“What do you think?” Abigail held up a pair of jeans with studded embellishment, they were really her aunt with all her western flare for fashion.
“Nice.” Ella breathed, only half with it, thinking somewhere in this three hour excursion to town that she had to find a moment to tell Abigail that she wanted to go to the University of Maine, and that she hoped her aunt would help tell Colten.
“Mm.” Abigail studied the jeans, “Alright, I'll get them.”
Ella looked to her left at the headstalls in the tack shop, reaching out to touch one, “So, Abi...”
“Are you hungry?” Abigail walked towards at the front of the shop to pay.
“I guess.” Ella trailed behind.
“We'll go get lunch.” Abigail perked, putting the jeans to the pile of other items she was purchasing.
“Are you sure you don't want that shirt?” Abigail asked her as the woman started to ring through everything.
“Yeah, I'm good.”
Her aunt liked to buy clothes and Colten let her, Colten let Abigail do whatever she wanted and he never even balked against anything she asked for either, which meant for Ella, it was crucial to get her aunt's approval so Colten might sway. She also knew there might have needed to be a large bout of luck thrown in as well.
“Where do you want to go for lunch?” Abigail handed over her credit card, shifting through her leather purse in the mean-time.
“I don't really care.” Ella answered.
“Well, I vote the Diner.”
“Okay.” Ella waited, it wasn't like there were many choices when it came to where to eat in Silvertun anyway. She wondered if in Maine, her options would be greater and more diverse.
Abigail grabbed her two large bags and they headed out towards the white pickup truck. The thing was a beast, had all the options, and once again her uncle hadn't hesitated in giving Abigail the best truck available.
They got in and Ella waited as they drove the short distance to the diner. Inside the restaurant was dim but air conditioned and they found a booth out of the sun to stay cooler.
“Jeez, it's getting hot outside.” Abigail smiled at her.
“Yeah.” Ella picked up the menu.
“Are you having fun?”
Looking up to her bubbly aunt, she paused, “Yeah.”
“Good, I feel so bad for the past few days, Ella. I hoped we can all get back on smoother ground.”
Ella winced, “Abi, I...”
A waitress appeared at their side, cutting into Ella's words, “Hello, can I get you anything to drink?”
“Water, please.” Abigail smiled at her.
Ella ordered a coke and the woman walked away.
“What were you saying?” Abigail asked, not glancing at her menu.
“I was-” Ella didn't know how to even start the conversation, “I was looking at schools.”
“Oh, that's good, Ella, Colten will be so happy.”
Ella refrained from wanting to beat her head to the table, “Y-yeah. I actually applied to one in the spring and I got in, I was going to use my scholarship to go.”
“Oh my goodness!” Abigail was excited and Ella was afraid the whole thing was about to get really awkward.
“Yeah, but I need the rest of the tuition...”
“That's fine.” Abigail nodded, “Which school?”
Blinking, Ella tried to form the words, “Well, it's-”
Abigail waited.
“Uh.”
Her aunt smiled, “Ella?”
“The... University of Maine?” She got out in a quick voice.
Abigail stopped and stared at her, “What?”
She'd never heard Abigail's voice dead pan the way it just had and that cemented in her mind, that she was not happy.
“Ella. No.” Abigail shook her head, “You can't go to Maine. I mean, we are talking about Maine, as in the state, right?”
Ella nodded, “Yeah, the state.”
“Colten won't let you go that far.”
“But this doesn’t have anything to do with Colten, this is what I want.” Ella argued.
Abigail stared at her, “Ella, Forenone. You can't go that far.”
“I don't care. That's where I want to go.”
They stared at each other, the tension between them fuzzing, Ella was sure her aunt was in shock.
“Ella, don't you care about Forenone?” She breathed, like it was the worst possible thing Ella could have said, like she was disgracing and writing everyone off in one split moment.
“Yeah, but-”
Abigail was stunned and Ella wasn't sure if she'd ever witnessed this frozen image of her aunt before.
“Abigail, didn't you like – get to go do things before you – like before you and...”
“But I stayed in Texas.” Abigail finished her thought, “I was in Texas.”
“But you still got to be free.”
“You're not in a cage.” Abigail pointed out, “We've offered a lot of options, Ella. Maine is very far away.”
“But it's where I want to go. It sounds cool.”
