Page 219 of Fame & Rhythm

Ella’s lying on her bed, earphones in, staring at the ceiling. She turns when she hears me, and the second I see her face, I know she’s been crying.

“Can I come in?” I ask gently.

She pulls out her earphones and sits up, gesturing for me to join her. I cross the room and sit beside her, wrapping my arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

“I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

She pulls back slightly, frowning. “For what?”

“For this. For her showing up. I never asked for any of it. And honestly… I don’t even know how I feel right now. Happy, scared, something in between.”

Her face crumples, and she starts crying. My chest tightens, and I pull her closer. “I can help you find your parents, you know,” I say softly. “If you want. We have the resources. Mum and Dad would help too.” She only cries harder. “Oh, Ella,” I murmur, pressing my cheek to her hair. “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying for me,” she chokes out.

I pull back, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I’m crying for you,” she says.

I blink. “Why?”

“Have you seen h-her?” Ella says, her voice cracking. “She’s awful. And if that’s what my parents are like, I don’t ever want to find them.”

I go still.

Because I know exactly what she means.

There’s something off about Loretta.

I just can’t explain what.

We sit here for a while, talking quietly. Ella admits she thinks Loretta might be around for the wrong reasons… that she has something to gain from knowing us.

And the worst part?

A small, uncomfortable part of me thinks she might be right.

A Few Days Later

We’re driving to the park to meet Loretta again, and something doesn’t feel right.

I can’t quite explain it.

I just… feel off.

I don’t understand why she wanted to meet here instead of at the manor, or why we couldn’t go to hers if she didn’t want to come to ours. It doesn’t make sense, and the more I think about it, the more uneasy I feel.

“How are you feeling?” Aston asks.

I shrug, staring out the window. “I don’t know. You’d think it would have settled by now, but I still feel… numb.”

Dad pulls the four-wheel drive into the same spot as last time, parking beside Loretta’s car.

This time, other vehicles are there.

Vans.

I barely register them at first. It’s a public place where people come and go.