Elliot

 

"Black coffee and one of those peanut cupcakes, thanks." I say to the woman behind the counter at the local coffee shop.

"Always the same order,” a sweet voice says behind me and I turn to see my ex, Lily, smiling up at me. 

"Yours is a mocha right?" I say, remembering her favourite drink. Despite the fact I wasn't with her for the right reasons I did try to be good to her. 

"Yep," she smiles looking happy.

"Hey, can I have a Mocha too?" I turn asking the women, who again just nods before walking off.

"Thanks. You didn't need to," Lily says looking down. 

"I know," I say quietly, feeling guilty about how things were between us. I lead her on for years, knowing I would never love her. That she was just a distraction.

"Can we talk?" She asks taking her drink off the side while I pay. 

"Sure," I glance at her before taking my stuff over to a seat. Lily sits opposite me looking nervous.

"You alright?" I ask, having no idea why she wants to talk. 

"Yes, I guess I'm just sorry. Look, I shouldn't have cheated on you. I always knew why you were with me and I wanted someone to actually want me first." 

"Right. No, you shouldn't have but what I did was just as bad. I shouldn't have used you like that and I'm sorry too," I say before taking a sip of my hot drink. I have actually cheated on her over the years, not because I wanted to but because they paid my father for me. I hated myself for it but I never went looking for anyone else until we broke up. It only happened a handful of times and I was lucky because I know Harley had it worse.

"So you’re happy now? With Allie?" She smiles looking relieved. 

"Yes," Is all I say because I don’t want to discuss my feelings for Allie to my ex.

I think I'm in love with her.

I haven't been able to say it out loud because what I feel for Allie has scared the crap out of me. 

"Good. I've met a guy at university," She blushes and places her hand over mine on the table. I move my hand away.

"That's good, Lil," I say using the nickname I always called her.

"I really loved you but now I understand that it wasn't enough. I hope Allie makes you feel that way. Can you tell her I’m sorry about the other day? I was jealous and angry. I should have been a better friend to her." Lily says standing up holding her drink. 

"I'm moving to my auntie’s, so I don't think we will see each other again. I'm glad we talked. I am sorry for the mess I caused but I hope I can leave us as friends," she says and I nod. 

Lily leaves while I sit back thinking more about my relationship with Allie. It's difficult with her father. The man I want to kill for what he did to my family. A kid runs past my table to the front of the shop and I hear his dad shout,

“Come here Mike, you silly kid.”

"Kid, come here," Arthur’s voice says across the room at his apartment. I want to say no but I'm here with dad and I can't. I can't because it was Harley was meant to come but dad broke his arm and Harley won't tell me why. I think it's to do with dad’s new girlfriend. I glance over at her, while she is making out with my dad. It's gross to see, considering she has very little clothes on. My dad doesn't care and I've seen the way his girlfriend Frankie, looks at Harley sometimes. It’s like he is food. Frankie is pretty with short black hair but is very skinny. She has marks all up her arm but Harley won't tell me what they are but I’m fourteen not stupid, I know it’s drugs. I have seen dad putting those needles in his arms. They make him crazier than usual.

"Boy!" Arthur shouts louder, making me flinch and I walk over to stand in front of him. Arthur has a young girl sitting next to him, she looks around eighteen. She seems spaced out while Arthur runs his hand up and down her leg.

"Have you kissed a girl yet, boy?" He asks drinking his beer. I blush thinking of Allie, Arthur’s daughter at my school. With her blonde wavy hair and pretty blue eyes, she looks like a doll but I can't stop thinking about her.

"No sir," I answer knowing that if I call him anything else, my dad will beat me for it. He loves Arthur, calls him his brother when they aren’t brothers.

"Lucy, give him a kiss," Arthur laughs and my dad joins in behind me.

Lucy stands up in front of me and presses her cold lips to mine. I want to cry and scream that this isn't what I want but I don't. I just stand there.

"Good, now go wait in my bed," he smacks her ass as she practically runs to the bedroom upstairs.

"Remember boy, I’m watching you and you now owe me," Arthur laughs walking past me, while I sag in relief that he is gone. 

The noises behind me are loud now that I know my dad is having sex with his girlfriend. I just stand with my back to them, too scared to move because I don't want to see.

I flinch, wiping the sick memories I have of them both. I force myself to stand up and I dump my cupcake in the bin, having no appetite for food right now. I lean my hand against the steering wheel in my car, knowing there is only one person I need right now to help me relax. I pop to the florist on the way to Allie’s apartment picking up twenty red roses that Izzy told me was her favourite. This is the third time I brought her flowers, I must love her.

I'm that crazy about her that I asked my sister a load of questions, so I knew what gifts to get her. To say Izzy was shocked, would be an understatement.

I knock the door when I get there twenty minutes later and a tired- looking Blake opens the door. 

"Good, you’re here, Allie and Izzy have a bug. I'm not feeling good, dude," Blake says before running off and I hear him throwing up in the bathroom. I want to help but I know it will be worse for him to have me watch him throw up. I leave Blake to it and find my girl in bed. It's clear she is ill, as she doesn't even notice me come in. Why the fuck didn’t she text me or tell me?

"Oh Allie," I mutter feeling her hot forehead as she sleeps. She is covered by a blanket but there's a bucket of sick on the floor next to a pile of wet hand towels. She is sweating loads, so I take off my jacket and put down the flowers. 

