Two Pieces of a Puzzle ✔

Chapter Fifteen

ELIOTT

I ran and ran and ran till every last breath was vacuumed out of me. 

By the grace of the power above, he stopped in his tracks after his shoelace came loose, I had assumed - and as he bent over to fix it, I tackled him straight to the ground like a power-hungry predator yearning for it's prey. 

I did end up getting scratched here and there by the handle of the bicycle, but I could care less as I placed the fool into a chokehold. He desperately clawed at my arms, emitting inaudible noises of discomfort. 

A crowd had begun to form around us by then. 

I could care less. 

I couldn't care about anything in that very moment. 

I had my arm pressed against his jugular with my legs secured around his torso, and the both of us proceeded to wrestle on the cold ground. He attempted to pull at my hair which only prompted me to increase the pressure I had been applying on his neck - and when I was sure I had him right where I wanted him, I heard an all too familiar voice.

"Eli, let's go!" 

Hearing him say that out of a phone, here, face to face, was an entirely new experience - and the current situations that were taking place faded into the background to the point where all that mattered was him. The bystanders faded into the abyss and all I saw was him. It was only him and I. 

I loosened my grip around the criminal amidst these thoughts, and when he attempted to pull at hair once more, I gave him a sharp blow to the back and raced toward Elias' direction. 

He didn't question me. He simply grabbed my hand in his and we raced right back to my car, with the wind blowing against both of our faces as the sound of police sirens blared in the background. 

With my hand in his and the cold wind cutting through my hair, we pushed past strangers that turned around to curse at us and wonder what on Earth was wrong with the both of us. I could nearly hear him laughing as a result of the adrenaline rush, but most of the angelic sound was blocked out by the wind slamming against my eardrums repeatedly.

The both of us hastily got into my car, secured our belts and after having started the car's engine, I slammed my foot onto the pedal, and we got the hell out of there.

My heart had been sent into overdrive - but it felt nice. Taking risks felt nice. 

Then again, when I was with Eric, I was always taking risks. I was always putting his life before mine. I was always ready to sacrifice myself if it meant he could have his last breath. I would do anything for him, it was almost scary.

"What about your bicycle?" I questioned, out of breath.

"Who cares?" he sighed, letting out a laugh. "That was amazing."

I let out a shaky breath, agreeing in silence. 

"For a second, I was worried we would end ourselves up in a pine overcoat."

"A pine overcoat?" 

"You know.. a coffin," he said with a barely audible snort. "Victorian slang."

There he goes again using words that no one used at present. 

"We could have even copped a mouse," he started before adding, "That means to get a black eye, by the way."

"How does your brain store all of this?" I inquired with an amused chuckle. 

He exhaled noisily through his nose, a symbol of shared amusement, "Being a voracious reader has it's perks."

I was about to respond when a honk startled me and nearly sent me railing off the edge. 

"Woah, careful," he began before his tone took a more playful turn. "First time getting honked at?"

"No, I'm just nervous."

What a pathetic go at a confession. 

"Nervous? Why? There's nothing to be nervous about."

There's a lot to be nervous about.

Especially with you by my side.

When I didn't respond, he only urged me to answer. 

But how could I tell him when my heart wouldn't let me? When the only thing holding me back from jumping onto him and engulfing him into the warmest hug known to man was my heart?

Perhaps it was a result of my heart knowing what's best for me - or perhaps it was my heart being hesitant to give itself away so simply after having been used and broken repeatedly and mercilessly. 

How could I tell him with that nagging feeling that had made it's home in the back of my mind? 

I looked over at him only for a brief moment.

How could I tell him when it was because of him?

"Is it because of the cops?" he said after what followed was breathy laughter. "Relax."

I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding, "Yeah. The cops."