Abigail blinked, “Ella, Colten isn't going to agree to let you go because it sounds cool.”
“I know but-” Ella sighed, “Please, Abi, I promise I won't screw anything up more, I won't.”
“You don't screw things up, Ella.” Abigail's voice broke, “Honey, you don't.”
Ella held her tears, “Yes, I do. Colten hates me.”
“Colten doesn’t hate you.” Abigail breathed, her emotion getting her too, “Ella, he loves you-”
“No, he just wants me to stay here because I'm suppose to inherit Forenone and it's too much responsibility, I don't understand why I can't go to Maine!”
Her aunt's shoulders dropped, “Ella-”
“No one had wrote out your destiny at seventeen, Abi. I don't think it's fair. I should be allowed to go to whatever school I want. And I got into Maine and it's like a really good school!”
Abigail sighed, falling silent, looking to her hands and Ella saw her thinking, actually maybe entertaining the idea behind her going to the University of Maine.
“Ella, you're-”
Ella waited for Abigail to continue to speak.
“You're a very smart girl, you have a really high GPA, everything you do, you do well. I understand Colten expects you to always do well, but going to Maine-” Abigail looked to her, watching her crumble, and then her aunt's previous words seemed to fail her, “I guess, you can try to ask him.”
“Can't you help me, Abi?” Ella begged, “Please?”
Abigail tensed as Ella reached out and grabbed her hand, “I'll help you.”
“Thank you!” Ella squeezed her hand.
“But-” Abigail laid it out, “Only because, I know you'll leave on your own and it would kill me to not know where you are. Even if you don't believe me, it would kill Colten too.”
Her aunt's words sliced into her core and she knew Abigail was right, however, it still hurt her that Abigail knew the truth; that she would leave either way.
#
Ella headed to the back of the barn, knowing she'd find Brant somewhere and hearing him talking to a horse once she neared him, didn't surprise her.
“Hey!” She popped her head into the slightly open stall.
Brant put the horses foot down and turned to her, “Hey, where you been?”
She skipped his question, “I told Abi.”
Brant paused, in his normal, I'm-so-confused-Daniella-Turner way.
“About Maine.” She whispered, stepping inside the stall.
“Oh.” Brant nodded and went back to the horse's feet, “How'd it go?”
Ella shrugged, “Point is, she's gonna help me with Colten.”
Brant chuckled, “Well, I wish you all the luck, Daisy.”
Not too impressed with his answer, she leaned against the wood wall, watching him, “What are you doing?”
“She's lame, I'm trying to figure out where or why...”
She paused, “Alright, so, aren’t you excited?”
Brant turned back around to her, “About?”
“Maine.” She smiled.
Brant winced, “If you want it straight, Ella, I don't think you should go.”
Ella stared at him, “What do you mean?”
“I don't think you should push Colten like that. I'm mean, look what he does for you.” Brant opened the stall door and walked out past her.
“Brant.” Ella smiled, following him, “You never said-”
“I didn't think you were really serious, but I guess you are, if you convinced Abi into helping you. And that's just wrong, Abigail is too sweet to say no to anyone ever, and you're just using that.”
“Hey!” She scolded him as he walked towards the feed room, “You told me the other day, I should be nicer if I wanted the rest of the tuition so, I'm being nicer!”
Brant didn't stop though.
“Brant!” She watched him start looking for something.
“What do you want me to say, Ella?” He grunted.
She wrinkled her nose, “You're being a judgemental turd.”
Brant shrugged.
Ella held back her want to hit him, “I'll go either way.”
Brant turned around to her, “That's the worse part, Ella. You're a lot luckier than most people I know and now you're going to hurt your family over it. The only family you got.”
“What's your problem?”
“Nothin'.” He walked past her, empty handed, “I'm just a ranch hand, Ella, what do I know?”
“Brant, we're friends. I don't get this.”
“I really thought you were joking, Ella.” Brant was hard on her, reminding her of her uncle and that bothered her.
“You're like really confusing me.” She shot at him.
He dusted off his hands as he started to walk away, “Yeah.”
“Whatever!” She ground her teeth, watching him disappear into the stall. She'd been excited to tell Brant about Abigail helping her go to Maine, but now all she felt was more frustration than before she'd asked Abigail to help her.
“Well, I'll show him.”
