12. Elijah
Chapter twelve
Elijah
I woke up to a warm body on top of me. My head pounded in my ears, and I needed some serious hydration. My hand rested on Brielle’s hip. I wasn’t sure whether moving away or keeping still and having her wake up in my arms would scare her more.
It was still dark out, so I couldn’t tell what time it was.
I didn’t even know how we fell asleep like this, but Brielle was facing me, breathing heavily.
One of my arms rested under her head, and the other between us.
Her hair was still mostly up in a bun, but she had small pieces falling onto her face.
Not many people can pull off looking that beautiful so naturally.
She seemed to get more beautiful every time I saw her.
She stirred, and her eyes widened. Before she could say anything, I spoke, “Give me a second, and I’ll move.”
“Just scoot your body back, and I’ll climb over you.” Her voice was shaky, but I could tell she was trying to calm herself.
I didn’t move right away, so she spoke again. “Your hand is on my stomach.”
“Want me to move it?”
She smirked and seemed to relax. “If you want me to get up, you kind of have to.”
I laughed and got up to pee. I put some toothpaste on my finger and rinsed my dry mouth out. When I walked into the kitchen, she was getting ready to cook breakfast. She had put a glass of water and two more aspirin on the counter for me.
I picked up the medicine and gulped it down, finishing the water. “Always taking care of me, Masterpiece.”
Without missing a beat, she turned to me. “Someone has to. You don’t.” She had a sly grin creeping onto her face.
Her response stung a bit, but she wasn't wrong. She was really the first person to take care of me. I sat at the kitchen island and studied her for a moment.
“I should go. We have to head out by ten.” I looked at my watch. It was only six, but I still needed to shower. “Thank you for letting me vent and stay.”
She turned and smiled. “Of course, but you should really eat something before you go.”
I felt a tightening in my chest when her gaze met mine. I was hoping whatever it was didn’t show on my face. I cleared my throat. “Thanks. But I gotta go make sure everything is cool with Maxine and then shower.”
She nodded and turned to put away the plate she had taken out for me. Even though I just told her I needed to leave, leaving was the last fucking thing I wanted to do. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t get to say good morning.”
Her arms wrapped around me. “Good morning, Eli.” She hugged me, and as I leaned back to look down at her, she looked up with those beautiful green eyes. “Are you sure you are okay? Are you sure you don’t want to eat before you go?”
I leaned back in and gently kissed her forehead. “I am sure. You should go back to sleep.”
“Maybe,” she said with a smile.
She pulled away and walked over to the table where her belongings sat. She grabbed a protein bar from her bag and threw it at me. “Promise me you will eat something.”
I laughed. “Yes, I will eat something.”
Brie’s phone rang. She picked it up off the counter and looked at it before silencing it. “Do you want me to walk you out?” she asked.
“Nah, I can manage. I will text you when I get settled back on the bus.”
“Please do.”
She squeezed my hand and leaned onto her tiptoes, kissing my cheek before walking into Lincoln’s old bedroom.
I stopped to talk with August, who was outside, while I waited on my rideshare. Just as it arrived, I heard the door to the guest house open behind me.
“Eli?”
I rushed toward her. “What’s wrong? You shouldn’t be out here without a jacket. It’s freezing.”
She put her arms around herself, and her beautiful eyes met mine. “If you decide you are going to see your dad in the next day or two and want a buffer, I will be here.”
“Why?”
“That was Amani on the phone. She wants to go to the next few shows with Beck, so I will just be here waiting for her.”
I thought for a second. “Come with us. We are only doing two more shows this weekend.”
She looked at me with concern just as my rideshare driver beeped the horn.
“Wait here,” I told Brielle.
I went to the car window and threw a twenty-dollar bill at the driver. “Sorry, dude, I don’t need a ride anymore.”
He looked down at the twenty-dollar bill and shrugged. I turned and walked back toward Brielle, gesturing her inside. “Come on. It is too cold for you to be out here.”
I wrapped my arm around her and guided her into the house.
We walked in, and she immediately grabbed a blanket to wrap herself in.
After she settled in, she spoke, “I don’t really think I should come to the shows, but I can definitely still come with you to see your dad if you want me to. ” She looked at me expectantly.
I sat down in a chair at the kitchen island. “I don’t want to go, Brie.”
“Then don’t. I just wanted to offer. I didn’t mean to hold you up. But if you wait for me to get dressed, I can drive you to the bus.”
I nodded.
We drove the ten minutes to the tour bus in silence. Before getting out, I turned to her and said, “I’ll call you.”
She nodded and smiled. “I know.”
“I’m not seeing him,” I told her once again.
“Okay,” she nodded again. “And there is nothing wrong with that.”
“Okay.” I agreed.
She smiled sweetly. “See you soon, Old Man.”
I laughed and opened the door. “You are a little brat, ya know that?”
She wiggled her shoulders. “Gotta keep it interesting.”
I got out and shut the door. I motioned for her to roll the window down, and leaned in once she did. “I really will call you.”
She leaned toward me and raised an eyebrow. “I might even answer.”
Brielle
Two days of relaxation alone were amazing, but I couldn’t wait to go home. Elijah texted me this morning asking if he could come over around two, and at two o’clock on the dot, there was a knock on the door.
