The next day, New Year's Eve arrives, but solid thoughts don't. I still have no idea what to say to Ellie, who is respectively keeping her distance while she helps her parents pack up everything. I need to get used to her being gone otherwise....
"You okay?" Madison asks, watching me closely. I had come back to the coffee shop while she'd gotten a break, so we walked down the street right behind the shop.
"Fine." I reply, but my voice is sullen.
"Still haven't talked to her?"
"No, mostly because I don't know what to say. And it's frustrating."
"Do you always never know what to say around her?"
"No! I always know what to say, and that's why it's frustrating." I admit. "I'm usually the one who speaks my mind, and now I can't, so it's like I lose my voice. We've swapped places."
"I think you'll know exactly what to say when you see her again." Madison reassures me. "Just make sure you clear things up before she leaves. Okay? I gotta go, my break is over." She kisses my cheek, a friendly notion, and leaves, heading back down the street towards the shop.
Sighing, I make my way towards my house, but I'm not more than two steps inside when my mom comes running down the stairs.
"Carson, hon, Ellie's outside. In the backyard. I asked her if she wanted to come in, but she didn't want to, and I guess she was looking for you—" My mom is freaking out, probably for a million reasons, but most of them have to do with me and Ellie especially.
"It's okay, Mom. I'll talk to her." I walk back out the door and head for the backyard, slightly annoyed, and very much trying to keep my calm.
Sure enough, Ellie's there, walking among the remains of the treehouse, which I had actually managed to forget about—until now.
She's wearing that same red rose in her hair, but for the first time in a while, she's wearing a long-sleeved dress, a white lace one that stops a couple inches above her knees, and short light brown combat boots that cut off right above her ankle. Her hair is curled, falling in ringlets around her head, the rose pinning back the left side.
It's so hard not to stare, but eventually I clear my throat loud enough for her to hear me, reverting to the task at hand.
"Hi." she says, when she turns to me. I see her swallow. "What are you doing here? My mom's freaking out." I tell her straight up. Easier to get to the point.
"I'm going to a New Year's thing in a while. I'm supposed to ask you if you want to come." she explains, not sounding quite happy about it.
"I don't think so. I have other things to catch up on." It's way easier to avoid her. My heart is already pounding.
She doesn't respond, beginning to walk out of the destruction. She doesn't leave though. She just stops a couple steps away from me.
"You have to be freezing, Ellie, honestly. Come inside." I finally have to tell her, trying not to grab for her. Touching her now would only lead to, again, something stupid.
"It's fine, I'm going to walk back over to my house in a minute. I just wanted to, um, see if you wanted to come with me." she says, trying again, and I feel my wall crumbling as she locks eyes with me.
"Well, I can't, so, sorry." I say back, voice clipped. If she gets any closer, I won't be able to push her away.
"Carson, we can't keep doing this. I don't like when you push me away."
YOU ARE READING
Clouds || E & C
ChickLit"Is something wrong?" she asks. I quickly regain my smile. "No, it's amazing. I really am an awesome teacher." I brag. "You really are," she says in a quiet voice, eyes flickering between my own and my lips. Slowly, she leans in, and our mouths me...
