My Ellie (The Perfectly Paired #1)

Chapter 32

Colton

We’ve been driving for over an hour when Rory jolts in the driver’s seat, “San, we didn’t get a gift for your sister!”

“What do you mean we ?” She laughs, pulling a pink envelope and a small, ribbon-wrapped box from the small backpack at her feet.

“Lovely,” Rory turns his head and grins at her, “Did you sign the card from both of us?”

“Of course not,” She gently smacks his left arm with the card before placing the gifts back into her backpack. “That would look far too... familiar.”

I’ve never asked Rory, and it’s never come up in conversation, but it’s becoming increasingly obvious that his and Sanya’s relationship is kept a secret from her family—perhaps Rory’s too.

“Ah,” Rory nods his head, and I can’t see his face, but I’d bet it’s missing his usual cheeky grin. “When we stop for petrol, I’ll grab a gift card or something, one of those universal Visa ones so she can spend it anywhere. Zara still likes to shop, right?”

“Right.” Sanya says softly as she places a hand on his left leg.

“Aren’t you worried about showing up empty-handed?” Ellie muses as she nestles herself a little closer to me .

“Oh, I never show up empty-handed.” I smirk before jerking my head towards the trunk of the car. “A couple days ago, I asked Chef to whip up one of Meemaw’s pecan pies for tonight. She didn’t get the memo that y’all weren’t allowed to go, so she still made it for me. I grabbed it from the kitchen and put it in the trunk before I showered earlier, must have missed Rory by a few minutes. I’ll run into the gas station when we stop and get some ice cream—it has to be eaten with—”

“Vanilla bean ice cream.” She finishes in her version of a thick, Texas accent.

I laugh and Sanya turns around to smile at us both.

I’m so glad that Ellie and Sanya decided to go to this dinner, despite the bogus instructions they were given by their coach.

Ellie doesn’t seem to be worried or anxious about going against the rules, heck she’s the one who hatched the ‘escape plan’—a true testament to how much she cares for her friend, and how well she’s dealing with her anxiety.

“And what did you bring?” I ask Ellie as I absentmindedly trail circles on her arm.

“I... uh, I drew something.” A small blush travels across her cheeks, and she smiles down at her purse, clutching it a little closer to her body.

“Oh my god, let me see!” Sanya squeals excitedly, and just when I think Ellie might shrink back and deflect the attention away from herself, she reaches into her bag and pulls out a small wooden frame. She hands it to Sanya, whose face goes slack as she stares at the gift.

“Ellie, this is unbelievably good.” Her blank expression turns joyful, and she looks to me before turning the frame around.

The drawing depicts a whole host of people, all dressed up to the nines in colorful fabrics. It’s a detailed pencil sketch, with watercolors delicately adding vibrant shades to the piece. Ellie used some metallic gold paint to add jewelry and small details onto the people’s clothing, really bringing them all to life.

“These are all of my siblings,” Sanya says with a beaming smile as she looks down at the photo and lists off all their names, “We haven’t managed to all get together at the same time for a photo op in the past few years, so this is... truly magical, Ellie.”

“I did some serious sleuthing on social media to find photos of everyone at the most recent weddings they attended and drew them in their saris and sherwanis. I just thought that since she’s going to be off traveling around Pakistan next year, she might want a picture of all of you together.”

“She’s going to love it.” Sanya says before handing the frame back to Ellie, who then carefully places it back into her purse.

As Sanya turns back around, I pull Ellie closer to my body and press a kiss to the top of her head.

“You’re amazing.” I whisper into her ear, delighting in the way she presses herself into me—as if in acceptance of the words .

Rory stops at the next gas station and he and I both hop out, leaving the girls in the car. We make our way inside, past rows of car maintenance items and snacks before we make it to the small, refrigerated section at the back.

“Before you ask,” He starts, I raise my eyebrows to feign innocence but Rory just smirks at me knowingly, “I don’t really want to talk about it.” He pats me on the shoulder playfully before continuing, “But—it’s no secret that Sanya’s parents aren’t really into casual dating .” He makes air quotes with his fingers, “Neither are mine, to be fair, but that’s a different story. Her parents don’t hate me or anything, but they don’t know that we... you know.”

