ELIJAH

I slammed the door in her face and the whole house shook in retaliation.

"We do not slam doors in this house young man! What has gotten into you? Why did you manhandle Maya like that?"My mom asked but I was shaking so bad I couldn't form a coherent thought.

"We just broke up and she wouldn't leave."I replied when I could talk rendering them speechless.

I was shocked too. A few hours ago, I had been talking about marrying Maya but now there was no more us.

"No one let her back in. Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Goodnight."I mumbled leaving them in the living room as I walked up the stairs back to my bedroom.

"Eli you do not drop a bomb like that and just leave. Come back here."Amanda demanded but I ignored her.

I rushed upstairs and got into my room locking the door behind me to keep them out. My family was the nosy kind and I knew they would be seeking me out soon looking for answers but I didn't want to talk about it.

I sat on the floor at the foot of my bed and once I realized that I was alone I broke down. I had been acting brave and strong in front of Maya but she was gone now. She was actually gone. I had broken up with the love of my life. But was she?

Maya had revealed a very big secret to me that had made me doubt the whole foundation of our relationship. I didn't what to believe it at first but the more she explained the more it made sense. Our connection was the reason I could always feel her whenever she was close to me and it's why if I got hurt so did she. I was her fucking life support machine. Did she even love me?

If our souls and bodies were connected then probably were our hearts and that's why I doubted everything we had. I had known Maya was keeping from me but of all things I would not have guessed anything close to what she had revealed. She had made me doubt everything, from the love we claimed to share for each other to all the promises we had made to each other.

I did not fault Maya for using me to keep her alive, I would have done it in a heartbeat had she asked me. What I didn't appreciate was that she had kept it from me and we had built our relationship on lies. I thought Maya was my soulmate, turns out that she actually is in all sense of the word except the one I thought. Our souls were one but not because we loved each other, but because she needed me to keep her alive.

Real men cried too apparently because I couldn't get the tears to stop. I was mourning my relationship with Maya because as much as I hated to admit it, there was no future for us after what she had just revealed to me. I would always doubt my love for her.

Needing a let out for all my frustration I got up and took off my hoodie. I walked towards the corner of my room and retrieved my punching bag. I had taken it down after Maya and I started dating because I didn't need it anymore. Looks like it was time to get it back up because there was no more Maya.

I hang it up back to its original position and looked at it for a solid five minutes before letting my fist fly. Maya had been my relief from anger. I wasn't angry anymore because I had her in my life then she had to go ahead and dismantle all that leaving me broken once more.

I couldn't hit Maya, I was raised to be a gentleman who didn't lay his hands on women but I also needed to let my anger out on something thus the punching bag.

I have no idea how long I stood there bare knuckling the bag until my hands were bleeding but I didn't stop. As long as I was angry I would keep punching. A knock on my door interrupted me and I stopped for a second to hear what they had to say.

"Eli grandma wants to see you and she says if you make her climb these stairs when she dies she will haunt you forever and not in the guardian angel kind of way."Jessica yelled from the other side of the door.

I knew she was serious, no one took my grandma's threats lightly especially now that she was so old.

"Fine I'm coming."I grunted out leaning my forehead on the bag to calm myself.

I was still angry and didn't want to see anyone but when my grandma called I answered. I went to clean up in the bathroom since I was so sweaty and my knuckles were bleeding. As the blood washed off my hands draining into the sink I felt nothing. I knew I was in physical pain but it wasn't registering because the pain in my heart was greater. My eyes had so much pain behind them that it hurt looking at my reflection in the mirror. I quickly washed my face and stripped off the drenched t-shirt I was wearing and tossed it in the hamper. I didn't bother wrapping up my hands since there weren't bleeding anymore.

I dried myself with a towel and put on a fresh t-shirt when I walked back into the bedroom. I saw my phone blinking with a message so I decided to check it before going to see my grandma. It was a message from Maya.

