by C. M. Boers
“Where’s Ren?” I finally asked.
“He’s back at that house. You know, Pete’s house,” he paused, as if he were waiting for a reaction. I gave him nothing. “That’s where we're headed. I’ll explain everything when we get there,” he added cryptically.
I didn’t want to go back there. Things must’ve not gone the way we had hoped if we had to go back there. I wondered what Bailey was thinking. I was sure it was the last place she wanted to be again.
Walking through the door gave me a sense of déjà vu that made me dizzy. I grabbed Eli’s arm for support.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I’m fine, just got a little dizzy.”
I wasn’t going to explain why and for once it seemed like he didn’t have a clue. He helped me inside and we sat down.
We were all sitting around the newly familiar living room before the conversation began.
“The elders would like to talk over their options before they make their final decision, so they have asked Ren and I to keep watch over Pete until then.”
“What about his friends?” Bailey asked.
“His friends were lucky. They were told to leave town and not to talk to Pete or any of us again,” he responded. “But, I doubt that will be the case. Pete and those two go way back.”
It was not the news I I had hoped to hear. I couldn’t wait to be rid of Pete for good, but obviously we were going to be burdened by him for a while. But how long?
It was as if I had spoken my question aloud.
“It’s only for a week, maybe two. Things will be back to normal very soon. I promise.”
He was so sincere it was hard to not feel better just looking into his eyes. He was right. After all two weeks wasn’t so long, and it would be even better if it was only one. I could do it. I had to do it. It was time I was strong for Eli. I knew he wanted the situation to be over just as much as me, maybe even more.
“Okay,” I said. “How do you plan to do it?”
“Ren and I will trade out. He will take a 12-hour shift, and I will take the next.”
“But you will miss school…” I sounded whiney and that wasn’t at all how I intended for it to come out.
“We will be switching out at 11 each morning and night. I will only miss the morning of school, and I think I can stand to miss a few days of school,” he was laughing as he said it.
Why was he laughing at me? Probably because I sounded downright childish. The truth was, I didn’t like not having him at school. Again, my thoughts were on myself. I had to change that. We were a couple now, and I had to start thinking of us, and not just myself. I doubted Eli would find it to be a turn on if I was only thinking of myself all the time.
He put his hand on my knee and went on. “When they have reached a decision, they have asked us to bring him to Colorado for them to explain their decision to him and us.”
Here I thought him missing school was the worst part. Now he was having to going away, and he was going with Pete? I didn’t like it. Not one bit.
“I want to go.” The words were out of my mouth before my brain had even caught up.
“I want you to go too,” Eli said. “But you can’t. What would we tell your mom?”
I should be going, but he had a point. It wasn’t fair. I hadn’t thought about work either, there was no way that we both would be able to get off at the same time for more than a day or two.
“How long will you be gone?”
“Probably two or three days,” he answered solemnly.
I knew that those few days would feel a lot longer than they really were, and I could feel myself already dreading it. .
“It’s okay Abby, you and I will have lots of girl time!” Bailey piped up smiling at me and winking at Eli.
I was thankful for such a good friend. I squeezed her hand to say thanks.
“Did they give you any idea what they had in mind for Pete?” I questioned.
“No, they didn’t, but I got the feeling it would have something to do with his immortality,” he answered flatly.
“Where is Pete now?” Bailey asked.
This time it was Ren that answered. “He’s getting the same treatment you received.” He smiled and pointed to the door off of the living room.
That made Bailey smile. I couldn’t blame her, as I felt the same way. It served him right. I really had done nothing to deserve the harsh treatment from Pete, and Bailey shouldn’t be involved at all. I still had no idea how Pete had dragged her into it, and I never asked. I wasn’t sure that Bailey really wanted to talk about it anyway. Personally, I would rather leave it in the past and move on.
“After this is over, we all need to go out and let off some steam. All this stress is really hard,” I said with more force than I needed.
“Agreed,” Bailey, Eli and Ren said in unison.
Eli started rubbing my shoulders. I felt the stress melt away, and I felt more relaxed in seconds. For once he didn’t have to use his gift to help me, just his hands did wonders for my aching back. How did he always know how to make me feel better? I wondered if I would ever make him feel the same type of comfort. I didn’t know how I could. I didn’t have any gifts to help me either.
We didn’t have much time to waste hanging around. Eli and I had to go to work at 5, and Bailey had to go to work at 6.
After we took Bailey home, Eli and I had some much needed alone time. It seemed like the chaos was never going to end, and it was so nice for the two of us to be together and have a one-on-one conversation.
“After this is all over, you owe me one really great date!” I teased.
“You got it!” he said laughing.
“Eli?”
“Yeah?”
“When did you know you had feelings for me? As more than as friends, I mean.” My curiosity was getting the better of me.
“You really want to know?”
“Of course,” I answered.
“From the first time you walked in the classroom on the first day of school,” he admitted, avoiding eye contact.
“What?”
“I have loved you from the moment I saw you,” he uttered, almost looking ashamed.
“Wow,” was all I could muster.
