I know this, since she hasn’t talked to me in almost a week. I had no fucking idea women could use silence as a punishment, but Ellie does and it fucking sucks. This shit has been going on since the day I drove up in the Rover, which is still parked out front of the house, because I refuse to take it back. Ellie needs something safe to get her and Hope around in, and I know eventually she will see it my way.

Or at least I hope she will.

For the five days, anything and everything Ellie felt necessary to tell me, she did it through text messaging, including the fact July asked her to be one of her bridesmaids at her wedding this weekend. After what happened with July getting kidnapped, Wes told her they were going to get married now, rather than in a few months. Aunt November refused to let July get married at the courthouse like she did, and she pulled my mom and aunts together and planned a wedding in just a few days, which apparently included an impromptu bachelorette party tonight, since tomorrow night will be the wedding.

I also learned through text that Harlen would be escorting Ellie at the wedding. Though that text came from my cousin, who I’m pretty sure was just saying it to piss me off. And it worked. That day, I found my ass at the Broken Eagles Bike Shop, where I had a talk with Harlen about his hands and what would happen to them if even one touched Ellie in a way that I didn’t like.

“My wedding’s tomorrow. Any other time, I would have called, but my girl needed tonight, so I gave it to her.”

“That’s ’cause your sweet…and hot,” Ellie slurs, looking at Wes, which causes my chest to vibrate in annoyance, but the feeling abruptly ends when she presses her face into my shirt while wrapping her arms around my middle.

To say I’m over this shit is an understatement, but now, seeing Ellie drunk and cute, I’m completely the fuck over it. We need to talk, and whether she wants to or not, it’s happening. Maybe not tonight, because she wouldn’t likely remember any of it, but it would be very soon.

“You should have called me to come get her.”

“Like I said…” He shrugs then looks at Ellie in my arms and raises a brow.

Shaking my head, I ask, “Where’s Hope?” while pulling Ellie’s hands out of the back of my shirt, where they had wandered. I was already hard from seeing her in the tight jeans and tighter tee with her body pressed against mine, but her hands on my skin would send me over the edge.

“Your mom took her home with her for a sleepover when the girls decided they were gonna drink and hang out.”

My mom is in love with Ellie and Hope, and completely backed Ellie in her silent treatment, so it doesn’t even surprise me that she wouldn’t call to give me a heads up about tonight. Still, that shit pisses me off too. What happened to loyalty?

“If you’re good, I’m gonna head out. July’s in the truck,” Wes remarks.

Lifting my chin, I walk with Ellie, who’s still glued to my front, to the door and lock it behind him.

“It’s so hot,” she gripes. Tilting my head down, I see she’s peering up at me. I close my eyes for a moment, praying for strength. “I need to get out of these clothes.” Opening my eyes, I watch as she pulls from my grasp and drops her coat to the ground, her shirt coming up and over her head, leaving her in a dark purple lace bra and jeans.

“Jesus,” I hear myself hiss under my breath, knowing I should stop her, but fuck if I can do or say anything as her hands go to the buttons of her jeans and I see dark purple lace is there too.

“Ellie,” I growl, needing her to stop.

“What?” she asks, tilting sideways, but before she can hit the floor, I pick her up bridal style and head for the stairs.

“I’m too heavy for you to carry. I suck at being on a diet; I don’t even like vegetables,” she murmurs, pressing her face into my neck, where I swear I feel her tongue touch briefly.

“You don’t need to diet, Ellie. You’re perfect the way you are, and I could run laps with you in my arms just like this.”

“Really?” she whispers, pulling her face away from my neck to catch my eyes.

“Really,” I grunt, feeling my zipper imprinting on my dick just from her weight in my arms, her skin against mine, and the view of her tits in her lace bra.

“Can I see?” she asks, wrapping her arms around my neck as I head up the stairs.

“Another time.” I chuckle from the serious look on her face.

“Fine,” she pouts, laying her head back against my shoulder. Once we make it to the second floor, I lead her to my room and set her on the bed. I know I should probably put her in her own bed, but I tell myself I need to be close in case she gets sick and needs me during the night.

“Why are we here?” she asks, sitting up and looking around.

Ignoring her question, I walk to the dresser and find a shirt before going back over to her and answering, “In case you get sick, my bathroom is closer than if you were in your bed and would have to go across the hall.”

“Oh.” She smiles, flopping down on my bed and raising her arms above her head, giving me a visual of her spread out just like that for me to enjoy. Shaking my head, I lift one of her feet then the other and pull off her boots and socks then help her sit up. I slip the shirt on over her head, and as soon as she has it on, she does the shit girls do and puts her hands behind her back, unhooking her bra and slipping it out the sleeve of the tee.

“I hope Mellissa doesn’t get mad that I’m in here,” she mutters, lifting her head to look at me.