❤️ 🐞Bug🐞❤️

Hi, I just wanted you to know that I've arrived home safe. I love you and when you're ready I'll be here to talk.

The message was sent a few minutes ago meaning she had to have walked home for her to take that much time. It was then I recalled that Maya didn't like taking ubers and Violet was not around to pick her up. I felt so guilty in that moment for kicking her out like I did. I should have at least made sure she got home safe or made one of my sisters drive her. I was mad at her but I didn't want anything bad happening to her. I wanted to text her back but I stopped myself short when I realized that I didn't have anything to say. I wanted to tell her that I still loved her and we could work things out but even I didn't believe that. I tossed my phone on the bed and left my room to go see what my grandma wanted.

The whole family was still in the living room and the mood had drastically shifted from happy and jovial to really sad. It was probably because of the breakup but I didn't have it in me to feel bad about it. It wasn't Thanksgiving without drama right?

"Where's grandma?"I asked Jessica.

"In her room."She replied looking at me skeptically.

I didn't say anything else to them even if I could see that they all needed an explanation. I headed directed for my grandma's room which on the ground floor since she hated taking the stairs. I knocked softly to let her know that I was at the door and let myself in.

She was seated at her rocking chair by the window overlooking the backyard.

I took a seat next to her and didn't say anything because I honestly had no idea what to say to her. We sat in silence for a few minutes and it was both peaceful but unnerving at the same time. I wouldn't talk until she did so I decided to just wait until she addressed me. Luckily I didn't have to wait for long.

"The first time you told me about Maya, you were so excited you almost passed out from talking too fast. Then I met her when you two had a play date that weekend after your first week of school and she was just as amazing as you had described her to be. You spent all afternoon staring at her in that spot over there."Oma started pointing at a spot in the garden.

I remembered the day she was talking about because it was the first day Maya had been at our house.

"You kept starting at her and she wouldn't stop talking because you were still a little shy then. After that day you two were inseparable. You looked at her like she was your whole world and she looked at you like her hero and protector even though she was much more outspoken than you were."Grandma added before she finally turned to look at me.

She cupped my face in her wrinkly warm hands staring directly into my eyes.

"When she left you were so broken and I had no idea how to help you. No one did so we just loved you the best way we could and hoped that one day you would heal but you never did. We all knew that Maya didn't have a choice when she left but you refused to accept that and we understood. When she came back you healed and I finally got to see that smile back. You were happy again so please tell me why you have decided to ruin all that by breaking up with her?"Grandma asked looking at me worriedly.

"It's complicated. You wouldn't understand."I grunted turning my face so that her hands fell off.

"I'm eighty six years old Elijah. There's nothing you can tell me that will surprise me so please tell me what happened?"Oma insisted.

"Don't make me pull the dying old woman card."She threatened when I didn't say anything making me chuckle.

Maya hadn't told me that I could not tell anyone so nothing was stopping me from sharing with my grandma. I knew Oma wouldn't let me go until she got everything out of me so I decided to tell her everything. I relayed all the information Maya had told me from beginning to end hoping it would make more sense to me but I was still stuck at the point where I felt like she had made a fool out of me. I ended by telling Oma that we had broken up because I couldn't trust Maya anymore.

"Wow that is definitely new and unexpected."Grandma sighed looking lost in thought.

"Tell me about it."I mumbled feeling sad.

"So you broke up with Maya because she told you that you are soulmates and that you saved her life?"Oma asked in a condescending tone after pondering over the matter for a few minutes.

"There's more to it than that but that's basically it."I replied.

"You are as dumb as they come if that's your reasoning."Oma commented.

"No I'm not. She betrayed me Oma. I thought we were real soulmates and that our love was real not doctored in the bush by a witch"I defended earning me a slap to the head.

"Owh! What was that for?"I asked rubbing my head.

