INBOX;

[aintyourdad]

"This is Joel. Leave your message, I'll get back to ya when I can."

[ VIDEO | VOICE | ACTION | (text unavailable) ]

→ Ellie
→ Tess
→ Riley

Comments

voice;

[nohalfway]

[ Just when Ellie is about to hang up, Joel responds, and she sounds a bit confused. ]

Oh--

[ She pauses again. Sighing. ]

Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine...

voice;

[aintyourdad]

Don't go runnin' off like that, it ain't safe here.

[ There's no real bite to his voice, though, just weariness. ]

I'm - glad you found her alright.

voice;

[nohalfway]

[ Part of her wants to argue with him. "Yeah, well, I can defend myself, Joel.", but no... Last time she was alone, it ended in a nightmare. So Ellie is quick to respond. ]

I know, just.

...

[ She looks around in her room, making sure she's alone. ]

Okay. Can you level with me right now? Like, can we talk and you really level with me here?

voice;

[aintyourdad]

Level?

[ Does she really want to do this now? After all they've been through? After all the times she's come and gone from this hellhole?

He has a feeling he knows what she's talking about, has a feeling it has something to do with the things he did when he went back home a couple weeks ago. But what else is there to say? ]

Look, why don't you come on over here? I'm in building 29 - so're Riley and Tess. Have you eaten? I've got some food, I can fix us somethin' to eat.

voice;

[nohalfway]

Fucking-- Joel.

[ She pinches the bridge of her nose. No, this isn't the right time but is there ever a good time? ]

This isn't something I want to talk about in front of them. It's not gonna take long, just...

I don't...

I really want to trust you, Joel. I want to be able to look at you and not feel guilty.

voice;

[aintyourdad]

[ There's a pause for a moment, because ouch. He hates the idea that she might not trust him. Whatever he's done, he's always done to protect her, to keep her safe. Because he loves her. ]

Of course you can trust me. And what d'you have to feel guilty for? You didn't do anything wrong.

voice;

[nohalfway]

[ Ellie takes some time to mull over what he says, silence taking over the line. She realizes that this conversation won't... Ever come easy, probably, but she's terrified of what happened before they left. ]

Okay.

[ She sighs again. ]

So uh... What's for dinner?

voice;

[aintyourdad]

[ It's like he's holding his breath, for a moment, waiting for - what? An explosion, maybe, of her anger, but it doesn't come.

He's glad. He just got her back. He doesn't want her angry at him. ]

I dunno yet, you'd better drop by and help me decide.

voice;

[nohalfway]

[ A laugh. ]

What, so you're telling me there're actually options in this shithole?

[ Oh well, she's started to leave her house nonetheless anyway. ]

voice;

[aintyourdad]

Not much, but I've got a stash. And we'll call it a special occasion.