She Took The House The Car And My Heart

Left Me With Walls, Wheels, and Wounds 281

Chapter 281 Ellis's Phone Got A Virus

After shooting off the message, Ellis powered down his phone and tucked it away, resolute in his mission to avoid any unnecessary distractions.

He'd finally coaxed Freya out for a breath of fresh air. No way was he about to let anyone mess that up.

The instructor stared blankly at the message lighting up his screen, completely at a loss.

Without wasting a second, he hit the call button and tried Ellis. But all he got was Ellis's voicemail

He was left speechless. He narrowed his eyes at the car that had just driven off, jaw tight with irritation. "Fine. Let's see how long you last without turning your phone back on."

Ellis, on the other hand, couldn't care less about ruffling his friend's feathers. They'd been pulling tricks on each other since childhood.

To be fair, they only ever reached out when it suited them.

By the time they rolled into the city, the clock had already ticked past four in the afternoon.

Ellis drove Freya straight home.

There was no use heading to the office at this hour. Besides, he and Melvin had already squared away everything that mattered. Freya had nothing left to stress about.

Once they arrived, Freya unlocked the door.

"Thank you for today," she said, glancing back with a rare flicker of sincerity in her eyes. "I'll give you a raise next month."

Ellis replied in his usual nonchalant drawl, "Much appreciated, my dear boss." Freya was momentarily struck dumb. She still wasn't used to being called that. "Go on in and rest up. I'll holler when dinner's ready," Ellis said in that familiar, protective tone, one that bordered on brotherly. "Especially after that raise you promised me."

"I..." Freya started, instinctively ready to decline.

But the look in Ellis's eyes stopped her short.

She swallowed her protest and changed her answer. "Alright."

After they parted ways, Freya reached out to Trent.

Compared to her, Trent probably knew Ellis even better. The two of them were like peas in a pod-sharp,

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Chapter 21 QUA W

and full of

the video call connected, Freys made small talk for a bit before cutting to the

down Ellis's dinner invitations

asked, dating

eat," Freya admitted, a

couldn't shake the worry. "With the way he's always opers, when he's nice to you,

couldn't think of any reason she'd gotten on his

hadn't they already moved past

how rocky Ellis's journey

the look.

Ellis's retired?" Trent

looked confused. Hadn't Ellis already

on, "Since he's no longer that 'devil captain', maybe

lens."

"Huh?" Freya was puzzled.

stage. "Or maybe Irving in your place and collecting that generous

that?" Freya always felt unguarded around her

of the rest of us," Trent continued, nudging her a little more. "But now that we're all out in the real world, he's probably noticed that, compared

Freya frowned.

out of place? That just didn't

he wove the tale on Ellis's behalf. "If he invites you to

serious?" Freya still found it hard to

like that kind of person. But Trent's words

nudged her one last time. "If you don't believe me, ask other guys. Just

After a bit more casual

sifting through her thoughts, and came to one conclusion. Ellis really

didn't dwell on

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it-the one with all eight of them, Ellis included-and typed, "I'm free these days. Any time works for a

what Gerard couldn't in the Shaw Group.

set. She really was free

in, "How

Riley added, "No objections."

Trent echoed, "Me too."

the rest threw in their affirmatives as

him in the group, but he didn't

a knock at

to find Ellis standing there, phone in

some grand cosmic joke.

"Hmm?"

phone's got a

in, suddenly remembering-he'd gotten that phone after retiring, and

as he saw her hand move toward the