Freed

36

I stirred softly when I heard deep, quiet voices speaking in hushed murmurs. When they didn't stop, my eyes fluttered open and I slowly began to take in my surroundings, blinking to get rid of the bleariness. For a moment, everything was disorientated and hazy in my mind as I glanced around, until I realized where I was.

I'd fallen asleep on the couch in the living room. The room was dimly lit, with the only light coming from the small fire burning in the fireplace, along with one lamp. The TV was still on, but the movie I'd turned on had ended, so the screen was black. The curtains for the window behind the TV were open, and it was pitch black outside which told me that it was late. I lifted myself up, using one elbow to prop myself up on the couch as I shifted my attention over to the clock. The time told me that it was one in the morning. Overall, the entire air of the room was somber, and I felt like my limbs were jelly as I pulled myself into a sitting position, deciding I'd head upstairs to sleep for the rest of the night.

I was dragging myself off the couch when I heard his voice.

I went as still as death, my head snapping over towards the direction of the kitchen. Someone chuckled quietly and I heard a glass clink as it sounded like it was set down on a hard surface. The person spoke again, and the familiarity in the husky voice had my blood running cold from shock.

I was moving immediately.

My feet almost slid out from underneath me as I raced towards the kitchen, reaching the threshold within seconds. I halted, scanning the room until I saw him.

Elijah was leaning against one of the marble counters, his eyes on his phone as he read whatever was on the screen. A glass of amber-colored liquid sat right next to him on the surface of the counter. He was wearing grey sweatpants and a black hoodie, and his hair was slightly wet as if he'd just showered. His appearance made me realize that he'd probably been here for hours, and I'd been sleeping.

For a moment, I felt like I was dreaming. This felt like some daze where reality wasn't real and I was staring at someone who wasn't truly there. But as I continued to stare at him, the realization clicked that he was real. He was standing right in front of me.

I barely registered Kaiden sitting in one of the chairs surrounding the dining table because I was already sprinting in Elijah's direction. His gaze lifted up only mere seconds before I crashed into him with the most force possible.

He stumbled back two steps from how hard I'd slammed into him. One of his arms instantly wrapped around me, while his other hand went behind him to grip the edge of the countertop as he found his balance. My arms banded around his waist as I hugged him as tightly as possible; fiercer than I had ever before.

My face pressed into his torso as I squeezed my eyes shut, unbothered by the tears soaking my eyelashes as I held him like I was never letting go ever again. Elijah's other hand let go of the countertop and he used it to run his fingers through the back of my hair, untangling the slight knots that had formed from sleeping with my hair let loose.

"You missed me this much?" He asked, the light amusement audible in his voice as he raked his hand through my locks. I squeezed him tighter, and Elijah reached down to wrap his arms around my waist. He lifted me off the ground for a second, pressing his face into my hair. "Because I missed you."

"How long have you been home?" I choked out, pinching my eyes shut against his shoulder. He squeezed me tightly once, before his hold loosened and he set me back down on the ground. I didn't let go though as I scrambled forward again, wrapping my arms around his torso and pressing my cheek against his chest. "Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

He casually ran his fingers through my hair, letting me hug him as long as I wanted. "It's only been half an hour since we got back. You looked tired, so I was gonna until morning."