A Complex Journey (Completed)

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Ely drove home from working out at the gym. He saw Darwin walking down the road so he pulled over. "Hey, need a ride?"

"No." Darwin kept walking.

"Darwin, please. Get in." Ely sighed.

Darwin threw himself inside the cop car and slammed the door. "Locked my keys inside my car."

"Where?"

"Mom and Dennis's. I made the mistake and went to dinner." Darwin sighed.

"Hillary locked them in?" Ely guessed.

Darwin nodded.

Ely turned around and pulled in behind Darwin's car. It took two minutes and Darwin had his keys and the door was unlocked. "Thanks. Mom is watching from the window."

"I saw." Ely sighed. "I will be in for my spit coffee."

Darwin stared. "You knew about that?"

Ely nodded. "I still drink it."

"Then why do you get them?" Darwin hated this.

"I deserve much worse. I punish myself but I welcome it from you." Ely just sighed. "I'm sorry that I destroyed us." He wiped a tear. He got into his car and drove off. He spent his night in tears.

Ely went in early and worked out. He was hard on himself. Eragon always had to pull him out of the gym when he got there. Ely hated sleeping and never slept well. The nightmares were always there, waiting for him. He drank his spit coffee and sighed. "How was he today?"

"Fine. Moody like you. He said you unlocked his car for him." Eragon smiled.

Ely nodded. "Hillary locked them in. She's scheming. Won't work."

Eragon watched Ely. "Give him a chance."

"It's not me. Darwin is right. I hurt him deeply, Eragon. I crushed our relationship that we barely had. I never thought about the consequences of surviving. I didn't know what I was losing. I didn't understand that I was leaving scars on others and I didn't want that. I was stupid, naive and young. There is no way to fix it." Ely sighed. "I lived and I didn't expect that."

Eragon nodded. "I heard you almost didn't."

Ely nodded. "Almost. I just couldn't face them again. I couldn't face him. I was a coward, Eragon. I was so afraid to see him mad at me. It hurts me to know how deep I hurt him. If it were the other way around, I wouldn't be able to forgive him. I'm just sad that I can't fix this."

"Did you love him then?" Eragon was curious.

Ely laughed. "No! Not like that. We were friends before we were step-brothers. Close friends. He took it personally. He found me. He saved me. I was angry for a long time. I didn't want to be saved. It took me years to be okay with being alive. I was very depressed. I'm better now. I find little things every day to be grateful for."

"Maybe tell him that." Eragon though it was a good start.

Ely shook his head. "He doesn't want to talk to me, Eragon. Just drop me at home."

Eragon nodded but turned the opposite way and clear on the opposite side of town. "Is there something wrong with the tire on your side?" He stopped the car. "Get out and check it."

Ely nodded. He got out and Eragon drove off and honked. Ely cursed his partner that just ditched him ten miles from home.

"Ely?" Darwin walked out of a house. His house.