Hi! Sorry the update this time took a little longer than usual. So now that the end is coming up the updates should also be coming a little faster too. So I just want to say that this chapter is going to be a little light on the Gabriel/Elle stuff, but I promise that the next chapter will deliver. This is just setting up some stuff to come and to show a new side of Elle. Hope you enjoy!
Elle was finishing straightening her hair in the bathroom and she stung her fingers again on the iron. She cursed herself, her father and above all she cursed Adam Monroe. She growled at her reflection wishing that she could just go and attack the snobbish, English asshole. Then she thought about she ended up in the situation in the first place.
When Gabriel and Elle returned from their picnic Bob greeted them at the door and asked to talk to Elle. She shrugged her shoulders at Gabriel and followed her father into the living room. She sat down on the couch with an audible sigh to signify her annoyance, as she would rather have been upstairs in bed with Gabriel.
"Elle when were you going to tell me?" Bob asked pointedly and Elle's eyes widened in surprise.
"Tell you what?" Elle asked cautiously.
"That you and Adam got back together." Elle was shocked into silence, so her dad continued. "I ran into him at the club house the other afternoon and he told me that the two of you were going to be rekindling your romance." Bob said smiling.
"Uh Daddy. I…" Elle couldn't even form a response. She was fuming on the inside and she knew that if she spoke she would screech at the top of her lungs that would bring down the house. She was confused as to why Adam would claim that the two of them were back together. She wondered what his end game was.
"Well the good thing about the two of you getting back together it's going to be good for the future of the company. So I've arranged for you and me to have dinner with Adam and his family tomorrow night."
"Daddy I can't." Elle begged, but Bob ignored her pleading look and cut her off.
"Elle this is not up for discussion. I know you and your boyfriend probably don't want to have dinner with your parents but Elle it's been decided and we are both going. Understood?" Elle just nodded, knowing that it was useless to fight against her father, even though she willed herself the strength to finally stand up to him.
"This is going to be a good thing Elle now that the two of you are together again and hopefully make it more official soon. Good night Elle." Bob said and left Elle sitting in the room.
"But Daddy Adam lied." Elle whispered to the empty room before going upstairs to be comforted by Gabriel and try to figure out why Adam was lying and what he was going to be getting by telling this elaborate tale that Elle was his girlfriend.
Elle was still disappointed in herself that she hadn't told her father that Adam lied, she also hadn't seen her father all day to tell him that it was all a lie. She was also upset that she and Gabriel had gotten into their first fight since the day of the party at the beginning of the summer. He was angry that she hadn't immediately cut her father off and said that Adam was lying and she was angry that he seemed blaming her for something that was out of her control. Elle went to room and tried to sleep, but couldn't, because she couldn't work out how such a perfect evening got ruined. That was when Elle snuck back into Gabriel's room to find him wide awake, they both apologized, Elle climbed into his bed and they tried to reason out why Adam was lying. Neither came up with a reason that was remotely justifiable so they both fell asleep.
A knocking at the door jarred Elle from her reverie and Gabriel entered the large room. He stood behind Elle wrapped one arm around her waist and with his free hand pulled some hair from her neck and placed a kiss just below her ear. Elle leaned into him embrace staring at their reflection in the mirror.
"So your dad just called and asked if I could drive you to the restaurant. He won't be making it home from the club on time."
"On the way to the restaurant can we just happen to make a wrong turn and get lost for hours?" Elle asked.
Gabriel placed another kiss on her neck and turned her to face him. "Nope. Don't worry about this dinner. Go get a good meal and then when you get home you can tell your dad the truth."
"God he's going to be so disappointed." Elle said seeking comfort in her boyfriend's arms.
"Hey take it from someone who has the same type of parents, eventually they get over it and if they don't then screw 'em. Elle you will always have people who will be proud of you, both Peter and I are."
Elle smiled at that. Gabriel was proud of her and she was going to find the same pride in herself after this dinner was over.
A block away from the restaurant Gabriel pulled the car over. He leaned over to Elle and devoured her lips in a hungry kiss. She returned it with extra fervour, drawing strength from him to make it through the dinner. Just as Gabriel's hand was making its way into her hair she pulled back stating that she couldn't show up looking all dishevelled. Gabriel placed a last chaste kiss on her lips and drove onwards to the restaurant, dropping Elle off at the front door letting her know that he would be down the street at the bookstore when she wanted to go.
Elle made her way to the table where her father, Mr and Mrs Monroe and Adam were seated. Elle kissed her father hello and then glared at Adam as he leaned over and kissed her cheek before she sat down. Going by the look on Elle's face Adam was a dead man walking. He just gave her a crooked smile letting her know that he was hiding something from her.
