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CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
"He did not throw your condition in your face like that!" Sydney exclaimed loudly as Ellie had informed the blonde of the recent events and first fight in her and Jasper's relationship.
"Yep, he did. He apologised after the fight was over, but even then it still hurt. I know that things can get thrown out in the heat of an argument, things you would definitely regret later on and wouldn't say despite all the pressure. But. . . Ahhhh." Ellie screamed in her pillow, all her pent-up emotions plummeting into the pillow.
"It's definitely a low blow once that I almost want to punch him for. . ." Sydney started, pushing her close fist into the air.
"Yeah, let's not do that," Ellie added, pulling Sydney's fist back down.
"I don't even get the whole big deal about Seattle. Sure there's a whole heap of killings and stuff but that only happens if you are out late and alone, two things that you've already promised you won't be."
"Exactly, and I tried to explain that to Jasper but he wasn't having any of it." Ellie continued. "All I'm doing is looking at a few colleges and catching up with my brother for two days, that's it."
"As cute it is that he's so protective over you, you two haven't even been dating that long," Sydney added.
"Yeah, but we've been friends a lot longer."
"Yeah, before they all disappeared overnight last fall." Sydney mused. "Why did that happen again?"
Ellie hated keeping things from her best friend but as her life slowly became more and more entangled in the supernatural, it was becoming impossible. At the end of the day everything that Ellie had learned and experienced, she wasn't even supposed to know in the first place. Fate had thrown her to the wolves, literally and figuratively, forcing to her stop living as an ignorant human who was completely unaware of the supernatural that lived among them. She was stuck, the Volturi had made that abundantly clear. Keep their secret and eventually be turned or be killed, they were her only two choices. But as always, Ellie's own wishes always made things a lot more complicated for her second family.
"Yeah, still not really sure." Ellie returned.
"You of all people?" Sydney questioned. "No one's closer to the Cullens that you and Bella are."
"Indeed, but hey some secrets don't need to be told, right?" Ellie returned, feeling exhaustion crash over her once more, an episode quickly on its way once more.
"Right," Sydney repeated, watching her friend experience the start of an episode like she had hundreds of times before. "It's all good, El. I'm just going to have a read of this book here." Sydney reassured as Ellie drifted into the episode.
The sound of the door opening and shutting woke Ellie up with a start, as she looked over to Sydney who was lying on the bed beside her, the latest book on Ellie's bedside table as only a few pages finished.
"Not too bad of a book," Sydney started, noticing her awake friend. "I might borrow this if that's okay?"
"Yeah, all good. I wasn't reading it anyway, just makes me look busier than I am, plus it fits in well with the decor." Ellie finished. "Who just arrived?"
"I'm not sure," Sydney answered. "But it's probably just your Mum."
"Did you seriously potentially let someone whose identity you aren't 100% sure of into my house?" Ellie joked, the answer both she and Sydney had been searching for soon called up to them.
"Ellie?" Allison Hadley's voice called shakily. "Can you please come down here?"
"Sydney is here as well, Mum," Ellie called back, concern immediately creasing her eyebrows at the tone in her Mum's voice. "Is it okay if she comes down as well?"
"Yeah, it's fine," Allison called back.
Ellie shared a brief look of concern with Sydney who had also picked up the wavering strength in Allison's voice before the two of them began their descent downstairs. The sight of her Mum with shaking hands wipe a stray tear from her face sending Ellie rushing forward in concern.
"Mum? What's wrong?" Ellie asked, only to receive silence, the brunette stepping forward to place a hand on her Mum's shoulder. "Mum? Please tell me what's happened?"
"It's Elijah." Allison eventually croaked out, Sydney walking over to the kitchen cupboards to get her a glass of water. "Thanks," Allison muttered, bringing the glass to her lips.
"What has happened to Elijah?" Ellie interrogated, her voice slowly increasing in pitch. "Tell me!"
"He's been in a car crash, Ellie." Allison quietly informed. "I don't know much but the hospital just called me, he's gone into surgery. They'll call back soon with more information."
"Oh my god," Ellie muttered, crashing into the kitchen island, her fingers gripping tightly onto it for support. "Oh my god."
Sydney was left to do nothing but watch as Ellie took in the news herself, her face turning pale as tears ran down her face.
"Well, call them back!" Ellie shouted, her emotions bubbling over.
"I can't, El. We've just got to wait, okay?"
"Wait? I can't do that. He's going to be seriously hurt, Mum. I can't lose him, not again."
"Ellie, I need you to calm down for a second, okay?" Allison asked her own fears and worries forgotten as she watched her daughter accept the news. The same thought running through both Sydney and Allison's minds.
"I can't. . . I." Ellie trailed off, her thoughts running mad. "Can you please just call them back?"
"El I can't." Allison returned, pulling her daughter into a hug. "He's going to be alright, baby. I'm sure of it, he's in the best possible care." Allison assured, just as much to herself than to her daughter.
"What can I do, Ellie?" Sydney asked, sitting in front of Ellie's crouched form.
"Nothing," Ellie muttered, and if fate and luck themselves had collided in the Hadley kitchen, the familiar ring of Allison's phone rang out through the kitchen.
"Yes? Allison Hadley speaking." Allison started, standing up from her daughter and her daughter's best friend in an instant. The tension in the room was tangible as both Ellie and Sydney waited with bated breath for any indication of good or bad news. "He's going to be alright, Ellie. Expected to make a full recovery." Allison breathed out in relief, looking down at her daughter.
The despair and stress then the overwhelming joy that her brother was going to be okay was too much for Ellie to handle, nothing stopping her as she fell into the cataplexy attack, Sydney just catching her head before it smashed onto the tiled floor of the kitchen.
