Dareen

12# Etre Un Homme Comme Vous

Song: Etre Un Homme Comme Vous- Ben L'oncle Soul.
Elliot
"Ethan!" Alice giggled running to him, and he immediately picked her up throwning her in the air.
"Hi, mum." I leaned in giving her a small hug without even wrapping my arms around her. I just can't act as if nothing happened. I can't forgive her for being so careless.
"I missed you." she whispered.
"Hmm." I nodded pulling away.
"How are you, Elliot?" My step-father smiled at me.
"I'm good. Ethan, let's get their bags."
"Mine is pink!" Alice squealed making Ethan chuckle.
"You didn't say hi to me." I told her squatting down in front of her.
"You didn't tell me." She shrugged making my heart ache.
"Will you give me a hug?" I frowned holding her hand. She pulled it away from mine and wrapped her arms around my neck. Without knowing it, I was squeezing her in a hug sniffling her scent. That's my sister.
My own sister that I refused to see before one year. It's not her mistake that he parents ruined my life. I don't need to be harsh with her like I used to be.
"Let's go." Ethan spoke up cutting us off. I nodded pulling away from her.
"I'll be back." I pecked her nose before following Ethan.
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"Linda!" I called out once we stepped into our apartment.
"Welcome here." She smile greeting them. "Chill a bit till I prepare breakfast."
"I wanna pee." Alice told mum who just groaned.
"Linda, will you please take her to the bathroom?"
"It's not Linda's job." I glared at her.
"I have no problem. Let's go." She smiled holding Alice's hand.
"I said no." I repeated.
"Okay, guys, I'll take her. It's not that much of a problem." Ethan shrugged walking Alice to the bathroom.
Shouldn't she still wear her diapers? She's four.
Or is she too old?
I don't even know...
"Elliot, come." Linda sighed as I followed her to the kitchen.
"Is that what we agreed on yesterday? I don't want problems with them. Do you hear me?"
"Alice is my sister, and I won't act like her father just like I did with Ethan. I won't carry that responsibility."
"Taking her to the bathroom is not that much of a problem!"
"She has a mother and a father. Why were you taking her? Why would we always do things for them?" I raised my voice.
"Shh! They will hear you." She glared at me.
"Let them do. I don't care." I rolled my eyes.
"Learn manners, young man." She glared at me before getting back to what she was doing.
"You're starting to stress me out, Linda. I'm trying not to lose my shit, but you're pushing me." I sighed closing my eyes for a second.
"This is your mother, and that man is your step father. You need to respect them whether you like it or not! If you'll keep whining, stay away from me." She pointed to the door, and I walked out not looking back.
"I'm leaving." I announed picking up a file that I've been working on all night.
"Won't you eat breakfast with us?" Ethan furrowed his brows.
"No, and tell Linda that I'll be late tonight." I dismissed.
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Dareen
Today, I'm free, so I decided to go to work early. I don't know if I really want to work, but I know quite well that I want to see someone, and I can't wait till five in the afternoon.
Everything is different here in the morning- calm and serene. Everything is in order which can't be more beautiful.
"Patricia, please bring me my coffee and an asprin; my head is going to burst."
"I'll bring them." I offered from behind him.
"Dareen? What are you doing here?" He furrowed his brows.
"I am not going to Uni. today." I shrugged.
"Come with me." He pulled my hand.
"Don't bring him anything." I told Patricia, and she nodded with a small smile.
"Explain everything for me. I know that you have an exam today."
"Who told you that? It's the day after tomorrow."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course I am." I smiled getting out my notebook to show him. "Look, Thursday not Tuesday."
"Hmm, you should've stayed at home to study though."
"I'm following a schedule, so don't worry." I smiled placing my bag on my desk. "What's wrong with you? You look stressed." I couldn't help but ask.
"Can we go out? I really want to talk to someone." He sighed.
"Yeah, sure." I nodded picking my bag again.
"I like your dress." He smiled sending sheivers down my spine.
I wore it for you.
"Oh really? It's an old one." I shrugged running my hand on my the sleeve of my black dress.
"It's elegant, and fits you perfectly." Heat rushed to my cheeks as he said that.
Don't blush.
Don't blush.
Don't blush.
"Patricia, we're going out. If Sir Adam asked about me, call any of us."
"Okay, sir." She nodded as we walked out.
"Can you drive?" I asked with concern.
"I honestly don't." He sighed.
"Let's take a taxi cause my car is with Christina."
"How did you come here, then?"
"She dropped me here, and went to Uni."
"You won't skip Uni again. That's not right." He sighed.
"I don't take orders." I crossed my arms over my chest.
"Take it as an advice from someone who cares about you."
"Okay." I nodded with a small smile.
"Let's go. I'll drive." He opened the door and helped me to get in his BMW.
"Can I open the window?" I asked, and he nodded turning off the conditioner.
"Where are we going?" I asked him.
"There's a café down the street." He answered curtly, and I nodded looking out of the window.
He's not driving fast, and this is what I love in him. He's not careless like those wealthy guys we see in the movies.
He's different.
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"How may I help you?" The waiter smiled at me.
"I'll get fresh orange juice."
"What about you, sir?"
"Dark coffee."
"Did you eat breakfast?" I asked him, and he just shook his head handing the waiter the menu.
"Get him a nutella croissant, please."
"Anything else?"
"No, thank you." I smiled handing him the menu.
"I won't eat that shit."
"I won't let you drink coffee on an empty stomach." I said sternly, and for the first time, I felt like I was the one in power. "What's wrong?" I asked after moments of silence.
"I'm having many problems at home. My mother came this morning from Berlin along with my step father and little sister. I can't sustain staying with them."
"But she's your mother, I can't understand your anger." I shook my head as the waiter approached us with the croissant.
"Won't you eat anything?"
