Still Falling

07 | keeper

Finn

*

"Hey," Elliot pulled me aside, sending weary glances at Amanda who was stood in the crowd, a lopsided grin on her face while she spoke with Dominic. Why was he always around her? They must've met at the wedding and hence shouldn't be more than mere acquaintances, but she appeared to enjoy his company a lot.

"Nat and I are worried about her," he said as we both watched her. "I think it's best you take her home. I'm not sure she can keep this up any longer."

I eyed him suspiciously. Was this some sort of scheme he and his wife had concocted behind my back? "Why are you telling me to do this?"

He scoffed. "Are you really asking that right now? You're the only person here fit for it. Would you prefer I ask Dominic to do it? He gladly would, I'm sure."

I grit my teeth at the thought of him alone with her. He was no sleazeball, I knew, perhaps even a hopeless romantic at heart if you dug deep enough, but that was exactly the problem. And if he got to know about my past with Amanda, it would make the situation even worse.

"I don't know where she lives."

"Nat does," he stuck his hand into the inner pocket of his jacket and got out a folded piece of paper. "Here."

He made to walk away but I held him back. "Elliot. I'm returning to Zürich tomorrow morning, so I guess this is goodbye."

His eyebrows formed a knot and I saw his disposition plummet. "What? Please tell me you're kidding." He waved his hand in Natalie's direction. "She is so excited that you came. How do you expect me to tell her you're leaving so soon?"

Fuck. Don't do this to me Elli. Don't make this harder than it already is for me.

"I did come for the wedding, didn't I?"

That seemed to only piss him off more. "Right. I guess having my best friend back is too much to ask for," he seethed. His body had began to tremble, and I felt guilty for making him feel this way. Why did I have a penchant for hurting those I loved most? He hid his face behind his hand and let out a heavy breath. "Do you remember the first time we met? At the dorm?" I couldn't bring myself to nod. I counted it as one of my luckiest days. "I was eighteen in my first year, and you were a seventeen year old final year. You acted like nobody existed or mattered, and I thought you were some privileged snob and made it my mission to always piss you off. But you always ignored me.

"We could go a week without talking to each other and you were so fucking melancholic that I wanted to apply for a room change. I hated your guts. Deeply. Then one day I found out my girlfriend was cheating on me and I became a fucking mess. I didn't leave the room for days. I stopped eating or going to classes or meeting up with friends. It felt like the end of my life. Until one night you found me slumped on the floor."

I blinked. I remembered.

"Hey," I nudged him with my foot. He was lying right next to my bed- very far from his- dressed in the same shirt he'd had on for over a week now. He didn't move. I wasn't sure if he was asleep or in a daze. I kicked him a little harder. He jolted awake. "You're in my way."

His eyes batted slowly. His red hair looked greasy and matted all over the place from lying in the same spots for too long. "What? Can't you go around?"

"You also smell like crap, and I'd prefer not to have that around me," I retorted. At that he would be snapping back at me, but he just shut his eyes and resumed his wallow in self pity. I sighed and walked to my table, dropped a pile of books and cracked my neck. Lately, I'd been spending my nights at the library because of him. Simply being in the same room with him made life more depressing than it already was.