Who Are You?
Save Me
.:.:.
Elise was still dying to ask Brian the same question about her and Matt’s dinner but decided against it. It was too late now. Matt’s door was slowly opened causing Elise to gasp as a wave of nausea hit at the sight in front of her...
Brian quietly shut the door to Matt’s room before trotting down the stairs after Elise. As he reached the last step, she was nowhere to be seen.
The front door was still closed, there’s no way she was that quick. Brian thought until a distant coughing sound brought him back to reality. He took off down the hall, careful not to bump into any of the pictures hanging on the wall. The sounds coming from Elise grew louder just as Brian reached the downstairs bathroom.
“Elise?” he questioned softly through the cracked door. He didn’t want to intrude during such a vulnerable time but the sickly noises echoing off the toilet were enough to make Brian enter the restroom anyways. “Oh, Ellie.” Brian cooed as he bent down beside her. He grabbed what little hair she was holding onto and pulled the other remaining locks from her face. Elise felt instantly better from emptying the contaminated contents of her stomach.
“Sorry you had to see that.” Elise mumbled while wiping her mouth.
“Don’t be sorry,” Brian rubbed her back, “Feeling better?”
Elise nodded but couldn’t shake the chill running down her spine. She wasn’t sure if her nausea was from the stomach bug or from walking in on that. As if he knew what she was thinking, Brian knew she wanted an answer.
He crossed his arms before leaning against the doorframe, “You didn’t know Matt was into that, did you?”
Again, Elise only shook her head.
“You don’t seem too “comfortable” with it.” Brian smirked.
Elise took a drink of water, “I grew up in a Catholic home. The supernatural and all that shit terrifies me.” She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her nerves only when she did, the image of Matt sitting over a Ouija board with his back to the door made her shudder. “Why? That seems so unlike something he would be into?”
Brian scratched the back of his head. “That’s something you’ll have to ask him about. Now would be a good time to go back up there though I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to split. I don’t think he even knows we’re here.”
Elise refused, afraid of walking in on that again. She decided to head back home for a nap. All her energy was needed for work tomorrow but a part of her wanted to do whatever she could to get that image out of her head.
Brian walked Elise to her truck, “Before you go,” he closed the door after Elise jumped inside, “You asked what Matt had told me about your dinner. To tell you the truth, he didn’t say a whole hell of a lot. Why did you ask me that? What happened?”
Elise sighed, “It’s all my fault this is so weird. So, this happened…”
.:.:.
The young adults awkwardly sat across from each other in a dim, almost empty, restaurant. Elise sipped at her water while Matt drummed his fingers against the tabletop. They had managed to say their hellos and greet one another with a hug but that was the extent of things. Elise wasn’t sure how to begin; neither did Matt. With a deep breath, the redhead spilled all of her thoughts at once. The more and more she went on, the more Matt’s smile began to return.
“Thank you for opening up to me, Elle. I had no idea you were carrying so much on your shoulders. If you don’t mind my asking, why exactly did you decide to leave home?”
“I had to get away and learn to be an adult. I was so sheltered all my life. I love my parents to death and they did what was best for me, but, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was hard leaving my sister behind but I felt I was going insane.” Elise hadn’t even realized she was staring into her hands until Matt placed his hand over hers. Their eyes locked until Elise pulled away with a chuckle. “You’re too sweet for me, Matt.”
Matt smirked, “Nonsense. I have my own demons too, you know. You’re just so pretty I don’t want to scare you off with them.”
“Is that a challenge, Matthew?” Elise returned the smirk.
“I’d really rather not chase you off again. That was miserable but I’m glad we’re alright. We are alright now, yeah?” The look on his face was full of pure hope.
Elise cupped her own chin and pretended to stare off into space. A quick glance revealed an amused Matt giving her the finger. They laughed together and decided it was time to leave. Matt grabbed her hand as the two walked across the parking lot to his car.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you asked me to do this tonight.” Matt stopped to face Elise before holding her fingers in his hands.
