Better With You | EDITING

Chapter 16

Tori's POV

"Shhhh. It's ok. Let it all out."Elijah cooed soothing words in my ear. I was currently curled up in his lap, with my head buried in the crook of his neck, letting out all my tears. It wasn't just a regular cry, it was ugly crying. Tears mixed with mucus and all the other unpleasant things.
"Do you want another tissue?"he asked again. I think this is the 7th time since he asked me that. My response being the same everytime.
"Here you go."he put the tissue in my hands and started comforting me again. We stayed like that for a hour or probably more. I couldn't find it in myself to move, I just wanted to stay in the comforts of Elijah's arms on his couch.
"Hey honey, I'm home."we both looked up to the sound of the front door opening, and in came a middle aged lady, with features similar to Eli, holding grocery bags that blocked her view.
"Come help me with these bags dear."
"I'm coming mom."Elijah gently lifted me off his lap and placed me on the couch.
"I'll be right back."he whispered in my ear before he went to assist his mother. When he finally took the groceries from her grasp and she finally got to see in front of her, she looked taken aback when she spotted me. Imagine walking into your house to see an unfamiliar girl with tear stained cheeks and boogers all over her face.

Ok.....ewe.

"Oh, hello dear. I didn't know Eli had company."she smiled, trying to make me feel better because of my obvious distressed state. Despite how I'm feeling I smiled back and outstretched my hand to greet her.
"Hi. I'm sorry to intrude, it's just that I needed the comforts of a friend."
"Its ok dear, I don't mind. Your welcomed here anytime."she shook my hand and replied.
"Thank you Mrs. Wright."
"Oh no dear, I'm no longer married. It's Ms. Brown."she said with a little sadness in her eyes. Only then do I remember when Elijah told me the story about his father and I immediately regret it.
"I'm going to say by the look on your face that Elijah told you what happened."she looked at me and then looked to Elijah.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."I apologized.
"Its ok dear."
"Mom, Tori is having some family issues, she's was wowandering if she could stay here for a couple of days."Elijah chose this time to join the conversation. I saw Elijah's mom's eyes went wide and then she looked at me with recognition.
"This is Tori? As in the Tori? The one you talk about everytime?"in the corner of my eye, I saw Elijah turn bright red and scratched the back of his head.

He talks about me?

"Mooooommmm! Why must you always embarrass me?"he sighed when he saw me smirking at him.
"Oh hush up. I wouldn't be a mother if I didn't embarrass my child."
"You can't keep doing this, I'm 17. Can't you make an exception?"
"Nope." She popped the 'p' and walked up to him and pinched his cheek.
"Now Tori, we don't have a guest room, but I can give you some blankets and you can make a makeshift bed on the couch if you want."
"Dibs on that offer."Elijah's mom's offer was cut off by my little brother who just walked into the room.
"Oh, I didn't know you had a plus one."she smiled when she saw Leo, smiling, like he didn't just take away my sleeping arrangement.
"This is my little brother, Leo."I put my arm around his shoulder and introduced him.
"Hi, nice to meet you."he did the same as me and outstretched his hand.
"Nice to meet you too Leo."she gave him a firm handshake. Leo then turned to me when Ms. Brown looked away.
"Since I took your supposedly sleeping area, where are you going to sleep?"
"You can share my room with me if you'd like."everyone's head snapped to Elijah when he made his offer.
"Oh no no no no no no. You two will not be sharing a room."Ms. Brown's motherly side came out in an instant.
"You think I'm stupid? Putting two teenagers in a room by themselves always lead to some sexual affection."she continued.
"Mom, we're almost 18, we can control ourselves. Besides, if she doesn't share a room with me, where is she going to sleep?"Elijah defended. Ms. Brown's only response was a hard glare, because she knew Elijah had a point.
"Fine, you two can share the room, but"  she turned and looked at me "under no circumstances are you two to be engaged in  any form of sexual activity. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Yes Ms. Brown."
"Good. Now I'm going to start dinner."she started to walk towards the kitchen but before she opened the door, she turned and directed a statement to me.
"Oh and Tori, you can call me Margaret."she disappeared on the other side of the door shortly after.
"Come on. Let's go to my room."Elijah took up my messily packed bag and climbed the stairs with me following closely behind. When he opened the door, we stepped inside and he closed the door.
"You can take the bed and I can use the blankets to make one on the floor."that was the first thing Elijah said after he placed my bag on his bed.
"No, it's your room. You can take the bed, I'll take the floor."I couldn't make him give up the comforts of his bed just to satisfy me.
"It's ok Tori. I don't mind."he smiled.
"Elijah, no. I'm not going to take your bed."
"Tori, I insist."
"No."
He sighed when he saw that I wasn't going to give in.
"So what do you want then, huh? Do you want both of us to share the bed?"
"That seems like a better offer."I smiled at him and went over to sit on the left side of the bed.
"Dibs."
Shaking his head, Elijah walked over to his desk, smiling.
"You're one of a kind, you know that?"
"I know."