Chapter 292
The small dining table couldn’t fit everyone, so we moved to the coffee table in the living room. When Aaron saw Diana opening a bottle of wine, he frowned. “You and Lacey both drove here; you shouldn’t be drinking.”
Diana replied, “If I drink too much, I’ll just crash here.”
Aaron sighed, feeling helpless.
“Listen up, girl,” Diana said, “If you’re feeling down, let’s drink and sleep, tomorrow we’ll wake up with no worries.” The more Aaron tried to stop her, the more Diana filled her glass and handed it to Ellie.
So, one bottle of wine was shared by three girls, and Diana drank two–thirds of it on her own. An hour later, Aaron watched helplessly as the only one drunk–Diana–stood on the sofa dancing jazz. He furrowed his brow, feeling powerless.
Joanna came out of the kitchen. “Aaron, you should take Diana home. Don’t let Mrs. Grant worry.”
“Joanna, I’m leaving now. Aaron’s coming to pick me up,” Lacey said, gathering her things.
Ellie grabbed Diana’s bag to help, and Diana flopped back onto the sofa. “Ellie, I’ll sleep with you tonight.
Ellie looked at Aaron, who was at a loss for words. Aaron sighed. I’ll get her some water. Take Lacey downstairs.”
Ellie escorted Lacey downstairs, where Layton was already waiting. She greeted him and turned to head back to take care of Diana. After Ellie left, Lacey got into the car.
“Layton, tell me–does Alex like Ellie?” Lacey asked eagerly as soon as she got in.
Layton paused, his hand still on the seatbelt, turning to look at his sister. “How do you know?”
Lacey slapped her thigh. “I knew it!” She quickly told him how Alex had come to the apartment earlier in the day with his parents to deliver money. “But, Alex was blind, falling for Haley. When did he start liking Ellie?”
Layton frowned at his sister’s gossiping. “Stay out of this.”
“Come on, Layton, tell me! I won’t be able to sleep tonight!” Lacey whined, shaking Aaron’s arm.
Sighing, Layton gave in. “Alex liked Ellie long before Haley, but he didn’t realize it.”
Lacey’s eyes widened. “But if he likes Ellie, why is he so mean to her?”
Layton leaned back in his seat. “You wouldn’t understand. Alex has always been bossy.” He frowned deeper, continuing, “Ellie has been living with Alex for over ten years, and the Thompson family never interfered.
“To Alex, Ellie is part of the family, meaning she’s his. Ellie insisted on going to a university out of town, Alex had picked the perfect major for her, but she wouldn’t budge.
“She stayed away for over three years, and when she returned, she never went back to the Warren family. Alex was upset.”
Lacey pouted. “He’s such a petty guy!”
Layton rubbed his temples. “At that time, Alex was looking into the necklace that Haley had. While waiting for Ellie to come back, he couldn’t stand it, so he went to the hospital to get Ellie to help him go after Haley.”
Lacey shook her head. “What an idiot! Just because he was mad Ellie, he thought Haley was the one who saved him and started protecting Haley.”
+13
Layton explained, “At first, it was out of spite, but then he found out that the summer he got into trouble, Haley happened to be in Nopolis with her parents.
“Haley kept hiding the truth about the necklace. So, Alex misunderstood. He thought Haley sacrificed her ability to have kids to save him, and he felt like he had to take care of her.”
