Never Again Will There Be Another Chance

Chapter 17

                                                                -Everleigh-

I open my eyes and I'm suddenly blinded by the lights. A body shifts and uses their head to block the light, wherever it's coming from. "Everleigh? Are you okay?" A familiar voice says. Then a hand goes to my back helping me to a sitting position. I blink a few times adjusting to the bright light and I see a monster beside me! Or just Elijah. He still has his hand on my back, still a bit cautious of my well being.

And for your information I am perfectly well, though I do feel a bit hungry and could use some water. I opened my mouth to speak but as if he could read my mind, he quickly grabbed a glass of water and held it to my mouth. I complied and gulped down the water a little too fast, I choked on the water. "Easy, there" Elijah whispered while patting my back. "Are you hungry?" He asked. It took me a while to find my voice and when I did I said, "yea, that would be nice." "Alright, wait here for a second." He said worried. Very weakly I said "it's not like I can really go anywhere." to assure him that I'm okay. He chuckled at that and left the room.

—---

"How do you do that?" Elijah came back a while ago and now we're just chilling and drinking our drinks. "Do what?" I ask. "Pretend you're okay" "I'm not pretending" "Yes you are, every single day. And it breaks my heart."

My eyes widened. Did he really just say that? "Say that again." "Everleigh." He warned while recognition took over his face. And just as quickly his face became blank again. I hate when he does that it's almost as if he can't trust me. "Elijah" I whisper, dropping my eyes. "Everleigh, I don't want to talk about that right now." He said, running his hand down his face. "Why?" I say, eyes darting up to his face. "You just woke up from a coma, and-" He cuts himself off. "It's okay, you can talk about her. I'm okay with that now" He looks at me warily. Even though I know he saw the look on my face it doesn't bother me anymore he still doesn't say it instead he says "Look Everleigh, now's not the time, you've been through hell these past 2 weeks" "2 weeks?" I say in shock. How much classes have I missed and the art projec- and as if he could hear my thoughts he quickly says, "We didn't didn't miss that much work and we can always catch up" "W-we?" I say, I was in a coma, why did he miss school. He simply just shrugs like it's nothing and then says "I didn't enjoy class anyway, and this way we can catch up together." Gosh this man.

"Or" I suggest "You could've brought me the work and told me what to do." His entire face suddenly reddens but that's the only clue that he's at least a bit embarrassed. "it's more fun this way, it wasn't like I liked that stupid art school anyways." He says.

My jaw dropped to the floor. "You never liked school?!" I say in total shock. Why did he always talk about it then? "It was the only place I had to escape my parents," he admitted. I could relate to that before my old school was the only safe place for me, the only place to avoid my mother.

"Oh." I say dropping my glaze from his face.

There was a moment of silence and then he said,

"Do you want to get ice cream?"

My eyes light up, "Yes of course, I'm dying to get out of this hospital."