Forgotten Fates

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Alice

I tell Paige I'll be right back and go inside to talk to Finn, but instead find Eli on the phone giving someone my address.

"What are you doing?" I mouth.

"Perfect," he says to the person on the other line, "See you then." Then he hangs up and looks at me.

"Who were you talking to?"

"Window repair people. They will be here in a couple of hours."

"Wow! That's awesome, thank you. Did they by any chance say how much this will cost me?" I start to mentally calculate how much money I have in my college fund right now. I already spent a chunk on our Seattle trip.

"You, it won't cost anything," he says.

"I don't understand, did you save this guys life in Nam or something?"

"No smart ass," he jokes, "I just meant that I'm talking care of it."

"Eli, I can't let you do that. It's my house and it's because of me that the window is even broken. You already paid to have the first one replaced," I remind him. "And don't think I forgot to yell at you for that because I haven't," I add.

"Alice, it's really not that big a deal."

"But it has to be expensive and you are a student. There is no way you should be blowing your money on this."

"Come here." He reaches out his hand for me to take and then leads me over to the couch. "I want to show you something," he says and holds out his phone in front of us and starts to open his banking app.

"Eli, I don't need to know how much money you have," I try to tell him, but he puts the screen in front of my face anyway and my mouth literally falls open in shock. "That is a lot of zeros behind that five."

"That's just my saving account," he admits shyly.

"So... you're rich," I say, stating the obvious.

"Actually, I like to think of it as, WE are rich."

"I don't understand."

"Well, let me ask you this. If we were married would it be my money, or our money?"

"But we're not married."

"Alice, we are fated to be together for all eternity," he smiles like it should be obvious.

"Yeah, but I'm still only eighteen and you are only nineteen," I remind him. "There is no reason to move so fast."

"But if we know it's going to be, then what's the point in taking things slow? We've already seen a memory of one of our weddings."

"Wait a minute," I say standing up, "What exactly are you saying right now?"

"I'm saying," he says reaching out to take both of my hands in his, "I love you, and If we already know we will end up together, then why delay it?"

"Are you saying you want to get married? Like now?!"

"Well not today," he shrugs and I pull my hands from his and start to pace. "So?" he asks.

"So what?"

"Alice," he reaches out and grabs my hands again, stopping my pacing. Then scoots off the couch to get on one knee, "Will you marry me?"

I stand there in shock, unable to say anything.

"Sorry I don't have a ring," he says, then winks and adds, "Yet."

"I----" Is all I manage to squeak out and his grip on my hands weakens as his smile begins to fade.

"No!" I gasp when he begins to misunderstand my silence.

"No?" he repeats, misunderstanding once again.

"No, no, no!" I try to explain, but he stands up and releases my hands. "Eli that's not what I meant."

"So what did you mean? Yes?"

"No, I just mean-"

"No? You don't mean, yes? You mean no?"

"No! I mean, yes! I mean.... I am so confused."

"Well I'm not." he says. "Alice, I love you and want to marry you so we can be together. Like we are meant to be. I don't understand why you don't."

Hearing footsteps on the stairs, Eli looks over to see Finn on his way down. "Or maybe I do understand."

"Elijah, no!" He tries to walk away, but I hold on to his hand. "Please just let me explain!"

"There isn't anything to explain," he says in such a small voice that my it causes my chest to ache. But I'm not sure if it's my own genuine reaction to seeing somebody I care about hurt, or just an echo of what Eli himself is feeling in the moment.

Slipping his hand out of mine, he goes back outside to where Paige and Cole are. Meanwhile, Finn, who had caught the end of our squabble, makes his way into the living room.

"You okay, babe?" he asks.

"I will be," I say, ignoring the babe comment and giving him my best effort at a smile.

I really want to tell Finn I'm not fine. That my boyfriend just proposed and I'm not sure if it's because he really loves me, or because he has to as my familiar. I want to tell Finn that I couldn't say yes for those reason, but also because I still feel my heart flutter every time he walks in a room. But I can't say any of those things.

"Did you need something?" I ask him.

He tells me that he needs to go check on Zoey and get a shower and change of clothes, but knows that he can't go alone. I can't but think this is perfect timing. I also want to visit with his sister, and could really stand to get out of the house for a little while, so I tell him that I will go with him. Then we head outside to tell the others we are leaving.

"Like hell, " Eli says crossing his arms over his chest in his typical defiant stance.

"He can't go alone," I remind him.

"Fine, then I'll go with him."

"Like hell," Finn says, echoing Eli's words.

"Well, last time I left Alice alone with you somewhere, you kissed her," Or am I remembering that wrong?"

"This is ridiculous," I groan, and go inside to grab my keys.

"Where are you going?" Eli asks, following on my heels. And the rest of the group behind him.

"To visit my friend Zoey," I say flatly, like I am stating a fact.

"Alice, it's not safe alone," Paige says.

"Which is why Finn can't go by himself," I remind her. No body seemed to have a problem when Cole went by himself with Finn yesterday," I argue.

"But, Alice," Cole says softly, "That was also before Tristan told us everything. And now that we know Callie is after you specifically..." he trails off and leaves me to fill in the blanks. I am the target and the one who needs to be the most careful.

"Can't Tyler go with him?" Paige asks.

"Of course, I can." Tyler says to me.

Knowing I won't win this one I decide to drop it. Mostly. "Fine. Tyler can go and be the one to stay and watch over them. On one condition."

"What's that?" Eli asks.

"I get to go inside, say hi to Zoey and ask how she's feeling. Fifteen minutes tops." I don't care why he thinks I want to go with Finn, the truth is I really do want to check in on my friend. "You can walk me separately and wait outside long enough for me to check on my friend," I tell him. "And then we can leave, and Tyler and Finn stay for however long he needs. Deal?"

I cross my arms over my chest waiting for Eli to say something and when he doesn't, Cole nudges him in the side with his elbow. "I think that's fair," he says to his brother, and finally Eli nods in agreement.