Burn // NH

19. Fine is Not Good

I started to laugh, rolling to the side as Ellison whipped her shirt back on and tugged her messy hair over the collar. "Hold on." She sighed and shook her head in slight embarrassment as she stood, opening her door to allow a thin stream of light to be shone through the crack.

There was a bit of the commotion in the kitchen before I heard Ellison whisper rather loudly to who I assume was one of her sisters. "What are you doing?! You're going to wake everyone up." She scolded as the alarm finally stopped beeping.

"I know," a girlish voice giggled. "Tins burnt the popcorn."

"Yeah, I can tell." There was more commotion as a few things were being open and closed. I started to question if this was what it was really like growing up with siblings. I mean, I grew up with Greg for a couple years, but he was out before any kind of deep relationship formed and after that, we didn't really get along and even struggle today.

"Sorry for ruining your sex or whatever you were doing." Ellison gasped and even from in the room I began to laugh. "C'mon, Ellie, our room backs right up to your's. You don't think we can hear you?" There was a bit of hushed mumbling before, who I assume was Evelyn, continued as she began to make a mocking moaning sound and Ellison was quick to cover the noise with a fake cough.

"Shut the fuck up, Ev. Don't wake mom. Now, go to bed." The room was suddenly filled with darkness again. Ellison walked in not even a moment longer and although the room was once more filled with colorless air, I could see the bashful look expressed in Ellison's eyes as she trudged over to the bed with a hand pressed to her cheek and an embarrassed smile on her lips. "Oh my goodness." El shook her head.

I smiled and reached out my arms, pulling her down onto the bed. "It's okay." I chuckled. "Just come lay down."

"I'm sorry, if-"

"Oh, Niall.." Another mocking moan was expressed between the crack of the door causing Ellison to lash out at her sister.

"Evelyn!" Little girly giggles echoed through the hallway and I just smiled as Ellison laid down and rolled into my chest, hiding her face.

"I'm sorry." She muffled against my heated skin. My chest rumbled with a chuckle before I pressed a kiss to her head.

"Maybe your childhood bedroom in your family home wasn't the best place to do that." I whispered.

"Yeah, guess not." Ellison laughed quietly.

The silence that followed after was deafening. However, a few minutes later, it was suddenly shattered by the sharp ends of Ellison's words. "Are you good?"

"Huh?" It took me a minute to register what she was talking about before I suddenly got the hint. "Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine. Are uh- are you?"

"Yeah." Ellison glanced up, her eyes gleaming under the grey shadows of the walls. "Thank you for coming here."

"You're welcome."

"Can I ask you something? It's just been on my mind."

Pulling my hands up to tuck under my head, I glanced down to see her small fingers toying with the hair on my chest. "Hmm?"

"Why would you pay so much for my stupid decision?"

I thought about her question for a few minutes. I remembered her telling me that the dance studio situation was far too complex to explain her actions. And the look on her face the day that I picked her up from the courthouse signaled that there was definitely more to the story. But, me paying to have her charges dropped... it just felt like the right thing to do, I guess.