“Remember when you asked me if there was anyone I had a thing for?”
I nodded.
“It was you. It was always you.”
Nobody besides my parents had ever cared for me as much as he did right at that moment. I kissed him hard. I didn’t know what I had ever done to deserve such passionate affection.
“I have to say, it was really hard going on double dates with you and Pete. And then trying to pretend I had feelings for Bailey that didn’t stem deeper than just friends. I tried, I really did to like her as more, but when it’s not there you can’t force it,” he said.
“I’m so sorry!” I said, trying to imagine what he must have felt. I also didn’t want to know, because it must have been awful being put in that position.
I felt guilty for having made him feel that way. All I had been thinking of was my own selfish needs. Though, to be fair, I didn’t know he had feelings for me then. It still felt indescribable that he had any feelings for me at all.
Working with Eli that night was... well... interesting to say the least. Management didn’t look kindly on employees dating, due to the fact that some have a hard time separating work and play. Eli was absolutely not one of them. Secretly, I laughed at just how “professional” he was behaving. We didn’t even interact that politely before we succumbed to our feelings, and I wasn't the only one to notice. One of the other waitresses mentioned it to me.
“Did something happen between you guys?” she asked.
I laughed, feeling like I had to tell someone. “Keep a secret?”
She nodded.
“We’re dating,” I whispered. “Apparently, he’s taking the rules very seriously,” I added, making a stern face.
She giggled right along with me. “Wow!”
We got off work at the same time and went to ‘our’ park to eat; it was the third time that week we had gone there, which had to be some kind of record.
Eli spread a blanket out on the grass, and as we sat down I reached my hand out to formally shake his. “Why thank you sir, this here picnic is the cat’s meow,” I said laughing. I couldn’t contain it anymore.
Eli’s face broke out in an amused grin as he tackled me in the grass, but his tickling attack was reciprocated by me tenfold. We rolled back and forth in the grass laughing, but then our wrestling turned intimate when our faces were suddenly inches apart. He kissed me sweetly, tenderly. He gently laid me in the grass, our lips still intertwined. He lowered himself on top of me, and his hand was on my cheek stroking my hair out of the way. I felt myself wanting more, but I knew that I wasn’t ready for that step. I pulled away hesitantly, but Eli took the hint, rolled off, and opened my pizza box for me. We sat and talked animatedly about nothing in particular while eating. I was beginning to love the freeness at that park—it was like our own little paradise where we were never disturbed. While I almost felt normal again, it hit me that there were things with Eli that would never be particularly “normal.” I tried not to let those thoughts enter my mind, but sometimes I just couldn’t help it. I was a worry-wart, just like my mom, and it seemed to get the better of me when things were out of my hands. However there was nowhere else in the world I wanted to be than in that moment with Eli. I cut those thoughts off and tried to focus on enjoying the present, because I knew it would be over all too soon.
It wasn’t until we pulled up in front of my house that Eli touched on the Pete ordeal at all. “I hate the thought of leaving you behind. The elders have assured me that you will be safe while I’m gone,” he said. “That makes me feel a little better.”
While our concerns obviously stemmed from two completely different mindsets, we both knew that our minds were consumed with the issue. His was mostly, I assumed, for my safety. Mine was because I hated the idea of being away from him even just for the night. After seeing him in action with Pete and his goons, I knew that he would be safe. He was very capable to say the least, and had Ren as back up. I knew Ren would never let anything happen to him. He was almost like a second dad to Eli. At least that was comforting.
“The elders are right you know? I will be fine. I’ll be sad and missing you, but I’ll be fine nonetheless,” I reassured him.
He was looking into my eyes with his icy blue eyes, and I felt a jolt through my body. I knew I had to get inside before I made a fool of myself. I wanted him, more of him, more than I had ever experienced. I knew it with certainty. His hand brushed the back of mine and my breath hitched in my throat. It made him smile awkwardly.
“Glad to know I am not the only one feeling that way,” he breathed in my ear, sending fire throughout my body. He kissed me lightly on the cheek. “Bye Abby, I love you.” He walked away slowly, leaving me standing on my doorstep wanting more. Before he hopped back in his car, he looked at me once more and winked before driving away. My stomach did a leap. What was it that made him so irresistible?
He was toying with me, and I wasn’t sure I liked how much fun he was having with it. I quickly recovered and went inside and locked the door.
“Hi honey! How was work?” my mom called from the living room.
“Good. I’m going to take a shower. I smell like pizza!” I said laughing it off as I jogged up the stairs. I hoped she didn’t notice I was brushing her off once again.
The steamy water felt glorious streaming down my body. It immediately relaxed my aching muscles.
I knew that I couldn’t hide my feelings from Eli, so of course he had known exactly what I was feeling. It shouldn’t have surprised me that he knew. That was how our bond worked. I wouldn’t have it any other way, but I wished I could hide some of what I felt from him. It sure didn’t leave any mystery in our relationship—at least on my end. Then again, with our connection I felt like maybe I had a sense about him that I just didn’t understand yet. There were senses I felt when I was with him that I just couldn’t explain. I would have to ask Eli about it in the future, or maybe instead I would ask Ren. He might have more knowledge about it than Eli. After all, Eli was new at it too.