“And that makes you feel some kind of way?” I browse through the small selection of ice cream, trying not to push the issue too far in case he decides to stop sharing.

“I mean, it shouldn’t but... I’d like to make things official, if I’m honest. It’s not like she doesn’t know that. But we don’t even get to spend that much time together during the year—I’ve seen her twice between the end of last summer and the beginning of this one, for Christ’s sake. They work so hard, and taking a day—or God forbid, a week off —is something that just isn’t done.” He puts his hands in his pockets and sighs, “My mam has been on at me for coming home, says one of my uncles has a job lined up for me. I don’t want to take it, but I feel like I might be staying here for something that’s never going to work out the way I want it to.”

“That’s got to be real hard, Rory.” I fish two cartons of vanilla bean ice cream from the freezer before turning towards him, but he waves me off with a half-smile.

“Ach, enough about my crap. We better crack on, Sanya’s family are so wonderful—and the food! ” He slings an arm around my shoulder and directs me towards the check out, I try to swallow my laugh at how he has to walk on the tips of his toes to reach around me. “It’s going to be a grand night, filled with fantastic fare and even better people.” He claps his other hand on my chest, and he sounds so genuinely merry that I can’t contain my laugh this time.

Rory grabs a gift card and we both settle up with the cashier before heading back out to the car, which he proceeds to fill with petrol, as he calls it.

Sanya assures us we’re only around ten minutes away from her home, so the ice cream should be fine until we get there.

She excitedly points out the window anytime we pass somewhere of interest—the park she used to play in when she was younger, the primary school she went to before the age of eight when she started attending the same private school as Ellie. Sadly, it’s dark outside so we can’t see much from the car, but Sanya’s enthusiasm is contagious, and I find myself pressed against the window any time she announces someplace new.

Eventually, we pull up outside a large, detached house at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac. It looks as if every single light inside is turned on, each and every window is alive with some kind of activity on the inside.

Ellie cuddles closer to me for a handful of seconds, and I soak in the intimacy, the smell of her hair, her clothes, before Rory turns the engine off and we all pile out of the little car. I grab the pie from the trunk of the car, the bag of ice cream in my other hand as I make my way up the pathway with the others.

I see a few faces peek out of one of the downstairs windows before the front door of the house opens. I find myself wondering if Sanya’s family cook their food outside, like a barbecue or a Blackstone, because a mouthwatering scent is filling the air around the house.

“Ammee!” Sanya calls before running up to the woman standing in the doorway. The woman is dressed in deep purple robes, a headscarf loosely draped over her long hair, and she has a face that resembles Sanya’s so closely that I’m not sure whether she’s her mother or one of her sisters. The two embrace for what feels like minutes as we approach along the gravel pathway.

“I brought some friends, Ammee.” Sanya says as she pulls away from the embrace. She gestures towards us as Ellie steps closer to the door.

“Oh, Ellie! It has been so long!” She scoops Ellie into an embrace just as warm as the one she gave Sanya.

“It has, Mrs. Shah, thank you for having us.” Ellie steps away as Rory approaches.

Alright, we’ll go with Sanya’s mom, then.

“Rory.” She smiles and raises a hand to his face before hugging him as well.

“You, I do not know.” She tilts her head, a warm smile still on her face as her hands fall from Rory’s arms.

“Oh, my name is Colton, ma’am.” I hook the bag of ice cream onto my wrist before removing my baseball cap. “And, uh, I brought some pie and ice cream, my Meemaw’s recipe.” I add before she steps towards me and envelopes me in a tight hug.

“So wonderful to meet you Colton,” She beams, releasing me from the embrace, “I’m sure the pie and ice cream will go down a treat.”

“Colton’s working at the estate this summer, we’ve all become really close.” Sanya explains as her mother steps back towards the doorway.

