Elsa's pov
Hearing what had happened to him, the way his voice shook and broke at times, made every ounce of anger I had toward him disappear. He shouldn't have had to go through that and he was right if it hadn't been for him trying to save me none of it would have happened. He had stopped talking and was looking at me. I turned my head so that he couldn't see my face as the tears began to fall. I felt him reach over and lay his hand on mine but I pulled away. I didn't want him to see me like this and if he tried to console me then I knew I would fall apart. For a second I thought he was going to just let me be but he took me by surprise when he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me closer to him, placing his other hand under my chin so that I had to look at him. He looked at me with sadness and curiosity and it made me scared as to what he was planning. Before I could pull away he spoke.
" Hey whats wrong? Why are you crying?"
I couldn't find my voice to speak so I just shook my head trying to make him believe it was nothing but I knew he knew it was something serious.
"Don't. Don't lie to me like that. Don't hold it back..."
I finally found my voice and I cut him off.
"No. I can't. If I go there I'll break down. Holding it all in is the only way I ca...can deal with any of it. So just st...stop." My voice was shaking and I was starting to stutter again.
"Hey it's okay. I'm not gonna make you tell me. If you want to talk about it you can but you don't have to. I know it must still be hard for you."
I shook my head in a silent thanks. I didn't trust myself to speak, I was too afraid my voice would break again. He sat there with his arm wrapped around me for what seemed like forever before he spoke again.
"If you would like I can take you home. Maybe you could spend some time with your family or something and get your mind off of all of this. Your parents must...."
"I don't have any family. Not any that are alive anymore." I cut him off. I mumbled it so low I was so sure he wouldn't hear me but then I remembered what he was and wished I hadn't said anything at all. I could feel his gaze on me and when I turned to look at him he was starring at me with surprise,curriosity and something else. Maybe pity but I couldn't tell for sure.
"What happened? Where are your parrents?"
I should have known he'd ask and it was hard to talk about but I thought maybe I could talk to him about a little of what had happened to me. After all he'd told me his whole story. So I took a deep breath and prepared myself as I started to speak.
"My parents are dead. They died years ago." I hesitated as I glansed up at him to see his reaction to my words. He just looked at me with pity.
"I'm sorry I didn't know."
"Its fine it happened a long time ago. I'm over it." I stated blankly.
"If you don't mind me asking what happened?"
"It's simple enough to explain he killed them the same night he took me. I've been on my own since then but don't feel bad for me. Im fine, I can take care of myself."
The look on his face turned to shock and he looked taken aback at my sudden calm tone, but I just continued to look at him with no emotion visible on my face. He sat there silently just looking at me for a while and right when I was starting to think he had gone into shock or something he spoke.
"I'm sorry. I really am I know what it feels like to have your family ripped away from you so suddenly and I really am sorry. Its just an offer and you can leave if you want but i'd like it if you stayed here."
"I...I don't think thats a good idea. With what happened I...
"I promise you I'm not going to hurt you. I wont bother you at all if thats what you want and CJ is also here. If it makes you feel safer I can ask him to stay here awile?"
I just sat there for a minute, not really sure how to respond. Should I stay or should I just leave? I wasn't scarred of him like I thought I would be. Something about him made me feel safe. Then again he had attacked me and almost killed me just a few days ago. He said he was sorry and that he wouldn't loose himself like that again but could I trust him. He said he'd ask CJ to stay if I wanted and even though I didn't really know him I couldn't help but trust him when he said that he'd keep me safe. As I went over all of this in my head he stood to leave. Without thinking I spoke.
"Can I talk to CJ? "
He looked at me confused but shook his head in answer. "Of course. I'll just go get him."
He turned and left the room and right before he shut the door I thanked him and he shot me that lopsided grin before he disappeared out of view. I sat there nervously thinking about what I was fixing to do. At first I hadn't wanted to to stay. I was still scarred about staying here but I felt if there was anyone who could keep me safe it was the one guy who had tried to save me. Plus CJ had promised to keep Jace in check and it was weird but I felt I could trust CJ. I felt safer here than out there alone. The guy who had kidnapped me was still out there looking for me, I'd been on the run for what felt like forever and I was tired of hiding and running. I just wanted a normal life and maybe staying here I could have that.
"Hmmhmmm. Hello? Are you going to answer me?"
I jumped when I heard him speak. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't even realized he had come into the room. He startled me and for a minute I just sat there confused.
"Well?"
"Um yeah sorry. I didn't notice you were here."
"Ok well Jace said you asked to talk to me. So what is it you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh he didn't tell you anything else?" I was suddenly having a little trouble trying to wrap my head around everything that had taken place. I had expected it to take him longer to come to talk to me and it seemed like it was all happening so fast. I guess it had something to do with the fact that they were vampires.
"Hello earth to Elsa."
I jumped again realizing I had once again gotten lost in my thoughts."yeah sorry."
"Did you even hear a word I said just now?"
I felt myself blushing and I looked away from him. "Sorry." I mumbled. " I've kind of been lost in my own thoughts."
"Well tell me whats on your mind maybe I can help."
"Yeah um well Jace and I talked and.... well he offered to let me stay here."
I paused and glanced over at him to see what his reaction was going to be. He had stiffened at my words and I could see that he was uncomfortable.
"I don't really have anywhere else to go and..."
"And you wanted to know if i'd stay to keep him in check."
It was more like a statement, the way he said it, than a question but I nodded my head anyway.
"Well in all honesty I don't think its a good idea. Right now he's not exactly stable, not like he should be."