As I opened it, he leaned into the doorframe. “You look amazing, Briebaby.”
I chuckled. “Still can't decide which nickname to call me, huh?”
He laughed. “I just go with whatever the moment needs.”
I walked backward, inviting him in. I leaned onto the counter with both hands. “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you again?”
His face got a little more serious. “I think I am ready to go see my dad.”
I stood up straight. “Is your brother going?”
“No, he has no interest.”
I nodded. “Okay. Are you ready to go now?”
He grabbed my hand and kissed the back of it. “I am now.”
I smiled. “Do you want me to drive? I assume you took a rideshare?”
“Do you mind if I drive your car?”
I handed him my keys without question. As we drove, I could see his knuckles tightening on the steering wheel, turning white. I loosened one of his hands from the wheel. I intertwined my fingers with his and placed them in my lap. “I got you.”
He glanced over, giving me an unsure smile and a nod.
After about twenty minutes, I saw we were passing the same streets again. “Lost or stalling?” I asked.
“Stalling,” he said with a smirk.
“I got you, Eli. I promise.”
He squeezed my hand. “I know.”
He finally parked in the hospital parking lot. He didn’t move to get out, so I reached over and undid his seatbelt. I got out, went around to the driver’s side, and opened the door.
He looked up at me. “What if I can’t forgive him?”
I knelt down to his level, but he continued to stare out the front windshield.
“You don’t have to forgive him. But forgiving someone isn’t always for them.
Sometimes, you can forgive someone for yourself.
It doesn’t mean you forget what happened, but you can forgive them so you no longer let it control you. ”
He was silent and then turned to look at me. He pulled me up onto his lap. My hip hit the steering wheel.
“Ouch.” I laughed.
“Sorry,” he whispered. His hands cupped my face.
“Eli?” I whispered in question.
He continued to study me, running one of his thumbs over my bottom lip. I felt weirdly calm being this close to him, yet my body was still tense, like I was ready to jump away at any moment.
“Ready?” I asked
He leaned in and kissed me softly. He pulled back with his eyes closed and his forehead still touching mine. “Now I am.”
I leaned in and kissed his nose. “You got this, Old Man.”
He chuckled.
I got off his lap and put my hand out again. This time, he grabbed it. I was about to shut the door, but he stopped me. He leaned back into the car, grabbing something from a bag he had with him. It was a nip of whiskey.
I looked up at him, and he held it out to me, as if in a toast. “To liquid courage.” Then he downed it.
I held my hand out for the keys. “And on that note, I’m driving home.”
He handed them to me and kissed the top of my head. “You got it, baby.”
Him calling me baby sent a wave of pleasure through me down to my core.
As we began to walk, Elijah softly took hold of my hand. “I am sorry if pulling you into the car like that made you feel uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“It didn’t.” I smiled up at him, and his grip on my hand tightened.
“Good.”
After getting the room number from the nurses’ station, one of them recognized Elijah from the band and asked him for an autograph. He obliged, of course. We took the elevator to the fifth floor, and as soon as we stepped out, Elijah froze.
“Oh, baby. You came. I knew you would.” A short woman with crazy, brown curls came rushing toward us. I let go of Elijah’s hand and stepped away a little to give her space to hug him. I looked over to where she had come running from, and a few other people stood there waiting patiently.
“Hi, Mom.”
She held onto him for longer than normal, understandably. If I remember correctly, he hadn’t seen her since he was eighteen. When she let him go, she steered him toward the others. I hung back. I wanted him to have this moment with his mom.
“This is Jess and Kai.” She swallowed nervously. “Your siblings. And well, you know Robert.”
“I don’t actually. We have never had the pleasure.” He shook Robert’s hand and gave his siblings both a head nod.
His mom looked over at me. “Is this your beautiful wife?”
He smiled and gestured toward me. “No, this is my beautiful friend, Brielle. She wouldn’t be caught dead tied to me.”
The look of disdain I gave him made him chuckle. I smiled at his mom and siblings and put out my hand to each of them. “I’m Brielle. Nice to meet you.”
His mom pulled me into a hug. Once she let go, Elijah pulled me into his side. “So, what are you doing here, Mom? I didn’t think you cared about anything having to do with your old life anymore.” His mom’s face fell in defeat.
I placed my hand on his chest. “Don’t do that here. You guys can talk after. You are here for your dad.”
“Your friend is right, Son.” Robert chimed in.
Elijah’s grip on me tightened as his brows furrowed. “I am not your son. You can call me Elijah.” I tugged on Elijah’s arm to warn him again. He looked down at me and nodded in acknowledgment. “Let’s go.”
As we started toward the room, Elijah’s mom began to follow. I turned to her hesitantly. “I think he needs to do this alone, if that’s okay.”
She looked at me, then back at Elijah. I looked up at him, and a gentle smile played on his lips. It was almost like a silent thank you. His mom turned and walked back to her seat.
Elijah watched her leave, then looked back at me. “You better stop taking care of me like that before I end up falling in love with your cute ass.”
I pushed him jokingly. “Shut up.”
He laughed, but his smile quickly fell when he saw the room number in front of us. Elijah slowly took a few steps into the room and looked back at me when he realized I wasn’t directly behind him.
“I will be right out here. Come get me when you’re ready.”