“Do you promise you won’t tell him?” Eli begged of me, using his wide gorgeous blue eyes to plea with me.

I smiled cheekily at him, curling my hair that to my joy was growing out finally “I don’t know….” I trailed off singing.

“C’mon! If you don’t tell Liam I watched Beauty and the Beast I’ll get you anything you want in the world!” eight year old Eli begged of me with wide eyes, looking utterly anxious at the thought of Liam finding out he watched the movie with me.

I wonder what he’d say if he found out that I had forced Liam watching that movie with me more than five times and by now he could actually quote it….

I sighed dramatically as I giggled at the end “Alright! Next time you go buy lollies with Liam you gotta buy me!” I declared excitedly.

Eli nodded “Okay, okay. How many?”

“The entire shop!” I declared with an excited cry.

Eli’s mouth dropped “I can’t afford that much! I’m not rich!” he protested.

I scrunched up my nose “You should be!” I mumbled bitterly before sighing in defeat “Fine, buy me whatever, but there better be a bag full of them!”

Eli nodded “Okay! Okay! Double Promise?”

My nose bunched up “What’s a double promise?” I asked confused looking at his outstretched hand warily.

“It’s a promise for eternity!” he cried, his eyes lighting up excitedly.

“What happens if you break it?” I asked it, suddenly scared of shaking his hand. Eternity is a long time….

“Liam said that if you break it than all the good guys that bring you stuff – like Santa – leave you on your own. And then zombies” he cried making me jump, he than lowered his voice “will eat every inch of your flesh when you’re asleep ‘till the next morning when your mum comes to your room you’re gone.” He whispered dramatically in a low voice, making me shiver frightened.

I shook my head anxiously “No way am I promising to that!” I cried.

Eli smiled smugly at me “What? Are you scared?” he taunted.

“No!” I protested too quickly.

Eli laughed “It’s okay, I’ll make sure the zombies don’t come to you even if you do break the promise.”

“You promise?” I asked of him, unsure as I chewed on my bottom lip.

“Yeah,” he said eagerly “we can double promise on that too.” he nodded quickly.

I swallowed loudly “Okay, how do we do it?” I asked nervously.

“Well, first you spit on your hand!” he declared brightly, doing it.

I bunched up my face in disgust “Ew! That’s dirty!” I squealed.

“Do you want the zombie to come or not?” he demanded.

He didn’t have to ask twice as I spat on my hand and I slowly reached out with my hand, his hand talking hold of mine like any more not caring about spit as he shook our hands smiling brightly, relief entering his eyes.

Eli clapped his hands eagerly together with big happy eyes as I wiped my hands on my dress in disgust “Awesome! You can’t tell Liam anything and I’ll never let any zombies eat you in your sleep!”

                ೋღ♥ღೋೋღ♥ღೋೋღ♥ღೋೋღ♥ღೋೋღ♥ღೋೋღ♥ღೋ

“Ez!”

I stopped, my quick fast pace halting as I looked over my shoulder to see Eli racing up behind me. I couldn’t help the goofy grin that covered my face at seeing him as he smiled, jogging to catch up to me as he crossed the deserted oval at lunch time, my heart fluttering at the sight of him.

“What? Is Liam…?” I trailed off quickly looking behind him for traces of my brother as I chewed on my lower lip nervously.

Eli chuckled “No, don’t worry I didn’t bring him along. You can keep avoiding him.”

I blushed “I’m not avoiding him I’m just….”

“Running? Hiding? Playing hide and seek?” Eli rattled off chuckling.

I narrowed my eyes on him as I whacked him “No!” I argued “I’m just…wanting some more time.” I said tilting my head as I tried to find some words.

“So hiding.” Eli stated breezily, shoving his hands in his pockets as we continued walking side by side to literally nowhere and I loved that.

I rolled my eyes “Where is he anyways?”

“Paranoid much?” Eli chuckled.

I whacked him in the arm again “I’m not paranoid much I just….” Unable to resist the urge to look over my shoulder to check I tried looking over my shoulder subtly, epically failing.