"I ate breakfast with Harry." I shook my head.
"Eat again with me." He said handing me a piece of his croissant.
"Fine, but you'll finish the rest of it all."
"You're so bossy today." He chuckled.
"I'm acting like you." I shrugged. "Anyway, continue."
"Yeah, it's a very long and complicated story."
"We have all day." I shrugged.
"Um- you know that I live with my brother and Linda. He's my half brother. My father passed away in a car accident when I was nine, and my mother married again, and gave birth to another boy, but she was so careless, and I didn't sustain living with her and her husband, so I moved to a new home when I turned eighteen." He paused. "Ethan was about nine years old at that time, and she wanted to move to Berlin, but he wanted to stay here cause I cared about him more than his parents, so he moved in to live with me and Linda, and I became his guardian."
"You were just eighteen?" I frowned.
"Yeah, I'd go to Uni and then to work, and I'd return back to study a bit at night. On weekends, I'd help him with his studies, and these stuff. I feel like he's my son not my brother."
"That's normal. You practically raised him."
"Yeah, it was never easy. I had no one to help me but Linda." He sighed. "The bigger problem is that she gave birth to my little sister, Alice. I refused to see her before. I was really mad at her. I mean, she's irresponsible, and I'm always the one to suffer from their mistakes, but then on Ethan's Graduation cermony, I saw Alice, and I fell in love with her. She's my sister, and it's not our mistake that our mother is careless."
"It's not. You're young, and you need to stop pretending to have everything under your control, Elliot. Take it easy. You may be suffering, but you also have Linda and your brother who chose you over his father."
"He had no choice but to come with me."
"He could've went to live with them." I protested.
"I don't know." He sighed. "It's so hard."
"You're capable of carrying this responsibility, but you need to manage your anger a bit, Elliot. When you were at my flat the other day and Linda called you, you looked furious and intimidating even though you're kind hearted. Why are you masking that face?" I frowned.
"I told you from the beginning that I don't accept any mistakes."
"Even if it was something trivial done by someone you love?" I furrowed my brows.
"Nothing is trivial for me."
"You're not God to punish anyone for their mistakes. You do mistakes, and just like others forgive you, you must forgive others."
"Then why didn't you forgive that guy who tried to rape you?" He sighed making eye contact with me which blew my breath away for a second.
"You said it- rape me- he's not even feeling bad about it. He said 'sorry', and I was supposed to tell him it's no problem."
"That's what I'm talking about. You see that it's something big, but from his point of view, it's nothing."
"Look at yourself. Look how you're glaring at me, and I'm sure that in a matter of seconds, you'll raise your voice on me." I paused as he sighed rubbing his face with his hands. "Don't let your anger control you and don't push the people who love you away. Life is too short to be like this. I don't know who exactly is bothering you aside from your mother, but just let it go."
"You don't understand." He sighed. "It's something that concerns someone else that I love."
"What kind of something?" I asked.
"I don't want to talk about it." He shook his head making me frown.
"As you like." I shrugged. "I just wanted to help."
"You can help me, but I don't want to bother you."
"What are you saying, Elliot? Just say it."
"I want to know if you really love me." I opened my mouth to reply, but he raised his hand for me to let him continue. "I was never really interested in girls, and I know that you're so young. I also know that we don't know everything about each other, but the only question that I really don't want an answer to is: if I gave you time, will you really love me or not? I don't want to ruin our relationship. We can still be friends, but don't make me have fake dreams."
"I already love you, Elliot, but as you said, we need time just to grow closer to each other. I know that you're nearly ten years older than me, but the number doesn't matter." I smiled as he held my hands to his lips kissing them.
"Thank you." He whispered as the waiter cleared his throat.
What a piece of shit.
"Sorry," He said quietly placing our drinks on the table.
"I keep on bugging you with my problems. Tell me, how's everything with Harry and Christina?"
"We're good, but I wanted to call Rose to catch up with her."
"Who's Rose?" He furrowed his brows.
"Our friend." I smiled.
"Nice." He nodded.
"That's Linda." He said quietly checking the caller's ID once his phone started ringing.
"Answer her." I told him, and he nodded pressing the phone to his ear.
"Yes, Linda?" He sighed taking a sip of his coffee. "Alright. I'm sorry for earlier." He looked at me for a second as he rubbed the back of his neck. " I'll see what I can do." He nodded as if she'll be able to see him. "Bye." He said hanging up.
"Finish your food." I motioned to the piece of croissant left.
"Okay, but are you sure that you ate breakfast?"
"Harry doesn't let me leave the house without eating at least an apple." I rolled my eyes.
"I like the bond between you." He said, but something sounded off.
"Yeah, are you okay?"
"Sure." He nodded.
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"Tell me what should I do, now?" Harry groaned from the other line making me roll my eyes as I signed some papers.
"Dress like a gentleman, and shave first." I sighed getting up to pass the files on Elliot's desk. "Sign these." I told him, and he nodded taking them from me.
"Hey, are you talking to me?" Harry asked.
"No, after that get her a box of chocolate and bouquet of her favorite flowers."
"Hmm.."
"What are you doing?" I furrowed my brows.
"I'm writing it down."
"Oh God!" I groaned.
"Don't start, I'm doing my best."
"Okay, that's all. Talk to her calmly, and try to understand. If you want, you can take a ring and talk to her father, you know."
"Nah, you went a bit too far." He chuckled.
"Put it in mind though cause you'll have to do it soon." I sighed.
"Okay, I love you, cutie pie." He chuckled.
"I love you, too. Kiss her for me." I giggled before hanging up.
When I looked up, Elliot was looking at me intensely.
"Something's wrong, Elliot?" I smiled.
"I'm going to smoke a cigarette." He announced before walking out and slamming the door shut.
What happened, now?!