Chapter Eleven
Elijah
I sat outside Ellie’s apartment. I couldn’t go.
There was no way in hell I was going home without her.
Ever. When I told her I wasn’t leaving, I meant it.
There wasn’t a realm or reality where I was willing to let that be the end of us.
I fucked up, and I fucked up big time. I couldn’t believe how royally I had fucked up, and the worst part?
She was right. I should have said something.
I should have told them exactly where they could shove it, and then I should have punched them in the face.
I should have done something—anything. It felt like the word coward had etched itself all over my skin. Coward.
And I was one. I had chosen to be silent because it made my life easier.
Coward.
I racked my brain on how I could go about fixing it.
While refusing to leave was a start, it wasn’t enough.
The second choice was to leave the group chat immediately, and I blocked Tiffany’s number.
I didn’t give one fuck that we worked together or the implications of that decision.
I’d been considering leaving my job for a while, and that had all but made my decision for me.
I was drafting my resignation email in my notes when my phone started pinging, all from different people. Justin, Chad, Ralph. One after another.
Justin: ??
Chad: Why did you leave the chat dude?
Ralph: You ok?
I rolled my eyes and cleared the notifications.
No, I wasn’t alright. I was sure that if I hadn’t blocked her number, my phone would also be pinging with notifications from Tiffany.
I grimaced at even the mere thought of her name.
What an idiot I had been for sleeping with her years earlier, and what an idiot I was for not telling Bonnie.
She’d never explicitly asked me, but I knew I should have told her.
I would have lost my mind if I found out she worked with someone she had slept with and didn’t tell me.
What a hypocrite I was. I just…Once I saw her, everyone else ceased to exist. And Tiffany was so far from my mind at all times that even the thought of bringing her up seemed like more effort than I wanted to give.
She was just…irrelevant to me. I wanted to wash my mouth out with soap at the thought of her.
Justin: Bro, what gives? Don’t make me come over. Bonnie steal your phone?
I saw red then, and typed out a message I should have sent a long time ago.
Me: You’re a terrible person, and being in your proximity even a little bit, makes me a terrible person. On her worst day, she’s ten times the person you’ll ever be. Shut your fucking mouth the next time you think about talking about my future wife or i’ll do it for you. Prick.
Justin: Well look who decided to grow a spine. Cute.
Me: I’ll show you cute. Next time.
I blocked his contact, too, and for good measure, the other guys’ numbers.
The news would travel fast. I couldn’t send my resignation soon enough.
I was sifting through my contract to make sure I was following all the rules so I could be done as soon as possible, when the door to Ellie’s apartment crashed open.
I was startled, but only for a second, and then I was melting and starting to breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of Bonnie.
That was quickly replaced by more panic when I saw the look on her face.
“Care to explain to me why Tiffany is texting me a picture of you looking very comfortable in pajamas?” she spat at me.
I noticed a frying pan in her hand, and I shot up.
“You told me you didn’t cheat on me. Why should I be surprised that I can’t believe a word out of your mouth?
And to think I was this close—this fucking close—to believing you.
” She jabbed the end of the pan into my chest. I was having trouble processing her words because what fucking picture?
And I was hanging on to the fact that Bonnie said she believed me.
It gave me hope—more hope than I’d had in days. But what fucking picture?
“Well?” she demanded, and I realized that I hadn’t said anything yet. One, because I had no idea what she was talking about. And two, because I was trying not to fly off the handle when I understood she was telling me that Tiffany was texting her. That crazy bitch.
“Bonnie…I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I informed her.
I saw the hesitation on her face before she shook it away, shoved her phone in my face, and showed me a picture.
It was me, and it was from the most recent trip.
But when the fuck? It took me a minute to realize that Tiffany must have snapped one of me opening the door when she came knocking.
How did I not notice? Oh, yeah, it’s because I was losing my mind over not being able to get a hold of Bonnie.
At first glance, the picture looked bad. I was in pajamas and cut out, my hair looked messed up, but it was only because I was pacing and freaking out over the girl standing in front of me. But with a closer look, I could see the irritation written all over my face.
“Leave, Elijah. This is over.” She turned to go, and I pulled her to me so her back was facing my front. “Bonnie, look at the picture, and I mean really look at it. You see the way I’m frowning. You—you see my unhappiness. You know me. Tell me you see it.”
I felt her shake and the way her eyes looked back down at her phone. Her sniffle almost killed me as she went back inside and slammed the door in my face, and I heard her engage both locks behind her.
A plan to get my girl back was coming together, and unfortunately, that meant I had to leave for a bit. I knocked on the door. I knew she was still there because I could see her shadow at the base of it.
“Bonnie…I’m leaving, but I’m coming back. Do you hear me? You’ll see why when I get back. Okay?”
She didn’t answer. I didn’t expect her to, but I did see that her shadow didn’t move from where she was standing, where she could hear me. I prayed that it meant she was listening to me, and that maybe, I still had a shot.