The Mate Keeper : Everlee's Beginning

Chapter 18 - Ellis

When Ethan and Evan come back in the morning they find us all sitting around the table waiting for them. "What are you guys doing in here? I thought some of you would be sleeping in." Ethan says. "Well some of us had a hard time sleeping." Dom says crossing his arms. "Awe were you worried about us big guy?" Evan teases him, ruffling up his hair. I spent all morning trying to figure out the best way to ask these guys about their sister yet here I go just spitting it out. "Is Ever a keeper?" I watch as both men freeze, turn to look at each other, then look at me. "Why would you ask us that?" They say at the same time. "That wasn't a no." Ryder observes. "It wasn't a yes either." Ethan growls out. "Ellis, we told you, we promised her we wouldn't tell a soul what her gift was. Don't make us break our promise to our sister." Evan pleads.

"It's just after everything we have observed with Ever, it makes the most logical sense. We won't tell her we know, we just want to know so we can help protect her." I tell them hoping they understand. Ryder stands up and walks in front of Ethan putting his hands on his shoulders and looking him in the eye. "You guys know you can trust us with anything. We may not be Stoneridge pack, but I like to think that we are as close as brothers can be while in different packs." I see the war in Ethan's eyes. When he looks at Evan and Ev nods back I think we might have our answer. "I will not answer your question, but it's not because we don't trust you. We lost Ever once before, and it killed us. Every time she pushed us farther and farther away, it felt like she was tearing little pieces of us from our soul. We won't break our promise to her. Please understand that." We were all very quiet for a while before any one spoke again. "We can-" "accept that." Dom said with Devin finishing. Immediately Ryder and I agreed. I had a feeling we were right, but I respected the fact that they were sticking up for their sister. "We are going to protect her as if she was in as much danger as a keeper, whether she is one or not." Ryder tells Ethan, and the look of relief on his face makes me think I am right. Ever is a keeper and she is in danger. "Thanks bro." Ethan and Evan say at the same time.

"Okay now that, that is out of the way. The girls are coming over for a barbeque later to celebrate it being our last week of school for this semester and finally being done with finals. Ryder will you man the grill? You are the best at grilling out of all of us." Evan says and Ryder nods his head yes. "We are going to the store to pick up the meat and anything else we need." Ethan says. "You are going to need to get some of those premade side dishes. I don't think the girls will want just meat." "Great thinking Ellis. Anyone else think of anything?" Evan says. "Get some tequila. I like drunk Ever." Devin says wiggling his eyebrows. "Um, no. Anything else?" Ethan says giving Devin a hard look. "Buy a bunch of fruit. I can manage to make a fruit salad." I tell them since its the easiest thing to make. "Okay be back soon." They say at the same time as they walk to the door. We wave them off and turn back to face each other.

"I am going to say from that conversation we are right about Ever." I tell them. "Kind of makes you want to touch her now." Dominick says. I guess I could see why he would say that, but what if Ever wasn't mine and she saw me with someone like Catrina. I shudder. I decide to tease him. "What if she touches you Dom and your mate is someone like Catrina." The look of horror on his face makes the rest of us burst out laughing. "God I hope not." He finally manages to get out. "I am going to take my cues from Ever and let her touch me when she is ready." Devin says and the rest of us agree. That is probably the best idea after all. "Let's get this house cleaned up and ready for the girls to come over." Ryder demands as he walks out of the room to the kitchen. I head to the living room and cringe at the mess. I guess we have been slacking on the cleaning department. "I got the living room!" I yell out as I start picking up empty beer bottles. When my arms are full of beer bottles, I walk into the kitchen to put them in the bin and find Ryder cleaning the kitchen. "Where did the twins go?" I ask him. "I sent them to clean the down stairs bathroom and the upstairs bathroom." He says with a chuckle. "I am sure they loved that." I tell him with a smile just as I hear Dom yell from the downstairs bathroom, "Doesn't anyone in this house know how to aim?" Laughing I grab a garbage bag and go back to cleaning the living room. It takes most of the day for us to clean the house. After the living room I head upstairs to my room to clean that up. Not that I am being presumptuous, but maybe Ethan and Evan might give a tour of the house, and I don't really want anyone to think I am a slob. I know the Stone brothers really want Delilah to move in with us soon. They already asked the rest of us what we thought and there has been talk of the three of them moving into Ethan's room and trying to convince Ever to take Evan's room next semester.

After I finish cleaning my room I check to see if Devin is done cleaning the upstairs shared bathroom. There was only two rooms in this house with attached baths and since it is their house, both Ethan and Evan have them. Ethan has the downstairs one and Evan the upstairs one. The rest of us share the other bathrooms. If Ever did move into Evan's room, not only would she have her own bathroom, but she would be right next door to me. I smile at the thought of waking up to Everlee everyday, while I check if the bathroom is available. When I see the bathroom is free, I hurry inside to take a shower. After taking a quick shower to be considerate of the others, I wrap a towel around my waist, and head back into my room. I decide to dress a little nicer than usual and put on some nice khaki shorts and a button up t shirt that matches my eyes. I style my fohawk and look at myself in the mirror. "Not bad." I tell my reflection. I head down stairs to find Ethan, Evan, and Ryder in the kitchen. Ryder is dressed in some nice cargo shorts and a black shirt and he is putting the fruit on the counter next to a bowl for me. "Thanks. I will get this salad done."

"We are going to go get the girls." Ethan and Evan tell us, before leaving out the front door. Shortly after they leave the Thompson twins walk in. Both Dom and Dev are dressed in nice clothes just like Ryder and I. I smile because I know its all because Ever has us wrapped around her finger. I grab a knife and cutting board and start cutting up all the fruit. Throwing it into the bowl when its sliced. As I am busy making the salad, the twins and Ryder go out back to get the grill fired up. After I finish up the salad I clean up the mess I made before placing it in the fridge and grabbing four beers. Taking the four beer outside I join the other guys. I pass out the beers before settling into a patio chair and getting comfy. It feels nice to just relax after cleaning all day. It is going to be nice to have some nice relaxing time with the people who have come to mean as much to me as my own family does.