Eli wouldn’t be able to go home like I did and I felt bad for the position he was in. He would be at the house with Pete until morning when Ren would take over again. At least with Pete locked in the room he could still sleep.
For once when I checked my email there was one from Kelly. I was relieved to hear from her after so long. I was beginning to worry about her.
Abby,
I’m so sorry that I haven’t been better at keeping in touch! I have been super busy with school and work and CHEER! Yep that’s right, I’m a cheerleader! I know we always said that we would never, but I couldn’t help it and the crazier part? I LOVE it! It’s so much fun! So I may have been avoiding your emails because I wasn’t sure if you would be upset…I hope not. I have a boyfriend too! He’s a quarterback on the football team! His name is Justin. We’ve only been dating a couple weeks. I guess you could say it’s a little cliché, but I don’t care! He makes me happy!
Oh Abbs, I hope that things are going as great for you there. I miss you! When are you coming to visit me and your dad? I saw him the other day by the way. He’s looking thin. I think he misses you a lot. Well, I should go, homework, you know the drill!
Love you,
Kelly
My heart ached to be back in California. I was supposed to be a part of all of the things she was doing! I felt a stab of jealousy. I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help it. Her life was so normal. There was that word again. How many times I used to say that my life was too normal, too boring, and now all I wished for was normal. She didn’t have to worry about things like crazy troublemaking immortals. Her biggest worry was homework, as it should be. I craved a little of the light-heartedness that was radiating from Kelly’s email.
I thought of her comment about my dad looking thin. I had noticed it too the last time I’d seen him. I wondered if it was because he missed me, my mom, or if it was because there wasn’t anyone to cook for him. He sounded like he’d been pretty busy at the store since we left and maybe he didn’t have the time to cook. Either way, it made me sad to think that our move had such a big impact on his lifestyle.
I couldn’t find the courage to write her back. I had to digest her words first. I was happy for her and I couldn’t be more grateful that she had found someone that was making her happy for the moment, but I needed some time.
Bing! A little box popped up on my screen.
Eli: Hey, You okay? I’m sensing some weird feelings from you.
Man! He was too in tune with me. I grumbled a bit as I typed a response.
Abby: I’m fine. Just feeling a little regret after reading my friend from California’s email.
Eli: Regret? Why?
Abby: That I am not there, where I should have been. I miss her.
Eli: Oh…
Abby: I wouldn’t change moving here, I wouldn’t have met you if I hadn’t. I guess I’m just missing Kelly. We're
growing apart.
Eli: Oh I get it.
Abby: Wait, you didn’t think I regretted meeting you did you?
Eli: At first. I should have known better…
Abby: I would never regret meeting you. You’re my everything Eli. Don’t ever think anything but that.
Eli: I guess I still need to fine-tune these feelings, I thought I was feeling jealousy.
I felt a surge of frustration. How could I explain the situation without making Eli feel responsible?
Abby: Well… I was feeling a little jealous, but not in the way you may have been thinking. I am jealous that our
relationship is… complic
ated, and Kelly’s relationship with her boyfriend is normal. She doesn’t have to worry
about their future. I love you Eli and I would never leave you, but I worry about our future.
It took a few minutes for him to respond. I didn’t blame him. I was sure those thoughts had crossed his mind though.
Eli: I worry too. I’m sorry. I love you.
Eli has signed off.
Before I could respond he signed offline. Why did this have to be so complicated? I never meant to make Eli feel bad. I was sorry I even said anything. I decided to go to bed. It had been a long day and I was ready for it to be over. ‘Stressed-out’ didn’t even begin to cover what I felt. After reading Kelly’s email and talking to Eli, the progress my hot shower had accomplished was wiped out. I was drained.
CHAPTER Seventeen
Eli’s trip to Colorado was scheduled for the very next night, a lot faster than I had anticipated. I guess the elders didn’t need as much time to discuss options as they originally thought. Eli and Ren were given eight hours notice before they had to leave, and they were set to meet with the elders at 6 in the evening on Thursday.
I was sad that Eli was leaving, but glad at the same time to be getting the whole thing over with sooner rather than later. We would finally be able to move on. Maybe then we could get a taste of ‘our’ new normal.
They were taking Ren’s car and set to leave an hour after school got out.
The uneventful day went by quickly, but I was on the verge of a breakdown thinking of Eli leaving. One more problem could very well send me toppling over the edge. I tried to think about how once he left the countdown would end and be replaced with anticipation for his return.
I helped Eli pack before he left. It was the first time I was in his bedroom since I became his girlfriend. I was nervous. My eyes first went to the picture on his nightstand, and I thought of where his dad might be at that point in time. What would he think of what his son was going through? What would he think of me having started it all? I couldn’t help but worry that his dad wouldn’t like me, and now that things were going in a completely new direction for Eli and I, I wondered what his mom thought of me as well.