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That night, her father’s voice comes to her in her dreams…
Ellie! ...Ellie! You are my child! You will do what I say!
She wakes up in the dead of night, sweat sticking to her skin. She looks around to orient herself, still half-dreaming. Logan is sound asleep on the couch, his face bathed in moonlight.
She silently climbs out of the bed, tip toes out of the room and heads down to the back room to get something to drink.
As she opens the door, she’s surprised the light is still on. She looks around the room and finds Colt, half-sitting, half-lying on the couch, his feet up on a small table, scrolling through his phone.
“Oh, sorry! Didn’t think anyone would be here at this hour. Am I interrupting?” she asks nervously, still standing at the door. Colt doesn’t even look up from his phone.
“Nah.”
She enters the room and goes to the fridge.
“Can’t sleep?”
She looks up, but he’s still staring at his phone.
“No… Not really,” she sighs.
As she takes her drink, she looks around the room again and suddenly feels the need to have some company.
“Mind if I join you?” she asks anxiously and gestures to the couch.
“Suit yourself.” She’s not even sure he saw her gesture, but she still takes it as good enough and sits at the couch next to him. He notices she didn’t sit on the other side of the couch but she’s also not close enough for him to complain. Although he’s not really sure he would complain if she sat closer.
“So, what’s keeping you up?” he asks, his eyes still not moving from the phone. His hand is resting on the back of the couch.
She sighs again and puts her drink on the table.
“I miss my dad.” she says quietly, hugging her knees.
For the first time he glances at her, for a second, then goes back to his phone.
“Well, I’m sure you’ll be with him in no time. Surely he’ll be happy to take his golden girl back again.” He scoffs a little at the last words, focus never breaking from his phone.
“I’m not sure it will be that easy.” she whispers, her voice pained.
“Why wouldn't it? You will come home and he’ll welcome you back, water under the bridge, living together happily ever after.” Irony practically drips from his voice. And something else. Maybe jealousy? She’s not sure. And she doesn’t really care.
“You didn’t see his face. It was like his world crumbled to pieces. Like I literally broke his heart, his only certainty going out of the window. We were all the other had. And now he’s all alone. I’m all alone.” She doesn’t even remember when the tears started running down her face, the guilt and loneliness the only things she can focus on.
Finally she has Colt’s complete attention. But she barely registers the hand that moved from the back of the couch and is now lightly touching her back and then stroking her arm.
She sniffles loudly and Colt can’t hold himself anymore. He draws her closer, her head resting on his chest, his arm hugging her back and still slightly stroking her. He buries his face in her hair and whispers “You’re not all alone, Ellie.”
She’s trying to hide her silent crying but he knows. He notices his t-shirt getting wet and her muffled sniffs and sobs. He plants a light kiss on the top of her head and snuggles her even closer.
After a while he notices her breathing getting more even and heavier.
“Ellie?” he asks quietly. No response.
He sighs, plants one more kiss on her hair, pulls his phone up again and prepares himself for a long night.
Not that he’s complaining though.