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

talk for a bit

down Ellis's dinner invitations

Trent asked, dating his

Freya admitted, a

the way he's always opers, when he's nice

that one embarrassing phone call, the couldn't think of any reason she'd gotten on his bad

they already moved

how rocky

caught the look.

fact that Ellis's retired?" Trent tried to shift

confused. Hadn't Ellis already said

no longer that 'devil captain', maybe it's time to stop seeing him

lens."

"Huh?" Freya was puzzled.

Trent explained, gently setting the stage. "Or maybe Irving in your place and collecting that

like that?" Freya always felt unguarded

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 to the

Freya frowned.

That

Ellis," Trent said, his tone turning sincere as he wove the tale on Ellis's behalf. "If

Freya still

like that kind of person. But Trent's words held a strange sort

last time. "If you don't believe me, ask other

nodded thoughtfully. After a bit more

came to one conclusion. Ellis

she didn't

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18.33

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

the Shaw

set. She really was

chimed in, "How about

Riley added, "No objections."

Trent echoed, "Me too."

rest threw in their affirmatives as well.

tagging him in the group, but

there was a knock at Freya's

Ellis standing there, phone in hand,

the butt of some grand cosmic joke. "Can you help

"Hmm?"

got a

suddenly remembering-he'd gotten that phone after

as he saw