Page 3 of Ella’s Data

“Just let me know what I can bring and I’ll be there,” I reply.

Eli follows me out and grabs the cooler. “I have dry ice in there to keep them chilled, but you might need to get more,” I caution. “Oh, and here’s the Miralax in case she needs it,” I add, handing him the giant bottle I bought. “I’m so glad she and the baby are okay, Eli, I was really worried and hated that I couldn't get here sooner to help.”

“You’re here now, Ella, and that’s what matters,” he replies. “There’s a campground about five miles or so from the clubhouse that has sites available for RVs.”

“Good to know, I hadn’t checked my Good Sam app yet,” I reply. “If there’s anything y’all need me to do or grab, please let me know. She’s the only family I’ve got left.”

He nods his head at me, and states, “We will, you drive carefully and we’ll see you tomorrow.”

CHAPTER

TWO

Ella

The campground is easy to find, and after paying for a site for two months, I quickly get my RV set up, and my car unhitched from the trailer in the back. I need groceries, but because I was overwhelmingly exhausted, I picked up something to eat on the way out here.

Now that I’m ready to settle in, I put the window barriers up, make sure all the doors are locked, even the ones in the driving cabin, then sit down and eat. Most RVs have one door on the side, but I bought one that was built on a Ford chassis, so I have two captain’s chairs up front, with an overhang for another bunk area, plus a door so I can enter and exit from the side instead of out the front. I honestly can’t wait to actually cook a few meals. Takeout gets old and it’s not exactly healthy, but when I’m traveling or working, it’s what I fall back to doing. Sometimes, when I’m on an assignment, we’ll get lucky and someone will come, set up a pit and cook, and while it’s mostly grilled food, it’s still healthier than the crap I’m eating out of this paper sack that’s on the table in front of me. Once I’m done, I toss the trash then decide to take a much-needed shower, because Fee was correct. I drove for nine hours after working for about seven, and I feel sticky and grimy.

One of the best things about my RV is that even though it’s small enough that I can easily drive it, the bathroom is a decent size. No postage stamp shower stall where I have to step out to turn; nope, I can move freely, although it’s still a bit challenging when I have to shave. Granted, since I’m single and not mingling with anyone, that’s not as big of an issue as it could be. By the time I’m done, the bathroom is steamy and my energy is depleted.

“Just braid it so it looks half decent in the morning and go to bed,” I mutter to my reflection as I brush my teeth and glare at my wild hair that some days has a mind of its own.

Sighing, I grab my dirty clothes and walk back to my bedroom, another highlight of my cozy home. I replaced the mattresses that came with the RV with good ones and feel like I’m sleeping on a cloud every single night. Tossing my clothes in the dirty clothes hamper, I crawl into my bed, plug my phone into the charger, set an alarm, then all but pass out from exhaustion.

Knocking at my door has me waking up with a jolt and a snarl on my lips. “Who the fuck is knocking on my door at… seven in the morning!”

I’m so pissed off, I throw on my robe and stomp out of my bedroom to the door, where I flick the small curtain aside to see Eddie standing there. I unlock the door and fling it open, nearly smacking him in the face. “What in the fuck are you doing here at this ungodly hour?” I yell. “It’s seven in the damn morning, Eddie, and I worked before I drove nine hours, took a two-hour cat nap, then went to see Phoebe at the hospital. It takes me an hour to get all the slide-outs sorted and the RV set up, so I’ve had a whopping five hours of sleep!”

At this point, I’m shrieking like a banshee, waving my hands around and stomping my foot. I’m so exhausted I want to cry, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of seeing tears roll down my face.

“Prophet mentioned you got into town yesterday,” he says when I finally wind down. “So, I thought I’d see if we could talk.”

“Not. Happening,” I grit out. “Go away. I’m tired, PMS’ing, and need more sleep. When I’m ready to talk, I’ll let you know.”

When I go to shut the door, he puts his hand out to stop me. “This’ll only take a few minutes, Ella, then I’ll leave you alone.”

“Ugh, fine, you’ve got five minutes, Eddie.”

He steps up into my RV and suddenly, the space seems to shrink around me. I’m aware of him and can feel his body heat encroaching my space. “First of all, it’s Data now. I haven’t been Eddie since I joined the club,” he states. “Secondly, since I know you and Phoebe are best friends, we need to come to some kind of mutual agreement. I know from Prophet that you’re going to be here until after Halloween, so I’m sure you’ll be around the club a lot so you can spend time with Phoebe and the girls. But I live at the clubhouse and am not going to be chased away from my home because you’ve got something shoved up your ass about me.”

“I can stay out of your way,” I retort, my tone sharp. “I don’t know if they’re going to stay at the clubhouse or at their house, but outside of the barbecue that Holly already invited me to, I’ll just make an excuse not to come by.”

He snorts while rolling his eyes. “Yeah, like that won’t be obvious to Phoebe or Prophet, Ella! Honest to Christ, I wish you’d just tell me what I did because when you left after what was the best month of my fucking life, I thought everything was good between us. Then, I see you again in the Carolinas and you act like I’m venomous or something. What gives, Ella?”

“I can’t do this with you right now,” I whisper. When he goes to say something, I hold up my hand. “I’ll explain, I promise, but right now, I don’t have the brain cells necessary to have this discussion with you. Can you please just let me get some more sleep, Data?”

I watch his shoulders drop, then he nods. “Yeah, I’m sorry it’s so early. I didn’t realize you’d worked before you hit the road to head here.”

He heads out and I lock the door behind him, then run to my bedroom, where I collapse in tears. I’m sobbing so hard, my bed is shaking and I can’t stop. Why did he show up this morning? Why am I being such a bitch to him? He treated me so damn well during the month we were together, and if not for my stupid insecurities, I would’ve made sure to keep in touch.

And that’s the part that scares me. Because I swore on that long-ago day that I would ride this life journey on my own. Only… Eddie, no, Data, broke through those walls without even trying, and I started to believe in happily-ever-after again. But I won’t break my vow, I can’t. I’ll never survive another heartbreak like that a second time.

“Hey, I overslept my alarm, I’m so sorry,” I say to Fee when she answers her cell. My voice is raspy and my throat is raw from crying, but I hope she thinks it’s because I just woke up.

“Ella, please don’t apologize,” she replies. “Believe it or not, we’re being released in a few hours, so it’s okay. Do you feel up to coming to the clubhouse? Holly said she invited you already, but if you’re still tired, I understand.”

“Nope, I’ll be there. Should I pick up anything?” I ask.