The Red Evening

Chapter Two

I blinked my eyes and found myself still enveloped in Elijah's arms. I slipped an arm through his and managed to get my phone from the table end. Four thirty A.M. arrived quickly. It might've been six hours of sleep, but it was the most I've had in two weeks.

I attempted to peel his arms off of me, but I was too weak to move his muscular arms away. I tried breaking through his embrace with great caution. I didn't want to wake him up. After ten minutes of careful movements, I escaped.

I clambered from the bed and stood in front of the tall, windows. Darkness still filled the skies. The sun had barely peeked a ray out. I slid onto the desk chair and opened my laptop. I had barely used it since Elijah bought it a week ago. He thought a new laptop would motivate me to finish my work. Though, I had an English paper to submit by eight and I hadn't started on it.

The formations of paragraphs came and went. I continuously peered out the window, hoping that the sun would rise. The nights didn't feel the same anymore. Anything that was dark terrified me. I was paranoid about something or someone one coming out.

I spun around in the seat and watched Elijah sleep soundly on his stomach. So I thought, until I turned around to continue my paper and heard him call my name.

I turned around to face him.

"Its six am," he informed. "Try to get another hour of sleep."

"I have a paper to write," I whispered as I pointed to the laptop.

"Okay," he sighed and laid back down. I heard him shuffling in bed, but Elijah couldn't sleep if I wasn't asleep. He always had to make sure I was okay. I wish he understood that I wasn't going to be okay for a long time.

Thirty minutes later and I completed the paper. Writing had been a strength of mine. I emailed the paper to the professor and closed the laptop shut. I stood up and peeked out the windows again and admired the strokes of orange, red, and yellow in the sky. It was still reasonably dark, but I started to feel safe.

I jumped up when I felt Elijah wrap his arms around me. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It's okay," I responded.

"No, it's not. I'm sorry for everything I've put you through. You don't deserve to live like this."

"It's in the past now. We just need to leave that life behind."

I could feel his chest beating faster. I knew that Elijah was continuing with the case. He tried being as discreet as he could about it, almost making himself too available for me knowing that I would want us to have some time alone. That's when he would work on it by myself or with Felix. Pia was keeping their secret as well.

"I'll make us some breakfast," he said, ending the conversation.

***

I walked into the dull classroom, but it mildly lit up when Xavier turned around to greet me with a big smile. "Two more days and we get to a break from this hell hole!"

Thanksgiving break was around the corner and nearly every student shook in their seats from the anticipation. They wanted to go home and enjoy life out of campus. I was an exception. Holidays weren't exciting or special to me. No one at home put any emphasis to them. They were just ordinary days with no work or school.

"I'm glad you're excited," I said, feigning happiness.

Xavier didn't buy it. "You're not, huh?"

I shrugged. "Elijah and everyone else are trying to set up a huge feast. I'm not used to that."

"Food, friends, and family. What's not to love?"