"I was trying to knock some sense into you, now listen to me young man because what I'm about to tell you will shape your life. People spend their whole lives looking for their soulmates but they don't find them and end up for settling for the wrong people. It's why the rate of divorce is so high nowadays. Soulmates can be found yes which is rare but they can also be made when you build a relationship with the right person. You were lucky enough to find your soulmate when you were five. Maya tying her soul to yours didn't make you soulmates because you already were. Don't be stupid and let her go just because she chose to depend on you in her darkest time."Grandma advised.

"I love her Oma, I know I do but I just feel so confused and don't know what to trust anymore."I admitted thinking about her words.

"I know that bubsy and you are entitled to feel how you want to feel. Let me ask you this? If this hadn't happened and Maya stayed. Would have loved her still?"Oma inquired.

"Undoubtedly."I answered honestly.

"If Maya had found a way to talk to you and ask you to help her would you have done it and would you have continued to love her? "Oma asked again.

"Yes."I replied.

"Then there you have it. Don't let this come between you two. Take your time to think about it but don't lose her. You two make each other happy, real soulmates or doctored ones who cares. What matters is that you love each other."Oma advised.

I heard what she was saying and I really wanted to believe it but the betrayal was stuck in my mind.

"I don't know if I can just let it go Oma."I confessed looking at my grandma sadly.

"And no one is asking you to do that. Just think about your life without Maya in it and you'll be on the starting step to a healing journey. Take your time and when you're ready talk to her. You two are meant to be, I've known this since the day you came home from kindergarten and told me about the brown haired beauty who had shared her food with you. You two will find your way again. I believe that."Oma expressed.

"I hope so too, I really do."I replied my heart heavy with all sorts of emotions.

"You'll be okay bubsy, I'm just sad that I won't be there to see you marry Maya and have little ones of your own."Oma said with a sad smile.

"Oma you're not supposed to say things like that."I scolded her.

"Yes I am. I have lived my life and I have loved every single minute of it. Now it's time for Oma to rest. Your grandpa is waiting for me in heaven."She consoled.

"That wasn't the deal Oma."I cried realizing that this was her telling me goodbye.

"I'm not leaving today bubsy or tomorrow but soon. I can feel it. Im not sick or in pain and that's exactly how I want to go. Happy and with my whole family around me."She confessed caressing my cheek softly.

"I love you Oma."I said kneeling in front of her and laying my head on her lap.

My Oma had basically raised me with her cookies and good food since my parents were always working to feed eleven mouths. She had always been in my life so it made me sad that she was dying but I knew it had been coming sooner rather than later.

"You will do great things in life Eli and even though I will not be by your side to witness all of them, I will be watching you from above with your grandpa. I've had eighteen long years with you bubsy and they have been the best. I will always love you and watch over you."Oma said kissing my hair.

I didn't like the conversation we were having but I knew that it needed to happen. Nothing hurt like being unable to say goodbye to the ones you loved so I was grateful for that chance with my grandma.

"Just promise me one thing."She asked lifting my face so she could look into my eyes.

"Anything."I sniffed.

"That you will be happy. You deserve to be happy bubsy and normally it's wrong to tie our happiness to someone but yours is tied to Maya whether you like it or not. So be happy with her because you both deserve to."She requested.

"I will, I promise."I assured her.

"Good, now go get me some tea and a book."She demanded dismissively letting me go.

"Thanks for the talk Oma. I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome."She replied.

I kissed her cheek before walking out of her room to get her what she wanted. After delivering what she had asked for and ignoring everyone else I retired to my room.

I'd heard what Oma had said and she was right, I didn't want to lose Maya but I needed time. I needed to think about the future of our relationship and how we could fix it.

As I got into bed later that night with some slow music playing in the background to help soothe my mind I couldn't help but think how much everything had changed in a span of a few hours. But Oma was right, Maya and I would be okay. We had to be, we were soulmates after all, doctored or not and we would find our way back to each other. I just wasn't ready yet. But when I was we would talk and fix things.