Take A Walk (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 5 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Eighteen

"F-F*ck, Ellie, we can't do this now," he whispered. "Not here. Come back with me, we'll go and see Hunter-"

"No," she breathed, pulling away. "Drew, we can't-"

"You can't leave me again!" he cried. "Please!"

There were tears on her face, too, and he kissed her again. He had no way of telling whose tears were whose. All he knew was that he was about to lose her again. "P-Please," he whispered, his soul breaking right in front of her. "I can't lose you again. I can't do this."

"Close your eyes, okay?" she said softly, brushing his tears away and moving slowly, so that her back was facing the door. "Close your eyes and count to ten."

"You'll be gone when I open them," he sobbed. "You'll be gone, Ellie, I can't-"

"Trust me," she said. "Please trust me."

He took in every last detail of her face. The tears in her eyes, the bronze flecks in her irises, the natural highlights in her hair. As he closed his eyes, she leaned in for another kiss, which somehow eased the pain.

"O-One," he whispered. "Two... Three... Four... Five..."

"I love you," she breathed.

"Six... Seven... Eight... Nine..." He opened his eyes, leaving the count unfinished.

And sure enough, she was gone.

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Drew knocked on the front door, and it opened, revealing a confused looking Robin. "Drew?"

"Robbie- Robbie, I-" He stumbled into the living room, and he could hear her calling for Ryan, who ran in with Hunter.

"Drew?!"

"Drew, honey-" Ryan tried to say, but he had already begun to sob.

"She was there," he cried. "She was there, I saw her-"

"Who?" asked Hunter.

"E-Ellie," he sobbed, not noticing how Hunter stiffened and how Ryan went pale. "She- I went to Walmart and she was there and she- she was-"

Ryan sighed softly. "My darling," she said gently, "are you sure it wasn't someone else that just looked like Ellie?"

"Yes!"

"That's enough," said Hunter quietly. "I knew it was too good to be true." He stood up, rubbed his eyes, and looked at Ryan. "Call Jessie or Shaun. I don't think Drew's okay to drive-"

"I'm not drunk! Or high!"

"Your eyes are red," commented Phoenix quietly. "It wouldn't be the first time."

They were right. Drew had wandered back to this house one too many times after one too many bottles, and he had cried about Elle. This, in their eyes, was no different. After all, he had become the boy who cried wolf. But now was the real thing, didn't they realise that?! He had seen Elle with his own eyes, kissed her with his own lips...

"No, please," he said desperately. "I kissed her, she spoke to me and I kissed her."

"Ma, Pa, I don't think he's drunk this time," said Robin quietly. "Maybe we should hear him out."

Hunter sighed, and sat down. Ryan immediately went into the kitchen, getting Drew a glass of water and gently pressing it into his shaking hand. "You're dehydrated," she said softly. "Drink this, you'll be able to think clearer."

He nodded, taking a small sip. "She..." He took a shuddering breath, and Spencer quietly crawled onto his lap, resting his head on Drew's shoulder. He had always taken comfort from Spencer's soft brotherly love, and he held onto him tightly. "She was in the supermarket, I went to get Mel some food because she was busy, and she couldn't reach the cookies. I went to help her, and then suddenly we realised that... that we were each other. A-And then, I was shocked, I asked her what she was doing here, and she dragged me away into a changing room. I kissed her. I told her to come back to me, but she didn't. She told me to close my eyes and count to ten and when I opened them she was gone. I promise, she was real. I'm not crazy, I'm not high, I'm not drunk. She told me Gabriel brought them here, but only 'til tomorrow, and that she and Cassie came back pretending that she needs more chemo pills."