Beautiful Disaster (The Bet)

by Francette Phal

  Ellie laughed. "Nope, can't say that I can. Alright, Grayson, let's see it then."

  Nicholas gobbled up the rest of his sandwich, before rising to his knees. "Prepare to be amazed, Holbrook." It was undoubtedly the funniest thing Ellie had ever seen and considering that he seemed so damn sure of himself, it was quite hilarious to see him fail so miserably.

  "Nicholesh monkey, mama!" Sophie giggled, erupting in squeals as Nicholas chased her around, imitating a primate without an ounce of shame. He tackled her to the ground and commenced a tickle attack the likes of which she'd never felt, only stopping when her squeals reached a deafening decibel.

  "Alright, squirt, time for you to eat." Ellie hauled Sophie to a sitting position, brushed her hair away from her face and gathered the loose curls back into two pigtails.

  "Owce cweam!"

  Ellie shook her head, handing her a portion of the PB&J, with the crust cut off. "No ice cream until you finish your sandwich, remember?"

  Although her mouth formed a petulant pout and Nicholas readied himself for a sizable tantrum, none was forthcoming. He watched with avid interest as Sophie docilely accepted the sandwich from her mother, and then greedily stuffed it in her mouth.

  "Small bites, Soph." Ellie cautioned handing her a sippy cup filled with milk. She looked up from minding Sophie to find Nicholas staring at her, the expression on his face, inscrutable. She self-consciously bit her bottom lip and frowned. "What?"

  He shook his dark head, "You're not exactly how I pegged you out to be."

  "And how's that? Spoiled and sheltered?"

  "Not exactly, you have this maturity about you that's a little intimidating." He chuckled softly, averting his gaze; he raised a hand to the back of his head seemingly abashed. "It's cool. I like it."

  "Trust me, it comes with the territory and if I seem at all mature, as you say, it's only because I can't be anything else where Sophie's concern. Besides, I can't see you intimidated by anything, Nicholas, least of all me."

  He turned his head towards her, "You hated me." He looked deadpanned.

  Ellie rolled her eyes and laughed, "I didn't hate you. I just didn't like you all that much."

  "And now?"

  "Well, we're here aren't we? And I haven't called you an egotistical jerk in the last few hours."

  "You called me an egotistical jerk?"

  "Not to your face."

  "Ah, but it's been implied, hasn't it?"

  "Most definitely."

  "You…"

  "Ellie! Sophie!" Both mother and daughter turned at the sound of their names; Sophie beamed, squealed and ran to meet the tall, dark-haired man approaching them. In one fluid motion, he swept her off the ground and positioned her between his shoulders. He stood a few inches taller than Nicholas, broad-shouldered and athletically built. He had an unsmiling face, the beard and mustache around his mouth did nothing to enhance his dour countenance and when his dark gaze settled on Nicholas, his visage tightened, a glower forming between his brows.

  "Hi, Gabe." Ellie greeted with a warm smile. Nicholas watched as she raised her head accepting a kiss on the forehead. The brief contact shouldn't have bothered him as much as it did, but it did and Nicholas found himself frowning, the muscles in his jaw tightening. "Gabe, this is Nicholas, Nicholas, Gabe." Hating to be at a disadvantage, Nicholas found himself on his feet, meeting Gabe's scowl with cool temperament. He already knew what the bastard thought of him and for some inexplicable reason it bothered him to be so easily judged. But he had to give the guy credit, if he'd deemed Nicholas a menace, than he was much smarter than he appeared. Nicholas couldn't fault him for being leery. He was after all, attempting to seduce his goddaughter.

  Achingly aware of the cloying tension, Ellie abruptly stood, "Don't go all caveman on me Gabe, Nick's just a friend." She tugged on his arm to get him to sit down. Once she accomplished that, she hoisted Sophie from his shoulders and settled her on her feet. "How was Splendor?" On her way back down, she yanked on Nicholas's arm and he went down hard, landing on knees beside her.

  "Tracy called in sick; I had to stay a little longer until Kelly came in to cover her shift."

  "Tracy's a big fat liar, Gabe. I hope you told her to bring in a doctor's note when she comes back."

