Blast From The Past II
Haden
I watched Ella’s face and instantly knew what she was thinking. I reached for her hand, drawing her gaze to me. I trailed a kiss along the back of her hand before pressing my lips to her cheek.
“I was a jerk, I know,” I admitted, gently lifting her chin to meet my eyes. She remained silent, simply watching me as I pecked her lips softly, letting my kiss linger.
“Jerk is an understatement,” Morgan interjected, prompting Ella to pull away with a subtle smirk. “Why were you so mad anyway, Haden?” Morgan asked, leaning forward with her arms resting on the table and her head tilted on folded wrists.
I sighed and shrugged.
“Brandon has always been annoying. He heard me tell Ella to save the last dance for me—and for some reason, he had to chime in. I confronted him the next day at soccer practice…”
“You did?” Ella said, her eyes widening in shock.
.
.
.
"Alright, boys, good job! Take a five-minute break and get some water," our coach called out.
I jogged over to my water bottle, unscrewed the cap, and chugged it down. The cool liquid eased the dryness in my throat as I set the bottle back down. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Brandon making his way over. He grabbed his water, taking a long sip before glancing at me.
"So, I saw you danced quite a bit with Joella last night," I started, keeping my tone casual.
He smirked, placing his bottle down and meeting my gaze.
"Yeah, it was fun."
I gave a slow nod.
"You like her or something?" I asked.
Brandon hesitated for a second before answering.
"Yeah, actually, I do."
My jaw tightened, but I nodded again, keeping my expression unreadable.
"What, do you like her?" Brandon asked, his lips curving into a slight smirk.
I let out a short laugh.
"Me? Like Joella? Come on, Brandon. If I wanted her, I could have her."
Brandon chuckled, shaking his head.
"I'm sure you could," he said, amusement dancing in his eyes. "But, she danced with me most of the night." He threw me a wink before turning and walking away.
"Haden, man, you made her cry," Micah said as we walked down the hall.
I shrugged, barely sparing him a glance. "Why are you still bringing this up?" I asked, irritation creeping into my tone.
"Because you were so cold to her. She looked around for you, Haden. Where were you anyway?"
"I went to the bathroom," I said flatly. "Doesn't matter if she looked for me. She already gave the dance to Brandon. I don’t come second to anyone."
Micah rolled his eyes. "Yeah, okay..." was all he said.
We walked in silence until Ella’s locker came into view. She had just grabbed her books, shutting the door with a soft click. When her eyes landed on me, she froze. I met her gaze but kept my expression unreadable.
"Hi," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. If I hadn’t been paying such close attention, I would have missed it. The meekness in her tone, paired with the uncertain look in her eyes, only made my jaw tighten.
I furrowed my brows. "Are you talking to me?"
Her eyes widened slightly, flickering to Micah before settling back on me. Slowly, she nodded.
"Well, don't," I said coldly. "I don’t want anyone seeing me talking to the school cow." Without another glance, I walked past her.
"Haden, what the hell, dude?!" Micah snapped once we were out of earshot.
I shrugged, keeping my face impassive. I knew I was being cruel, but I couldn't erase the image of her in Brandon’s arms, smiling like he was the only guy in the world.
"I'm done talking about Ella," I muttered.
Micah let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head. "One day, you're going to regret how you’ve treated her."
"Hey man, are you gonna eat your fries?" Michael asked, eyeing my tray like a starving man.
"Yes, go get your own, fat ass," I said, shoving him away from my food.
"Whatever," he grumbled, pushing off the table and heading back to the lunch line. I smirked, shaking my head, but my amusement vanished the second my eyes drifted toward the cafeteria doors.
Ella walked in with her friends—and Brandon.
My grip tightened on my fork as I watched them make their way to a table. She was all smiles, laughing at whatever nonsense Brandon was whispering in her ear. Her laughter rang out, light and effortless, and something inside me snapped.
My jaw clenched, my fists curling at my sides.
Without thinking, I shoved my chair back and got up, my movements sharp and deliberate. The cafeteria noise faded into the background as I turned and strode out, my pulse hammering in my ears.
"How was school today, sweet pea?" my mom asked as I tossed my book bag onto the floor with a heavy thud.
"It was okay," I muttered with a shrug before adding, "I want Brandon Miller gone."
She paused mid-step, her gaze snapping to mine.
"Why? What did he do?" she asked, her voice laced with curiosity.
"He's going after my Ella," I said, crossing my arms.
She chuckled, shaking her head. "Haden, I'm sure that girl likes you too. Just talk to her."
I scoffed, shaking my head. "She likes Brandon. I can tell. I want him gone. Can't his dad be shipped off somewhere else?"
"Haden, I don't th—"
"Never mind!" I snapped, cutting her off before turning on my heel and storming up the stairs.
Once inside my room, I grabbed my phone and dialed the one person I knew could help me. The call barely rang before a familiar voice boomed through the receiver.
"Haden! My boy! What made you call?"
"Hi, Grandpa," I said, gripping the phone tighter. "I need a favor."
.
.
.
"You had Brandon's dad moved?" Ella asked, still staring at me in shock.
I nodded.
"Wait, how did your grandpa even pull that off?" Morgan asked, her eyes wide.
