No One But Me

Chapter 8 - Back In My Arms

The group had radioed that they estimated they would be arriving back within two days. The day before their estimated return, you and Ellie had gathered in your kitchen to bake a welcome home cake for Joel. You were patient and encouraging as you taught Ellie the method of baking a simple honey cake, standing next to her and instructing her on creaming the butter and sugar, beating the eggs, and how to properly fold the flour.

Ellie proved to be a good student; she listened to you carefully and took her time measuring each ingredient and completing each step slowly. She was eager to learn and filled with fascination for the art of baking. When she insisted on staying in the kitchen to watch the cake rise in the oven, you laughed.

The smell of sugar and caramelised honey filled your cottage. At the end of the afternoon, together you had created a round golden brown honey cake topped with a thin layer of icing. With painstaking dedication Ellie had selected some pretty little flowers from your garden and arranged them in a circle ontop of the icing.  You both stood side by side in your small kitchen and admired the finished product.

"Thanks," Ellie said. "For teaching me this stuff."

"You're welcome. I'm sure he will love it. And now you know how to bake, you can do it yourself."

Ellie scoffed. "Nuh-huh, that's your department."

"I thought you liked baking," you elbowed her playfully.

"I do," Ellie confessed. "But I like the eating part more."

You shook your head and laughed. She grinned and tilted her head to rest on your shoulder in a rare gesture of affection.

"But really, thanks alot," she sighed. "I need to learn this stuff for when I move out."

You frowned and pulled away from her to search her face for any sign of jest. There was none but a contented little grin on her young face.

"What do you mean, move out?"

"I gotta be an adult and grow up sometime, right?" Ellie said with a little shrug. "Me and some of my friends wanna get our own place, and I'm not at home that much anymore anyway."

"Oh, Ellie," you breathed out quietly, your eyebrows pinched in worry. "Are you sure? Joel's going to be so sad without you."

You carefully reached out and swiped a finger over the dusting of flour that had gotten on her cheek during your baking session. She smirked and tilted her head to the side.

"He'll be fine. He has you now."

Your mouth dropped open in shock but you quickly composed yourself. "W-what? What do you mean, 'has has me'?"

Ellie rolled her eyes. "As if I didn't know you two were making out on the couch whenever I snuck out of the house."

You clamped your mouth shut in a tight line, cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Ellie cackled and threw her arm around your neck affectionately.

"Relax! I'm happy for you guys. Maybe Joel won't be such a grumpy asshole if you guys have a little privacy."

"Uhm," you stammered, "I, uh, we are just friends right now. I don't know what....I'm not sure what Joel wants. Please don't say anything to anyone about that....idea...right now. Okay?"

You loved Joel and wanted to be with him, but Ellie was always a point of concern. You and Joel had never wanted to involve her in your relationship, didn't want to burden her in any way lest she get hurt. You had been so careful to keep those clandestine night meetings secret but it wasn't realistic to assume Ellie could be too naive to know what was going on, atleast not for so long.