Chapter 67

Reece

It’s late into the night and I’m still wide awake from the day before. After texting Ella in regard to Caleb’s race, was I hoping that I’d be able to sleep. Apparently not since she and Caleb weren’t due home until later that night.

Ella having texted us once Caleb had finished his race. Ella wanting to let us know that Caleb had won right before going to bed. Aware that she and Caleb both had a late flight coming home.

“Ella…”

Groaning, I move to roll over. A piece of me hoping that sleep would just take me. But without Ella and Caleb both present and within the house I knew Dylan and I would have trouble sleeping.

Sighing, I move to grab my phone. My eyes now catching the time. 3:30 am. Great. At this rate I’d be dead on my feet before I even got to work. Thankfully though, I’m the CEO of my own company and thus able to set my own schedule, so if I didn’t feel like going in I could just work from home.

Sighing again, I move to think about my earlier conversation with Caleb and Dylan. Each of us secretly planning out Ella’s birthday. Her birthday officially 3 days away. Our Princess officially turning 18 and with that she’d officially become a young woman. Our woman. The one we would spend the rest of our lives cherishing. My mind now wondering back to our private conversation.

~Flashback (Earlier that Day)~

“So… any clue as to what we’re going to do for Ella’s party?” asks Dylan as he and I sat talking to Caleb over the phone via Skype. Ella currently off in the shower while getting ready for bed.

“I was thinking of a ball. To celebrate her becoming an adult. A coming out party of sorts, but instead of a an actual coming out party it be more like introducing her to the world as our woman” I explain. Hoping that they would both catch on to what I was saying.

“Well that sounds fun and all but who are we inviting?” asks Caleb, his eyes occasionally darting from the phone to the bathroom and back, always making sure that Ella couldn’t hear us as we spoke.

“Well Kris obviously since she’s Ella’s best friend. I then suppose we could invite close colleagues and whatever family we had left. I mean, not like there are many. The only ones still around I think from dad’s side of the family is Uncle Tom and Aunt Alisha” admits Dylan, the three of us now stumped on who we would invite to Ella’s party.

“Which means we have to be careful with how we approach things with Ella going forward. Because Uncle Tom and Aunt Alisha both know Ella from when she was little. And because of that I doubt either have forgotten her since then” I admit, a piece of me now rethinking the whole party.

The three of us now needing to be extra careful when it came down to Ella, because until Nicholas was finally stopped he would forever be after our girl and whatever it was that he wanted from dad.

“Exactly” whispers Caleb just as the sound of Ella’s voice moves to reach out.

“Hey Caleb?”

“Yeah baby girl?”

“Is Reece and Dylan still on the phone?”

Chuckling in amusement does Caleb move to answer her back. “Yes Princess. They’re still here waiting on you before going to bed” answers Caleb. Dylan and I both laughing just as Ella moves to take the phone away from Caleb.

“You go shower. You stink” ushers Ella, her nose playfully scrunched up which causes Caleb to laugh in return.

“All right Princess, I’ll go shower”

“Good, see that you do”

Once gone from the room does Ella move to turn her focus back over to us. “Hey Reece?” calls Ella, my eyes now looking to her through the phone.

“Yes baby girl?”

“When’s your masquerade ball?”

“In 2 days”

“2 days?”

“Yes, don’t worry though, you’ll be home long before it starts”

Shaking her head does Ella attempt to try again. “That’s not my concern. It’s just… the ball is 2 days before my birthday that’s all.”

“We know. Don’t worry, we still have something amazing planned for you” explains Dylan. Both of us hoping to ease her fear for while it was true that my masquerade ball did land 2 days before her birthday didn’t mean that my brothers and I weren’t completely prepared to make her big day special.

In fact, her birthday would be so special it’ll be the talk of the town. A smile now rising as I’m suddenly pulled from my thoughts by a ping. My eyes now locked upon my phone. A text from Ella now showing up.

Frowning, I move to grab my phone yet again before moving into a sitting position. The need to know what she sent me now rising along with concern. Ella always our top concern. Quick to unlock my phone do I move to open the message from Ella. My eyes scanning over the contents within.

Ella: Reece… I’m sorry if I woke you up, but I’m scared and didn’t know who else to talk to

Glancing towards my clock I now realize that it’s almost 4 in the morning which meant that I had been daydreaming about Ella’s birthday for the past 30 minutes. Concern now rising as I move to text her back.

Me: What’s wrong baby girl? Where’s Caleb?

Hitting send do I quickly notice that Ella had read the message. The little dots appearing at the bottom of the screen which meant she was now replying back to me.

Ella: Sleeping. I tried waking him up, but he wouldn’t budge. I’m sorry if I woke you. It’s just.. I had a really bad dream and didn’t know what else to do. I forgot my bear. Please don’t be mad with me.

Upon reading those words do I instantly frown. For while I truly did love Caleb he was also one of those people that when exhausted could sleep like a log. My mind now quick to call her instead of texting her.

The phone ringing less than twice before a soft voice moved to appear over the phone. “Hello?” my own voice quick to reply back.

“Listen carefully Stellina. Never be sorry for anything. That includes having bad dreams. Now, promise me you’ll not worry yourself about waking me as I would gladly give up sleep if it was for you.”

Catching a small sniffle along with a tiny chuckle do I begin to wonder if she had been crying before I called her. “Stellina, were you crying?”

“Yes”

“Where are you?”

“The bathroom. I didn’t want to wake up Caleb”

“Stellina… what did I just say. Don’t worry about waking either of us up. We’d gladly wake up for you. Now then, care to talk about your bad dream?”

Hesitating slowly, I move to wait for her to reply back, a small piece of me wondering if she’ll admit what happened. Her soft voice soon speaking over the phone once more.

“I had a dream where you, Caleb and Dylan were all dead. Just like mom and dad. And standing over your dead bodies was none other than Nicholas.”

At the mention of Nicholas do I bite back a growl. That man was now invading Ella’s mind which began to worry me. It should be them that invaded her dreams at night, not some crazy man she’s never met before.

My mind already planning out ways to eliminate the problem without getting my own self into trouble with the law because after all, Ella needed each of us not just one of us.