Work in Progress

Chapter 31: Stir Fried Rice

*SAM'S POV*

Today was one of the rare occasions that Eli let me come to her place alone. She wouldn't let me visit unless Jane and Kate would be there too. I had watched her vacuum the whole place, change her sheets, and do her laundry the whole morning. Now we were watching TV while I dried Eli's hair who had just taken a shower. I was on the couch while she was on the floor, eating fruits she had sliced up.

I laugh as I part her hair in the middle, then brush it up into spikes, then pulling it all in the middle into a mohawk. "I think that's dry enough," she says and gets up from the floor. She takes her towel from me and throws it on the other chair then proceeds to lie down on the couch, her head on my lap. I smile as she closes her eyes. Instead of watching the TV, I looked at every detail on Eli's face and tried to memorize it. I started tracing her chin that was pointed, then up her jaw that was just defined enough. I traced along her nose that pointed a little at the end --it was the cutest nose I have ever seen. I thought of tracing her lips but the thought of feeling it on my fingertips might make me want to know how it felt on my lips. I quickly push that thought away and instead trace the curve under her eyes, noticing her long and thick eyelashes in full view now that she wasn't wearing her eyeglasses. Mine weren't nearly as thick as hers. Her eyebrows were equally full (and I must say, on fleek) but you could see the hair starting to grow where she had trimmed them. Then I noticed a scar cutting across her forehead just near her hairline, a lighter color compared to her tan skin. I frown as I imagine what might have caused it.

As if hearing my thoughts, Eli says, "I got that from the accident. Most of my scars are from the accident. I was driving and... we crashed. Then another car crashed into us. It hit their side so I didn't get the full blow of it but... we took a few spins and landed on my side." I felt a lump rising in my throat but I didn't dare make a sound. Eli was now opening up. "They didn't make it to the hospital. I barely did. They told me I also had a few close calls. I didn't wake up until four months later. By then, my aunt had already arranged the funeral and--." Eli's face was now scrunched up in pain, her lips shaking, and a tear escapes from her closed eyes. "I didn't even get to say goodbye... Or say sorry." She puts a hand on her face, covering it, hiding the tears that were now flowing. I stayed silent, letting her cry, one hand stroking her hair and the other holding her other hand, which rested on her stomach, letting me feel every irregular breath she took.

I don't know how long we stayed like that but I didn't care. Here was this person who acted all tough and put together now breaking down into pieces. Because really, that's what she's been for years. Pieces of a child forced to glue herself back together disguised as a grown up who had just seen too many things. She keeps joking about being older when in truth she's only just twenty. That's probably only just a quarter of anyone's life. My heart breaks for this person who has lost everything but still manages to wake up every morning and face another day on her own. But she's not alone anymore. I'm here. And I promise to whatever powerful entity there is in this universe that I will never ever leave Eli Torres.

When I could feel Eli calming down, I squeezed her hand and said, "Thank you for telling me all that. I know it was hard."

"Very," she lets out a small chuckle then sighs.

"You're very brave," I tell her.

"Only because I have you by my side." She removes the hand covering her face and looks up at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. But despite that, she was smiling at me.

"Your eyelashes are pretty when they're wet." I try to make her laugh knowing how awkward and embarrassed she must be feeling right now. And I was right. She let out the most awkward mix of a laugh that was in between a cough and a grunt.

"I'm going to shower again." She says standing up, grabbing her towel from the chair, and quickly walking to her room.

"I'll be right here," I call out to her.

*ELI'S POV*

After my little... sharing session, I was now in the kitchen cooking us lunch. Sam stayed on the couch watching TV but I knew she was trying to give me space. When I was laying on her lap earlier I felt so relaxed. Like everything in the world seemed right and there was nothing to worry about. I felt safe. So when she was tracing my face and paused at my forehead, I knew she had noticed my scar and I didn't mind telling her about it. Of course a flood of memories and regret came rushing in but I didn't mind. I haven't been able to tell anyone what had happened. I'd just always refer to it as the accident. Being able to say it out loud now removed some weight on my shoulders. I know I didn't tell her the whole story yet but one step at a time. That's all I can really do and that's what's been keeping me going all these years.

"Get ready to taste the best stir fried rice in your whole life. Well... at least until I cook it again." I carry the two bowls to Sam, hand one to her, and sit beside her.

"Is this the famous stir fried rice that changes recipes all the time?" She asks me acting excited.

"Why yes it is," I grin at her. "What do you think?" I watch her take a mouthful, her eyes growing wide then quickly nodding her head.

"Whut dith you puth in dis?" She says, still chewing.

"Secreeet," I smirk at her.

We stayed like that for a while, just sitting on the couch even after we'd eaten. Our bowls were now empty on the coffee table and Sam was curled up beside me. I think we both fell asleep because the next thing I knew the room was filled with the rays of the setting sun. I must've woken up Sam when I stirred because I heard her say, "Look, it's your favourite color."

I smile at her remembering that, "I think we fell asleep."

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock." She laughs at me.

"You should probably head home."

"You're still not going to let me stay over?" She pouts at me.

"No," I say kissing her on the forehead. "I'll pick you up tomorrow on my bike and we can ride to town." This quickly puts a smile on her face.

"Okay!"

A/N: How's everybody doing? I hope you're all staying safe and drinking your vitamins