Eli roared with laughter and I whacked him again “I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” he cried holding up his hands defensively making me smile largely “He’s off with Mel somewhere.”

I nodded “Good.”

“Good?” he asked glancing at me sideways with a raised brow.

I shrugged “If anyone needs some help right now it’d be Mel.” I murmured sadly, thinking about all the drama going on in that girl’s life. How she was still standing is beyond me…

Eli nodded as he kicked at a rock in front of us “The whole video thing?” he clarified.

My gut twisted as instantly the images from that recording slapped me right in the face, I sighed softly, sadly “No, I had actually forgotten all about that.” I admitted feeling a small pang of guilt “I was actually thinking of her dad, he’s back in town.”

“No shit!” Eli cried, his eyes growing “Sorry!” he apologized almost immediately, hastily at his curse – always the gentleman – making me smiled softly, holding back a giggle.

I sighed solemnly as we were draw back into the conversation “Yeah, apparently he’s been pretty….full on.”

“For how long?” Eli asked, instantly kicking into his protective self – he’d do anything for those he cared for, something both he and Liam shared in common.

I sighed shrugging sadly “Honestly? I have no clue” I admitted with a grim smile “But it’s been over a good two weeks, leaving messages and stuff on the phone, he came to her house once that I know of.” I murmured knowing very little, that was Mel, when it came to her problems her lips were sealed shut.

“Far out,” Li breathed “does Liam know?”

I shrugged “I honestly don’t think he does, and if that’s the case you have to swear to secrecy!” I demanded turning on him making him abruptly halt under my piercing gaze.

Eli choked, smothering his laughter and amusement “I promise!” he saluted me.

“Double promise?” I asked through narrowed searching eyes.

Eli sighed dramatically “Double promise.” He murmured as he pretended to spit in his hand and held his hand out for me to shake in promise.

I pretended to spit on my own hand too and grabbed his hand and shook on it, promising for eternity.

Eli’s lips slowly tugged up, to his cheeky smug grin making me grow slightly alarmed “Want to know a secret?” he asked, lowing his voice.

“What?” I asked tensing.

“I really did spit on my hand.”

“EW! Eli!” I screamed pulling my hand away instantly as I wiped my hand all over his shoulder and shirt “I can’t believe you did that!”

Eli threw his head back roaring in laughter.

“We really need to change that handshake.” I muttered grimacing as I continued wiping my hand against my school skirt as we kept walking.

Eli sighed dreamily, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye “That was beautiful.” He sighed, sniffling dramatically.

I threw a narrowed glare over my shoulder at him “I’m not talking to you.” I fired back, scrunching up my nose in distaste and a pout as I kept walking over our school’s oval to a mini small grandstand, that only went up five rows and it had a big tree behind it, providing lots of shade.

“Oh c’mon Ez!” he cried chuckling as he raced after me.

I turned my head away from him dramatically, as I folded my arms and sat down in the very top grandstand row, the shade and the branches almost covering our heads. The school hadn’t cut it back simply because we didn’t use the oval for sporting activities anymore but we go elsewhere. I really loved this area of the school though, it wasn’t anywhere any of students ventured to – especially in the winter – except to kick or play with a boy or some other sport, other than that they kept to the side oval rather than the back one as it was bigger and it had chairs and more shade. Here it was quiet and though I wouldn’t admit it out loud, a perfect place for hiding out at.

Since the weekend and the huge blow out and the truth began to unravel I had been hiding from Liam, it was immature of me, I already knew that. Yet I wasn’t ready for the interrogations and all that crap, I just wanted to pretend it never happened, to get over it. When I wanted to rant and bitch about what a dick Jed was Liam was the person I went to, Mel too. But when I just wanted to pretend life was perfect or even be miserable and throw myself into movies or just talk about nothing Eli had always been the person I went to for that.

I hadn’t gone to Eli though; I wasn’t sure at all how to act around him. I had slept with him, told him I loved him than pulled him apart by denying it and claiming it a major mistake, claiming my heart belonged to someone else. He then had to watch me be “happy” with this someone else and now he found me again in a broken mess thinking the person I claimed I “belonged” to cheated on and betrayed me. It was better than him knowing the truth and yet I honestly couldn’t blame him for the blow he had given me saying we were just friends. Just friend, god those words had been like a stab to the heart and yet in all honesty I deserved worse of him, maybe a smug ‘I told you so’ or more, and yet that wasn’t Eli.

