Two Pieces of a Puzzle ✔

Chapter Eleven

ELIOTT

Days went by.

Days turned to weeks.

It had been three entire weeks since I had met Elias. Since I had gotten Eric Zhang back - the only person that ever really mattered to me. 

It had been three weeks since I had spent my night staring at the moon from my bedroom window. 

"You never told me you lived so close," Elias complained. "We could have met up sooner."

"Why not now?" I offered, getting tired of hearing his voice only through a phone. 

I wanted to hear it up-close. I wanted to hear it through both ears, not just one. I wanted to hear his voice face to face. I wanted to see him - hold him. One more time.

"You.. want to meet up then?" 

"That's exactly what I'm saying," I chuckled, playing with the wool fibres protruding out of my sweater. 

"That's a good idea actually, if we can manage to meet up before your birthday," he brought up. "You're turning twenty-nine."

"Twenty-nine," I repeated with a heavy sigh. 

There was not much I had remembered about Eric until he finally came back - that was when I found out that he had been two years younger than me the entire time. We had also spent a decent amount of time talking about the tattoo. We had spoken about everything there was to talk about. 

But not once had I mentioned that I knew who he was. 

Not once had I asked him to drop the facade and come back to me - as Eric Zhang. 

Not once had I even told him I had noticed the tag on his shirt in one of his pictures that read 'Zhang'. 

Nor would I ever.

Not for now, at least.

Now is never a good time. 

"We should do something special for your birthday."

"Like?" I questioned. 

He hummed, "Stargazing?"

"That makes me sound so old."

"You do like staring at the night sky, don't you?"

"You remembered."

"I wouldn't dare forget."

What came next was silence. 

This seemed to happen often between the both of us. We would continue talking about something pointless - or anything really, for a minute or two, and then came the silence. 

The silence that never really made you feel uncomfortable. It made you feel secure knowing that he was still there, listening, even if you weren't saying anything at all. He was there and he would always be there. 

I still couldn't wrap my head around the fact that he - my Eric - was finally back. 

Of course I had moments where I wanted to drop the act and scream through the phone, if not the world, that I knew who he was; that I wanted him to come back and stay in my arms for even a second. 

I wouldn't even mind if he hated me - all I wanted was another chance to hold him in my arms and tell him everything would be okay; that I had kept my promise and found him. 

I had found him. 

"Maybe I could play the piano for you when we meet," he offered out of the blue.

"Sounds great, I'd love to play for you as well - if you'd be willing to listen, that is."

"Why wouldn't I listen? I'm willing to listen to whatever you have to say, even if all you're going to do is stay silent."

A smile. I was smiling.

It had been three weeks since I had gotten him back, and I still found it difficult to get over the rush of emotions he made me feel every time I saw his name pop up on the screen of my phone; every time he said my name; every time he laughed. 

It took me back to that place from ten years ago. The place where we sat on the rock in utter silence, the only sounds audible being the ambience of the birds chirping atop branches of the trees that towered over us greatly, providing for a great hideout with their crowd of leaves; and the sound of the water splashing with every rock he tossed into the lake. It was our own little place. We didn't have to say anything - neither of us really bothered to. All we did was sit and silence, with a smile on both of our faces, enjoying each others' presence. 

It took me back to that place from ten years ago when we sat in his room with the lights all switched off and the window open all the way through, the cold air occasionally finding it's way into his room just to bite onto our skin mercilessly - but we didn't care. We didn't care because we had each other, and that was all that mattered. 

It took me back to that place from ten years ago when he had fallen onto his knees in the middle of the silent road, tears cascading down his cheeks like a waterfall of sorrow. I would never forget how red his cheeks were. I would never forget how hurt he looked. I would never forget how I could hear the heartbreak in his tone when he screamed out his confession. I would never forget how he had raced over to me and kissed me that day. 

I found the tips of my fingers grazing my lips gently. 

I could still feel his lips on mine.

But the only difference was; the feeling was no longer solid. It was no longer physical. It was ghastly. As long as he wasn't by my side physically, he would be nothing but a ghastly presence.

"When do you want to meet then?" I asked. 

"Let's see.. when are you free?"

For you, I'm always free.

"Well.. I have next week off."

"Don't think I'm free next week- hold on, I might be free next Saturday actually!"

"It's settled then."

"Next Saturday?"

"Next Saturday."

Oh how 'Next Saturday' would change my life completely.