  "She promised she'd bring one." He said simply, his offhand tone belying his foul mood.

  "Are you going to---"

  "Mama, mama, Ducky! Ducky!" Sophie took off running, her hands outstretched, her little legs pumping as she tried to grab a duck.

  "Soph!" Ellie was after her, catching up to her before she ran into the lake. "Sophie! What did I tell you about running away from me?" she asked, pulling Sophie from her tight embrace. "That was very bad of you, don't do that again, Ok?" her bottom lip quivered, her eyes watered and genuine tears coursed down her caramel cheeks. Ellie enveloped her in a hug, comforting herself and her sobbing child. Her heart raced so fast that she could taste it in the back of her throat, the fear she'd felt seconds ago, leaving an acrid taste in her mouth.

  Having witnessed the scene, Nicholas was relieved to see that Sophie and Ellie were alright, his relief however was short-lived the second Gabe opened his mouth to speak. "What exactly are your intentions with my goddaughter, Nicholas?"

  Nicholas leaned his head against the weeping willow; his gaze remained on Ellie and Sophie. "She's praying for my soul."

  Gabe furrowed his brow at Nicholas's cryptic tone. He didn't trust him. He'd always believed himself to be a good judge of character and the very second he'd laid eyes on Nicholas, Gabe knew he was trouble. There was something deceitfully wicked lurking behind that pretty face, something that made the hackles on his neck rise and he sorely wanted to know what that something was.

  "Would you listen to me if I asked you to stay away from her?"

  Nicholas twirled the cigarette he'd withdrawn from his jacket moments earlier and inserted it between his lips, igniting the butt in the process. He then turned his head sideways, a small, wry grin pulling at the seam of his lips. "Not really." Nicotine and tar filled his lungs before he exhaled the white smoke.

  "Ellie's been through so much. She's finally at a stage in life where she's actually happy," Gabe evenly met Nicholas's gaze, making sure his next words had the necessary impact. "Fuck this up for her and I'll be coming after you."

  "I would expect nothing less." With that said Nicholas stood and headed to where Ellie and Sophie played. He smiled as Sophie ran to him, took his hand and pulled him to see the ducks.

  Chapter Seven

  "Thanks for the invite, I enjoyed myself."

  Ellie believed him, a step up from bullshit lines to actual sincerity. Maybe he wasn't as hopeless as she'd first believed.

  "Well, I'm glad. Soph enjoyed having you around."

  Nicholas grinned, "She's a great kid, still shocked as hell she's yours though."

  "For life."

  "You've done a great job so far."

  Ellie shrugged, "It's all a learning experience. I do what I can." Silence fell between them and Ellie shuffled her feet. Gabe, having taken a slumbering Sophie inside when they'd arrived, peered at her through the living room window and Ellie fought the urge to sigh in exasperation. "I should get in, it's getting late. I'll see you at school, Nicholas."

  "Yeah... night Ellie."

  "Goodnight."

  He straddled his bike, revved the engine and with one last look at Ellie's retreating back, he sped away, the bike echoing down the silent suburban streets until it was nothing more than a dull hum.

  "Tell me you aren't falling for him, Ellie." Ellie heaved a sigh and spun around.

  "Like I said, Gabe, he's just a friend."

  "He was no one last week and now he's a friend?"

  It seemed no matter how hard she tried to forget her past with Tony, it continued to haunt her. Gabe, despite all she'd done to prove herself a responsible parent, still insisted on treating her like a child. Moreover, the fact that she'd never given him reason to doubt her
and yet he still distrusted her, greatly disheartened Ellie.

  "I know you want to protect me. But you have to understand that I know what I'm doing. Have a little faith in me, Gabe and trust that you've raised me well enough not to make the same stupid mistakes again. I need you to trust me." She'd learned from her mistakes, had taken accountability of those mistakes and seen to rectify them as best as she could. The lessons she'd learned fortified her with knowledge she used to raise her own child.

  Gabe raked a hand through his hair, the gesture hinting at his agitation. He sighed, reached out and pulled her into his arms. "I do trust you, Elle." He murmured his voice a rumble in the caverns of his chest. Ellie stood close with her ear against his sternum she heard the steady beats of his heart. "It's that boy, I don't trust." Typical parental response, Ellie silently mused.