“Me too. I was so worried you’d tell me to “fuck off.” Elise giggled. The singer’s eyebrows rose in interest as Elise realized what she had just said. She rolled her eyes, “You’re such a guy, Sanders.”
“Last I checked, yeah.” Matt’s dimples instantly formed around his grin. “I hope you don’t me trying this again…”
Just as Matt pulled her closer, Elise removed her hand from his grasp. She placed it against his chest and turned her head away.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I don’t think it’s the right time yet…” Elise’s voice was barely audible but Matt got the message loud and clear.
His smile faded as he stepped back, “It’s ok, let’s get you home.”
.:.:.
“You two have been acting weird with each other because you didn’t want to kiss him yet? That’s completely understandable. I mean, you two are just getting to know one another not to mention you’ve only been on two dates. Give yourself all the time you need but don’t fall into a comfort zone. You might miss out on a lot. Maybe try to hang out together in a few days without the pressures of a date?” Brian shrugged his shoulders.
Elise popped on her sunglasses and shot him a smile. “You know, you give some damn good advice all the time. Maybe you should write a book?”
Brian pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and place it between his lips, “If that were true, I’d be engaged by now.” He tried his best to smile and gave a small wave to Elise, “Get some rest, I’ll talk to you later.”
Elise thought about what Brian said and couldn’t find any flaws in his words. She had only been living here a month and had barely begun to get to know Matt. She knew so much about him yet she felt he was still a mystery. As much as she wanted to go into hiding again, she decided to bite the bullet and show initiative if this was going to work with Matt.
Can we meet at the beach tonight? The same spot where you first took me?
Her text was sent in a flash in fear she would change her mind. Her next obstacle was finding a way to act natural around Matt having known the dark things he was into. Was it a deal breaker? Is this something Elise could look past if they decided to become serious? Elise didn’t want to think about it now but she knew something had to be figured out. And quick. She only had a few hours seeing as how Matt’s message appeared on her phone.
Matt: I’ll be there. Say around 7:00?”
.:.:.
The sun was ready to begin setting at any moment when Elise arrived at the beach. There were quite a few people still lounging in the sand while surfers were packing up for the day. It was just a few minutes before 7:00 so she wasn’t surprised Matt wasn’t here yet. Elise decided to walk towards the ocean and sit to where the water was just washing over the sand. Her pants would be damp but she didn’t care, the cool water would be distraction enough. She plopped onto the ground and hugged her knees against her chest the best she could. Her stomach muscles were sore from all the vomiting and she was almost certain to have lost a couple pounds. You have to see the silver linings in things whenever you can.
Elise checked the time and noticed it was a little after 7:00 now. She furrowed her brows; it wasn’t like Matt to be late. Even if he decided not to show, Elise was enjoying her time in the warm sun. Her skin was surprisingly tanning more than burning which was unheard of for her ginger skin. She didn’t question it but instead encouraged the natural bronze to grace her skin. Elise decided on a plain black tank top paired with jeans that could easily be rolled up above the knee in hopes of deepening her tan. The minutes ticked by, the sun almost putting Elise to sleep until a shadow loomed above her slumped over form.
“Sorry I’m late.” Matt apologized while sitting behind Elise.
Elise turned to greet him but instead was tightly embraced in his thick arms. Matt pulled Elise against his chest allowing her to lie back comfortably in his lap. They sat in silence not daring to ruin the moment. The sun had quickly gone down leaving the other stars to take their place in the night sky. Elise hadn’t noticed how long they had actually been sitting together for she had fallen asleep just an hour after Matt had arrived. The two remained on the beach on until curfew hit, Matt never once stopped stroking her hair as he smiled down at the woman in his arms. This was going to work and he was determined as ever to make sure that happened.
Surely they would be the one to save me.
Elise was still dying to ask Brian the same question about her and Matt’s dinner but decided against it. It was too late now. Matt’s door was slowly opened causing Elise to gasp as a wave of nausea hit at the sight in front of her...
