Ellie had been desperate to find Craig after hearing what Haile had told him and how he had reacted. After leaving a message with Bradley, she had finally given up and resolved to go to his room first thing in the morning.
She hadn't been in her room for more than a half-hour when there was a soft knock at the door. She glanced at Haile who was sitting on her bed, chatting on the phone with her boyfriend .The girl shrugged then focused her attention back on her conversation. Ellie got up from her desk where she had been flipping idly through a magazine and answered it. Part of her wasn't surprised to see Craig standing there.
"Hi," he said quietly. She saw the hurt in his eyes and felt a tug in her chest.
"Um, hey. I need to talk to you. For real." She grabbed his hand and led him out into the hallway. He leaned against the wall, tucking his hands into his pockets. She suddenly realized how dirty his clothes were. "What happened to you?" she asked bluntly.
Craig looked down at his disheveled appearance. "Oh, um, it's a long story. I'll tell you some other time. So you wanted to tell me something?"
"Yes." She took a deep breath. "Well first of all, I'm not moving in with Sean." She saw a flicker of hope in his eyes and continued. "And we're not getting back together."
"But Haile said…"
"Yeah I know. I was going to because, I don't know, he's going through a hard time and I thought I owed it to him. But I don't."
"Well, um, what…what made you change your mind?" Craig asked cautiously.
"A few things. But mostly one thing in particular. And I have to say this before things get screwed up again." Ellie heard the ding of the elevator as she closed her eyes, preparing herself to finally admit her feelings. She was terrified but it was finally the right time. She opened her eyes and then saw the man walking down the hall towards them. He was walking with a cane and limping as he made his way slowly towards them.
"Daddy?" A word that she hadn't used since her childhood escaped from her lips and her heart beat faster than it ever had in her life. She took a hesitant step forward then saw the broad familiar smile and ran into his arms. He grasped her tightly with his free hand.
"Hi honey," he whispered. "Sorry to just pop by like this. I tried to call but your line has been busy for hours."
Ellie didn't even have any emotion left in her to be annoyed at Haile. "I'm just glad you're okay." She pulled away from him. "You are okay, right?"
Mr. Nash nodded. "I got a bullet in my leg but it'll heal. I'm just grateful to be alive." He smiled grimly. "It's ironic how playing dead can be the thing that saves your life."
"I'm glad it did," Ellie told him sincerely, feeling tears spilling over onto her cheeks. She hugged him again tightly then pulled away and noticed he was looking over her shoulder. She suddenly remembered that Craig was standing there and wiped her face. "Oh sorry. Dad this is my…this is Craig."
Craig gave an awkward wave. "Hi. Nice to meet you. I-I'm glad you're all right."
Mr. Nash smiled. "Thank you, Craig. It's nice to meet you too."
"Did you see Mom?" Ellie asked.
Mr. Nash nodded. "Yes, I had called her and told her that I wanted to talk to you before she did, that's the only reason why she didn't call." He paused. "I'm glad she's trying to help you, honey. Even though I'm going to miss you while you are here." He stroked her hair affectionately. "But you're going to try your hardest to get better, right?"
Ellie nodded. "Absolutely."
"Um, okay, well if you're not busy, I got permission from the front desk for you to come home for the night and I'll take you back tomorrow."
"Oh really? That's great." Ellie paused. "I just have to do one thing." She turned and walked over to where Craig was standing and kissed him squarely on the lips. It was a short kiss but it still sent a tingle down her spine. "Remember when I said 'maybe' before?" she whispered into his ear. "Well it's not maybe anymore. It's yes." When she pulled away, she saw Craig slowly grin.
"Really?"
Ellie nodded. "I gotta go now but I'll come by tomorrow when I get back."
"Really?"
Ellie laughed. "Yes. Really. I promise." She turned to join her father who was waiting by the elevator.
"Is he the Craig that your mother told me about? The one who saved you?" he asked as the doors opened and they stepped inside.
"Yes. He did save me," Ellie replied. She glanced down the hall at Craig before the doors closed and realized that over the last few hectic weeks, even though she had tried to fight it, she had begun to fall in love. He did save me.
More to come soon!
