afterwards

"Can you help me," Ellie said into the phone to Ben. She was still jittery and Rex was still there in the dining room finishing off a slice of cherry pie. Leave it Aunt Maggie who wanted to feed him. Ellie didn't. She didn't want to have anything to do with him, but Aunt Maggie kept insisting that she call Ben. "I was wondering if you could put someone up for the night. Please?"

Ben thought it was all crazy, but he guessed he could.

"So you're boyfriend came all the way down here to see you, that's amazing." She could tell Ben was grinning from ear to ear.

"Its not like that. He's not my boyfriend." Ellie sighed. She heard another tap from the front screen. So she went to see who was there. It was Lonnie with a package. It was from Eric.

She let him in, told him to have some pie.

She stared at Eric's address on the package. She knew she had to call him, but she really wanted to let in to her mother first.

Ben then told her he'd be over right after work. Ellie hung up the phone and went to look at the package.

She smiled, but not for long. If only she could be alone. In a real room that wasn't so open to every room in the house.

Finally, she decided to go to the bathroom with her cell.

She called Eric.

"Hey," she smiled as hard as she could, but all she could actually hear was her heart racing. "You're off work?"

"Everything all right?"

"I got your package." She couldn't keep this from him. She couldn't. It wouldn't be fair. He had to know. He had a right to know. Didn't he?

"Did you open it?"

"I will. Thanks."

"Whats wrong?"

"You won't believe this," she started.

"You're moving to Texas." His words made her ache.

"No, no, I promise, I'm not moving to Texas. I'll never live here. Never." She sighed.

"Good." He sighed. "Then what is it."

"Rex is here." It was a small sentence which felt like an eternity to say.

There was dead silence.

"Eric, are you still there?"

"Yes," he sighed. "I see."

"I really told him this time," she said. "I did. I told him what I felt, and..and-"

"And he's still there." This was going to end badly. Ellie just knew it.

"Yes," Ellie sighed. "I don't want him here, but my Aunt Maggie is being nice to him. I'm not. I'm not being nice to him at all. I didn't ask for him to come. My mother told him where I was."

"You're mother!"

"I know," Ellie said. "I don't understand it. I really don't."

"She hates me." His words were solemn. "She does."

"She just makes me hate her more," Ellie couldn't fight the hot tears then. "I'm sorry. I don't know what to do. I really don't. I just want you back. I want to be there. Not here. There is just one thing to do. There is only one thing to do."

"What are you going to do?" Eric asked.

"I don't know, exactly, but I know my mother's not going to like it, and I don't care. I don't care, anymore." Ellie told him. She was so ready to air some dirty laundry.