his sternum she hear d the steady beats of his heart. "It's that boy, I don't trust." Typical parental response, Ellie silently mused.
"Nicholas is harmless, believe me, he's nothing like Tone. Maybe a little too arrogant for his own good, but he's actually really sweet."
"If he breaks your heart, I'll break his face." He said in all seriousness, his face revealing nothing, as usual. That expression always managed to leave Ellie a little wary. Of course she knew that Gabe would never harm her or Sophie for that matter, but she couldn't help but wonder, whether those ten years in the state penitentiary had done this to him. It took away all possible emotion to leave behind a silent, of ten times, humorless shell of a human being?
Gabe had never spoken about himself or his life and Ellie only discovered he'd been in prison strictly by accident. One night when he'd been drunk off his ass, he’d let that little tidbit slip. She'd never known why he'd gone to jail for so long and because he'd never pried into her life, Ellie had given him the same courtesy and never asked.
When she'd first arrived, he'd been cold and distant, speaking to her only when she'd needed something. But over time, Ellie could say, he'd grown accustomed to having them there, she could even go so far as to say that he'd come to love them , too. In his own odd little way, he loved them and was undoubtedly overprotective of her and her daughter. This was the reason why he sometimes acted like a guard dog, like today for example. S he’d almost believed he and Nicholas would com e to blows. The thought of that hadn't sat well with her.
Ellie wrapped her arms around Gabe’s waist, hugging him close. "Thanks for caring, Gabe. You're a good parent. And don't worry about Nicholas. He's not even close to getting near my heart or anything else for that matter." This was decidedly true; as far as Nicholas Grayson went, Ellie still had no intention of sleeping with him, regardless of the fact that he had some killer dimples when he smiled.
Life continued as normally as possible with the addition of Nicholas in their little family. His presence always a constant when not occupied with the daily routines of his own life. It surprised Ellie how easily Sophie had taken to Nicholas and even more of a surprise was how comfortable Nicholas seemed in Sophie's presence.
The self-assured, immature boy Ellie had met nearly a month ago appeared to have morphed before her eyes into a sensible human being who could generally pass for a good friend. Through the hectic rush of taking entrance exams, applying to colleges, attending school, going to work and track meets, Ellie found that she'd grown uncomfortably accustomed to Nicholas's unpredictable visits in her life.
Like today for instance, while she prepped herself for her heat, she caught sight of his familiar dark head among the crowd and received a smirk when their eyes briefly met through the throng. As usual, he'd dressed in that offhanded casual manner of his, making dark rinse jeans, blue sweater and a scarf look remarkably good. She watched with a soft smile as he made his way up the bleachers, heading toward the area where Gabe sat, with an overzealous Sophie seated on his lap.
She remembered speaking briefly about her meet today when they'd been in Calc together earlier in the week, but Ellie hadn't expected him to make an appearance. A sudden flood of elation pooled at the pit of her stomach which she instantly chalked up to indigestion or even nerves, refusing to acknowledge that her joy stemmed from Nicholas's unexpected appearance. Admitting that would just be foolish.
"Elle!" Ellie remained seated, but stopped stretching and turned to see Maddie making her way to where she sat in the middle of the large gym. Maddie took a seat across from her and made a chore of bringing her legs into a lotus position, before facing Ellie with a smile.
It was great to see her, since it'd appeared to Ellie over the
"Nicholas is harmless, believe me, he's nothing like Tone. Maybe a little too arrogant for his own good, but he's actually really sweet."
"If he breaks your heart, I'll break his face." He said in all seriousness, his face revealing nothing, as usual. That expression always managed to leave Ellie a little wary. Of course she knew that Gabe would never harm her or Sophie for that matter, but she couldn't help but wonder, whether those ten years in the state penitentiary had done this to him. It took away all possible emotion to leave behind a silent, of ten times, humorless shell of a human being?
Gabe had never spoken about himself or his life and Ellie only discovered he'd been in prison strictly by accident. One night when he'd been drunk off his ass, he’d let that little tidbit slip. She'd never known why he'd gone to jail for so long and because he'd never pried into her life, Ellie had given him the same courtesy and never asked.
When she'd first arrived, he'd been cold and distant, speaking to her only when she'd needed something. But over time, Ellie could say, he'd grown accustomed to having them there, she could even go so far as to say that he'd come to love them , too. In his own odd little way, he loved them and was undoubtedly overprotective of her and her daughter. This was the reason why he sometimes acted like a guard dog, like today for example. S he’d almost believed he and Nicholas would com e to blows. The thought of that hadn't sat well with her.
Ellie wrapped her arms around Gabe’s waist, hugging him close. "Thanks for caring, Gabe. You're a good parent. And don't worry about Nicholas. He's not even close to getting near my heart or anything else for that matter." This was decidedly true; as far as Nicholas Grayson went, Ellie still had no intention of sleeping with him, regardless of the fact that he had some killer dimples when he smiled.
Life continued as normally as possible with the addition of Nicholas in their little family. His presence always a constant when not occupied with the daily routines of his own life. It surprised Ellie how easily Sophie had taken to Nicholas and even more of a surprise was how comfortable Nicholas seemed in Sophie's presence.
The self-assured, immature boy Ellie had met nearly a month ago appeared to have morphed before her eyes into a sensible human being who could generally pass for a good friend. Through the hectic rush of taking entrance exams, applying to colleges, attending school, going to work and track meets, Ellie found that she'd grown uncomfortably accustomed to Nicholas's unpredictable visits in her life.
Like today for instance, while she prepped herself for her heat, she caught sight of his familiar dark head among the crowd and received a smirk when their eyes briefly met through the throng. As usual, he'd dressed in that offhanded casual manner of his, making dark rinse jeans, blue sweater and a scarf look remarkably good. She watched with a soft smile as he made his way up the bleachers, heading toward the area where Gabe sat, with an overzealous Sophie seated on his lap.
She remembered speaking briefly about her meet today when they'd been in Calc together earlier in the week, but Ellie hadn't expected him to make an appearance. A sudden flood of elation pooled at the pit of her stomach which she instantly chalked up to indigestion or even nerves, refusing to acknowledge that her joy stemmed from Nicholas's unexpected appearance. Admitting that would just be foolish.
"Elle!" Ellie remained seated, but stopped stretching and turned to see Maddie making her way to where she sat in the middle of the large gym. Maddie took a seat across from her and made a chore of bringing her legs into a lotus position, before facing Ellie with a smile.
It was great to see her, since it'd appeared to Ellie over the
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