His Hope

Part 14: County Line

14

Eloise was still upset by the time they were loading up to head for Xavier's home. Archer assured Louisa that she would be fine, and staying with him until she returned. Still, she couldn't help but worry. Eloise had always had a flair for the dramatics but that's what everyone loved about her. In this case, she had a right to be worried, if roles were reversed Louisa would be freaking out too. She tried her sister one more time as everyone loaded up in the van outside.

"El?" She called softly through her door, waiting patiently but heard no response. "Come on El..." she tried again, knocking this time.

"Lou? We're ready when you are." Xavier called as he leaned against the front door, staring down the hall at his girl. She turned and gave him a small smile that didn't exactly reach her eyes and he sighed, feeling bad for causing a rift between the two girls.

"Be there in a minute," Louisa called and watched him disappear back through the front door.

Facing Eloise's door, she tried one last time to get through to her. "Hey El, do you remember that time when you were 14 and you snuck out?  Roxanne and Rosen had accidentally ratted you out and mom was so mad I thought she was literally going to have steam come out of her ears. I had to do some serious damage control, remember?" Louisa said as she leaned against the door.

"By the time you came home, Mom barely blinked an eye. I know you thought that maybe she didn't notice or didn't care, but she did... I had just somehow convinced her that you were okay and safe and that I knew everything about it and just forgot to tell her." The door clicked open and Louisa sighed in relief as she walked in closing it gently behind her.

"You didn't know where I was that night," Eloise mumbled as she looked at her sister crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I didn't and I was absolutely terrified." She sighed as she crossed her arms over her chest as well. "But when you came home you said and I quote, la vie vaut la peine d'être vécue."

"I was 14, I'm sure I got that off a Tumblr post." Eloise rolled her eyes and dropped her arms.

"Maybe, but you were right; Life is worth living. We just have to be willing to live... I am not abandoning you or not trusting your instincts or anything else. You know that right?" She said.

"Of course I do, I just want you to be safe and you barely know him." Eloise sighed and continued saying, "my logical brain doesn't understand it."

"None of me understands it," she laughed and wrapped her little sister in a hug despite her protests. "You have looked out for me since we were kids and you shouldn't have had to... but I'm not a kid anymore El, I think it's time I look out for myself and you focus on being a teenager yes?"

"Well if you insist," Eloise rolled her eyes but smiled and squeezed her sister in a hug. "Okay, okay go, be free, make babies, whatever."

"Um, there will be no baby-making being done," Archer said as the two girls jumped and glared at their brother who was standing in the doorway.

"Oh, not so ready to send our girl off now are you?" Eloise stuck out her tongue at him and Archer did it right back.

"You only encourage her, you know that right?"  Louisa patted him on the shoulder as she walked out of the room and headed for the front door, where Xavier was already waiting.

"You ready?" He asked as he took her outstretched hand.

"I call shotgun," she grinned.

***

Louisa wanted to bang her head against the dashboard. "How much longer?" She groaned, before covering her ears.

"Wow, Louisa I've never seen you be so mean before, it's kinda hot." James said and laughed for about a second before she heard a small 'ow' come from the backseat.