I clean the room first, getting her a clean empty bowl and a glass of water. I call our family's private doctor and he agrees to come over in an hour, for a price that I don't care about. 

I strip off Allie, who only mutters something and changing her into new clean PJ’s. I find a clean blanket for her, a thin one so she doesn’t get too hot. I haven’t been in her bedroom here before. It does not surprise me that nearly everything is pink and bright. That’s Allie for you. 

I leave Allie for a second longer than I want to and going to knock on Izzy’s and Blake's room. No one answers, so I go in finding them both in the same condition on the bed. Gage comes back while I’m leaving Izzy’s room to get my phone out of Allie’s.

“They are all sick, if you want to get sick too, stick around.” I say and he shakes his head.

“Anything I can do?” he asks.

“Nah, I’m sorting it,” I tell him. I don’t like him and I don’t want him helping my girlfriend, best friend or my sister.

“Sure, I'll. Err... be back soon.” Gage leaves as quickly as he came.

I grab my phone out of my leather jacket.

Me: Izzy, Allie and Blake are ill and I could use some help looking after them. Elliot. 

I text this to Blake's mum, Summer, who is a nurse and I know will want to help. I’m really fucking lucky I have her number because of winding Blake up years ago.

Blake's mum: Be there soon. Keep them in bed.

I put my phone away before going to empty the bowl by Izzy’s bed and finding a new one for Blake, who is in bed. They are both fast asleep but Izzy wakes up when I'm checking her forehead.

"Elliot?" 

"I'm here, I've got a doctor coming soon and Summer is on her way. One of you should have called," I sigh.

"I was fine this morning but then I suddenly wasn't. God, I feel shit," she mutters making me smile.

"You look it," I say plainly.

"Your bedside manner isn't good, bro," Izzy says with a small smile. 

"Get some rest," I say wiping her sweaty hair out her face. 

The doctor comes not long after and says they all have stomach flu and that they just need fluids and paracetamol for the high temperature. I pay him a fortune and I find paracetamol in their medicine box. Summer turns up not long after and helps me sort Izzy and Blake out. After a few failed attempts, we get them all awake to have a drink of water and some tablets before they go back to sleep.

A few hours later Allie wakes up, looking out of it.

"Angel, it’s only me," I say stroking her hair.

"Elliot," she whispers. I hand her the meds she needs and some water, while I wait for her to finish them.

"Do you want a bath? Or food or well anything," I say quickly. Fuck, I feel useless and I want nothing more than to take away her pain. Allie blue eyes look up at me in shock before she answers,

"Yes to the bath and no to the rest," 

"Okay, stay here I will be right back," I walk off before she speaks and I start running her a bath. 

"It's ready, here let me," I say when she tries to get out the bed. I lift her up and I worry more because my Allie would fight me and say she can walk. 

I sit her on the edge of the bathtub and start pulling off her nightgown and then her pants. I feel nothing other than concern when I lift her, putting her in the bath and she sighs in pleasure.

"God, that feels nice," she says smiling a little at me.  She is still very pale and looks like she has a fever.

"Thank you for staying," she says after a while of me sitting next to the bed watching her.

"There isn't any place I would want to be. Fuck, there's nowhere I can be because I couldn't leave you if I tried." 

"I like you a lot, Elliot," she sighs looking away from me. I want to say I love you a lot but I don't. She isn’t well enough for that right now.

"I like you a lot more, my Allie," I whisper before standing and clearing my throat that feels tight.

"Will you be alright for a bit? I need to go and change the bed sheets before you get back in them. I'll put yours in the wash with some of the other things." I say thinking about how much I love Google. It will tell me how to use the washing machine.

"Sure, you don't have to," she says a slight frown appearing on her beautiful face.

"I do," I say before kissing her gently.

I change Allie’s sheets before helping her back into new PJ’s and then into her bed. She is so tired that she goes straight to sleep when her head hits the pillow.

"Hey Summer, I’m ordering pizza. Do you want some?" I ask, walking into the living room where Summer is sitting.

"Sounds good. Blake and Izzy are resting. Is Allie okay?" Summer asks looking worried. 

"All good. Just needs some time for the meds to kick in but she is sleeping. I’m going to work out the washing machine in a sec," I say sitting on the opposite sofa to Summer. 

"Tell me, how is little Jake? I haven't seen him since the wedding and he is such a lovely boy." Summer sighs pulling her short blonde hair out of her eyes. Blake looks a lot like his mum, with the same light blonde hair and the same blue eyes. Blake must have more facial features like his father and his height too because Summer isn't as anywhere near as tall as Blake. 

"I saw them yesterday for a little bit, but they are all good. Maisy said he is starting to crawl everywhere now." I smile remembering the proud look on Maisy and Sebastian's faces.

"I can't wait for grandchildren. I know I have a little wait but I plan to spoil them," Summer smiles.

"Any children in our families will be spoilt rotten," I chuckle while Summer nods. 

"I agree with you, Elliot, you have changed recently. Not such the scary biker boy anymore are you?" she smiles. 

“I don’t know about that, I still love my bike and ignoring people but I think I found something I love more,” I glance at Allie's door in the corridor.

“Hmm,” Summer says watching me.

"I will make us some drinks,” she says getting up and then turning to look at me. 

"Be good to that girl, Elliot. It's not often you find two people that are meant to be. You two have played games with each other long enough," 

"How do you know about our past?" I ask with a curious face.

"Izzy talks," she laughs walking off.