Flames In The Fire

EIGHT

Ellie POV

The ambulance ride is long. I feel like the EMTs are looking at me like I am crazy for wanting to go home. Everyone thinks I am crazy. I need to go home; it is the only place I want to be right now. I want to be with John every night and his family. They are the only ones that have ever really cared about me and how I feel. I need to be with them. 

*Flash Back*

I have tried to call John several times, but he has not answered his phone. I know he has to be home by now. It is almost eight. That is it; I am going over there. I run down the stairs. I will just drive even though I am not supposed to drive right now. I do not have a headache right now; I think I can make it. 

I run into my father at the bottom of the steps. I do not want to talk to him after what he did today. “Where are you off to in such a rush?” my father asks. 

“Out, I am going out,” I answer. 

“Are you driving?” my father asks.

“I do not have a choice unless you will give me a driver,” I answer him. 

“There is no one to drive you to that man,” my father snaps at me. 

“I know what you did today. What is wrong with you?” I scream at him. 

“If you leave here tonight, I am done with you, Daniela,” my father says, thinking it will stop me from leaving. 

“Fine,” I say to him.

I run back up the stairs and pack a bag quickly. I come running down the stairs past my father. “Where are you going?” he asks me. 

“You said you do not want me here, so bye, father,” I say as I go out the door. 

I go to my car parked in the driveway. I will drive slowly. It is not far. If I need to stop, I will. I can do this. I paid for this car he cannot stop me from taking it. I get into the car and start it. My father comes out of the house, my mother behind him. They are both screaming. I cannot handle this anymore. I just need to go. I am not sure where I will go, but I will figure it out after talking to John. 

I pull out of the driveway and begin my drive to John’s farmhouse. I drive very slowly. I make it almost to John’s house when I am pulled over. I stop the car on the side of the road and wait for the police officer to come up to the window. 

“Ma’am, why are you driving so slowly? Are you okay?” the officer asks me. 

I begin to cry when I see it is John. “I was trying to get to you,” I say.

“Move over, and I will drive you the rest of the way, hang on a minute and let me tell Jeff,” John says.

I move over to the passenger seat. John returns to the car quickly and takes over the drive. 

“Where have you been?” I ask him. 

“I had an errand to run after work, and Jeff helped me with it; when we saw your car, I told him to pull you over,” John says.

“I had a fight with my father,” I say, crying. 

“Funny, I fought with him today too. He must be making his rounds today,” John says.

“I know; I am so sorry he did that to you. I was afraid you would stop seeing me because of him,” I say to John. 

“No, never. I love you, Ellie,” John says.

“You do; you love me,” I say. He has never said that he loved me before tonight. 

“Yes, more than anything. You are my world, Ellie,” John says. 

We pull into John’s farmhouse. He grabs my bag out of the car and opens my door. He takes my hand, and we walk into his house. His house is a mess as usual. 

“Ellie, I have something very important I need to talk about with you,” John says.

“Okay,” I say. I sit down on the couch. John sets my bag down. He takes a small box out of his pocket and opens it. 

“It is not much. I would love to give you the biggest diamond in the world. This ring was my mothers' wedding ring. Jeff drove me to get it after work. I want you to be my wife. I realize we have not been dating long, but you would make me so happy. I would do everything to make you happy,” John says. He stumbles over his words. He is so nervous. 

I sit silently for a second, and then I smile at him. “I have one condition,” I say to him. 

“What is that?” he asks. 

“No matter what, we always work it out; we are in this forever,” I say to him.

“I can live with that,” John says.

I kiss John and smile at him. “Yes, John Bradley, I will be your wife,” I say to him. 

John pulls me close to him and holds me so tightly. “I hate to ruin this moment, but I promised my mother I would call her the moment you said yes,” John says, laughing. 

“Do you want me to call her?” I ask John. “Come on, we can do it together,” John says. “Oh, one more thing, my father kicked me out of the house; I need a place to stay,” I say to John.

“Well, I have extra rooms, take one. I will not have you in my bed until we are married,” John says.

“Such a gentlemen,” I say to him. 

John picks up the phone to call his mother. He hands me the phone so that I can tell her first. He is beaming. At this moment, I am so happy, and then my head begins to hurt. I drop the receiver as the phone rings and fall to my knees. 

“Ellie, are you okay?” John asks.

“I need the red pill in my purse,” I say to him. John rushes to my purse and brings me the pill. He gets a glass of water from the kitchen. 

“Ellie, how sick are you?” John asks. 

“I don’t know. The doctors have no idea what is wrong with me. Can you handle all of this?” I ask him. 

“I would walk through hell for you, Ellie,” John says to me. 

The phone rings. John lets it ring. It took forty-five minutes for the medicine to work on my headache. When it finally went away, we call John’s mother to tell her the news. She is thrilled and happy for us. My parents will not be, but I do not care.