Scarred

Chapter 13.

Eliza

"Was it not enough me practically begging my mom to let you stay here?" I shout, as I fling the door open to see him laying on the bed, throwing up a tub of hair gel into the air, and catching it.

Alarm registers all over his face, as his body instantly springs up.

"What?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I continue, ensuring there is no pause between my words to give him the chance to respond. "My mom didn't have to agree to you staying here, but I convinced her to because I thought you would actually appreciate it, despite your constant uncalled for disrespect. Yet you decide to repay her by stealing her most expensive bracelet?"

"What are you talking about? Olivia said she took it." He is now standing up, his eyes boring into mine.

"Yeah, to save your pathetic ass. Because she knew you did it. Unlike you, she actually has respect for people and she would never deliberately go into my mother's room and take something that belongs to her." My voice seems to go higher with every word, and I find myself catching up on missed breaths at the end of my speech.

"And you think I would? Eliza, I don't know what you're talking about but I did not steal your mom's bracelet. What would Olivia need to save me from?"

"She knew my mom was about to kick you out, and she knew it would upset me so she said it was her so you could stay. But what I want to know is why you would do that. If you want something, you should ask for it."

"Eliza. I did not take your mother's bracelet."

"Then who did? The ghost of the house?"

"I don't know, but I promise you it wasn't me. Why would I do that? Why would I risk everything I have right now, everything I am right now? I know it's not a lot, but I actually have a bed to sleep in now, and that's more than I could say this time last week. Why would I risk that on a bracelet, when I know that I would get caught anyway?" This time his voice is raised, his words penetrating into my brain all the more effectively.

"You tell me."

"I can't tell you, because I didn't do it. Eliza, I am grateful for what you have done for me. I am so grateful. I know I've barely said it but you don't understand the gratitude in my heart I feel for you, you honestly don't. Nobody's ever given me a chance like you have. Nobody. And I would never do anything to jeopardise my position right now. I would never do anything to make you feel any less of me than you did when, like you said, you begged your mom to let me stay."

My throat closes up at his unexpected speech. I didn't realise something so... Pure could come out of his mouth, which unwillingly makes me all the more conflicted on my feelings towards him.

"But it still doesn't make sense. Olivia said she didn't do it, and I know she wouldn't lie to me, especially when it's serious."

"So you don't trust me," he states blandly, but I can hear the sting behind his tone.

"I don't know you, Theo. And you don't exactly make it easy for me. You say things like what you just said but you're rude all the time, you're so closed off and you're always being so contradictory. One minute you're looking at me like, like... Like there's something there. And then the next you're slamming the door in my face and I don't understand why. I don't understand you, Theo. I just want you to-"