“Some closer than others.” Rory whispers under his breath, earning a swift elbow to the ribs from Ellie.

“Come in, come in.” Mrs. Shah ushers us all into the house, accepting the pie and ice cream from my hands.

Aromas of different herbs and spices dance in the air—unlike anything I’ve ever smelled before. My stomach growls loudly as we’re all removing our shoes, earning giggles from everyone and I apologize on its behalf as I remove my hat, leaving it to hang on the coat rack.

“Don’t worry, Colton,” Mrs. Shah laughs on her way into what looks to be the kitchen, passing walls filled with framed family photos, “We’ll fix that for you.”

Sanya leads us from the brightly painted hallway into the guest bathroom where we all wash our hands one-by-one before making our way into the main living area of the house where the rest of her family are gathered. Some people are sitting on couches around the room, but most are standing in smaller groups and chatting away to one another.

The next ten minutes or so are filled with loud, friendly greetings. Almost all of Sanya’s siblings are here, as well as some of her aunts and uncles. A few of them ask me to say certain words in my cool accent , and I happily oblige them. One of her older sisters dives into a story about a trip she and her husband took to Atlanta a few years ago, and I tell her about all the places she should visit in Texas if they ever take another trip across the pond.

“I hope you’re all as hungry as Colton!” Mrs. Shah calls from the kitchen, bringing a slight blush to my cheeks as everyone laughs. Ellie hugs my arm and smiles up at me. She’s always beautiful, but tonight she looks so at peace, so comfortable in this home that she truly is glowing.

I’m not sure how the Shahs feel about public displays of affection, Sanya and Rory are keeping a healthy distance from each other—given what Rory told me at the gas station, I’m not surprised—so I settle for giving Ellie a wink before we’re all summoned into the dining area.

“Come and eat!” Sanya’s mom calls from the adjoining room where a large dining table is filled with pots and serving platters.

Somehow, we all manage to fit around the table, the chairs are mismatched and it’s a squeeze, but there are smiles on everyone’s faces.

I get a run-down of all the dishes from Sanya, before diving in to serve myself amongst the fray of arms and serving utensils. There are about six different kinds of curries, several of which are vegetarian—which bodes well for Ellie, who loads her plate high with rich, hearty food. Tender cooked meats sit on platters around the table, and I help myself to several skewers and gravy covered dishes.

Zara, the birthday girl, sits at the head of the table, in a chair that seats her a little higher than everyone else. She clinks her fork against her glass before we all start eating, “Thank you all for being here on my sixteenth birthday,” A chorus of cheers goes up around the table, “I’m so glad to be spending it with you all, because next year I’ll be in Pakistan, and I know I’ll miss all of these faces.” She grabs the face of the brother seated to her right and smooshes it in her palms as laughter breaks out around the table, “Alright, alright, let’s eat.” She throws her arms wide and the conversation around the table dies down as we all dig into our plates.

I’ve never tasted food like this before in my life, and I won’t tell Meemaw this—but it’s most definitely the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Naan breads, biryanis, haleem, kebabs, masalas—they’re all so delicious that I fill my plate three times before begrudgingly accepting defeat. Sanya does warn me away from some things that she thinks might be too spicy for my palate—though I do try a least one bite of almost everything on the table.

Ellie engages in conversations with everyone, laughing and talking between bites, turning to me and including me in every discussion. I love to see her like this, she’s completely free of all her stressors. I’ll bet she hasn’t even thought about dressage, her mom, or the Olympic scout tonight.

Throughout the evening, we’ve somehow grown closer—like, literally, our chairs are almost touching, and I can feel her body heat on my right side. There’s limited space around the table as is, so it probably doesn’t look too obvious, but it’s an effort not to sling my arm around her and nestle her into my side.

There are so many of us gathered around the table that barely anything is left on the platters by the time we’re all finished eating. Conversation starts to pick up again as plates are stacked and taken into the kitchen by some of Sanya’s younger siblings.

I get up and offer to help, but I’m ushered—more like forced—back into my seat by Sanya’s mother and aunties because guests don’t clean up .

