Ellie never had a birthday party before—at least not one she remembered. Her mom used to take her to "the place with the good chicken tenders" on her birthday, so when Joe and Tessa asked if they could throw a small party for her birthday, she gave a reluctant "yes."

The freshly-eighteen-year-old girl sat in front of the mirror. Tessa's head bobbed in and out of view as she wove strands of Ellie's thick, curly hair into a tight braid.

"Are Chase and his family going to be here?" Ellie asked Tessa's reflection.

"They said they would." Tessa's eyes flitted upwards and met Ellie's through the mirror, silently questioning with raised eyebrows why she would ask such a question.

Ellie shrugged, careful not to mess up Tessa's work. She did not mind if Chase was there or not. After the initial shock of his interview wore off, she had to remind herself that he wasn't just Lizzie's dad, but also Joe's brother. Joe's anger towards his own blood couldn't last forever. Eventually, they would speak to each other again. After a few too many sleepless nights, Ellie decided that if Chase was ready to move on, so was she.

"All done," Tessa said. She caught Ellie's gaze in the mirror with a smile. Ellie grinned back, proud of the hairstyle she asked Tessa to do for her party. Tessa rested a hand on each of Ellie's shoulders and leaned in. "You look beautiful."

Ellie blushed and her smile grew to show her teeth. The party was hardly a real party—they weren't expecting many people—but Joe and Tessa's excitement over her birthday had rubbed off on her. Along with asking Tessa to tame her mess of curls, she did something else out of character: she wore a dress.

Granted, she chose one with long sleeves and layered it with skin-colored leggings to avoid feeling too exposed, but it was a dress nonetheless.

"I'm excited to meet your friend," Tessa said as she packed up the box of hair products she hauled to Ellie's bathroom. Ellie only half-heard her, though. She twisted her head from side to side to inspect every last detail of herself. Her neck turned as far as it could go and she strained her eyes in an attempt to see the back of her hair in the mirror until Joe called for her downstairs.

"El, there's someone here to see you."

Ellie rushed down the stairs to find Freya waiting in the entrance. Her vibrant hair stood out against the eggshell walls and her eyes were filled with the same amount of wonder Ellie had when she first walked through the door.

"Your house is fucking huge," Freya said when Ellie reached the last step. Joe cocked an eyebrow as he eyed Freya with suspicion.

"There's food out back," he said, gesturing towards the backyard without taking his eyes off Freya. Ellie led her guest outside, leaving Joe in the entryway. Freya kept her head on a swivel as she took in the rest of the house.

"This is insane," Freya said, taking a seat on the sundeck. A shy grin inched across Ellie's lips and she glanced around the backyard trying to see it for the first time again as Freya was.

The glistening pool looked unseasonably inviting for mid-February in Los Angeles. Heat waves emanated from the grill as it warmed up, waiting for Joe to cook the cheeseburgers he so desperately wanted to make, but what really drew Ellie's attention was Freya's outfit. The hem of her dress—much shorter than the one Ellie chose—rested halfway down her bare thigh and the loose thin straps nearly fell off her shoulders. Unaware that she was being observed, Freya continued to scan the picturesque yard, and a strand of vibrantly colored hair fell over her eyes. That was when Ellie noticed that she was wearing makeup for the first time since they'd met.

Freya's outfit shouldn't have been unusual. They'd only ever met at the gym, so it would make sense that Freya had dressed down up until then. Ellie's mind turned over every excuse and rationalization for Freya's change in appearance until their eyes met again, and Ellie couldn't help herself.

"You wore that for me?" She asked, then immediately wanted to dunk her head in the pool.

Luckily, Freya didn't mock her or seem put off by her too-blunt question. "Why wouldn't I?"

The two friends talked together—Ellie trying to move on from her embarrassing outburst— as they waited for everyone else to join them. Rather, Freya speculated about what it would be like to live in a mansion for a day while Ellie listened, nodded, and convinced herself that she was imagining things.

The smell of hamburgers soon wafted from the grill Joe manned. As Freya questioned whether Joe and Tessa actually cleaned their own house or hired out, a shadow loomed over them.

"Happy birthday, Ellie."

Ellie looked up to find Ryan towering above her, clutching a book tied shut with ribbon.

"Oh, thank you," she said, surprised that he didn't search for Joe as soon as he walked through the door. She also wasn't sure if he was actually invited, or if he simply knew what was happening and invited himself over.

