Ella's childhood home was overly silent as they arrived. Hand in hand with Dane, they roamed the entire house after checking the front door and seeing it locked.
The house was filled with untrimmed bushes and grass.
"Are you sure your mom was still living with her? Or is there anyone still living here?" Dane asked while pulling some of the tall grass that was blocking the way.
Even the lanai is filled with cobwebs, making her doubt if Dane was right.
"I just talked to her last week about coming back home to visit her, and she sounds excited." My heart started to pound at the thought that the house doesn't actually look like it was occupied.
They went back to the front door and peeked over the gap of the closed window. Inside was dark, and the furniture was covered with clothes.
"No… no.no.no.. " Ella looked away right after peeking inside the house. Her fingers push her hair to the back as the water inside her eyes started to make a stream.
"Ella, what happened?" Dane asked, his brow furrowed with worry.
However, Ella didn't answer as she sniffed, like she didn't have time to think that Dane was with her. She pulled out her phone from the bag and immediately redialled her mom's saved number.
"No, please don't. Ma, why?" Ella mumbled after calling her mom's number several times and always ending up with the same response, which let him know that her mom was out of reach.
Things she never expected to happen.
Her mom was the only family she had. She couldn't believe that she never had any idea where her mom went. She started to creep out. What if she won't see her mom again?
"Ella?' Dane, in a low voice, asked again.
She looked at him; this time, she started to see the things around her and put herself back to reality. She hugged Dane, more to comfort herself. She still believed that her mom was possibly lost or had just left her.
However, she never saw even a single reason why she should have to go away from her. Why can't she contact her anymore? It's hard for her to accept the idea that she wouldn't see her mom again.
While on Dane's shoulder, she saw a familiar face. It was her old neighbor and her mom's friend.
"Auntie?" She called out to her, and seeing her gave Ella slight relief.
"Ella? Is that you? Why are you here?" The woman asked her, with an expression of surprise painted on her face.
Ella was confused about the way she asked her, or was it the question itself? But she didn't have time to figure it out anymore. She needed information. She needed her help to answer her questions. So, she simply nodded without even understanding if she was actually answering her question.
"Do you know where my mom is?"
The woman gaped with her eyes and mouth. "You're not together? She moved right after you moved. She said that she would follow you to the city."
Her neighbor's answer made Ella's heart pump harder, like it was about to get out of her chest. "No, she didn't. We talked and never mentioned anything. I was expecting to see her here." Ella couldn't help but burst out in tears.
"I haven't talked with her even on the phone since that day, so I wouldn't know. Why don't you call and ask her?"
"I just tried, Auntie, but I can't reach her anymore. My last conversation with her was a few days ago. When I told her that I'm coming home by the weekend, she hasn't replied since then; it made me want to be here." Just then, Ella realized, was her mother trying to ghost her? But why would she do it? What had she done to make her mom do that?
As her neighbors walked away, Dane just tried to open the door. He at least successfully made it and helped Ella inside, who was still sobbing, trying to think hard for even just a single reason. Why was her mom gone so suddenly? The hard part was she knew that she was alive and was just like trying to leave her. She was so down, thinking that she didn't love her anymore.
Dane took off the cloth that covered the couch so they could sit and pulled Ella to rest on his chest.
She was sobbing, sad, tired, and overwhelmed.
Dane wanted to comfort her in a way he thought was the best way. However, he also saw this opportunity to get what he really wished for.
Dane's finger slides through Ella's hair, giving her a light massage. That way, it lessened her sobbing; the sensation of his massage was eventually and undeniably comforting for her. He smiled as he noticed that, and slowly and hesitantly he planted a kiss on her temple.
Ella didn't try to repel him, and she liked how Dane did it. It gave her comfort, behind all the emotional stress she had to handle. Slowly, Dane's hand moved down to her neck, massaging her shoulders.
'She was lonely and can be submissive,' Dane thought.
He had wanted to fill Ella. They had been together long enough that people were already expecting them to be sleeping together. Still, Ella was consistent in her belief that giving her virginity was the best gift to him.
However, Dane didn't care about that so much. He was happy with that kind of gift, and he respected Ella for that, but he had some needs, as every man does.
He needs to let out his sexual desire on Ella, and maybe he could have it tonight. This way too he might be helping her to shift her emotion from sadness to pleasure.