"Grandpa has a lot of connections. Honestly, we can get rid of anyone if we want," Luca added nonchalantly.
Ella’s gaze locked onto mine, her expression unreadable. I shifted closer to her, wrapping an arm around her waist in an attempt to bridge the growing distance between us.
"Talk to me, tesoro," I murmured.
She sighed and looked back down at the picture in her hands, her fingers tracing the edges.
"You made my life hell, Haden," she said quietly. "All because you felt threatened."
My stomach tightened, but I stayed silent. I could tell she wasn’t finished.
"All the name-calling, the drinks and food thrown at me, the bruises… You really did hurt me. I don’t understand why you kept doing it. You got rid of him—so why did you keep being so cruel?"
If someone wanted to beat my ass right now, I’d let them. Back then, I was younger, dumber, and selfish. I never stopped to think about how my actions—how my words—were affecting my sweet girl.
"I know, baby," I admitted, my voice low. "I was a selfish, egotistical dick. And I will spend forever making it up to you." I leaned in, pressing soft kisses all over her face, but she didn’t smile the way she usually did.
"Yeah, you were all that and more," Morgan muttered. Then, out of nowhere, she added, "And who the hell taught you BDSM? Because whatever you did to Ella was NOT that. That was just plain assault."
Ella’s foot shot out under the table, kicking Morgan hard.
"Ow!" Morgan yelped, rubbing her shin. "I’m sorry, Ella, I know you told me in confidence, but I had to say it!"
Ella shook her head, her eyes dropping to her plate. I could tell she wasn’t enjoying this so-called "gift" from our parents anymore. Guilt clawed at my chest.
I ran slow, soothing circles on her back, trying to offer her some comfort.
Morgan was right.
"You’re right," I said, exhaling. "I was young and didn’t fully understand BDSM. I just knew what I saw."
Ella’s head lifted slightly, her eyes locking onto mine.
"What do you mean?"
"That room belongs to my dad," I said, my voice tinged with discomfort as I thought back. "The first time I walked in there, I was eight."
Morgan's brows furrowed. "Like… you just walked in?"
Luca let out a laugh before answering for me.
"No, he opened the door and saw his parents," Luca said, chuckling. "Poor Haden was traumatized."
I grimaced. "Yeah, it was a sight I'd love to erase from my memory." I shook my head. "I never went back down there after that, but by the time I turned twelve,
I understood more of what I’d seen. I started looking it up."
I hesitated, glancing at Ella to gauge her reaction. She was staring at me, but her face was unreadable. Her shoulders, though, were slumped, tension evident in the way she sat.
Time to change the subject.
"Enough about that," I said quickly. "Are we ready for the checks?"
Ella visibly relaxed, offering me a small, weak smile.
"Yeah, we're finished," Luca answered.
"Wait! Hold on, I have one more question," Morgan interrupted. "So, that's your dad's room? You actually took Ella into the same room your dad gets his freak on in?" She wrinkled her nose, making Luca burst out laughing.
"That’s two questions, babe," he teased, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
I sighed. "The sheets get changed frequently. Fresh, unused sheets. And he rotates out the toys. Nothing I used had been used before."
Morgan still looked skeptical, but she didn’t press further.
"Now, let’s get these checks," I said, waving the waiter over.
Luca and I split the bill, and soon, we were piling into my car. The ride was mostly quiet—Luca and Morgan were drained from their flight, and Ella kept her gaze fixed outside the window. I reached for her hand, giving it a small squeeze. She finally turned to me, her expression soft. I gave her a small smile, and she returned it, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes.
"You okay?" I asked gently.
She shrugged.
"Tesoro, come on, don’t go silent on me," I urged.
She sighed, her fingers tightening slightly around mine before she looked back out the window.
"I'm okay," she said quietly. "I just need a minute."
I lifted her hand and kissed the back of it before focusing on the road again.
Pulling into my parking spot, we all climbed out of the car. I no longer lived on campus—I had my own apartment now. Ella stayed with me most nights, though she still had her dorm, part of her scholarship requirements. Inside, I pointed Morgan and Luca toward their room before following Ella into mine. She lay on the bed, staring out the window, lost in thought. I sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.
"Tesoro, I—"
"It’s okay, Haden," she cut me off gently. "Like I said, I’m okay. I just need a minute. I wasn’t expecting all of that to come out over a photo album."
"I know," I admitted. "I just don’t want you to be upset."
She finally looked at me, her eyes softer now.
"I’m okay, I promise," she reassured me before pressing a soft kiss to my lips. "Go. I know you have to get to the stadium for warm-ups."
I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I had to. Coach would have my head if I showed up late.
"Okay, baby. But if you want to talk more later, I’m all yours."
She nodded, and I stole one more kiss before grabbing my keys. As I reached the door, I turned back to her.
"I want to see my girl in the stands, smiling when I look up."
This time, she gave me a real smile, one that made my chest tighten in the best way.
"You got it," she promised.
Smirking, I walked out into the living room, spotting Morgan on the couch.
"Make sure my girl is okay," I told her as I passed.
"Always," she said without hesitation, standing up and making her way to my room.
If anyone could cheer Ella up, it was Morgan. Feeling a little lighter, I stepped out the door and headed to warm-ups.
The End ❤️❤️
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