He held out the book and she took it from his oversized hands.

"The girl at the store said you would like this one."

Ellie's eyebrows raised in astonishment as she inspected the cover. She would normally find Ryan irritating—maybe even a little intimidating, but his gesture made her question whether he deserved her hesitancy.

Ryan gave her a pat on the arm before joining Joe at the grill. Her muscles clenched under his oversized hand but the weight of the book in her palms told her to let it slide.

"Who's that?" Freya said, lifting her chin to get a better look at the giant sharing a laugh with Joe.

"That's just Joe's friend. He comes around sometimes." Ellie set her new book on the seat next to her and crossed her arms. Freya's eyes sparkled and a smirk stretched up her cheek.

"He can come around more often if he wants." Ellie's eyes grew twice their normal size and she avoided her friend's gaze. Apparently Freya was into men who could snap her like a twig. "I thought Chase Holland would be here."

Ellie glanced around the backyard where the small group had congregated. Ryan already had Joe engrossed in conversation while Tessa set out the rest of the food meant for nine people, not five.

Maybe Chase wasn't ready to move on like she thought.

The small gathering moved along the same as it would with or without Chase, Lizzie, or the rest of the Hollands. They talked, they laughed, and Joe didn't let anyone pass on his cheeseburgers.

"That's a good cow," Freya said through a mouthful of meat as Joe sat across from them. He forced an uneasy smile towards Ellie's guest and leaned forward, his hands folded between his knees.

"What did you say you do again?"

Freya swallowed before answering. "I'm a hairstylist in the Valley."

Ellie looked Joe up and down, trying to determine why he was so curious about her friend. While Joe spouted off questions like a lawyer, Freya smirked almost knowingly.

"And you two met in class?"

"Sí."

"So you live in the Valley."

"Sí, señor."

"Why go to a gym in the Hills if you're from the Valley?"

"I like the houses here better—lo siento, I meant mansions."

"Any siblings? Pets? Boyfriends?"

Ellie shot Joe a look of disbelief. Thankfully Tessa interrupted the interrogation before he took it any further.

"Who's ready for cake?"

Tessa corralled Ellie, Joe, and their guests into the kitchen. Ellie smiled when she saw the small cake sitting on the counter, the numbers one and eight ablaze on top.

"Make a wish," Joe said, urging her forward.

With the candles flickering over the countertop, Ellie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She thought wishes were silly—after all, they never worked in the basement—but she still couldn't help but wish that, maybe one day, everyone in her life would be happy.

— — —

Later that night, Ellie nestled into a mountain of pillows and blankets for movie night in the backyard. She had long since changed out of her dress and opted for something more comfortable.

"Freya sure is something," Joe said as he joined Ellie on the cushioned pile, popcorn in hand. Ellie's fingers coated with butter and salt as she stuck her hand in the bowl.

"What do you mean?"

"I just... El, are you sure you can trust her?"

Ellie furrowed her eyebrows at Joe.

"She's my friend."

"I know. I'm glad you have a friend. I'm just saying to maybe be a little careful around her."

Ellie stared at Joe in confusion, but Tessa's laugh broke through the silence.

"Joe, you're only saying that because she's hard-headed like you."

"This is completely different—"

"Come to think of it, she's basically you from ten years ago." Tessa laughed at Joe's expense again and handed Ellie a soda. As she plopped down with them, the doorbell rang.

"That's the pizza," Joe said, standing while Tessa made herself comfortable. "This conversation is not over. And we're going to talk about this business of you suddenly insisting we get pineapple pizza. It's not natural."

As Joe trekked back inside, Ellie turned to Tessa.

"Did you guys really not like Freya?"

Tessa kept her voice gentle as always.

"Ellie, sweetie, it's not that we don't like her. We just don't know a lot about her." Ellie's eyes fell to her lap. "Don't worry about Joe," Tessa said, sensing Ellie's defeat. "He just doesn't want to see you get hurt."

Ellie met Tessa's eyes and gave a small smile of acknowledgement. Freya could be a bit over-the-top, but that was what she liked about her.

"You know," Tessa said thoughtfully, her voice going up an octave, "There's nothing wrong with liking someone—"

"I think Joe needs help with the pizza." Without allowing room for Tessa to get another word in, Ellie sprang to her feet and trudged inside. Her cheeks burned, and she did not want to show Tessa her embarrassment.

