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The entire mood changed as the lights were shut off and the movie started. Ellie was not a quiet movie watcher and Bear seemed to be the same.
“Oh come on, is she serious?” he said, gesturing at the girl on screen peeking under the door. “Rule number one, don’t look under the door or in keyholes.”
“Wait, I thought rule number one was not to be the first to fuck, that means you’ll be first to die,” Ellie countered.
Atlas shot them a look but he bit back a smile. At this point, we’d all have to accept it. Movie nights would never be fully focused and silent.
“I’ve got to hit the head,” Dean announced before heading out. A few minutes later, he was creeping back in, his footsteps soft but I could hear them approaching. Ellie and Bear were leaning forward, focused, and I knew exactly what was coming as he wound around the back of the couch, crouching down low.
“Boo!” he shouted, grabbing both of their shoulders. Ellie’s screech echoed in the living room as her popcorn flew overhead the bowl hitting Dean on the head. Bear had grabbed Ellie, yanking her in his lap and wrapping himself around her, both breathing heavily.
“Aw, he took care of her,” Atlas said. “Good job, Bear. I knew I liked you for a reason.”
“Don’t lie, you guys hated me and for good reason,” Bear joked but I could hear the vulnerability there. Ellie brushed popcorn out of her hair and pulled him into a hug.
“That’s in the past. You’re one of us now. Just like you guys told me to stop overthinking this baby thing, you stop overthinking the past. I hold nothing against you and neither do they.”
“She’s right,” I agreed.
“You’re pack, simple as that,” Ezra said firmly.
“Agreed,” Atlas and Dean answered.
Bear blinked back tears and nodded, the sound of the movie shrieking in the background effectively ending the moment.
“Dean gets to sweep the living room after this,” Ellie said. “And make me more popcorn. The baby is still hungry.” She gave him a self-satisfied grin that had us all laughing.
This was going to be a very interesting pregnancy.
Ellie
Sitting under bright lights and staring at the interviewer was a very different experience from all of the video ones I’ve done so far.
Rhonda Jones wasn’t smiling at all, in fact, she looked downright hostile. Makeup and hair worked in perfect synchrony to get her ready while the production crew adjusted lighting and markers.
Rhonda was a bossy beta who resembled a real-life doll. Her blond curls were perfect, not a single hair out of place. The makeup artist had her airbrushed and glowing. Her bright-blue eyes were calculating as she looked around, taking in the room like it was her personal domain.
Not one person had spoken to me in the last twenty minutes. Instead, I was sat on an uncomfortable stool and told to wait while they prepared.
“Alright, Eleanor,” the assistant said as she walked up, not even looking at me.
“Ellie,” I corrected drily. She didn’t even acknowledge that I’d spoken.
“You’ll just smile and look at her. Ignore the cameras as they move around or it’ll look weird. She’ll ask the questions, you answer, simple as that. Any questions?”
Before I could open my mouth to ask how much longer, she was already saying ‘great’ and moving away like a tiny, annoying tornado.
“Alright, we are ready in five!” Someone in the production crew shouted and the flurry increased. It was almost enough to overstimulate me, which wasn’t easy. I was used to Tori’s brand of chaos.
Finally someone counted down and Rhonda took her seat, plastering on a fake smile as the counting died down and we were given the signal.
My smile was soft and not over the top, something I was constantly trying to keep in place. Nerves had me fidgeting in my seat but thanks to being on the show it wasn’t quite as bad as it once was.
“Welcome toRhonda’s Reality Vlog!” Now she was all smiles and excitement. The amount of fake people I’d met in this industry was astonishing. “Today we haveMy Fairytale’s Darling, Ellie Winters!”
“Thank you for having me,” I said as politely as I could. I had a very strong feeling it would be a battle to keep my anger at bay before this was over. I’d been through several interviews and they always stepped over the line and pushed buttons to get a reaction.
“We have a surprise waiting in the eaves for later but for now, I’d love to be the first to congratulate you on the pregnancy,” she said with a smirk. Her eyes sparked with excitement as she hungrily watched me for a reaction.
