Chapter 347 Shots Fired
Ella
The silence of my apartment was a loud contrast to the charged atmosphere in the car ride home.
Logan’s proposition still lingered in my mind, accompanied by an unwavering feeling of dread.
Soon, Logan might have to meet my parents. This wasn’t what I wanted. This wasn’t what I had planned. And inside of me, all the while, Ema roiled with anger because I had pushed Logan away.
She didn’t understand, couldn’t fathom why I had repelled Logan, our fated mate, when the connection, the want, was so palpable, so magnetic between us.
“Why, Ella?” Ema’s voice was barely more than a whisper, like a warm summer breeze rustling through my thoughts. “The desire, the connection, it was all there. Why did you push him away?”
Sighing, I made my way toward the bathroom to take my makeup off.
The bathroom was my favorite room in my apartment in a strange way; the soft sage green tiles, the plants I kept hanging in the window, the scent of lavender, the old claw foot bathtub. On a whim, I decided to turn on the faucet and run a hot bath. The steam began to fill the small room, filling me with a sense of calm at the same time.
“It’s not that simple, Ema,” I muttered out loud, my gaze fixed on the water as it began to swirl around the bottom of the tub.
“But it is,” she insisted, a hint of impatience coloring her words. “He is our mate, our destiny. He is trying, trying so hard to show us he is more than the life he was born into, that he wishes for escape, for redemption. Why can’t you see that?”
“I do see that, Ema. Trust me, I do.” I closed my eyes, a sigh escaping my lips. “Listen. You might be right, partially,” I conceded. “But you’re not seeing the whole picture, Ema. He might be struggling, but he is still intertwined with the darkness, with a world we can’t be a part of.”
Ema’s silence was thoughtful, probing. “But do you really believe that? Do you really believe that we belong only to the ‘right side’ as you call it, that we can’t walk in the shadows, at least for a time?”
I let out an exasperated sigh. The conversation was beginning to steer toward territory that I didn’t feel like delving into right now.
“I don’t want my parents to know about this… liaison with Logan, however fictitious it might be,” I said as I began to let my hair down in the mirror and wipe my makeup off. “I hoped to present him as a mere business acquaintance to my father, nothing more. But now, this ‘engagement party’ feels like… shackles.”
Ema was persistent, her words gentle yet relentless. “But are you truly shackled, Ella? You had multiple chances to flee, to escape this tangled web. Yet, here you are.”
I stared at the reflection in the bathroom mirror, the truth in Ema’s words wrapping around me like vines, “I stayed because of my integrity, Ema,” I murmured, but the words tasted like ash in my mouth. Deep within, buried beneath layers of denial and fear, was the acknowledgment of a different truth, a truth I wasn’t ready to embrace. “I had to maintain my honor, my principles.”
Inside of me, I could feel Ema preparing to speak. But before she could, a loud ring broke through the silence, causing her presence to fade.
With a start, I slipped my phone out and looked at the screen, quietly cursing under my breath as I saw Moana’s picture staring back at me.
I knew that she would get suspicious if I ignored the call, so, stepping out of the bathroom, I slid the button to answer. I was met moments later with Moana’s head of unruly red hair and her freckled face, which had aged only slightly over the years. Her green eyes still held the image of a young woman, with only the faintest wrinkles appearing on her fair face.
“Hey, Ella… Ooh!” she exclaimed, grinning as she saw my outfit. “All dressed up?”
I swallowed, realizing that I was still in my party dress. “I, erm… Went out,” I said, which wasn’t a complete lie.
“You sound different, Ella,” she noted with a teasing lilt in her voice. “There’s a certain glow in your voice, and your cheeks are all rosy. I’m a mom, so I can tell. It was a date, wasn’t it?”
I could feel my cheeks indeed warming up, as I stammered, trying to dismiss her observations. “Mom, it’s just been a busy day, that’s all.”
“Oh, come on,” she pressed on, her voice dancing with amusement. “I’ve been your mother long enough to know when my little girl has found someone special. So, who is he?”
A deep sigh escaped my lips, my defenses crumbling. “Alright, fine,” I admitted, biting my lip. “I… I’ve met someone. His name’s Logan, and I… I want you to meet him.”
Moana’s eyes widened. A heavy silence settled on the other end of the line, filled with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
“Meet him?” My father’s voice finally broke through, coated with a hint of wariness. A moment later, he was snatching the phone away from Moana, and his face came into view.
It was just as I always remembered it: dark hair, sharp features, cool gray eyes. His hair had a salt-and-pepper look to it these days, and he had been sporting a bit of facial hair lately. He’d been wearing his glasses more, too: wire- rimmed and perfect for him.
“Ella, you’ve never been one to rush into things. What’s got you so eager for us to meet this man?”
The air around me felt denser as I hesitated, unsure how to frame the words. “We’re… engaged,” I mumbled quickly, half hoping they wouldn’t catch the lies in my tone.
I wasn’t even entirely sure why I confessed to all of this, when only a few minutes earlier I had been hemming and hawing over the idea. It just sort of slipped out.
“Engaged?” Both voices collided in shock. “Already?”
A mixture of embarrassment and defiance bubbled within me. “It was fast, I know,” responded a little too quickly, gripping the phone tighter. “But we’re fated mates. It just feels right, so why wait?”
Their silence was more contemplative this time, mixed with a tinge of happiness and concern. “Fated mates?” My mother whispered, her voice soft and thoughtful. “That’s rare, Ella… We definitely need to meet him.”
“But Ella,” my father added, the protective edge to his voice more pronounced, “it’s just… we want to be sure he’s the right one for you.”
I opened my mouth to respond when the sudden sound of gunshots echoed from down the street. It was an all too common symphony in my neighborhood, a chilling reminder of the stark realities of the world around me.
My heart sank as my parents, attuned to every nuance in my environment, picked up on the disturbance.
“What was that, Ella?” My father’s voice was sharp, alarmed. “Are you okay?”
Panic and worry were evident in their tones, and a swarm of questions followed.
“Are you safe, honey?” Moana asked, her green eyes filled with worry. “Oh, Edrick, I told you that city has gotten worse…”
“Ella,” my father said, his eyes narrowing, “if you’re unsafe there, you need to tell us. Don’t keep this from us.”
My words tumbled out in hurried reassurance, trying to quell their rising fears. “It’s nothing, just some fireworks,” I lied, praying they would believe me.
“But Ella-” my mother began, concern lacing her every word.
“Really, Mom, Dad, I’m fine.” I insisted, hoping my voice sounded more convincing than I felt. “There’s nothing to worry about.”
Reluctantly, they seemed to accept my explanation, but the worry lingered, a shadow behind their words as we continued our conversation.
But then came the subject of when they would meet Logan… and where.
“Maybe we should come there,” Moana said, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Or you two could come here. You know your room is always ready for you, Ella.”
I swallowed. In the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of the tub almost full, and took it as my opportunity to get out.
“We’ll talk later,” I said, forcing a weak smile. “Love you guys.”
Before they could even answer, I quickly hung up and let out a deep, exasperated sigh
Did I really want to invite my parents to this city?