Brian quietly shut the door to Matt’s room before trotting down the stairs after Elise. As he reached the last step, she was nowhere to be seen.
The front door was still closed, there’s no way she was that quick. Brian thought until a distant coughing sound brought him back to reality. He took off down the hall, careful not to bump into any of the pictures hanging on the wall. The sounds coming from Elise grew louder just as Brian reached the downstairs bathroom.
“Elise?” he questioned softly through the cracked door. He didn’t want to intrude during such a vulnerable time but the sickly noises echoing off the toilet were enough to make Brian enter the restroom anyways. “Oh, Ellie.” Brian cooed as he bent down beside her. He grabbed what little hair she was holding onto and pulled the other remaining locks from her face. Elise felt instantly better from emptying the contaminated contents of her stomach.
“Sorry you had to see that.” Elise mumbled while wiping her mouth.
“Don’t be sorry,” Brian rubbed her back, “Feeling better?”
Elise nodded but couldn’t shake the chill running down her spine. She wasn’t sure if her nausea was from the stomach bug or from walking in on that. As if he knew what she was thinking, Brian knew she wanted an answer.
He crossed his arms before leaning against the doorframe, “You didn’t know Matt was into that, did you?”
Again, Elise only shook her head.
“You don’t seem too “comfortable” with it.” Brian smirked.
Elise took a drink of water, “I grew up in a Catholic home. The supernatural and all that shit terrifies me.” She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm her nerves only when she did, the image of Matt sitting over a Ouija board with his back to the door made her shudder. “Why? That seems so unlike something he would be into?”
Brian scratched the back of his head. “That’s something you’ll have to ask him about. Now would be a good time to go back up there though I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to split. I don’t think he even knows we’re here.”
Elise refused, afraid of walking in on that again. She decided to head back home for a nap. All her energy was needed for work tomorrow but a part of her wanted to do whatever she could to get that image out of her head.
Brian walked Elise to her truck, “Before you go,” he closed the door after Elise jumped inside, “You asked what Matt had told me about your dinner. To tell you the truth, he didn’t say a whole hell of a lot. Why did you ask me that? What happened?”
Elise sighed, “It’s all my fault this is so weird. So, this happened…”
.:.:.
The young adults awkwardly sat across from each other in a dim, almost empty, restaurant. Elise sipped at her water while Matt drummed his fingers against the tabletop. They had managed to say their hellos and greet one another with a hug but that was the extent of things. Elise wasn’t sure how to begin; neither did Matt. With a deep breath, the redhead spilled all of her thoughts at once. The more and more she went on, the more Matt’s smile began to return.
“Thank you for opening up to me, Elle. I had no idea you were carrying so much on your shoulders. If you don’t mind my asking, why exactly did you decide to leave home?”
“I had to get away and learn to be an adult. I was so sheltered all my life. I love my parents to death and they did what was best for me, but, I couldn’t take it anymore. It was hard leaving my sister behind but I felt I was going insane.” Elise hadn’t even realized she was staring into her hands until Matt placed his hand over hers. Their eyes locked until Elise pulled away with a chuckle. “You’re too sweet for me, Matt.”
Matt smirked, “Nonsense. I have my own demons too, you know. You’re just so pretty I don’t want to scare you off with them.”
“Is that a challenge, Matthew?” Elise returned the smirk.
“I’d really rather not chase you off again. That was miserable but I’m glad we’re alright. We are alright now, yeah?” The look on his face was full of pure hope.
Elise cupped her own chin and pretended to stare off into space. A quick glance revealed an amused Matt giving her the finger. They laughed together and decided it was time to leave. Matt grabbed her hand as the two walked across the parking lot to his car.
“I can’t tell you how relieved I am that you asked me to do this tonight.” Matt stopped to face Elise before holding her fingers in his hands.
“Me too. I was so worried you’d tell me to “fuck off.” Elise giggled. The singer’s eyebrows rose in interest as Elise realized what she had just said. She rolled her eyes, “You’re such a guy, Sanders.”