She stormed out of the barn and headed for the house, where she burst in, walking to the kitchen and found Abigail, making supper.
“Abi.”
Her aunt looked up, “Hi.”
Ella huffed, “You don't have to help me ask Colten. I'll do it myself.”
Abigail turned to her, “I don't mind-”
“I'll do it.” She walked out of the kitchen. Brant had more than gotten to her and what was worse, is why and why she couldn't place his emotions. Brant generally made sense, so unless he was just in a bad mood, she didn't see his problem.
She shut her bedroom door and dropped to her bed, grabbing her pillow and feeling like she was preparing for death, after dinner, she'd do it. She'd sit down in the TV room with Colten and she'd just tell him that she was going to Maine. At least then, she wouldn't be giving him an option and finally, she'd just leave all the weird, crazy people that apparently surrounded her and wanted her to stay in Texas.
She heard her phone across the room buzz and got up to get it.
Trixie
What's up?
Ella flopped back in her bed, hitting reply.
Brant's lost it.
Trixie
Care you explain, Daisy?
Ella rolled her eyes.
That's not funny and he apparently doesn’t think I should go to Maine.
Trixie
Not any of cowboy's business, unless he wants you to be his business.
Ella paused, “What's that suppose to mean?”
What?
Trixie
I dunno. Just saying.
I don't know what that means? Ella hit send and waited for her friend to reply.
Trixie
Maybe Brant likes you?
Ew. Ella wrinkled her nose, typing more, That's not possible. He's like my brother.
Trixie
And he's human. But he is always protective of you. Even at the bon-fire, Brant hardly left your side.
I think you're over analyzing. Ella was sure her friend had lost it and it still didn't justify Brant's random need to tell her off.
Trixie
Okay, don't believe me.
Blah. She heard Abigail calling her from downstairs and sat up, Gotta go have supper. Talk later.
Trixie
Salute.
Ella smiled, chucking her phone down and leaving her room for the downstairs. She ate, Colten and Abigail doing most of the talking and after they finished their meal, she helped clean up the table. Abigail had given her a few uneasy glances but Ella tried not to pay attention.
“Will you take this to Colten?” Abigail held out an opened beer and Ella took it, nodding.
This was her chance and maybe Abigail was helping her out with it, because her aunt usually went to sit with Colten after dinner.
She walked into the TV room and over to the couch, where her uncle was reading a magazine, “Beer?”
Colten looked up and took it, “Thank you.”
Ella nodded and stepped back, looking to the coffee table, the blank television screen, the...
“Is there a problem?”
Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked to him again, “Not really.”
“So, there's a half problem?” He pried, looking disappointed.
“Not really.” She realized she'd just said the same thing twice, she hated how talking to Colten always came off like talking to an alpha. She wished he made it easier on her but he always seemed to know something was up.
“What's wrong, Ella?” He sounded exhausted all of a sudden.
“Nothing.” She perked, “I just... need to tell you something.”
Colten took a moment and leaned forward, dropping the magazine to the coffee table, “Say it.”
She swallowed, twisting her fingers around and around, “I got accepted to the University of Maine and I want to go.”
Colten stared at her, “University of what?”
“Maine.” She answered again.
“Maine?” He echoed, making sure he'd heard her or that's what she figured he was doing.
“Yeah.”
“The state?” It rolled off his tongue with his normal annoyance when things were told to him he didn't like.
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“The state of Maine?” His jaw tensed, “You want to go to university in Maine?”
“I got in.”
“You applied or... ?” Colten obviously was shooting in the dark for some explanation as to how this all made sense.
She shrugged, “I got that scholarship.”
He thought a moment, “That was for anywhere, not Maine.”
“I know but I applied and got in.”
“Why?” Colten snapped at her.
“Because I want to go.” She answered, in an obvious tone.
“Why?” He pressed.
“Because it looks... good.”
He started to laugh, and Ella let him, unsure what to say. After a longer bout of his amusement, it slipped him, “Well, I don't think that's very practical, pick somewhere else to go to university.”
She crossed her arms, “I want to go to Maine.”
Colten got serious fast and she saw it coming, “This makes no sense.”
“Does it have to?”
“Yes, Ella.” His voice clear and deep and she felt his new anger.
“Well, I want to go there so, I want to ask you for the rest of the tuition.”
