{Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran}
...We are surrounded by all of these lies, and people who talk too much, you've got the kind of look in your eyes, as if no one knows anything but us...
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June 7th
Elliot black had hands of the softest kind, callused by years of hard work from dusk till dawn. His hands caressed everything so gently as though anything he held would break, or leave, or disappear like the false hope of a mirage. He had an artist's hands. They knew how to create something beautiful, like unearthing diamonds from the darkest parts of the earth. His hands trembled as easily as mine, but he knew that his fingertips ached to kiss mine, colliding so fantastically, hopeful in the moments between touching or speaking. Our hands waited for the inevitable.
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With the candles burning around us, Elliot welcomed me into the familiar warmth of the cabin that had become one of my favourite places to pass the time. Inside the walls of Elliot's cabin, I left my family obligations and fears at the door and felt only a weightless feeling coursing through my veins. My heart was constantly thudding around the lanky boy who made me smile like it was going out of fashion.
I explained the full story to Elliot, his jaw tense and his gaze pensive as I recounted the events that took place at the dinner table, which until I told him, Elliot had been completely oblivious to.
"I was just so sick of listening to them and the way they talked down to you to make themselves feel better." My voice was still shaky as Elliot and I sat on the floor, his arms wrapped around me, my head on his shoulder.
"I'm an employee. Your family know where I sit on the societal structure. They are a totally different calibre to me," His voice was low, a sadness behind his words.
"No," I stopped him. "Don't say that. Don't even think of it! Money doesn't measure someone's worth," I softened my voice, taking Elliot's hand in mine. "You are so much more than what you believe yourself to be."
"Am I?" His pupils dilated, and I could feel his hand becoming clammy.
The sensation of his skin touching mine sent sparks of electricity through my body. I could only nod in response.
Elliot Black had eyes that stared into my soul like he could see everything I had never been able to express. He was able to calm me, excite me, and completely overwhelm me with the blue oceans I was constantly lost in, in his eyes.
"Your Dad will forgive you, Ava. Don't worry too much."
Without me expressing that potent fear that was beginning to knot me inside, he was able to quell the fire inside of me before it began with the calm steadiness of his voice.
"That doesn't matter right now. I-I'll figure it out, tomorrow." I tried to think positively, cuddling closer into him.
"You don't have to do it alone." He whispered down to my ear, his breath on my neck almost too much to handle.
"I'm not alone, though, am I?" I craned my neck up to see his smile, and my insides turned to jelly.
Elliot Black had the kindest soul, filled with passion and the empathy that transcends from times of pain and heartache. He never once made me feel small, a feeling I had become accustomed to with my family. I was taught to look small, act small, and believe I was small so that I could be towered over by my family who lived by their traditionalist rules. Elliot saw me as the fire that burned in my soul, and the sunshine that could exude from me with each happy moment we spent together. He saw the cracks and imperfections and knew that not even he could fill every gap. Instead, he accepted me for all that I am and all that I am not. He accepted me as a person and never expected me to be small. He expected me to me.
"Elliot, why do you work for Tim?" I questioned him tentatively, careful not to delve too deep, but in the midnight quiet, my mind was alive with a need for answers.
"I have to provide for my family. I owe Tim a lot for helping my Mom out over the years when I was younger. I guess this is my way of saying thanks." His jaw tensed, but I took him at his word.
"But if you're a trained dancer, why are you working here for tips and commission?" I asked. "Not that I complain. I'm glad you're here with me." I smiled, nudging him.
"My Dad was a dead-beat, and I wanted to make sure that never limited my Mom and my Sister. Dancing is a make or break industry, and I can't risk my family's livelihoods on a pipe dream." His fingers traced the lines on my palm as he explained.
"I've seen you dance. You're amazing! You should go for it," I tried to encourage him.
"Not everyone can afford to," he explained.
There was no hint of malice or anger in his words, and so I felt at ease discussing this with him. There was an understanding with Elliot that I had never felt on such a deep level with anyone before.
"I'll never tell anyone to settle for less than what they truly want." He furrowed his brows, wishing for me to explain. "I'll never get the freedom to live out my own dreams, with my family controlling my entire life. I want other people to be happy if I can't."
"It's your life, Ava. Go get whatever it is that your heart wants."
So I did.
Elliot Black had lips that tasted of lemonade and mint. His words had lingered in the heat between us before we kissed, our bodies magnetically drawn together. All I could feel were his lips on mine and his hands cupping my face and caressing my cheeks, holding me so gently and so precisely as though he had waited for that moment for weeks. Our faces parted, and his eyes searched mine for any sign of clarification as to what had just taken place between us. His arms were there to hold me, and my hand caressed the soft skin of his face, a smile spreading across my lips. A smile that was returned.
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