Memories That Still Haunt Us

Chapter Thirty-Eight:

Absently, I reach for some veggies from the tray, placing them haphazardly on the Zoopal plate that Beck loves. This one is a panda, and I squirt Ranch into each of the ears. Beck is rambling beside me, but I only catch every other word as I watch the interaction taking place between Ellis and Millie's father off by the bar.

            The conversation seems heated, and the agitated look on Ellis's face sends a shock of heat through my body. His eyebrows are furrowed, his mouth pressed into a thin line, as he stares with fire in his eyes. Millie's father is slightly shorter than Ellis, with styled white hair and wrinkles around his mouth. He wears an expensive suit, and Millie doesn't seem to resemble much of his features. Whereas her mother, who is laughing obnoxiously with a group of women on the other end of the room, still has hints of bright red hair, peppered with grey, and has the same horrible line in her forehead that craters along in a straight line, growing deeper with each change of her facial expression.

            I stuff my hands in the carrots and drop them on the plate as I watch Ellis attempt to walk away from Millie's dad, only for his hand to shoot out and latch onto Ellis's arm. My eyes widen in surprise, and I see Millie quickly sweeping across the room to intervene. People are looking, whispering about the interaction. It's clearly unfriendly banter going on between them, and the tension is thick. Ellis breathes in deeply, chest lifting, as he stares down the father.

            Millie keeps a pinched smile on her face as she attempts to pull Ellis away from the awkward encounter. The father drops his hold on Ellis's arm, and I want nothing more than to go over and stab a fork through his eye. I want to protect Ellis from these horrible people. To pull him away from it all. Millie whispers to Ellis, her jaw tight, clearly blaming him for the altercation, just as Ellis's eyes meet mine and my breath holds. The movement in the room continues in slow motion as a spotlight is cast down on Ellis.

            He looks back at me as if the same effect is happening to him as well. It's just us in the room. With my eyes, I desperately try to convince him to leave. To find me upstairs or for us to run away from this altogether. Leave it all behind. We don't need any of them. Just us.

            Beck begins pulling on my arm, and I keep my eyes on him as I'm dragged from the room. "I like your dress." Beck tells me as he hops up onto the first stair. "You look like a gem."

            I smile stiffly, slightly annoyed at him for pulling me away. I wanted to witness more. I hear whispers coming from the other side of the stairs. Gossip filters from the mouths of familiar voices. "Thanks, cutie." I ruffle up his hair and hand him his plate of food. "Meet me upstairs?"

            He nods and turns, moving ungracefully up the stairs as he attempts to stuff carrots in his mouth at the same time. I follow the voices and see Gretchen and Courtney with wine glasses in their hands and leaning in close to one another so others don't hear their conversation.

            I force a smile on my face as I approach them. "Hello, ladies. How are you?"

            Both their eyes light up at the sight of me. "Reign! How lovely to see you." Courtney says placing a hand delicately on my arm. "You look absolutely stunning. As usual." Her eyes skate over my emerald-green dress. It reminded me of the dress from Atonement, and I bought it without any hesitation, not knowing when exactly I'd have the opportunity to wear it, but knowing every girl needs a dress like Atonement in their life. "Your dress is jaw-dropping."

            "Thank you." I do a slight twirl. "You missed the commotion in there."

            "What happened?" They both shriek with excitement.