“Forget it.” He answered without hesitation, “Not happening.”
“But-” Ella started.
“Give up the defiance, Daniella. It's getting old.”
“This isn't about that. I want to do my own thing.”
“You want to do your own thing?” He snapped, “What's that Ella, running away, like you usually try to do?”
“I just want to go there and it's actually a good school. Maybe if you knew how to use a computer, you'd be able to see that, before you judge it.”
“It's in Maine!” He shouted at her, losing it, “I don't think there's anything for me to judge, now...”
“I'm going. Even if you don't give me the tuition, I'll figure it out.”
He smiled, “Well, good luck with that. Really, good luck because all your aunt and I do, is make your life easy, so go, go to Maine but I'm not paying for it.”
“Colten.” Abigail walked into the television room.
Ella glanced at her, her tears enough to maybe spark some remorse in Abigail and she knew that.
Colten looked to his wife, “She wants to go to school in Maine.”
“I know.” Abigail said softly, “She told me earlier.”
“Oh, well, that's great.” He shot, “I hope you told her no.”
Abigail walked towards them, “She wants to go, she wants some time to do her own thing... I said maybe-”
Colten stood, “No. But it's nice to know you can con your aunt into anything, Ella.”
“Colten.” Abigail snapped, “That's not what happened.”
“I'm sure it's not what happened.” He snapped at his mate.
Daniella swallowed, seeing him mad at Abigail made her stomach turn, made Brant's earlier words hurt her more, “This has nothing to do with Abi.”
Colten looked to his niece, “Ella, I'm pretty disappointed, to say the least.”
“Well, at least it's not a new emotion for you.” She snapped.
“I'm really trying here, Ella.” He held his anger, “But you're making this all really hard on us. You're not going to Maine, why? Because you live here. So pick a university in Texas. That's it.”
“No!” Ella shouted, “I'm going to Maine.”
“No, you're not!” Colten argued back.
“I can do whatever I want.” Ella growled.
Colten shook his head, “Give it up.”
Ella's tears formed, “I'm going.”
“You need to grow up. You want us to let you do what you want all the time but you're just a brat, Ella, you're a brat!”
Abigail stepped into his side, “Colten, enough. That's horrible.”
“She doesn’t appreciate anything we do for her, so no it's not horrible, it's the truth and maybe, that's what you need, Daniella, you need the truth.”
Ella boiled, “I don't need you, don't worry.” She ran for the front door.
“Oh, I'm not worried!” He called after her.
“Ella!”
Abigail followed her outside but Ella was so upset, her body was likely to explode at any moment and that didn't mean in words, it meant her wolf.
“Ella, come inside, we can work this out...” Abigail trailed right her.
“No, leave me alone!” She cried.
“Ella, Colten's just upset.”
“He's always upset, if I make him so upset, why am I even here!” She shouted, stopping and crying into the open air, “Why did Chloe even save me... I wish she hadn't saved me!”
“Ella.” Abigail put her arms around her shoulders, “Sweetie, it's okay. I'll talk to him.”
“No!” She swung out of her aunt's arms, “Don't talk to him, just let him hate me.”
“He doesn’t hate you.” Abigail was almost in tears.
“Ella!” Colten was out of the house.
“Leave me alone!” She shouted at him.
“You need to stop this!” He was at his wife's side in no time and the nearness of him and the pressure Ella felt controlled her, made her lash out and when she did, she shifted into her wolf, teeth barred and growling.
Abigail threw her arms out as Ella jumped forward, her teeth and mouth wrapping her aunt's arm unexpectedly and than Abigail screamed as her bite snapped down.
Colten was quick and Ella's jaw was broken from her aunt's lacerated skin within seconds.
“Ella!” Colten shoved her to the ground, even in her wolf, she wasn't as strong as him.
She stared at Abigail as she held her bleeding arm, cradled around her chest. She'd bit her aunt, actually bit her sweet, caring aunt!
“You've done it now, Ella!” Colten shouted at her.
Ella backed down, crawling backwards on the gravel drive, away from her uncle, unsure if he would shift and beat her for hurting his mate.
She knew she'd done everything wrong in that moment, she even felt the hurt in her chest from it.
Abigail let out a sob and Colten's attention broke, he went to his wife's side and walked her towards the house, not looking back at Ella and slamming the door.