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“We’re all fine.”
“Can you come back tomorrow and help me clear things up?”
“Sure, do you want me to stay, or just lend a hand and leave.”
“You can stay, though I still haven’t told Ellie why you left.”
“I won’t say anything.”
“You don’t have to worry about that. I promised her father I’d keep it to myself, but it doesn’t feel right. I’ll be tellin’ her when I get back to the house. I’ll see you in the mornin’.”
“Sounds good. I’ll see you then.”
The call ended, but as Noah rose to his feet and turned to leave, he found Ellie standing a few feet away.
“What did my father tell you to keep to yourself, Noah?”
“Ellie, I was going to tell you when—“
“When you came back,” she shot back, cutting him off. “Why wait? Tell me now.”
“You need to calm down.”
“No, you need to tell me what’s going on. I don’t like being lied to or manipulated.”
“No-one does, and I get that,” he said softly, walking towards her. “Your dad called me. He was worried about you stayin’ in that big house and asked if I’d keep an eye on things. I said it wasn’t really feasible, but I’d be more than happy for you to stay here.”
“Me being here wasn’t your idea?”
“It was, I suggested it.”
“But only because—“
“Ellie, you’re making something outta nothin’.“
“Please take me home. I just need five minutes to pack my things.”
“Ellie, you’re overreacting,” he said firmly.
“You should’ve told me how this came about,” she exclaimed angrily.
“I agree, and as you just heard, I was about to,” he said, trying to remain calm. “You have a choice. You can either be glad things worked out and we’ve had this great time together, or you can stay angry that it didn’t start out exactly the way you thought.”
“You mean, the way you led me to believe.”
“Do you want to stay mad?”
“It’s not a matter of wanting to. I am!”
“Perhaps I should spank it out of you.”
“Hey, I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“No, but you’re makin’ a mountain out of a molehill. When your dad asked me to keep his call to myself, initially I said no, but I could see his point of view. I was between a rock and a hard place.”
“You and all your sayings,” she mumbled. “I’m pissed at him too.”
“Ellie, I’m sorry. What can I do? How can I help you settle down?”
