Someone was very annoying. The doorbell wouldn't stop ringing. And if it hadn't been for the fact that it was a little over three in the morning, I wouldn't had gotten out of bed. To be frank, grabbing the gun that I owned was probably the safest thing I could've done. After everything I'd been through, I carried one on me almost at all times. Lord knew where Milo was hidden.
Elijah... well, that encounter didn't go well. There was no point in lying to him, but as soon as the grip on my hand softened, I bolted. I left my wallet, keys and the spilled juice on the floor of the mall and bolted right out.
I ran home. It was a thirty minute car ride, and I didn't know how exactly I managed to run for so long without passing out. I ran like my life depended on it, and as soon as I got home, I called Tessa from an old phone.
I couldn't tell her exactly why I ran and what the hell happened, only that I got very scared and that I'd lost the items I brought with me. She urged me to tell more, but once she realized I wasn't going to tell her anything, she told me I should just take a few days off work.
The bell rang another couple of times.
''I'm coming,'' I yelled out, before mumbling, ''Jesus Christ, who the fuck was here so late?''
The gun was safely in my left hand. The only thing this apartment lacked was a peep hole. With a small cuss under my breath, I grabbed the door handle and opened the door.
''What? How did you...'' I struggled the get the words out. My hands began trembling, and the gun fell on the floor with a thud.
On the other side of the door was Elijah. Unlike earlier in the day when I'd seen him, he seemed more collected and calm right now. His eyes were void of emotions, his lips tugged into a thin line. He blinked twice, before he took a step forward.
I released a low sigh. With a shake of my head, I stepped aside and allowed him to enter. Truthfully, the only reason was because my neighbors were assholes. The smallest commotion would've had them call the cops on me, and that was the last thing I needed.
''How I know where you live? I got the address from your boss.'' He stated matter-of-factly.
A humorless laugh slipped past my lips, eyes widened. Elijah took it upon himself to inspect the apartment I'd been living in for the past few years. It was nothing lavishing as the one in New York had been, but it was a pretty little space that I called home.
''Did you tell her?''
''About you faking your death? Yes, I did.''
My heart sank to my feet. I felt vile rise up in my throat, but I swallowed it, my hands shaking. His back was turned to me and although he didn't see it, he sure as fuck felt how angry I'd gotten. He stilled, and slowly looked at me over his shoulder.
''Why didn't you just broadcast it to the world, Elijah?''
''Well, maybe I should've.'' He yelled back at me, and I was getting more angry as time passed. I took a step forward. He continued, ''You seriously think about no one but yourself.''
I tried one of the breathing techniques I'd learned. It was to help me calm down, to regain my posture before I said something I was going to regret. It wasn't helping. It was as if his words had managed to break something inside of me, a wall that I'd kept up for years.
I let out a dry chuckle. ''You know, it was as if you all agreed to corner me. Three against one? I'd hardly say it's fair.''
Elijah turned around, and blinked. ''What?''
I tilted my head to the side. ''Cora and Luka? Yeah, we talked. They also came unannounced and uninvited.''
His jaw clenched. He was pushing forty, and yet he looked better if it was possible. He had a stubble, and the salt and pepper shade matched his hair. Despite his hair being freshly cut and amazingly styled, he had grey hairs.
''When did this happen?''
I sighed. ''Recently, but that's irrelevant. You have no reason to see me anymore. You should go home.''
Elijah took a sharp intake of breath. On a lot of levels, it was terrifying. It took all the strength I had not to sob, and not to break down. I was never going to let anyone see me in that state, ever again.
''I should go home?'' He was both angry and disappointed. ''Fuck, Freya, I just got you back.''
I swallowed, eyes narrowed. ''You didn't get me back. I wasn't yours to begin with. Listen,'' I paused. ''I can sit here, and apologize for the next century, and it won't undone what I did. So, why don't you go back home? You have someone waiting for you.''
Elijah blinked. ''Who?''
Slowly, I spoke. ''Your fiance? Future wife?''
It was as if realization had hit him. He took a small step back, and swallowed harshly. He nodded his head, eyes glued on me. ''You're right, she doesn't deserve this.''
It was true. From what I knew about Nina, well, from the internet, she was a sweetheart. She was just someone who got wrongfully entangled in this god-forsaken-story. It was never a plan to have anyone else involved, and she truly didn't deserve any of this.
''You should go.'' I stepped aside, allowing him to walk past me.
I was a few steps behind him. ''This isn't over, Freya.'' He muttered, before he turned to look at me, one last time. ''I promise you, you'll regret the day you were born, and the day you decided to go through with this.''
His deep voice chilled me, the threat made me want to jump off a bridge and die for real.
''Why would you care so much?'' I licked my bottom lip, ''I understand it must've been an incovinience, but it's been years.''
Elijah looked at me as if I'd grown a second head. ''You really have no idea, do you?''
I blinked. ''About what?''
His voice was barely above a whisper. ''Just how much I love you.''
I didn't allow the silence to defeat me. My voice got louder. ''Loved.''
Elijah shook his head. ''Right, loved.''
Both of us stood there, in silence. Neither of us dared to speak first, but after a few moments, his voice echoed in my ears.
''I came here, expecting to get some answers. But I underestimated how selfish you are.''
His words stung, but they were true.
''What answers, Elijah?''
He began questioning. ''Why the fuck would you do that? Do you know how many people mourned you? How many people were affected by all of this?''
I looked away. ''I heard you, in the hospital.''
His brows narrowed and I continued.
''When doctors stabilized me, and I woke up, you were outside of the room with your sister and another man. I heard you when you told them that he ran away. And hearing that he was still on the loose... made me break completely.''
I glanced at him, watching him as his expression fell. His lips parted, eyes softened. It only lasted for a moment, and it made me wonder if I had imagined it? Perhaps, I did. Perhaps, I yearned to see that loving look on his face, one last time, before all of this vanished.
Elijah spoke the words I never wanted to say out loud. It was how I felt all of these years, but I didn't want to admit it. The fact that he figured it out in twenty minutes broke me, shattered something inside of me.
His voice was low. ''You no longer felt safe with me.''
I looked away, not wanting him to see the tears that fell down my cheeks. It wasn't his job to protect me, it wasn't his job to make me feel safe. Yet, I became dependent on him. It wasn't his fault I felt that way, but it was because of everything he'd done for me.
I broke one of the rules that I'd set for myself. Elijah saw me cry.
I took a step back and he knew not to bother me. As I glanced at him, I saw him fighting the urge. It was whether to make me cry more or to hug me. Eventually, the need to make me feel all the pain he felt over the years won.
''I can't blame you for how you felt, because what you went through is traumatic enough, but'' he paused and walked towards the door. ''It's not an excuse for how you reacted.''
The moment he left, I felt too much anger. It was pent up, and I finally unleashed it. I started smashing everything that I could get my hands on, and I was absolutely enjoying how it made me feel.
By the time I was done, it was dawn, and I was walking on glass pieces. It didn't even hurt that my feet were filled with glass, blood oozed. I was just numb.
And once the numbness went away, all I was left with was pain. An emotion I swore never to feel again.