I sit in the hospital waiting room next to my brother but right across from my father. The events of friday night replaying through my head like a bad horror movie. He thought I was having sex with Elijah and at the moment all I wanted to do was shout at him for beating on me, threaten to tell my mother what was going on. But I don't, I instead sit in silence looking at my phone on the table. Breathing deeply and refusing to meet my father nor brothers gaze.
"You okay Raine?" Levi's voice filled the silent air but instead of replying to him I simply nodded my head.
"Speak when someone's talking to you." My father grouched.
"Just leave her alone!" Leviticus responded to my father's grumpiness without me needing to say a word. My phone began to vibrate on the table in front of us and as my father's hand guided it's way towards it I snatched it up from him and made my way to the hallway. How dare he try and answer my cellphone, especially after the way he'd been treating me lately.
"Hello?" I managed to squeak out. My hand was trembling as I held the phone to my ear, the number was unrecognizable making me afraid of who might just be on the other line.
"Raine? It's Carol, Elijah wanted to know if your going to church today." Carol's voice filled my ear like a bandage on my open wound. It was Sunday, of course I was going to church!
"Well of course, why?" I sighed into the reciever relieved it was her, the best thing about church on first Sundays is my dad never goes. He always claims it's because of work when really, it's because he goes out with his friends instead.
"Well, I don't know he just told me to ask you." She chuckled through the phone and I could hear in the background she was outside with little kids screaming.
"Raine, they said we can go ahead to mom's room now." Leviticus said coming up on the side of me. I told Carol good-bye and headed up to my mother's room with my brother and father. She seemed far smaller then she had seemed my last visit but her color was somewhat brighter and she was sitting up without much support.
"Look what I have here, a sight I hardly ever see. Not just my beautiful daughter but she's brought my dashing husband and handsome son along with her. A gift for first Sunday I suppose?" My mom smiled as I made my way across the room to stand at the side of her bed next to Levi, with my dad on the opposite side.
"How are you Mary, are you getting any better? How do you feel?" My father asked sounding genuinely worried.
"Im fine honey. Getting stronger every time I pray." She smiled holding my father's hand as he gave hers a light peck. I wonder if she would still be this sweet to him if she knew what he'd been doing to me lately.
"That's great mom, we really miss you at home, it feels so empty without you." Levticus smiled giving my mother a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"Raine sweety what happened to your lip?" The sudden question startled me causing me to look up at her in fright. My father's glare was cold as if daring me to say something about it to my mother, but Leviticus' gaze was light as if he were afraid of what I might say.
"Some girls at school have been harassing her lately, something about a boy. What's his name... Elijah right?" My dad smiled fakely looking me dead in the eyes, he was challenging me.
"I wasn't asking you dear, I was asking Raine. Sweetheart is that true?" My mother asked looking at me. I took a deep breath considering my options, if I told her my father had beat me it would do no good. I would still have to go home with him.
"Yes ma'am, nothing serious. Like dad said last night at dinner, next time it happens we'll do more then just call you." I smiled staring my father in the eyes and I saw his jaw tighten up. It was a empty warning, but he didn't know that.
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I smoothed out my white sunday dress and listened to the pastor make the final annoucments. He smiled at me and like a good christain girl I smiled back at him. His son Jeremiah smiled up from his seat at the piano just as everyone gathered to leave. Jeremiah and I had always been nice to each other but lately i'd been avoiding him after church, he'd started this new thing where he'd 'casually' flirt with me. I admit, I did use to have a slight crush on him but as I grew up I began to notice what a snob he actually was.
The cool air hit me as I stepped to the bottom of the church steps and sat down taking a deep breath. I needed desperately to unwind but I knew I wouldn't get the oppurtunity to do that anytime soon.
"Hey Bible Girl, you look pretty." Elijah smiled leaning up against a tree right in front of the church.
"What on Earth are you doing here, shudn't you be doing something illegal? Like working?" I asked.
"No, I don't have training today and I was actually kind of hoping you and me could take Joey to the river. She want's to go fishing." He smiled. I looked at him in utter disbelief, he was acting as if nothing had happened Friday night.
"The river?" I asked a bit confused when he nodded his head. I quickly saw his car and a glimpse of Joey in the backseat. "Shouldn't I change?"
"No, you look pretty good to me." He smiled grabbing my hand. I slid into the passenger seat and looked back at Joey, she was coloring. The ride was quiet but somehow Elijah managed to intangle my hand in his. As we got out of the car at the lake Joey pulled me out and lead me down to the waters. She quickly pulled off her shoes and stepped in giving a little shiver to indicate it was cold.
"You could get sick that way Joey, you're too young to be in there like that!" I scowled.
"Im too young? So what's you're excuse? Come on church girl stop being such a wuss!" She smiled challenging me as she bended over as if touching her toes letting her hands drop in the water.
