Ella wouldn’t be that pissed if you hadn’t done something. What was it?”
She shrugs, tilting her head to the side. “I’m just standing here, Ethan. I didn’t do anything.”
“You must have given her a look or something.” I point at her accusingly. I don’t know what she could have possibly done in just two short seconds before Ella bolted, but she had to have done something. I knew Ella would have been surprised to see Kennedy, but it’s not like her to leave like that. I had it all planned out. I was going to explain everything and it was going to be fine. I even imagined Ella and I spending time alone at the pool tonight, trash talking Kennedy together.
Kennedy snorts in this satisfied way and takes a seat on the couch. “I don’t know how you deal with so much drama.”
“Please,” Dakota says under her breath. “The only drama here is you.”
I flash my sister a grateful smile as I pace the length of the short living room. I’m not sure if I should go after Ella or not. Maybe she needs time to cool off and think.
The door to my parent’s room opens and the last thing I need right now is to try to pretend that everything is okay in front of my parents.
“Oh hello,” my mom says, her gaze going to Donna.
Shit. I forgot about that.
“Mom, this is Ella’s Aunt Donna. Is it okay of she stays with us?”
“Of course,” Mom says, her smile softening as she walks over and shakes Donna’s hand. “Ella’s family is my family, as far as I’m concerned. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Hi there,” Dad says, waving at her. He kneels down to the floor. “And who do we have here?”
Roscoe lumbers into my dad, nearly knocking him over. “I take it he’s with you?” Dad asks Donna.
She nods. “If it’s too much trouble, I don’t mind—”
Dad waves her words away with his hand. “It’s not a problem at all. We love dogs.”
“So… where is Ella?” Mom says, giving me a look that makes me feel guilty. It’s like she knows if Ella isn’t here it’s all because of something I did wrong.
“She went for a walk,” I say.
“She stormed out of here,” Kennedy says even though no one asked for her damn input. She studies her nails as if it’s no big deal at all. “She took one look at me and left. I guess she can’t be civil in an emergency situation.”
My jaw clenches. There’s so many things I want to tell her but I hold back because my parents are in the room. That is so like Kennedy to take none of the responsibility of Ella’s being upset. It’s all one hundred percent her fault.
And maybe some of my fault too, I think as guilt tugs at me. I should have warned her before she arrived.
As if Aunt Donna is reading my mind, I can feel her staring at me. I look up and meet her gaze. “You should go after her,” she says.
I nod once, my throat too dry to speak. No one questions me as I leave the hotel room alone.