I was surprised to find him chasing after me, calling out my name right this moment at lunch, acting as if nothing had happened before. My gut churned, he’d been acting as if we were just friends. I should be happy and lucky that I got this at least though, right?

“Okay, I’m sorry, next time I promise not to spit…or at least tell you.” He mumbled low under his breath, but still clear enough to hear.

I shot him a torn between filthy and amused look as I shoved him with my shoulder as he sat down beside me “You’re evil.” I murmured.

Eli shrugged it off, “What are you doing tomorrow after school?” he asked, looking at me sideways as I pulled my legs into my chest, staring lazily out on the field and the trees of the back of the school’s property.

I pursed my lips “Well, we have free period at the end of school tomorrow so I was thinking I may hang out in the art room to try and get ready for the wedding this weekend.” I murmured in thought.

“The wedding is this weekend? Gee that came along quick.” He murmured softly running his fingers through his hair, I couldn’t help but smile at how he remember what wedding and everything I was talking about “You nervous?” he asked.

I screwed my nose up in thought making him chuckle at the expression and my smile grow as I shook my head “I don’t think so…” I trailed off honestly “I mean it’s Gemma so of course there will be that little bit extra strain, but I mean they’d be stupid if they’re expecting Hollywood or some sort of standards.” I rolled my eyes.

Eli nodded “Look if they don’t like the outcomes you can’t do anything about it, you just have a different style to al the ritzy glamour. You go for the real shots of life and if they don’t like the truth, it’s there loss, right?” he asked giving me a playful push as we sat side by side, our shoulders brushing.

I blushed faintly as I smiled softly, unable to look him in the eye, this guy saw me completely naked and I lost my virginity to him and I still blushed at the smallest of conversations or compliments. How sad was I?

“So what are you doing after school though?” he asked, seeming oblivious to my red cheeks and shy avoiding eyes or maybe he wasn’t commenting on it. Things between us were already uncertain and awkward at times as it already is.

I shrugged “I was thinking of going into town instead of mum’s shop just to look about, maybe get some extra gear for the weekend and stuff, I’ve been saving up for a new filter or lens for my cannon so I’m hoping it’s enough.” I said, getting excited as I realized just how exciting this weekend was going to be, I had really missed my photography; it was like losing a part of my soul. With all that had been going I had lost that normality, but now everything was okay, it was a brand new day and normality was back and I was excited!

“Awesome, I’m actually going down the street tomorrow too….” Li trailed off as his eyes drifted around on the oval.

I looked at him too eagerly “Really?” I asked excitedly, cursing myself mentally at how eager I sounded “What for?”

Li chuckled “You know,” he shrugged carelessly “my usual bikini wax appointment.”

I bunched up my nose “With my mum? Ew!” I cried in laughter and disgust.

Li’s nose bunched up “You always have to take it one too far don’t you?” he demanded, chuckling.

I blushed “You started it!” I argued.

Eli rolled his eyes “And of course you had to finish it?” he teased.

I blushed giggling as I played nervously with the ends of my hair, wrapping and curling them about my finger. I didn’t bite my tongue quick enough when I said the next words “Well we can hang out in town after school tomorrow.” Before adding on hastily “I mean, if you want.”

Eli turned his face to look at me, making me blush even greater as I had trouble looking him right in the eye. He chuckled softly “Sure, sounds awesome to me. Maybe this time when you go all on about that photography mumbo jumbo I may actually understand something.”

I giggled softly remembering last time I tried explaining something to him, he looked sea sick as he claimed I spoke a mile a minute leaving him dizzy and queasy. “Great!” I cried “It’s a date!”

My eyes instantly popped out of my head as soon as the words left my mouth, I really had put my foot in my mouth this time and I didn’t know if I wanted to scream or hit myself more. I couldn’t believe I just said that! Before all that had happened between us we could have easily said that between one another jokingly, hell we did say it to one another. Now things were completely different….