  "Nicholas is harmless, believe me, he's nothing like Tone. Maybe a little too arrogant for his own good, but he's actually really sweet."

  "If he breaks your heart, I'll break his face." He said in all seriousness, his face revealing nothing, as usual. That expression always managed to leave Ellie a little wary. Of course she knew that Gabe would never harm her or Sophie for that matter, but she couldn't help but wonder, whether those ten years in the state penitentiary had done this to him. It took away all possible emotion to leave behind a silent, oftentimes, humorless shell of a human being?

  Gabe had never spoken about himself or his life and Ellie only discovered he'd been in prison strictly by accident. One night when he'd been drunk off his ass, he’d let that little tidbit slip. She'd never known why he'd gone to jail for so long and because he'd never pried into her life, Ellie had given him the same courtesy and never asked.

  When she'd first arrived, he'd been cold and distant, speaking to her only when she'd needed something. But over time, Ellie could say, he'd grown accustomed to having them there, she could even go so far as to say that he'd come to love them, too. In his own odd little way, he loved them and was undoubtedly overprotective of her and her daughter. This was the reason why he sometimes acted like a guard dog, like today for example. She’d almost believed he and Nicholas would come to blows. The thought of that hadn't sat well with her.

  Ellie wrapped her arms around Gabe’s waist, hugging him close. "Thanks for caring, Gabe. You're a good parent. And don't worry about Nicholas. He's not even close to getting near my heart or anything else for that matter." This was decidedly true; as far as Nicholas Grayson went, Ellie still had no intention of sleeping with him, regardless of the fact that he had some killer dimples when he smiled.

  Life continued as normally as possible with the addition of Nicholas in their little family. His presence always a constant when not occupied with the daily routines of his own life. It surprised Ellie how easily Sophie had taken to Nicholas and even more of a surprise was how comfortable Nicholas seemed in Sophie's presence.

  The self-assured, immature boy Ellie had met nearly a month ago appeared to have morphed before her eyes into a sensible human being who could generally pass for a good friend. Through the hectic rush of taking entrance exams, applying to colleges, attending school, going to work and track meets, Ellie found that she'd grown uncomfortably accustomed to Nicholas's unpredictable visits in her life.

  Like today for instance, while she prepped herself for her heat, she caught sight of his familiar dark head among the crowd and received a smirk when their eyes briefly met through the throng. As usual, he'd dressed in that offhanded casual manner of his, making dark rinse jeans, blue sweater and a scarf look remarkably good. She watched with a soft smile as he made his way up the bleachers, heading toward the area where Gabe sat, with an overzealous Sophie seated on his lap.

  She remembered speaking briefly about her meet today when they'd been in Calc together earlier in the week, but Ellie hadn't expected him to make an appearance. A sudden flood of elation pooled at the pit of her stomach which she instantly chalked up to indigestion or even nerves, refusing to acknowledge that her joy stemmed from Nicholas's unexpected appearance. Admitting that would just be foolish.

  "Elle!" Ellie remained seated, but stopped stretching and turned to see Maddie making her way to where she sat in the middle of the large gym. Maddie took a seat across from her and made a chore of bringing her legs into a lotus position, before facing Ellie with a smile.

  It was great to see her, since it'd appeared to Ellie over the last few days that Maddie was avoiding her. She was happy to see that her burgeoning friendship with Nicholas hadn't ruined their friendship. Ellie understood the rift between them and had attempted, on several occasions to mend that rift so that they could all be friends. Maddie's evasions, however, had made the task nearly impossible thus far and her uncharacteristic actions had Ellie wondering whether there was more to the story than a simple break-up. She'd been meaning to ask Nicholas for some time now, but had never gotten around to doing so. Maybe, Maddie would be a little more forthcoming.

  "...Pink Elephants..."

  Snapping out of her thoughts, she frowned, catching the last of what Maddie had been saying. "Pink Elephants...what?"

  Maddie laughed, "I knew that would get your attention. I've been talking to you for like the last five minutes. What were you thinking about?"