"I thought we were fishing!" I exclaimed. Elijah snuck up behind me slipping his arms around my waist causing my body to tense up in fear. The alley flashed through my mind and I began to want to run away from him.
"We are. Joey likes to fish with her hands." Elijah explained pulling himself away from me. He had on nothing but his shorts as he trudged into the water picking up Joey over his shoulder before falling into the water. They came back up in a fit of giggles. "What are you waiting for, permission?"
"I don't need permission!" I smiled looking at the two trying to fight the smile on my face.
"Then get your ass in the water church girl!" Joey smiled and I flinched at her foul language that Elijah rewarded with a pinch on her elbow. I pulled off my church heels and stepped into the water, fearful at all the things that could be floating beneath the surface. Immediately Joey started to splash me and Elijah dove under the water pulling me down by my feet. While underneath he pulled me under so he was laying on top of me and for a moment I thought he'd kiss me. Instead he locked my hands in his, gave me a smile, and then pushed himself back to the surface. We played around in the water for without until the sun had set peacefully over the hills.
"Eli, when are you gonna start the fire? Im getting tired!" Joey whined floating on her back.
"You girls go ahead and get fire wood, I'll start to set up the law chairs and get the snacks out." Elijah smiled. Joey pulled me from the water and we headed to the edge of the forest.
"So you and my brother are just freinds right?" Joey smirked sarcastically.
"How old are you like.. 5?" I asked and Joey looked at me with a smiled shaking her head vigorusly.
"I just turned 6 thank you!' She smiled. We finished getting the fire wood and headed back. Elijah handed Joey a Dora bag full of clothes and it was obvious he had already changed into a black longsleeve and some sweat pants. He handed me a longsleeve sweat shirt and some gym shorts. I went to the forest and changed into his clothes, they were big on me but comfortable nonetheless.
"You look pretty good in my clothes." Elijah smiled, his face lit up in the fire light as he sat on one lawn chair and Joey heated up marshmellows on the other.
"I would take that as a compliment if it weren't so flirtatious and cliche." I smiled sitting next to him.
"Nothing wrong with a little flirting bible girl, you do it too. And that's even if you haven't noticed you do." He winked. The sky was filled with stars shining like glitter, and the more the night sinked in Joey got more and more sleepy until she had fallen asleep in the lawn chair.
"We should probably get going, Joey's already knocked out and it's really late." I sighed, Elijah slid to the ground next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"We can go anywhere you wanna go BG, but somehow I get a feeling home isn't exactly where you wanna go." Elijah smiled pulling me in. I rested my head on his shoulder too exhausted to struggle away. I was beginning to feel safe with Elijah, safer then i'd ever felt with anyone outside of my family. And even though we constantly bickered I knew I was starting to feel more then a slight pull towards him, some may even call it a... attraction.
"Maybe I don't, but I don't have anywhere else to go" I admitted looking into Elijah's blue eyes. He stared down at me with a boyish smirk and nodded as if he understood.
"We don't have to ever go home if you don't want to, I can just drop off Joey and we can talk all night. Don't tell anyone I was being so cliche though, might just ruin my reputation. Then i'd have to kill you off, you being the only witness of it and all." He smiled, and from his eyes I could tell he was being genuine.
"I think you should just bring me home." I blurted trying to stop the cliche moment where I was sure if this was a book people would be expecting him to sweep me off my feet. I wasn't that easy and this wasn't a book, this was my life. And I wanted a christain boyfriend, one with morals and good family values and a LEGAL job. Elijah wasn't it, no matter how comfortable or happy he could ever make me. I knew my mother and father wouldn't approve and I needed their approval, well, at least my mother's anyway. "Whether I want to be there or not my curfew is 10 and it's 9 o'clock."
Elijah nodded as he picked up a sleeping Joey with one arm and the other I clung on to. I couldn't help but wonder what Elijah was thinking, and what he thought of me as a person. But I was too chicken to ask him as we loaded up the car and headed in the direction of the place I called home.
I felt torn into sections.
Half of me knew going home was best because the life I wanted was one Elijah would definitely steer me away from. My Christianity and religion and beliefs would all be pushed aside. The path I had spent my whole life making for myself would be scrificed.
But the other half of me wanted to stay with Elijah all night getting to know what goes on that head of his. Wanting to be able to not worry all the timeabout what God would think of me and live for myself, without constantly needing the approval of my superiors.
Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.
Psalm 119:34
(A/N: Hope you guy's enjoy this chapter, because I've been up all night writing it! Trying to figure out if im gonna write the next one in Elijah's Pov or not though lol!!
By The Way: I'm dedicating it to the_lost_words, simply because she's a awesome writer and her story "Step Brother, I Hate You" has become my absolute FAVORITE!!!! That and she's encouraged me to write this chapter and stayed up with me so we could post at the same time. She's awesome like that lol, plus she's my wattpad buddy and it's really fun talking to her, she really keeps me motivated.)