Chapter 7
“Hey could we stop by my house to check for my mom and so I can grab some clothes if I’m going to be staying at your place.” Ella asked on their way home, she had a sad look on her face, dreading walking into an empty house again.
“Yeah of course.” Erin reached across the car and squeezed Ella’s hand.
When they pulled up to the house, both girls immediately knew something was wrong when they saw the door wide open.
Ella opened her door quickly to make her way inside, when she saw Erin stepping out of the car.
“Erin stay in the car.”
“No way, you are not going in there alone.”
The girls walked towards the house together, stepping inside nervously.
“Mom?” Ella called out.
“Hey there’s my baby girl where have ya been, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” The woman slurred, almost tripping over her own feet.
“Where have I been?! Where the hell have you been?! I’ve been worried sick for three days thinking something happened to you!” Ella shouted, tears filling her eyes.
“What are you talking about silly I’ve be… been right here.”
Ella shook her head, she couldn’t believe her mom was so drunk the whole time she didn’t even know where she had been.
“Mom I can’t do this anymore, you can’t just leave for days and show up whenever… I can’t be here when you’re like this, It’s five o’clock and you are already so drunk you don’t know where you have been!”
“Can’t be here? Where are you going to go huh? You don’t have anybody!”
“She has me.” Erin stepped in.
“Who the fuck is this?” Ella’s mom shouted, pointing her empty bottle at the keeper.
“This is Erin, I have been staying with her and her mom, and... “
“And what!”
“... And she’s my girlfriend.” Ella said quietly, taking the keeper’s hand for support.”
Her mom let her bottle drop to the ground, smashing into pieces and she stared at her daughter and the keeper.
“Oh so you just decided to become a faggot all of a sudden? You’re father and I raised you better than that Ella. How do you think god will feel about this?”
“Don’t you dare bri-”
“Who the hell do you think you are to judge her like that?” Erin cut in before Ella could respond.
“Ella is ten times the person you will ever be, you say you raised her but where have you been the last three years since her father died? The last time I checked mom’s are supposed to be there for their kids, not getting blackout drunk every night and disappearing to god knows where, high on god knows what. So before you go calling your own daughter a faggot, maybe you should do a little reality check on yourself and get your fucking life together.” Erin let out a breath, “And you know what, I feel sorry for you that you can’t see how absolutely amazing your daughter is, and I hope that one day you realize how much you have screwed up her life. Do you even care that she has turned down four call ups to national team camps because of you? Because she was too scared to leave you alone, thinking that something would happen to you. You don’t deserve someone as great as your daughter, but I hope for her sake that one day you realize how much you completely fucked up.” The keeper finished, leaving Ella’s mother speechless in front of them.
Turning to the forward Erin let out a shaky breath. “Do you want to get some clothes, or just go?”
“Can we go please…” Ella whispered.
Erin put a hand on her back and led her outside, shutting the door loudly behind them.
Before they go to the car Ella paused and turned to Erin, pressing her forehead against the keepers. “Erin…” She whispered, letting the tears fall freely.”
Erin brought her hands up, gently wiping the tears from Ella cheeks and placing a light kiss on her nose.
“I’m so sorry about that baby, I don’t know what happened I just… I couldn’t let her say those things about you... you don’t deserve any of this.”
“You make everything better Erin. Thank you so much for standing up for me, and saying everything I’ve never been able to.”
“I’ll always be here… Let’s go home, if you want we could try coming back at night and see if she’s gone, but if you don’t want to you can borrow my stuff for as long as you need.”
“Thank you so much Erin, I hope you know how much it means to me. everything that you are doing.” Ella give the keeper a quick kiss before they parted to get in the car.
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“Hey girls how was… Ella sweetie what happened? have you been crying?”
“Uh-” Ella started before the keeper cut her off.
“Why don’t you go take a shower, I’ll fill my mom in okay?”
Ella gave a small smile before walking up the stairs.
“We went to her house to get some clothes for her and her mom was there. She was pretty drunk and thought that Ella had been the one who has been gone the whole time, Ella told her I was her girlfriend and she freaked out, and… I may have uh… freaked out back. Then we left.”
“That poor girl… make sure she know’s she is welcome here for as long as she needs.”
“I will, and thank you mom.”
Erin and her mom were finishing up dinner when Ella came back downstairs, looking and feeling refreshed.
“Can I help with anything?”
“Sure dear, you could set the table.”
“Okay.” Ella smiled, she loved how at home she felt with Erin and her mom, it was something she hadn’t felt in a long time.
“So girls,” Erin’s mom spoke up during dinner. “since Ella is going to be staying here for a while, we are going to have to set some ground rules around here. First of all, Ella will be sleeping in the guest room-”
“But-”
“Don’t but me Erin, you know the rules, you’ve never been allowed to have a girlfriend stay in your room before and that’s not going to start now.”
The forward blushed at what Sharrell was hinting at.
“Fine.” The keeper grumbled, picking up everyone's empty plates and bringing them to the sink.
“I’ll clean up the dishes, you girls go rest it’s been a long day, and show Ella to her room please Erin.”
“Yes ma’am.” Erin mock saluted.
“Don’t get sassy with me darling, I could get a lot more strict with these rules.”
Erin just rolled her eyes, taking Ella’s hand and leading her upstairs.
After Erin showed Ella the guest room they both went to the keeper’s room and sat together on the bed.
Erin sat with her back against the headboard, with the forward between her legs leaned into her front.
“Erin can I ask you something?” Ella asked hesitantly, playing with the keepers hands that were wrapped around her.
“Of course, you can ask me anything babe.”
Ella smiled at that term, she loved the sound of it coming from the keeper.
“Um I was just… have you uh.. have you ever you know…”
Erin sat confused for a moment before realizing what the forward was asking.
“Oh um... yes I have.” Erin could tell that the forward was getting nervous. “Hey, I promise that we will go at your speed okay? That stuff isn’t important to me, I just want you to be happy, I’m not going to pressure you into anything that you aren’t one hundred percent ready for. I just want you to feel comfortable, and please tell me if anything is ever bothering you or you aren’t okay with something yeah?” She placed a kiss to the top of Ella’s head as the forward let out a little sigh of relief at Erin’s comforting words.
“Thank you Erin, and I will, I promise..”
After they talked for a little while longer, Ella began yawning.
“You should head to bed babe, it’s been a long day.”
“Mmm but your comfy…” Ella mumbled as she tucked herself into the keeper’s side.
Erin smiled at how adorable Ella was when she was tired.
“I’m sorry, I wish you could stay in here with me… come on I’ll walk you to your room.” Erin slowly stood, taking Ella’s hand and leading her to the room down the hall.
Ella was about to go in when Erin spun her around and leaned in for a kiss. Ella loved how the keeper’s lips felt on her own, so soft and inviting. Erin ran her tongue across Ella’s bottom lip asking for entrance, the forward obliged, allowing Erin to deepen the kiss as Ella hesitantly ran her hands down to the hem of Erin’s sweatshirt. The keeper felt a shiver run up her spine as Ella’s fingers ghosted over the bit of exposed skin along her waistline
After another minute both girls pulled away for air, Ella blushed again getting a chuckle out of the keeper.
“Have a good sleep beautiful, I’ll see you in the morning.” Erin placed one last lingering kiss on the forwards lips.
“Goodnight Erin.” Ella smiled before turning into her room. When she shut the door, she leaned against it, bringing her fingers up to her lips. -wow- she said to herself, smiling like an idiot.
Little did she know the keeper was doing the exact same on the other end of the door.
-how did I get so lucky?- Erin asked herself.