Stranger Things Have Happened (Elvis Presley story)

Chapter 34

A/N:   Hi guys! Sorry for the absence but after getting back from vacation I somehow caught the cold from hell. But thankfully I am better now, so I have another chapter for you all! I do need to mention though that this chapter DOES CONTAIN SOME MATURE CONTENT. So if you are young or just don't feel comfortable reading that kind of thing, here's just a little warning. If you want to still read up until where it gets scandalous, I'll put a little warning thing there. Okay, well I hope you guys like the chapter!

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It is not until I am inside that I realize how cold I actually am. I didn't bother to grab a jacket before I left so all I have on is my nightgown, and I am shivering so hard that my teeth are chattering. Even with the heat inside the house I still feel like icy knives are piercing into my skin.

Elvis puts a hand on the small of my back and leads me into the living room. The room is completely dark so he switches on a lamp before having me sit down on the couch. Even with the lamp on the lighting is still dim as I watch him pick up a throw blanket from one of the other chairs. He crosses the room back over to me and covers me with it.

"I'll be right back," he says quietly, his hand lingering on the corner of the blanket before letting it fall my by shoulder. "Just wait right here." Before I can even respond he has already disappeared down the hallway.

I adjust the blanket around myself so that it is cocooned around my body. It helps a little bit but I am still freezing. Letting out a breath, I let my eyes wander around the dimly lit room, soaking in every last detail. Everything in here is exactly the same as it had been the last time I saw it.

There is an almost eerie silence as I sit there alone, waiting. This house is filled with so many memories, so many moments of life. I honestly didn't know if I would ever see it again, so being here now feels strange. Almost surreal.

After a couple more minutes Elvis returns with a mug in his hands. He carefully hands it to me before going to sit down in the chair across from the couch. I involuntarily let out a sigh as the heat radiating from the mug warms my icy hands and take a sip. Hot lemon tea with honey.

Neither one of us says anything for a long time. It is then that I begin to feel the awkwardness of it weighing on my shoulders. We just sit there across from each other wordlessly, neither one venturing to make eye contact as we absorb the uncomfortable quiet. I eventually finish my tea, and the sound the mug produces as I set it on the coffee table is deafening in comparison to the silence surrounding us.

Eventually Elvis clears his throat.

"What's wrong?" He asks, his voice low. Serious.

I feel my stomach twist at the question. My eyes slowly drift from my lap to his face. His blue eyes look especially dark in this lighting as they study my intently. It is then that I become intensely aware of all the time that has passed since we last spoke. How things were the last time we spoke, how they were left. What had happened. And in that moment a wave of nervousness shoots through me. Was this a mistake coming here?

I shift in my seat and offer a halfhearted shrug, shaking my head.

"You can tell me, Anna," he murmers softly. The way he says it sparks something in me. Maybe loosens is a better word. I don't know what it is but it makes me relax a bit. I let my eyes meet his, and I am not afraid anymore. I know that he genuinely is willing to listen. Blinking slowly, I let out a breath that I didn't realize I had been holding in.

"Um," I start, unsure of how to form the words I want to say. "Well, I've been having these dreams lately. Bad dreams. And uh, well," I clench my hands together tightly in an effort to keep them from trembling. "I had one tonight. And it was just so... real. It felt like I was really there, even after I woke up. I don't even know what happened, I just lost it. It felt like I couldn't breathe. And then I called here, and you picked up." I kind of trail off at the end, not really knowing what else to say.