Eli cleared his throat awkwardly and I grimaced as I looked away from Eli, my head nearly doing a complete one eighty just so I couldn’t look his way. There was a piercing silence before he shuffled about and cursed softly under his breath, making me cringe. “I uh…your brother just texted me, I’m just going to…” he trailed off awkwardly, my cheeks reddening.

I nodded hastily, more than eager for him to go just so I could breathe “No, yeah of course.” I stammered, trying to appear cool.

“Okay.” He said standing up.

“Okay.” I said back, not knowing what else to say. Do I pretend it just never happen? Or apologize or…?

“Right.” He answered looking everywhere but at me as he put his mobile back in his pocket, before patting them awkwardly.

“Okay.” I said again lamely.

“I’m just going to…” he trailed off looking, his head snapping up to look at me.

I tried smiling, the smile turning more so into a grimace as I nodded “Yeah, okay.” I answered again lamely.

He hesitated for just the briefest of moments before leaving down the stands, it echoing and rattling loudly from its age as he jumped down each rise before he was disappearing away where I finally let go of the heavy breath I was holding. I don’t know how long I simply just sat there dazed and practically distraught at what I had just done, was that it? Maybe that was the official push he needed to cause him to run in the opposite direction. I sat there my heart pumping quickly and wildly as my chest constricted and all I wanted to do was act awfully like in the movies and throw a wild tantrum, where their legs and arms fly wildly and knock and smash all over the place as I screamed, yelled, cursed and cried like a pitiful teen. I just wanted to get rid of all of this pent up emotion and wild frustration clawing deep within me. I was willing to even bash my head against the tree behind me if it helped…

Finally I stood up, shaking out my arms and stretching when all I wanted to do was go find Mel and just bitch and whine to her like the old days were we told each other everything. Now though there were so many secrets between us that being around her simply felt awkward for me because I knew how hurt she’d be if she found out about all the things I had kept from her – like keeping from her the fact that I cheated on Jed and lost my virginity to Eli. I couldn’t even go to my best friend to cry on the offered shoulder, and I knew I could, all I had to do was go tell her. But would she judge me? Would she think I had changed, was different?

Worst of all I simply didn’t want to go to her because I knew she already had enough dramas already going in her life that she ran from, not facing until suddenly now they had all caught up on her. Her dad had come back not to mention her mum still hadn’t come back. The school was harassing and gossiping about her like mad, she couldn’t last a day without some crude sick guy hitting on her and trying to grope her and on top of that she was practically raped and take advantage of by Falan, how she didn’t have nightmares was beyond me. Throw in the fact that she finds out that a large proportion of the school had been laughing and watching the video behind her back the entire time. How she was still walking tall was beyond me, but I knew it wasn’t her job to deal with my demons; it was time she dealt with her own demons, finally.

I wanted to help her so bad but in honesty I didn’t know how to and I knew if anyone could help it’d be Liam, and maybe – hopefully – along the way the stubborn fool can admit that she loves my brother and just get together already!

“Babe?”

I froze my spine stiffening at the voice of someone I thought it’d never honestly have to face again or it’d be a long time from now. The nerve this boy has! I thought through clenched teeth, grinding them as I fought everything within me to bash that handsome, manipulative face in or run screaming. A childishly part of me just wanted to stomp my foot and demand why?

I sighed heavily, trying to keep a straight face as I turned around to face him, tilting my head up a little more to give myself some more pride and strength rather than the weak little thing that was trembling in fear on the inside. Hell, I could taste the fear upon my tongue!

I found him standing behind me on the ground as I had been making my way down off the stands, standing in the shade of the tree as he looked at me. his hands were shoved in his pockets like Eli had and yet he looked different, on Jed it looked rougher, surlier, he looked like one of those guys clad in leather you’d find at the bar with tattoos and a frightening glare. How he had changed….

“What do you want Jed?” I asked coolly, folding my arms defensively.

His eyes searched mine, looking actually sincere and honest “Your text message, it didn’t…it doesn’t make any sense. What happened?”

