Beautiful Disaster (The Bet) (15 page)

"M'hungwy."

"See, I'll treat us to breakfast and this time
,
I can guarantee it won't be burnt."

"Nicholas----"

"
Nicky
, I liked it when you called me Nicky last night and I'd be
honored if you and Sophie join
me for breakfast, Ellie." Her indecisiveness prompted him to pitifully stick his bottom lip out and widen his silvery blue eyes. "Pwease, Ellie."

The display had the expected effect, Ellie capitulated
,
but not before pinching Nicholas's cheek. "I think you've been hanging around Soph way too much."

He and Sophie shared a look that made Ellie smile. "So, does that mean we can go out and eat?"

"Yes...but first we need to get this little terror in some warm clothes."

The doorbell rang an
d Ellie was puzzled as to who it might be at the door
.

"Expecting company?"

"No, but why don't you take Sophie upstairs and get her ready. I'll see who's at the door."

"Sounds like a plan. C
ome on Sophie
,
let
’
s go get you all bundled up so we can go and have some real food."

While Nicholas took Sophie upstairs Ellie took one last fleeting glance at the kitchen, promising herself to clean it up when they returned later
,
she made her way to the foyer.

He was the last person she'd expected to see, which was why his appearance shocked her to the very core. She stood motionless for a lapse of eternity, disbelief turning her features to stone.

"Hey
,
Ells." Tony greeted civilly, allowing her to recover from the initial shock of seeing him again.

H
e drank in the sight of her like a man parched. She wasn't at all like the girl he remembered her to be and yet she still was, her beauty still able to ensnare him. She looked so healthy now; the soft glow surrounding her gave her caramel complexion a lustrous look.

She had more curves than he remembered her having, the fullnes
s of her chest and rounded hips
drew his lascivious gaze for infinite minutes before reluctantly trailing upwards. Those large hazel eyes that had first enslaved him all those years ago, now mercilessly chained him to the spot and Tony realized how willing he was to surrender to them once again.

She was his reason for living. During those long, arduous months in rehab, thoughts of her had kept him from overdosing on stolen methadone. He'd forced himself clean in order to come back to her so that they could have the family they'd wanted. The family that he wanted. Thoughts of his daughter elated him to no end.

He hadn't been there when she'd been born nor had he been around to celebrate birthdays or those few precious moments in Sophie’s young life. He'd never had the opportunity to see her, let alone hold her to let her know that he was her father, the picture he'd received from Ellie via their attorneys was the only memento he had of her. But that would all change soon, things would be different now he silently vowed, because he was here now, ready and willing to do anything to have his daughter and her mother back in his life. 

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ellie's voice snapped him from his thoughts; he looked at her and grimaced at the unwelcome fire burning in those hazel eyes.

"Ellie---"

Ellie stepped out of his reach, her hand tightly holding on to the doorframe. "You're not welcomed here so save yourself the hassle and leave or I call the cops."

"Really now, Ellie," Tony admonished, producing that devastating grin of his, remembering all too well what that grin and the mouth that wore it was capable of. "Let's act like adults and be civil here, I'm not looking to fight with you. I just want to see Sophie."

"I told you to talk---"

"Talk to your lawyer...I did that and we've worked out a schedule with the judge." Tony dug into the inside pocket of his black blazer, withdrew an envelope which he handed to Ellie. "Those are the terms under which I can visit her. As you can see the judge made it so it coincided with your school and work schedule so that you can be there when I'm with her."

Ellie suddenly found it ridiculously
difficult
to breathe. She looked at
the letter and back at Tony the
n once more at the letter. She shook her head in disbelief and looked at him. "No. How do I know you didn't make this up? It looks legit, but we both know you're not exactly the most honest of people."

Tony reached for her again and when she didn't flinch away, he softly caressed the curve of her jaw, the touch almost intimate. "Another thing we have in common." He whispered darkly, grinning when she slapped his hand away.

"We have nothing in common, Tone. Not anymore." She said fervently, hating him even more as the minutes passed.

"I'm good now, Ells, and I'm trying to make this work for us. I know I made mistakes and I promise to make it up
to you. It’s going to be better for us this time around,
Ellie."

"Says the wolf to the sheep." She snidely remarked, clenching the letter he'd given her in a tight fist. "I know you, Tony, probably better than you know yourself and I won't allow you to fill my head with your pretty words and promises of ‘better'. I already have my better and it doesn't include you. I don't want anything to do with you. Sophie is the only link that binds us and if you're trying to use her to get to me you're even more pathetic than I first thought."

"That's a fuck of a lot to say for someone who used to spread her legs for a high." Her hand
swung
even before she had time to consider her action; the force of her slap had him stumbling backwards. He gaped at her, hand on his cheek, disbelief robbed him of speech.

"Get off my property or I swear I'll call the cops---"

"Ellie
,
what's going on?" Never had she been happier to hear his voice, the soft tenor like a salve to her troubled mind.
She could suddenly breathe easier with him around.

It took Nicholas all but a few seconds to assess the situation before putting an arm aroun
d Ellie's shoulder and to evenly me
et the austere gaze of the stranger before them. "What's going on?"

"Nothing that I'm sure concerns you." Tony responded tersely, all too aware of the possessive hold the guy had on Ellie.