Adam had been livid at Elle and Gabriel after the Linderman party and to quell his anger he took off for the city for a few weeks. He never really wanted to start things up with Elle again, mostly he just wanted to get into her pants for the summer and he figured that since she was not seeing anyone it would have been fairly, but her refusal and Gabriel's interference had shocked him.
Once he returned to East Hampton Adam headed to the beach to scope out any potential flings for the summer when he spotted Elle looking after the young Claire Bennet. She was helping the young girl build a sandcastle and Adam was admiring the bikini clad Elle. He didn't go over to talk to his ex, what happened at the party was still too fresh for Elle to even consider him again, so Adam left knowing that he would be able to find Elle at the beach.
Adam didn't return to the beach for a few days, however when he did return he was in for a shock. He spotted Elle, alone lying on her beach towel. He knew that this was the perfect time to go over to her. Just as he was making his way down he saw Gabriel coming out from the water with Claire on his shoulders. Adam paused wondering what two people who utterly loathed (according to Elle during their relationship) each other were doing willingly spending time together at the beach. Adam watched as Gabriel pulled Claire down from his shoulders and drop down onto the towel next to Elle, who sat up to greet her two wet companions. Adam waited for the moment that Elle would tell Gabriel to get lost, but it never came. Instead he observed the two beach dwellers as they scanned the beach before turning to each other and sharing a chaste kiss, Gabriel also dropped another kiss on Elle's shoulder before lying down to soak up some sun. Adam turned away. Clearly this was a clandestine relationship and Adam didn't want it to continue. So he stormed back to his beach house thinking of plans to break the new couple up and that was how he came to the idea of lying to Bob Bishop and claiming that he and Elle had reunited. This lead to the dinner that was currently taking place.
When the waiter had brought the drinks to the table Elle gulped down her glass of wine and quickly poured herself another from the bottle that she was splitting with Adam. He noticed this and made a comment.
"You shouldn't be drinking so much."
"And you shouldn't be a fucking liar."
"I'm not a liar, I'm just making good on my promise from the beginning of the summer that you would be in my arms."
"That's never fucking happening."
"Well I don't know. I think Daddy really likes the idea of the two of us together, especially with the whole merger thing."
Elle blanched at the thought that she wasn't going to be able to get out of this because it would ruin a lot for not just her father but the Petrellis as well. Adam knew that he had Elle where he wanted her. From what he remembered during their romance was that she would never disappoint or upset her father, so this lie was guaranteed to keep them together.
The main course came and went and the parents mostly ignored their children. Elle remained silent and any time that Adam would try to put his arm around her she would shift out of his grasp. All through the meal she wished herself away from the restaurant and into Gabriel's arms but the Gods or whoever granted wishes was really not paying attention to her, however at the moment the parents at the table began to pay attention to her and Adam. They all were asking questions about summer, about school and just how life in general had been going. Then the talk turned to the topic of them being a couple again.
"So it was actually a really good thing to hear that the two of you got back together." Bob said. Adam smiled while Elle tried to hold back a gag. "I mean with the merger and everything I can just see that in a couple years time the two of you together will be running the company, well at least my branch."
The comment that Elle and Adam would be together or even married finally made Elle snap. She texted Gabriel to come pick her up and then she broke her silence
"Adam lied!" Elle stated forcefully and the table turned to look at her. "He lied. The two of us haven't got back together. I haven't seen him since the beginning of the summer."
"Elle--" Bob warned.
"No I'm telling the truth. He set this whole thing up just so that I would go out with him. After what he did last time I would never go out with him again, let alone stay long enough to run the company." Elle started and now knew that she would have to finally say what she had long held inside.
"Also I'm never going to want to run the company." Elle looked to her father. "Daddy I'm not in business management any more. I switched majors to psychology and I have never been happier. I didn't want to tell you because you would be disappointed, but from now on I am going to be doing things that make me happy, not what you expect of me. And business is what you wanted not what I wanted."
Bob was speechless and Elle spoke again "I'm sorry that Adam lied to you and set this up, I'm sorry that I didn't tell you I switched majors and I'm sorry but I have to go." Elle stood and headed for the door and waited for Gabriel.
Bob sat at the table stunned that his daughter said all that and then got up to follow Elle. He just stepped out the door when he saw Elle get into the Petrelli's Range Rover and then lean over and kiss Gabriel before they drove off. Bob then returned inside. He got to the table and noticed Adam was absent. Bob apologized for Elle's out burst and the Monroes apologized for their son's lie. They paid for the meal and agreed to have another hopefully more successful meeting soon. On the way home Bob passed the Lindeman house and noticed the Range Rover in the driveway and he knew that he wouldn't be able to talk with Elle that night. He planned that tomorrow he would find a moment to talk with his daughter.