My eyes grew and my blood boiled, it only made me madder at how sincere and literally cut up he appeared about it all, I couldn’t keep up with his mood swings anymore! One moment he acted like he literally loved me and cared for me and the next he was…hitting me! Was he acting? Was he just playing games again? My mind wandered to the pills I had found in his pocket, was it them?

I threw my hands up in the air anyways, snorting in disbelief “I saw you Jed! I walked in on you at the party sleeping with Madison Hoover!” I cried “Than again,” I snorted “you guys did look pretty busy, so I’m sorry that you missed my little entrance!” I raged sarcastically.

Jed’s eyes grew just the slightest, an emotion flicking through them, almost like…was it guilt? Shame? Pain? I shook my head, it honestly didn’t matter anymore. It stopped mattering the moment he decided to take those pills and stopped treating me as I deserved. I cared for that boy despite how my heart wasn’t in it one hundred percent and sure I feel guilty for not picking up the signs of things but for him to treat me the way he did….he lost me when he took that first hit.

Jed’s eyes quickly changed, the emotions all wiped away as quick as they came, the change honestly frightening me and yet now something I had been noticing of him more and more. “Look I was drunk alright? I was waiting for fucking ever for you to come to the party so I drank and well…I didn’t think you’d find out!” he protested, defensive as all hell. My mum taught me one thing from all the times me or my brother had been caught out, defensive people were guilty people.

I rolled my eyes “Just like you didn’t think I’d find out about all the other girls, right?” I threw back, my voice sarcastic and surprisingly cool and controlled “I hope your Nan gets better Jed, I really do.” I spat turning around, ready to walk off.

“You can’t talk! The one night you get drunk and you jump into bed with some random guy! You’re nothing but a slut of a hypocrite!” he called after me.

I tensed, my spine straightening as I froze with my back turned to him, my teeth grinding down to dust as I clenched my fists. I turned around on him sharply, even frightening him as he stepped back shocked “How dare you!” I hissed taking another lethal step towards him “You made me feel like this rotten, filthy whore!” I hissed “You guilt tripped me because of what I had done and this whole time…” I trailed of laughing in disbelief “you were doing the same to me a long time ago.” I growled through clenched teeth and narrowed eyes.

Jed’s own eyes narrowed also, his back straightening and even though I was a girl he wasn’t going to back down, I had learnt that a long time ago. “What makes it any different to what you did to me?” he demanded.

“What makes it different is that you apparently loved me-“

“I do love you!” he protested.

“What makes it different,” I continued taking another threatening step towards him “is that I slept with someone I love more than I could and have ever loved you! It wasn’t with some random slut willing to spread her legs and lose all dignity!” I growled taking another step in.

Jed’s eyes flared with jealousy – it didn’t matter if he didn’t care about me, the fact alone that someone else claimed what he wanted from me the most was enough to get him pissed as all hell.

I took a final step in, so close I could jab him hard in the chest – which I did. “What makes it different” I spat with a hard poke “is that you hit me and blackmailed into staying with me, when I thought that there was still some tiny bit of truth, bit of love still within you somewhere!” I cried humorlessly “Well didn’t you prove me wrong?” I murmured my voice low and lethal.

I cried out softly in alarm as his hands curled tightly around my finger that was jabbing him, his hold having my back bend and arch in reflects to protect myself as his grip tightened and my finger turned white ready to break. I whimpered softly under my breath as he tugged me closer as I was squirming and tugging wildly, trying to get out of his grip as my face bunched up in pain.

He lowered his head making it look like some flirtatious whispering or embrace. Instead he was moved his mouth to my ear growling in my ear “You'd sleep with some random but you won’t with your own boyfriend? You’re a cheap slut just like your friend!" he growled.

I sobbed terrified at the thought of what could possibly come, what was going to come. Desperately I stumbled back and out of his grip, yanking my hand away with a hiss of pain, he didn’t back down as his hand shot forward and curled tightly around my wrist, trying to yank me towards him as I dug my feet into the ground in protest “Let go!” I whimpered struggling as I grinded my teeth, tasting fear upon my tongue.

