The Rules They Broke

Chapter 21: Parenting

ELIJAH

"How could you allow that without me present?" Elijah yelled at Mr. Delaney. He could feel his face going red, steam pouring out of his ears. He prided himself on being calm in most situations, but this was beyond anything he wanted to keep control over.

"He presented the right credentials," Mr. Delaney protested, "I didn't think-"

"You're right," Elijah growled. "You didn't think at all."

"All I knew was that-"

"You don't know a single thing about her, about what she's been through, and yet you let her speak to some stranger who you didn't even bother to verify, let alone call someone to act as her guardian while he spoke to her!"

"The door was open and I was listening-"

Elijah barely heard him. He kept going.

"And Blake? He never lets a single thing rattle him, but you know what I saw today? He was scared. He was so scared he was about to cry. I can't believe you let it get so far that even he couldn't do anything for her. I can't believe the nurse wasn't able to help either of them!"

"Blake didn't want anyone to-"

"I don't care. As far as I know, you failed both of them today. And you think I'm angry right now? You don't want to know what I'm like when I find out who's made any of my siblings cry - directly or indirectly. If something like this ever happens again - if I even hear a rumor that anything happened to her or Blake like what happened today - I'm going to take legal action. And you'll be the first to feel the consequences."

Elijah stormed out of the office and outside into the cold November air, hoping the chill would cool his heated thoughts. He pressed his palms against his eyes, trying to regain control of himself.

He hadn't always been the calm person he was in front of Olivia. There had been a period of time during his teen years when he had been forced to become a monster, to become something just as bad as his father just so he could fight him. He was always angry, always ready to beat anyone who dared touch Logan or Blake, always itching to lay into his father with everything he had.

He didn't want to go back to being that person.

But he would if he had to.

By the time he reached the car, he had cooled off a little. He was mad, yes, but he was no longer steaming.

He got behind the wheel and looked in the rearview mirror to see Blake and Olivia sitting side by side in the back. Blake was holding her hand, but they were silent.

"You guys okay back there?" he asked, and Blake nodded tiredly and rested his head back against his seat and closed his eyes. Olivia didn't say anything.

They drove home in silence.

When they got home, none of the three siblings had the appetite to eat lunch anymore. Elijah ordered them both to eat lunch and had to go back to work.

When he returned home in the evening, the situation seemed better. Olivia was watching a movie with Blake in the living room. The two were curled up against each other, Blake holding his hand over his eyes and peeking through his fingers at the screen, and Olivia watching with an almost bored expression.

Blake let out a high pitched scream as Elijah walked in and clamped his hand down over his eyes. "Olivia, what happened?" he demanded. "Is it gone? Is it still there? I didn't see it, did she kill her?"

"Maybe you would know if you took your hand off your eyes," Olivia teased.

"Oh my god, please tell me, Liv, I can't go back and watch it again!"