Chapter 3

Grace put the cake on the table. She felt the tears pooling in her eyes as she read the cake that said good luck. She felt Cary's arms wrap around her waist, "She's going to be fine. You know that."

She looked at her daughter having a blast at her party with her friends. In a month she would be 18 and in college. She had come a long way. "I know, but she's my baby." She watched her boyfriend Jose pick her up and throw her in the pool. Jose was sweet and everything Ella needed. They met when she went back to school and dated for the last 3 years. He helped her trust again.

When Elliot and Christian heard her scream they went running and pushed Jose in. "Get him, boys!" They were great brothers. Cary smiled, "Grace, she will be 20 minutes away in the city. And she promised dinner every week."

After the party was over, they cleaned. Elena smiled seeing Ella and Jose curled up in the pool lounger. She saw her best friend cleaning for no reason, "The catering company cleaned already. Eric took the kids home. And I mean all of them Kate, Ethan, Elliot, Christian, and Ana. It's getting hard explaining why the sleepovers with Kate and Elliot are fewer and farther between now."

Grace laughed saying they were still too young for problems. They were best friends along with their youngest who they named Ethan since it was her brother Eamon's middle name. "It's all worked out Grace, Ella's happy."

They heard arguing and recognized the voices. Carrick Sr. And Cary did that often at family get-togethers now. Things hadn't been the same since Mia died. Elena sighed, "I better get home. Call me if you need me."

Grace opened the den door and found a drunk Carrick Sr. "Hey, it's her party day. My parents are upstairs trying to sleep. What's going on?" Cary was trying to calm him down, not sure what set him off.

Carrick Sr. needed a bed and to sober up. They kept him downstairs. Cary sat him on the bed and Grace went to leave. "This family has too many secrets and I started them." Grace stopped and turned around. "I know the truth."

Cary bent down, "What did you say dad?" Grace was intrigued as well and stepped back towards them. He wasn't making sense.

Carrick Sr. looked at Grace and his son. "Christian is our blood, but not just because of Ella." Then he passed out. Grace's face was white as a sheet. They saw Ella still outside with Jose. They watched from the window.

Grace questioned her husband, "Cary, what is he talking about?" Cary shrugged and wondered if Ella told him anything. She still hadn't told them who or what happened. They were still piecing things that Carrick Sr. just said when Ella and Jose came in smiling.

She knew her parents well and felt the tension. "I'll see tomorrow baby." They kissed but not too deep in front of her parents. "What's wrong?"

Cary waited, Ella always did better talking to Grace. "Sweetheart, have you told anyone about Christian?" Ella looked up and her face told the answer before she said yes. They asked if it was grandpa Carrick or grandma Mia.

Ella shook her head, "Other than Rhian, I told Jose. I love him and I couldn't lie to him. We talked about sex." She looked at her dad, embarrassed a little. "I had to tell him why I wasn't ready." Ella looked at them, "Why? What's wrong?" They told her what her grandpa said and explained it wasn't just being drunk. They sat down and tried to figure out who could possibly tell.

Grace looked at Ella, "Baby who hurt you? Why won't you tell us? We love you and we love Christian. He's going to grow up. Do you want to keep this hidden forever?"

Ella broke the code telling Jose. This was on her. "Jose wouldn't tell. He didn't. I didn't tell him who. I just told him someone hurt me and Christian was really my baby." They didn't think he did. They thought grandpa Carrick knew something big. They decided to talk in the morning.

After breakfast they said goodbye to Grandma Eleanor and grandpa Theo. Cary sat looking at his hung over father. "Do you remember what happened last night? Do you remember what you told us?" He looked at Grace hugging Ella. "What fucking secret are you keeping that put my kid in danger?" Grace tried to calm her husband.

Carrick Sr. shook his head and closed his eyes. "Ella, I'm sorry. He hurt you because of me." Jack had made contact and told him he raped Ella to make him pay for ruining his life. Ella's eyes got wide. Carrick Sr. spoke softly, "I have another son." He told them everything. "I didn't love Leila, but I tried to make sure Jack had the world." Ella fainted.

Ella blinked and felt the cool pack on her head. She tried to get up. "Easy. You bumped your head." Grace pulled her up slowly. Her head started spinning seeing her father sitting with his hands on his head and her grandpa crying. She remembered why she fainted. "Jack is my uncle?" Grace held her daughter.

They heard the bell, it was Rhian. They called her immediately. She sat and listened while they filled her in. She watched Ella closely. "Ella, are you ready to fill in the gaps? We've talked about this. You're starting a new chapter with college and Jose, maybe it's time."

Ella nodded. "When I went to Michigan that summer. I played basketball at the park." Carrick Sr. knew that it was close to the house and she was old enough to walk, plus the neighborhood was safe. "He said he was a coach and he could help me with my shot."

Ella didn't say Jack, but they all knew. "He was nice and he was there every day. One day it rained and grandma Mia said I couldn't go. The next day when I went he was mad at me. I tried to tell him I couldn't. He said I should've snuck out and done anything to play. He said I didn't want to be great."

Ella sipped her water. None of the adults liked the story. Rhian had never heard the details she was spilling. "I said I was sorry and I went to shoot the ball and he blocked it, hard. He said if I was really sorry I had to be punished." Ella had tears falling as she explained he took her to a room. Carrick Sr. knew it was the area that the maintenance guy on the grounds of the gated community stayed in. He even knew the guy. He got it then, that was his son and he didn't even see it. "He left me in the family room and grabbed a belt. He hit me so hard."

Cary balled up his fists. He or Grace had never laid a hand on their children. "He brushed my hair back and said I was beautiful. He said he didn't mean to hit me so hard. He said he wanted to check my butt and legs." She fell in Grace's lap and cried. "I knew it was wrong, but I was scared to tell him no. Then I thought grandpa and grandma would be mad and I thought they would call you. It hurt so bad mom."

Grace hushed her and asked everyone to step out. Christian had hair and eyes like Jack, it all made sense, but it didn't. Jack was one sick fuck for raping his niece. This wasn't an accident or chance, he planned it. When Ella settled down Rhian talked to her with Grace. Cary hated his father. "Son, I…"

He stopped him, "I want you to get out. This is all your fault. I thought it was my fault, but it's all on you. You and your fucking selfish secrets. What did you think dad, money would heal his pain?" Carrick Sr. walked away. "Don't ever come back into our lives."

They called the Michigan police and filed a report, but Jack was nowhere to be found. Christian was still too young to deal with it all. They felt it was best to move on and let Ella enjoy her life. In the meantime she would go to college on her basketball scholarship and Grace and Cary would continue to raise Christian as their son.