Sway With The Wind [Complete]

Chapter 10 - Missing Pieces - Part 2

"I think it might be someone else." This was the first sentence El ever said to Pip, breaking the usual pattern of one-sided conversations between them.

Pip couldn't help but chuckle at El's words, finding amusement in her uncertainty. His deep gaze into her eyes only added to her confusion, making her doubt her own memory. Despite knowing that El didn't hold much fondness for him, Pip couldn't resist the temptation to tease her further. He was well aware of her reluctance, but he was willing to take a chance.

However, the watchful eyes of their elders reminded him to tread carefully. He didn't want to push too hard and risk spoiling the delicate balance. Instead, he hoped that El would remember their first encounter in her own time, perhaps seeing him in a different light than before.

In the days since El's absence, Pip found himself pondering over his feelings. He couldn't deny that something had shifted within him. Perhaps it was the memory of her withheld tears that lingered in his mind, stirring a sense of guilt within him. He wished she had let her emotions flow freely or even lashed out at him in anger.

Since that day, Pip had been subconsciously seeking a way to ease his conscience. His actions may not have been the most rational response to his realization, but that didn't deter him. Drawing on his experience from the previous year, he had harboured a faint hope of encountering El at the Christmas market. Thus, he had orchestrated their grandparents' visit, hoping to seize the slim chance of crossing paths with her once more.

As El and her father bid their farewells and left the market, El couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that lingered in her chest. Pip's words echoed in her mind, stirring up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. His presence had always unsettled her, but his mention of their supposed encounter from the previous year left her feeling perplexed.

During the car ride home, El found herself lost in thought, replaying the events of the Christmas market from the previous year. She vividly recalled the bustling atmosphere of the afternoon market, followed by the lively reunion with her high school friends in the evening. However, as she delved deeper into her memories, she realized that there was one person missing from her recollection—a person who had played a significant role in helping her navigate through the chaos of that day.

With a sudden epiphany, El's thoughts turned to Pip. Could it have been him? Had she overlooked his presence in her memories, dismissing his impact on that fateful day? The realization dawned on her, sparking a newfound curiosity and a desire to uncover the truth behind her fragmented recollections.

***

El's journey back to North City was a stark contrast from her departure. As she travelled, her mind buzzed with the revelations and secrets that had unfolded during her Christmas with family. From her mother's mysterious past to the unexpected connection between herself and Pip, the holiday had provided answers to questions that had long haunted her. While some of these discoveries were strange and unsettling, they ultimately brought a sense of closure to El's tumultuous journey of self-discovery. As El journeyed back to the city after the holidays, the conversation with her father echoed in her mind, each word carrying the weight of the truth she had uncovered.

Two weeks earlier, upon arriving in Barkhill, she had wasted no time in making her way to her father's clinic from the station. The urgency in her steps matched the gravity of the news she carried, a burden too heavy to bear alone.

El's father, initially taken aback by her unexpected arrival, quickly discerned the gravity of the situation from the expression on her face. His own anxiety mirrored hers, a silent acknowledgment of the difficult conversation that lay ahead. While he had not intended to keep her in the dark indefinitely, he had grappled with how best to broach the sensitive topics that had now come to light. He knew that El's sharp mind would not allow her to remain in the dark for long, and he braced himself for the inevitable moment when she would uncover the truth he had kept hidden from her for so long.