I catch Mrs. Shah’s eye as the last of the plates is cleared from the table. She’s watching Ellie and I intently, a fond smile on her face as she says, “Ellie, how is your mother?”

I’m sitting close enough to Ellie that I can feel her tense for a second before she answers, “She’s well, thank you, Mrs. Shah. She sends her regards.”

“I am happy to hear that,” She nods, a knowing expression on her face that tells me she’s aware that no such regards were sent. I wonder if she knows the girls were effectively banned from even attending this dinner tonight.

“Well,” Mrs. Shah says as she rises from her seat and makes her way towards the kitchen, stopping behind our chairs for a second and leaning down to whisper, “You look so very happy, both of you.” With that, she traipses off to the kitchen, leaving Ellie and I to grin at each other.

Mrs. Shah reappears with the pecan pie and ice cream cartons, placing them in the middle of the table while some of Sanya’s siblings filter out of the kitchen, arms filled with more plates and cutlery.

Each person gets a serving of pie, they’re slivers rather than slices, but there are no complaints. Zara takes the first bite, her eyes going wide before declaring that she will eat whatever is left if someone doesn’t like it .

I clear my throat before asking, “Can I get a picture of y’all, to send to my Meemaw?” So many people shout yes in unison before one of Sanya’s aunts rushes to the living room to grab a tripod. She plucks my phone out of my hands, setting it expertly on the apparatus and muttering something about how they got the thing a few years ago so everyone could be in the family pictures. She then connects it to a Bluetooth clicker before taking her seat as someone yells, “Say CHEESE !”

We all say it in unison as the shutter noise sounds from my phone several times. The same aunt retrieves my phone before handing it back to me, patting my shoulder affectionately. I get several requests from others around the table, asking me to send them the photos and I happily oblige before texting the photo to the family group chat and putting my phone away in my pocket.

Gifts begin to appear on the table, and Zara opens each one swiftly before thoroughly thanking everyone. She asks me for Meemaw’s pecan pie recipe, which I gladly write down for her after being presented with a pen and paper.

Zara almost tears up when Ellie gives her the framed painting, thanking her profusely before making her way around the table to hug her tightly.

As Zara retreats to her chair, I gently squeeze Ellie’s leg under the table, treasuring the way she places her own hand over mine and shoots me a red-cheeked grin.

The hour begins to grow late, and a few members of Sanya’s family say their goodbyes before taking their leave.

“It’s probably time for us to get going, too,” Sanya sounds crestfallen as she stands from the table and hugs Zara closely. Ellie, Rory and I make our way around to the siblings, aunts and uncles at the table, each of us hugging and wishing a happy birthday to Zara before making our way to the door.

Mrs. Shah follows us, stopping at the door to hold Sanya and kiss both of her cheeks before hugging the rest of us. We pull on our shoes and I grab my cap before we step out into the night.

“Drive safely,” She calls as we turn from the door, “I hope to see you all again soon.” I turn to wave back to her, catching the way she smiles knowingly at me before slowly pulling the door closed.

“I’ll drive,” I say as we make our way back down the gravel pathway towards the car. Rory doesn’t put up a fight, tossing the keys up towards me, his other hand resting on his belly.

“You could roll me back to Tewkesbury.” He groans as I catch the keys and make my way over to the drivers’ side of the car. Rory and Sanya load themselves into the back before Ellie hops into the passenger seat.

Ellie and I share a look that can only be described as contentment, each of us smiling at the other as she places her hand on my left leg. I turn my attention back to the road before pulling away from Sanya’s house.

It takes less than five minutes of driving before all three of them are snoring away, heads lolling gently with the movements of the car.

Ellie’s hand continues to grip my leg as she slumbers in the seat beside me, my hand comes to rest gently atop hers whenever I’m not changing the gears—if we were in my truck, my palm would be glued to hers.

Mrs. Shah’s words stick with me, echoing in my mind the entire way back to Tewkesbury Estate—because she’s right, I think we’re both really damn happy.