Saving Grace (editing)

28: Elliot ~ Stay With Me

Chapter Twenty-Eight

"Alright, it may be time to go back to sleep," Elliot suggested in a soft voice after putting the mugs and pot in the sink.

From the corner of his eye he saw Grace tense, however she still nodded.

"Sure..." she said.

She slowly stood up from her seat and turned to face Elliot.

After turning off all the lights besides the dim hallway light that was always kept on, Elliot and Grace walked to their rooms, which were situated opposite each other.

"Um Elliot?" said a quiet whisper.

"Hm?" he replied, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Stay with me...please?" she pleaded almost silently.

He looked at her in confusion, Grace looking down at her feet as it they had become the most fascinating thing in world.

He took a step forward before putting his hand on her chin to lift her face up, looking into her deep blue iries.

"Of course," he whispered.

~

After having debated who would sleep on the floor or bed, Elliot suggested for both of them sleep on the bed on each side, at which Grace reluctantly agreed to.

They had spent time arranging the pillows and blankets yet Elliot had initiated a pillow fight.

Grace and Elliot had tried to muffle their giggles and laughter but soon they realized that they could've awoken Elliot's father and Susie.

So they finally called it a 'night', although it was already extremely early in morning.

Now they lay on the mattress, a single pillow between them.

Elliot had placed it there, to save Grace from being embarrassed.

Fifteen minutes had passed before Grace spoke softly.

"Elli are you asleep yet?"

"Nah, I'm not really tired... too many thoughts,"

"Yeah same... I think too much,"

Grace propped herself on one arm, her bird tattoo showing on her wrist from the reflection on the moonlight.

"I never asked about your tattoo," He stated tracing his finger on the small wings of the bird.

Grace didn't flinch at his touch and watched his finger soothingly move across the skin of her wrist.

"I got it after I turned sixteen... it was done on impulse and really impromptu but I'm sorta glad I got it." She whispered, "I got it to remind me of... Lily... I guess."

Elliot nodded as if to end the subject, however Grace continued.

"I used to have a pet bird, before crap happened in my life. I called her Freedom,"

She laughed. "I was a sucker for cliché chessy names at the time."

"I had taught it to sing and be familar to my touch. She lived in the pretty white cage with a single perch. She was beautiful. Freedom was my most prized possession, being 11 and I loved her."

Grace closed her eyes before continuing.

"Of course, things fade eventually... they cease to exist: ideas, thoughts, dreams and especially even living things... they come to an end. They die. I remember the day so clearly... after school I was skipping into the lounge room with a new swing perch for Freedom and I screamed when I found it lying motionless at the bottom of the cage.  My mum tried to comfort me and my sister peered curiously at my tears, at my vunerable moment. I had told her to scram and get lost..."

Elliot opened his mouth to say something but Grace lifted a finger to his mouth to stop him.

"I didn't even get to say a proper goodbye to Freedom... I cried for ages and stayed imprisoned in my room for days... refusing to speak to anyone while I mourned for the death of my pet." She said tearily.

"When I finally let myself out, I was told that during the time of my absense... little Lily was diagnosed with cancer. I was so selfish. I spent every waking moment with her, to somehow keep her alive, to make her cancer disappear, to make her stay..."

By then tears streaked Grace's face.

"She held on for almost a year but of course, she couldn't stay forever so in the end, she left... just like Freedom... she escaped from me. From then on, I realized that life wasn't some fantasy or dreamland that was laid perfectly to experience and hold."

She took a deep, shaky breath.

"I hated myself so much and I stopped living in a dreamland and woke up to harsh reality... And then... my life just got worse and the deaths of Freedom and Lily were just the beginning and-"

"Please. Don't. " Elliot interupted, gently reaching to stroke her wet cheeks, "You don't need to tell me anymore. I'm sorry. You've been through so much and you have dealt with more than enough today."

"It's not even your fault when you're apologizing. I needed to tell someone... I guess it's not healthy to keep things inside for so long. I have never told anyone else and I'm glad that you were the one to listen," she said gratefully with sad glassy eyes.

"Here." Elliot shifted in the bed towards Grace, holding her.

Grace didn't mind, she didn't complain, she didn't blush and she just relaxed in Elliot's embrace.

Elliot was content to have her in his arms, to protect her from the shadows lurking in the dark room.

He felt that it was his responsibility to watch over Grace and protect her... to protect her from her haunting past.

"Elliot?" Grace asked, her voice croaky.

"Yeah?"

"Stay with me... please, but don't ever leave me."

"Of course."