"Yeah I know that but I kind of want to stay. Like I said I don't really have anywhere else to go."
When he looked back at me he tilted his head a little to the side and looked as if he was trying to read me or something. It made me uncomfortable the way he was starring at me and I got up and walked to the window. I took a deep breath as I looked out at the scenery. It was beautiful here but I had yet to go outside at all. CJ didn't speak for what seemed like forever and it startled me when I suddenly heard him closer than I expected. He had walked over to me as I stood here looking out of the window.
"Why do you suddenly want to be here when just hours ago you were so anxious to get out of here?"
I froze at his words. I hadn't been expecting him to ask me that question. I was suddenly uncomfortable standing here so I turned to walk back to the bed but he was blocking my way. When I looked up at him I was startled to see his gaze full of suspicion.
"I... what do mean?"
"I mean just a few hours ago you were almost to the point of trying to fight your way out of here and now all of a sudden you want to stay? Sorry but to me that says something is up and I want to know what."
"There's not anything to tell." I spoke slowly unsure,really, how to respond. "I just changed my mind thats all."
He was still looking at me, his features full of suspicion. "You know I think you are lieing to me. I mean what would make you change your mind so fast when,before, you were terrified to be here?What changed?"
I knew where this was going and I didn't like it but I guess I was going to have to tell him the real reason I wanted to stay here.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before I spoke.
"It's not what you are probably thinking..."
"No? Then why are you trying to hide the real reason for the sudden change of heart?" He cut me off and I hated it when people did that but I took another deep breath and kept my voice from showing my anger at his interuption.
"Its just that im still scarred to be here but im more scared to be out there alone."
"Really that's your big explanation?"
I was getting more frustrated at him by the second. I mean come on what is it to him anyway.
"Look you don't have to be so cold toward me. I just changed my mind. I don't have anything planned."
"Ok if thats the case then tell me the truth. Why did change your mind about staying here?"
I hesitated. I didn't really know if I could trust him yet or not and I didn't really want to tell him my real reason. He noticed my hesitation and the look on his face turned from suspicion to anger. As he turned to walk away I spoke without thinking it through.
"You have to promise not to tell Jace."
I rushed out. At my words he stopped and turned back to face me.
"And why would I do that?"
I took a deep breath " because what I'm fixing to say would set him off, I know it would, and I don't want him loosing it again. So if you want to know the true reason then you have to swear not to say anything to him."
He looked at me suspiciously again but nodded his head.
"Ok the reason I changed my mind is because Ian still out there, looking for me. And I figured I'm safer here than anywhere else at the moment. Out there I would be alone, at least here with you two, I have a chance of getting away. I can't fight him but you guys can." I was talking so quietly I was afraid he hadn't heard me but it was clear from his facial expression that he had.
"How do you know hes still looking for you?" His voice was now soft and quiet but his face showed anger.
"Because i've been running from him for five years now."
He stood there studing me for a minute before what I had said sunk in.
"Wait you just said you have been running from him for five years now. That means...but I thought..."
I watched as the relization hit him.
"That's what you meant earlier isnt it? When you said he didn't save you? Ian found you that night didn't he?"
"Yes, he found me."
"What happened?"
I wasn't expecting so many questions and I wasn't ready to talk about it. We had had this same conversation earlier. "I don't want to talk about it."
I stated blankly hoping hed just drop it but he didn't.
"Look I'm not trying to force you to talk about everything but you were 14 when he took you right?"
"Yes"
"And you are 20 now right?"
"I have my ways of getting information. Yes I know more than you think. Anyway I want to know what happened for that..."
"Yes he kidnapped me when I was 14. He kept me locked up for a damn year before I finally escaped. And no I will not tell you details of what happened."I was getting pissed off now. How did he even know any of this. Had he kept tabs on me and just not done anything to help me?
"Look I'm sorry I shouldn't have pushed the subject I just wanted to know. You said he's still looking for you, have you had any run ins with him?"
"Yeah just last year actually. I had thought he had forgotten about me and I stayed in one place too long. I barely got away from him and I am sick of running. I thought maybe being here I wouldn't have to."
"You know that if you stay here we have to tell Jace. He needs to be prepared if ian shows up."
"No we can't. He will flip out and you know it."
"Elsa we have to tell him. If Ian shows up and you are here he will kill Jace. Ian will think that Jace is trying to keep you away from him. He already distroyed Jace's family. Theres nothing left to take but Jace's life. He has to know so that he stands a chance. Because if Ian is tracking you then he's already on his way here."
Even though I hated it and I knew Jace would flip out CJ was right. I had already been here for too long. I usually didn't stay in one place for longer than two weeks and i'd already been here...I realized I didn't even know how long i'd been here.
"Wait how long have I been here?"
He looked at me confused but answered my question anyway.
"You've been here for three days as far as I know. Before that I don't have a clue why?"
I ignored his question, I needed to concentrate on figuring out how long i'd been in this town. He said it had been three days since Jace attacked me and I had already been here for four days before that. I had spent two weeks in the appartment I had rented so that meant i'd already been in town for....my stomack tied in knotts and i felt like I was going to be sick as I suddenly looked back at CJ. He must have seen the color drain from my face because he instantly stiffened, his face showing concern.
"What is it? What's wrong?"
I just starred at him unable to say anything.
"Damn it ellie what is it?"
Finally finding my voice I answered him but it came out in a whisper.
"I've been in town for three weeks. I should have left a week ago. I never stay in one place for more than two weeks. That's how he found me last time."