Freya could be a bit over-the-top, but that was what she liked about her; she wasn't afraid to say what she really thought. Freya was bold. Fearless. Witty. She was everything Ellie wished she could be.

Still, Ellie wasn't sure she was ready to open up that part of herself, or if she could ever open it up at all. It had only been six months since she left the basement. The idea of acknowledging the parts of her life and heart that Freya's presence prodded at left her paralyzed. After being forced to do the things she did for seven years, she doubted she would ever know what real, genuine love felt like beyond what Tessa and Joe showed her. She wanted to, but she doubted she ever would.

Slowly shuffling through the house, she shoved her hands in her pockets and trained her eyes on the floor. No matter how she spun it, she figured there had to be something wrong with her. If she was someone who could never feel a certain way about anybody, she wasn't normal. If she was someone who could feel a certain way after what she'd been through, did that make her a hypocrite? Before Freya came around, even the smallest show of affection between Joe and Tessa disgusted her. It still did, but now she found herself lingering in wayward thoughts, and that terrified her. As she stepped into the entryway, thoughts of Freya vanished when she realized it was empty. She opened the front door to darkness.

Confusion warped her mind into thinking about all the possibilities related to Joe's absence. Her heart raced at every thought.

He drove to get the pizza. He got lost in his own house. The delivery person abducted him. He was... in his studio?

Joe's distant voice traveled down the hall and echoed against the hardwood floors. Ellie could not make out what he said, so she followed his voice down the hall.

The closer she got, the more apparent it became that he was not happy. Her steps softened to inch further into earshot undetected.

She realized with a jolt that Joe wasn't alone. The door was cracked open just enough for light to spill into the hallway, but not enough to reveal the mysterious guest's face.

She caught wind of Joe's voice first.

"...you're selfish. How could you say those things?"

"They were dragging her name through the mud. At least I had the balls to defend her."

Ellie's mouth fell open when she realized the second voice belonged to Chase. She crept closer. Joe kept his tone low to prevent it from traveling too far, unaware she was listening right outside the door.

"She doesn't want defense, she wants privacy! You'd know that if you actually listened to her."

"For the last time, Joe, I didn't say any of those things to SNZ."

"Drop the bullshit. We both know you didn't do this for Lizzie. You spew your shit, lie about it, and then don't even bother to show up on her birthday."

Shadowed limbs gestured across the crack of light. Joe talked with his arms and this was no exception. Ellie craned her neck for a glimpse, but to no avail.

"I have shit going on you don't even know about."

"Yeah, like interviews no one asked you to fucking do. You blew her off on her eighteenth birthday. In case you forgot, she saved your daughter's life."

"So that means I have to prioritize her over Lizzie and Stella? My daughter was kidnapped, Joe."

"So was mine."

Silence clung to the air between the three of them. Ellie imagined them locked in a silent stand-off before Joe spoke again.

"When was the last time you looked her in the eye? Exactly, because you don't. She's the only reason you got Lizzie back and you can't even look at her."

"How the fuck am I supposed look at her, Joe? All I see is what could have happened to Lizzie, and that scares the fucking shit out of me."

Ellie's breath hitched, and she decided she'd had enough. She did not want to believe either of them. She longed to forget every time Chase shied away from her or prematurely ended a conversation. She'd convinced herself it was all in her head. Joe's words took a swing at Chase, but the truth cut deeper than he knew.

She backed up in withdrawal, but a squeaky floorboard gave her away. A small but powerful wooden groan echoed through the hallway and into the studio. The creak sounded louder than it should have. The door crept open.

Horror flooded Chase's face when their eyes met.

"Ellie..." Chase took a step forward, but she matched his stride in the opposite direction. Sorrow replaced fear when he realized she heard every word.

She stared at Chase. Her chest rose and fell with every shaky breath as she found herself in a standoff with Lizzie's father.

Another step forward forced her two steps back.

"Ellie, I—I didn't mean it like tha—"

"Stop." Joe stepped between Ellie and Chase. He pressed a palm against his brother's shoulder. "You've done enough."

Chase looked past Joe directly at Ellie. Her chest tightened. The space between them elongated and narrowed. Chase couldn't show up when he said he would, but he found time to defend his actions. He did not care about her; he only cared about himself.

Ellie retreated. Chase tried to follow but Joe blocked him.

Tears fell down her cheeks. The house spun and blurred around her.

Nobody loves you.

She stumbled to her room, closed the door, and locked herself inside.