Trouble In Paradise

54. Paradise. Part 1

"I was wondering when you'd come out of the shadows," I grinned. "I've got to say, ten on ten for dramatic entrance."

Ethan nodded at my words, "Yeah, that was totally cool."

"You could be in a movie," Matt pointed out.

"Sometimes I forget you all are just teenagers," Ellie sighed, walking forward.

"Rhea, look! Someone just called you a teenager," I chuckled.

Smack!

Everyone winced as Mason managed to get Rhea away from me and Torryn rubbed my back. 

"Damn, that must've hurt," Owen commented.

"It did," I grunted, and Torryn dutifully slid a chocolate into my palm. I grinned up at the boy with jet-black hair and forest-green eyes that made my heart melt. "This is why you're my boyfriend, Cole."

"Glad to know," Torryn deadpanned before a small smile flitted to his lips.

"Are you guys going to kiss?" Ethan whispered, his eyes wide with happiness. 

"Not anymore," I concurred, Torryn nodding in agreement as we shot Ethan creeped-out looks. 

"You all get distracted ridiculously fast," Ellie sighed tiredly. And you don't get distracted at all. Dammit! 

"Oh, sorry for being rude," Mae muttered sarcastically. "It's not as if we're all sacrificing our precious sleep to figure out who killed your grand-daughter!"

"No one asked you to," Anthony exclaimed. 

"Oh, and he's not even grateful? God, Anthony, you're just the worst, aren't you?" Matt scoffed. 

"He is," Ellie agreed. "And as fun as it is to see him tied up, may I ask why?" 

"We thought he killed Elektra," I smiled cheerfully. 

I could feel all the confused vibes coming from my friends, along with a hungry vibe. My nose scrunched up on it's own as I turned around to see Ethan eyeing the kitchen door. Ah.

"Oh?" Ellie raised a cold, elegant eyebrow. "Thought?"

"Oh, yes," I confirmed. "Well, for one, he's too dumb to have done it—"

"Hey!" 

"—and secondly, he didn't kill Elektra, because you did." I smiled at Ellie who was expressionless for a moment before a cold, amused smile covered her face. 

"I did?" 

I nodded at her words. 

"Why, I had no idea," she drawled. "Just one thing though, why would I kill the only person I loved?"

Everyone in the room turned to face me.

"I've got to admit, that part confused me, too," I nodded, "at least, until tonight." 

Flashbacks of who I'd met at the police station and what Jax, my coworker at the cafe, had told me, ran through my head. 

"You see, when you had Elektra kill this guy, Deo Angelis, for giving information to the FBI about the Queen organization, the gangs and other illegal groups, she continued to carry on his good work. Of course, no one knew about her having changed sides. Not even you," I leaned back in my seat. "At least, not until later."

Ellie watched me with cold, electric blue eyes, neither confirming nor denying my words.

My voice grew soft. "You say you loved her?"