"You deserved that flogging and many more.” he growled yanking my forward, losing my grip I propelled forward, towards him.

I collided into something hard and I stumbled back slightly, dazed as my heart pumped loudly, all sound drowned out by the loud sound of blood roaring in my ears. An arm shot out and wrapped around my midsection, sitting low on my back as they kept me close to them as it prevented me from stumbling any further. Their warmth seeped into me as gradually all my bearings came back to me, my sight coming back as the grass beneath me stopped spinning and my ears broke through the roar of my heart. The scent of spice and manliness told me enough, let alone what their touch on the lower part of my body did to me despite the situation we were in.

Eli.

“Bud I think it’s time you learn to back the hell off.” a voice growled, their voice low and holding onto that last thread of control.

“The hell I will! She’s my girlfriend!” Jed protested his anger escalating as I cringed into the back of Eli’s shirt.

Eli’s hand wrapped behind him that was wrapped tightly around my back, pressing my front tight into his back pressed me even closer as he spoke threateningly “I believe that would be ex girlfriend.”

“What I’d believe would be that none of this is your fucking god damn business.” Jed snarled, his control vanishing.

I trembled trying to block out his rage, the rage that I was so familiar with. My fingers curled tightly in the back of Eli’s shirt as I chewed hard down on my bottom lip, holding in the whimper of fear as I pressed my body as tight and close into Eli as possible.

“It became my fucking god damn business the moment you laid your hand upon her. Do you hear me?” Eli roared back, his voice frighteningly scary; I’d never heard him this enraged before “You’re nothing but the scum you’d find on the bottom of my feet, you’re filth.”

I listened as Jed laughed short and dark “Well it’s reassuring knowing that my girlfriend and I share something in common at least, right?”

Before I could even process the blow of Jed’s words I was pushed backwards, stumbling. I looked up just in time to see Eli throw himself at Jed, his arm pulled back to only follow forward as it connected hard against Jed’s jaw, knocking him stumbling back.

“Eli!” I screamed out petrified.

I watched on fear, gripping me tight and choking all the breath out of me as I watched Jed straighten back up, his dark stormy gaze narrowing in on Eli. He took lethal, sharp strides of sheer rage and determination towards Eli reminding me how sickly familiar it was to a lion stalking its prey. Eli didn’t back away, rather his eyes narrowed also as he trained in every movement of Jed’s watching ever step, flex or even twitch of Jed’s – calculating. Jed, wild and crazed barged at Jed, his body decked out and a lot wider than Eli which frightened me more as he reminded me to a wild boar as he charged.

I cried out at the loud slam as flesh met as Eli faced his charge on and took it full force, he stumbled back and ducked just in time as Jed fired a wild and out of control swing, followed by another and then another. Jed kept firing them wildly and crazed, they held no precision or impact except a couple knocks below Eli’s neck but Jed was wild and crazed, out of control with the buildup of emotions and rage that it was like he just exploded and he wasn’t going to come down ‘till all that rage was extinguished. I watched as Jed threw hits after hits and I screamed at the two of them uselessly to stop, just to stop it. They ignored me as Eli tried deflecting all of it and yet not making any moves and it only frightened me more, why wasn’t he doing anything?!

My answer came when suddenly Jed lost his rhythm, a crystal clear opening coming up and Eli took it, his arms wrapping around Jed’s mid-half as he took him down like any football player would do. Their body slammed and hit the ground hard, Jed taking the brunt of the fall with a large slam. I cringed as I watched them hit the ground, my gut heaving as I choked on my breath, the world spinning and all around me fading away as I was about ready to faint.

I watched breathless and dizzy as with a groan Eli stood up, stumbling slightly as he didn’t even pay the groaning and unmoving Jed any glance or thought. He got up and walked right over to me, my legs of jelly stumbling me over to his side as we met half way. I sobbed brokenly “Eli!” I cried reaching out for him as I wanted to check and care for every inch of his body where necessary and yet I was so weak in the knees and faint that I couldn’t even manage to breathe. I gasped harshly, my lungs scorching for oxygen and I knew if I didn’t calm down soon I’d faint from lack of air to the brain and lungs.