“Last I checked, yeah.” Matt’s dimples instantly formed around his grin. “I hope you don’t me trying this again…”
Just as Matt pulled her closer, Elise removed her hand from his grasp. She placed it against his chest and turned her head away.
“I’m sorry, Matt. I don’t think it’s the right time yet…” Elise’s voice was barely audible but Matt got the message loud and clear.
His smile faded as he stepped back, “It’s ok, let’s get you home.”
.:.:.
“You two have been acting weird with each other because you didn’t want to kiss him yet? That’s completely understandable. I mean, you two are just getting to know one another not to mention you’ve only been on two dates. Give yourself all the time you need but don’t fall into a comfort zone. You might miss out on a lot. Maybe try to hang out together in a few days without the pressures of a date?” Brian shrugged his shoulders.
Elise popped on her sunglasses and shot him a smile. “You know, you give some damn good advice all the time. Maybe you should write a book?”
Brian pulled a cigarette from the pack in his pocket and place it between his lips, “If that were true, I’d be engaged by now.” He tried his best to smile and gave a small wave to Elise, “Get some rest, I’ll talk to you later.”
Elise thought about what Brian said and couldn’t find any flaws in his words. She had only been living here a month and had barely begun to get to know Matt. She knew so much about him yet she felt he was still a mystery. As much as she wanted to go into hiding again, she decided to bite the bullet and show initiative if this was going to work with Matt.
Can we meet at the beach tonight? The same spot where you first took me?
Her text was sent in a flash in fear she would change her mind. Her next obstacle was finding a way to act natural around Matt having known the dark things he was into. Was it a deal breaker? Is this something Elise could look past if they decided to become serious? Elise didn’t want to think about it now but she knew something had to be figured out. And quick. She only had a few hours seeing as how Matt’s message appeared on her phone.
Matt: I’ll be there. Say around 7:00?”
.:.:.
The sun was ready to begin setting at any moment when Elise arrived at the beach. There were quite a few people still lounging in the sand while surfers were packing up for the day. It was just a few minutes before 7:00 so she wasn’t surprised Matt wasn’t here yet. Elise decided to walk towards the ocean and sit to where the water was just washing over the sand. Her pants would be damp but she didn’t care, the cool water would be distraction enough. She plopped onto the ground and hugged her knees against her chest the best she could. Her stomach muscles were sore from all the vomiting and she was almost certain to have lost a couple pounds. You have to see the silver linings in things whenever you can.
Elise checked the time and noticed it was a little after 7:00 now. She furrowed her brows; it wasn’t like Matt to be late. Even if he decided not to show, Elise was enjoying her time in the warm sun. Her skin was surprisingly tanning more than burning which was unheard of for her ginger skin. She didn’t question it but instead encouraged the natural bronze to grace her skin. Elise decided on a plain black tank top paired with jeans that could easily be rolled up above the knee in hopes of deepening her tan. The minutes ticked by, the sun almost putting Elise to sleep until a shadow loomed above her slumped over form.
“Sorry I’m late.” Matt apologized while sitting behind Elise.
Elise turned to greet him but instead was tightly embraced in his thick arms. Matt pulled Elise against his chest allowing her to lie back comfortably in his lap. They sat in silence not daring to ruin the moment. The sun had quickly gone down leaving the other stars to take their place in the night sky. Elise hadn’t noticed how long they had actually been sitting together for she had fallen asleep just an hour after Matt had arrived. The two remained on the beach on until curfew hit, Matt never once stopped stroking her hair as he smiled down at the woman in his arms. This was going to work and he was determined as ever to make sure that happened.
Surely they would be the one to save me.
Notes
So the cliffhanger wasn't very dramatic. I'm sorry but things are looking up for those two! Comments are always appreciated and they make me happy. Thanks, as always, to you lovely readers. Next chapter out soon!
Well damn! ;) glad you’re back!
6/2/19