I get out of my truck and glance over my shoulder towards Ellie’s yard. She’s walking down the sidewalk quickly, head down, blond hair falling around her shoulders and covering most of her face. I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I’d take a wild guess and say she’s crying. She turns and rushes up the front path, swiping at her face, small fists clenched.

Yep.

Crying.

I should leave it be and walk inside the house, not going anywhere near her, but curiosity has me turning in her direction and calling out to her. At the sound of my voice, she pauses, but doesn’t look up. She does keep her fists clenched. I walk over, boots crunching on the ground as I near. When I reach her, she doesn’t look up.

“How come you’re cryin’, Ellie?”

“I’m fine, I’m busy so...”

“Look at me.”

She hesitates, keeping her head down.

I don’t take no for an answer, and hook my finger under her jaw, tipping her head back. She looks up at me, and my chest clenches with rage at the sight of her bruising eye. Somebody hit her. Somebody raised a fist to this tiny, beautiful creature and hurt her. How in the fuck could anyone ever hurt her? Look at her? She’s a fucking doll.

“Who did this?” I growl.

“It’s nothing, please let me go.”

“I’ll follow you around until you fuckin’ tell me what happened, so, start talking.”

She jerks her head from my grips, and I see a slither of that feisty nature she keeps locked away inside.

“It was just a silly argument at school.”

“A black eye ain’t a silly argument, darlin’.”

My kind comment seems to catch of guard and she stares at me for a moment, blinks a few times and then says, “There’s this girl at school. She doesn’t like me. That’s all.”

“Gotta be more than just not likin’ you, honey. Nobody likes anyone in high school, only a special few end up lookin’ like you look right now. So, you can either tell me the truth, or I can ask Damon and get him involved...”

Her eyes widen. “Please don’t do that. I don’t want...”

“Then speak.”

“You’re an awful human being, Slater Knight,” she huffs, and I can’t help it, I break out in a big fuckin’ grin.

“Never said I was nice.”

She pouts, and fucked if it isn’t the cutest damned thing I’ve ever seen in my life.

“Okay,” she exhales, running her dainty fingers through her hair. “There’s this girl, and she has it in for Damon because he wouldn’t go out with her. She’s like, the most popular girl in school, so I guess she’s not used to hearing no. She is obsessed with him, even a little obsessed with Finn, but I don’t think she’d admit that. So the fact that he doesn’t notice her must sting, a lot. And so she has it out for me, because he likes me, and we’re friends. Anyway, she said something to me today, and, well, I guess I didn’t like it.”

“What’d she say?”

She looks sheepishly at me, and then murmurs, “She was going on about your family, saying things about your dad and how she was the one who rejected Damon and not the other way around, because his father is an alcoholic and it’s really embarrassing to be seen with Damon because of him.”

My blood boils, but I don’t say anything, I just nod at her, encouraging her to go on.

“So, I told her that she’s only saying those things because she has her panties in a twist because he won’t go out with her. I also may have said if she toned down on the make-up and maybe worked on her attitude, men might notice her more, because nobody likes fake bitches.”

I wheeze, I can’t help it. It comes out before I can do anything to stop it. Hearing the word bitches come from Ellie’s mouth, is like hearing fuck come from a toddler, so incredibly foreign, and yet so hilariously funny. She’s so pure, so damned sweet, it just doesn’t seem like a word she’d use often.

“You called her a fake bitch?”

“Not directly,” she says quickly. “I said nobody likes fake bitches...you know...in general.”

My mouth tugs up in a half smile, and her face lightens, just a little.

“So she hit you?”

Ellie nods. “And she told me later, if I ever say anything to her again, she’ll come after me. I’ve never been hit in my life before, not once. Not even in all the foster homes I’ve lived in, so, I guess it threw me. And also...”

“What?” I demand.

“Well, when I was walking home, she drove past with her friends and they were hollering abuse at me. She even swerved the car, like she was going to hit me. That kind of scared me.”

Sounds like the bitch is insane.

“I’ll have a word to Damon, make him go with you to and from school. Sounds like this woman has lost her mind. Did you report her?”

“Firstly,” Ellie says quickly, throwing up her hands. “I know you’re older than me, Slater Knight, but have you honestly forgotten what high school is like? I’ll be slaughtered if Damon starts walking me to school, that’ll be like throwing gas all over the fire. And secondly, no I did not report her, because that will also make it worse.”

She makes a point.

But I also know bullies shouldn’t be tolerated.

“I hear you,” I mutter. “Okay, fine, I’ll take you to school and pick you up.”

She blinks. “Pardon me?”

“You think they’ll say anything with me around? Doubtful. And if they do, I’ll stride right in there and put that little bitch back in her place.”

Ellie stammers. “N-n-n-n-no, it’s okay. I’m fine.”

“It’s me or Damon, Ellie, you choose. But either way, I promise you someone is going to be coming with you.”

She mutters something under her breath, and then sighs, “Okay, you can give me a ride.”

“Great, I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” I turn and start striding back towards my house, but I stop before I reach the yard and turn, “Oh and Ellie?”

She blinks at me.

“No matter what you might think, being the kind of girl you are, is so much better than being the kind of girls they are. Never let anyone tell you that you’re not fuckin’ perfect. Softness is beauty, remember that.”

She stares at me, then smiles, “I already know that, Slater Knight. But I’m glad you think I’m beautiful.”

And with that, she disappears into the house.

And leaves me stuck for words once more.