I didn’t even realize I was crying until Eli captured my face in both of his hands, cupping it as I swayed on the spot, the pads of his thumb brushing away the tears as I looked up at him. His gaze was blazing and I gasped softly, my breath sharp and trembling with trembling lips as I cried softly. “Come here baby.” He murmured softly as by my face he drew me in closer to his body, kissing my forehead as I cried even more hysterically, my fingers curling tightly in his shirt “Shhh, shhh baby it’s okay. I’m okay.” He cooed soothing me after he was the one in the fight.

I clung onto his shirt tighter as I cried it all out, the fear of Jed having approached me just before, them fighting, the thought of Eli getting hurt and everything else that had been happening. This strong façade I’d been holding had shattered the moment I saw Jed take the first swing towards the person I loved more than life itself. I fell apart in Eli’s arms as he pressed his head into the top of my head, cradling me close and tight and yet still tenderly as he kept his back to Jed so if Jed took a swing he’d take the brunt of the attack – still protecting me despite all I had done to him. He held me close, soothing and cooing sweet words to me as with the hand in my hair he ran it through the hair at the back of my head and the other hand curled tightly around my waist – caring for me.

The whole time I cried and fell apart he held me close thinking I was crying because of my ex-boyfriend scaring me and arguing with me, the boy I “chose” over him. If only he knew that I was in pieces because I was feared for the life of the person that was carrying my heart – him.

“Come on, let’s just get out of here, yeah?” he murmured softly pulling back as he looked down at me, running his thumbs under my eyes to rid of all the tears.

I nodded shyly, not meeting his gaze as I thought of how pathetic I must look in this moment, I was such a mess!

Eli sighed sadly, his arms wrapping back around me, holding me very close as he began to lead us away from Jed on the ground as I continued to sniffle and cry softly, wiping constantly under my eyes where I bet I had smeared makeup at least. Eli fished into his pocket and pulled out a tissue offering it to me gently as he wrapped his arm around my waist and drew me tightly into his side, curling my head under his chin as we walked away.

“It was you, wasn’t it?!” A groggy,  shaken voice grunted out behind us, breaking the dead chilling silence and instantly putting fear back into me as we stilled “You’re the dick she fucked, aren’t you?” he snarled.

 Eli stiffened beside me and instantly I stilled, fear filling my stomach all over again, as my gut lurched. Eli slowly drew his arm from around my waist and fear shot through me “No!” I begged anxiously reaching back out for that arm again “Please don’t!” I begged of him, my voice breaking as I looked into his eyes, pleading.

Eli’s blazing eyes stared into mine for a good minute, reading my own begging eyes as he decided. Finally he turned back towards Jed and I whimpered softly knowing I wouldn’t handle watching them fight again, I couldn’t go through it again. I tugged on his arms desperately trying to stop him desperately.

I was surprised more than Jed with the words that left Eli’s mouth next “Firstly I didn’t fuck her,” he spat crudely “we made love.” He pointed out, his voice low and clamed and yet more petrifying than if he had roared them “Secondly, you come anywhere near her or lay your hand on her one more time you better pray that someone anywhere” he spat “is going to save you because next time you do it kid, you’re dead.” He growled his lip curling threateningly.

Turning back around, Eli reached for me as he curled me back into his side, saying utterly nothing as he buried me into his protective warmth just as Jed’s ferocious threat met my ears, my blood running cold. “When you least expect it champ I’m going to rip you to pieces!” he yelled at our turned backs “You hear that princess, you have him now protecting you, just you fucking wait! That boys going to be leaving in a body bag!”

Eli didn’t turn back around, his arms around me tightened and he pulled me even deeper as he practically carried all of my weight as my knees went weak and my bile rose in my throat, fear coating my insides. Wrapping his jacket around me tightly he tucked my head under his chin as he cooed reassuring words to me “It’s okay baby, I’m not going anywhere, not even for a minute.” He murmured reassuringly, trying to warm my chilled body as I walked away in the protection of Eli’s arms.

I couldn’t question though; for how much longer?

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