"Anything involving Ellie, I assure you, deserves my complete concern." A high amount of testosterone permeated the air as gunmetal gray eyes met and clashed with fathomless obsidian. The tension emanating from both men had Ellie feeling as though she was standing on a battleground.

"Tony is Sophie's father, Nicholas."

Nicholas found that he took the news a lot better than he thought he would.

"Yeah,
Nicholas
, I'm
the
father of her child. Who the fuck are you?" Trust Tony to gloat at a time like this, Ellie thought wryly, glaring at him.

"I'm a friend." Ellie turned to him and leaned into his embrace, silently admiring the fact that he did not rise to Tony's bait or sink to his level.

"Yeah, I can believe that. Ells has always been good at making friends, especially rich friends. Isn't that right Ells?" He reached to touch her. Nicholas's hand however, swatted his hand away.
He guided
Ellie behind him
and
faced Tony, his features set in granite. Tony met Nicholas's gaze, silently assessing him and after a beat, his lips
twisted
, his smile as cold and menacing as the emotions roiling in those murky depths. "Be careful rich boy, we wouldn't want anything happening to that pretty face."

"Right here," Nicholas pointed to his jaw, "you get one free shot, I dare you."

"Nicholas, stop," Taking hold of his arm, Ellie pulled him back. "He's not worth it, trust me. Tony, just get out of here Ok?" She was suddenly very tired, deflated, her rage having melted aw
ay to fatigue and nausea
.

Ellie prayed that he would leave and was infinitely relieved when he spun on
his heel to leave. "I'll keep in touch." The words, sounding more a threat than anything
,
made her sicker, inducing bile. She slammed the door with more force than intended and stepped out of Nicholas's embrace.

The silence that came later was an impenetrable one, as cloying as it was discomforting. Nicholas, uncertain of what to say remained silent, words failing him. He wanted to hold her, comfort her, listen to her, and provide support if she would allow it. He wanted to instill wise words, words that would soothe both Ellie and himself. Nicholas wanted so much, yearned for it, yet was ignorant to the ways of acquiring it. And so he remained where he was, fist clenched tightly at his side as he watched her struggle, incapable of helping her.

"I'm not as squeaky clean as you think I am," She had her back to him, her voice
, strained with emotions sounding
thick and hoarse when she spoke.

"Ellie----"

"I've made mistakes, you know," Ellie bit the inner flesh of her cheek. "I mean I used to be good. Bishop’s daughter, honor roll in school, bright future and all that. But then I met Tony. He was really good with words and I was very impres
sionable. He introduced me to a
lot of stuff. All of them real
ly bad. The drugs were the worst
though. I became lost in his world and he used me until I couldn’t even recognize myself anymore. I fell so hard for him that I didn’t realize until it was too late how bad he was for me.

W
hen I found out that I was pregnant with Sophie
,
I left. it’s been an incredibly hard road for me, Nicholas. Each day is a struggle but I do it because I owe it to Sophie and myself to be
strong. I’ve been through  so much
and I’m not asking for your pity. I just want you to understand me…understand the reason why I’m so reluctant to let you in. Tony was my first everything and he nearly destroyed me.”

No longer hindered by his own misgivings and shortcomings, Nicholas was by her side in seconds, enveloping her trembling body in an embrace that would've taken God's will alone to break. He held her as she clung on to him, her small body fitting so perfectly against his. He took the brunt of her sobs, wishing like nothing else that he could take away her hurt and when those sobs took them to the floor, Nicholas's hold remained steadfast, unyielding. Words were inconsequential.    

"Mama?" Sophie wobbled their way and at the sight of her mother's tears, she too, began
to cry. Ellie reached for her and
bringing her into her tight embrace, she calmed herself enough to comfort her child.

A little while later found Nicholas and Sophie in the living room, while Ellie carted in paper plates and plastic utensils, which she set down on the mahogany coffee table.

With the Chinese take-out splayed out in little white boxes in front of them, Elli
e made Sophie a plate, then Nic
holas’s, hers naturally came last. They ate in amiable silence, her earlier brea
kdown seemingly inconsequential. She softly smiled;
her sordid past another milestone in their fledgling friendship. She commended h
im for being such a good friend,
having thought the worst of him
,
Ellie was coming to appreciate the fact that she was proven wrong. 

She ran her tongue over her bottom lip and came away with the sugary taste of duck sauce. She
started
to grab another c
rab Rangoon and found Nicholas'
eyes on her, the smoldering look in those gray depths, induced shivers along her skin. "Stop that." She whispered, refusing to let that look affect her. 

"Stop what?" he asked guilelessly, gobbling up the chicken finger Sophie offered him.

"You know what."

"I haven't the slightest idea what you mean." He smiled in spite of his words and Ellie fought the urge to laugh.

"You're not as cute as you think you are, Grayson."

"So you think I'm cute?"

"No," Her rosy cheeks said otherwise.  

"That's okay.
Sophie thinks I'm cute. Right babe?"

With mouth full of fried chicken, Sop
hie nodded her head. "Nicky cuet
."

The musical tone of Nicholas's cell phone rang four times before Ellie inquired as to whether
or not
he was going to answer it or not.

"Nope."

"It could be important."

The seriousness in Nicholas's voice belied his playful expression. "Nothing is as important as being here with you two."

Touched, Ellie smiled, resting a hand on Nicholas's knee. "And we'll be here when you get back. I appreciate you making us a part of your life
,
but I don't want us to consume it. You had a life before us."