  Ellie shrugged, "You and Nicholas." She said levelly, remarking the telltale flush on Maddie’s cheeks.

  "There isn't a' me and Nicholas'." She said defensively, then looked up and met Ellie's stare, something like betrayal lurking in her turquoise gaze. "If anything, there's a ‘you and Nicholas'. Rumor has it that you're like friends now."

  "Yeah, we're friends now. Just like you and I are friends. There's no reason for you to look at me like I've stabbed you in the back, Maddie. I've told you before that I'm not interested in him that way or in any other guy for that matter."

  Maddie bit her bottom lip, hating the gurgling feeling at the pit of her stomach. She knew why she felt this way and even when she tried to make herself feel differently, she just couldn't fight the surmounting jealousy and envy that made her sicker and sicker as the days past.

  She hated how chummy Ellie and Nicholas had gotten over such a short period of time and even when she attempted to make herself feel remotely better by telling herself that Nicholas was doing this only for the game, she found it more and more difficult to believe it.

  Over the last week, she’d deliberated on whether to tell Ellie about Nicholas's game, wondered whether that wouldn't have been the best thing for everyone involved. Ellie would be spared, Nicholas would happily find another girl and Maddie ---well she'd just be content knowing that her best friend wasn't going to fuck the guy she'd been in love with for years now.

  "Ellie…"

  "John Edgar High Varsity heat on deck!" the announcer's voice booming over the loudspeaker prevented Maddie from continuing what she was about to say and she didn't know whether the sigh she released was in frustration or relief.

  Ellie, unsure of what Maddie had been about to say, but knowing it'd been important, had her touching her friend’s hand in comfort. "I have to go, but how about you and I getting together this weekend and having a sleepover or something? You can come over and we'll talk."

  "Yeah, sure." She said weakly watching as Ellie made her way through the crowd, her lissome body making the task seem almost like a dance. With an irritated sigh, she stood and found the exit. She had every intention of going to the bathroom but stopped abruptly at the sight of Nicholas standing in the long hallway that separated the women's bathroom from the men's.

  She wanted to hope that he'd come for her---just for her and not because Ellie was running today. In all the three years that Maddie had been on the team and the short time she'd known Nicholas, she had never, not even once, seen him at any school sporting event. His appearance today, was both a shock and a blow.

  Had he fallen for her that hard? Maddie silently wondered.

  Whereas before he'd kept his distance, remaining as aloof and wit
hdrawn as ever, he now stood in front her, gorgeous as usual, hands casually tucked in the pockets of his fitted dark jeans. His hair was so dark it shown blue beneath the buzzing florescent lights. It fell across his forehead in that alluring way that had her itching to brush it back for him. His silver gaze, always so acute and guarded, regarded her now with odd gentleness. The blithe expression on his face gave her momentary pause, startled to realize that she had never seen that look on Nicholas's face before. Even at his ‘happiest', one could always expect that patronizing smirk of his, the one that made you feel as though you were inch tall. It was both odd and fascinating to see him this way.

  "You did great out there; I saw you. You're pretty good with that shot put."

  Disbelief had Maddie gaping, wondering whether she'd heard what he'd just said.

  "Did---did you just compliment me?"

  Nicholas shrugged. "Guess I did." He smiled and Maddie scowled. The rat, probably wanted something.

  "Just what the hell are you pulling? I don't have any more information for you. You want to find out more about Ellie, go straight to the source and leave me the hell alone!"

  Now Nicholas was taken off guard, not having expected the outburst from the usually timid girl. Hell, he didn't even know Maddie could form an entire sentence without stuttering or getting flustered. It appeared she didn't think so either because her face instantly morphed from righteous anger to stunned mortification and she gazed at Nicholas with those big turquoise eyes, torn between apologizing or fleeing.

  Nicholas made the decision for her. "Don't apologize." He said firmly, instantly regretting his gruff tone when she winced. "Look, the reason I came was to apologize. I know I haven't been the nicest person to you."

  Maddie pursed her lips, Nicholas's contrition snapping her backbone into place. Nicholas, seeing the expression on her face quickly retracted his words. "Ok, I've been a complete and utter dick, right down there with vermin and worms."