As Long As You're Mine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

Elle

My feet thumped against the steps, my body barely awake. All I knew was that I wanted food. The onslaught of light that had decided to pour into the condo wasn’t helping with my sight ability, but by squinting I could just make out basic objects and shapes.

       When I finally reached the kitchen, I stumbled over to the fridge and opened it. No matter how many times I examine the cooling appliance, I never for the life of me can remember what exactly was in it.

        “Morning, Elle,” a deep voice that sounded like a muffled version of Nick’s said.

      I took my head out of the fridge, and saw Nick at the counter making something of his own to digest. In one hand was a spoon, and in the other a beer bottle. “Take the hat off, it looks stupid,” I mumbled, returning to my original task after looking at him for a few seconds.

       “You’re face looks stupid,” he fired back uncharacteristically. Normally, he would’ve replied with a sweet remark to counter my harsh one. I was thinking too much into it. Besides, he now had a girlfriend; he was expected to focus all his attention on her, not me, despite what he told me about making me jealous… which I wasn’t.

       “Right back at’cha,” I yawned, too tired to come up with a properly clever comeback.

       “You’re such a bitch!” Well, that was a new one…

       “And you’re a bastard,” I countered, spotting the jar of Nutella I had bought a few weeks ago and hid in the back of the fridge so the boys wouldn’t find it. I grabbed for the translucent glass, brown heaven filling it, and happily retrieved it.

       “Shut the fuck up, Paterson!” Nick said angrily.

       “What is your problem this morning? Are you on your period or something?” I asked, not liking his new found approach to dealing with me.

       “Are you?” he shot back, as I closed the fridge, and went over to one of the drawers (Thankfully, not near Nick) to withdraw a spoon.

       “No, actually, I’m not!” I said, an unknown fury having the ability to wake me up entirely.

       “You’re so fucking annoying, Elle!” he yelled.

       “Well so are you, N-” I paused, as I turned around to face a boy whose name didn’t start with an “N” nor end with an “ick”. Shit. To my horror, the boy standing before me was much worse. His name began with an “E” and concluded in a “van”. Evan Ross. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

       “Good to see you too, bitch,” he said sarcastically.

       “Nick!” I shouted loudly, hoping he was somewhere in the condo.

       “What?” a calm voice called back, as I heard movement coming from the stairs. When I saw Nick’s figure approach us, gladness washed me. I had never been so happy to see Nick.

       “What is he doing here?” I demanded, rudely pointing to his brother who was sipping on a beer peacefully. Asshole.

       “Drinking a beer,” Nick replied lightly, shrugging his shoulders, as he moved over to the fridge I had spent a good five minutes ruminating through just moments before.

       “I’m serious,” I grumbled.

       “He’s in town for a few days, so he thought he’d say hi to his little bro before seeing his girlfriend and pretending that I don’t exist,” Nick explained, stifled by the fact that his head was inside a refrigerator.