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.....
. ELLIE
After our not at all friendly encounter after 3 weeks yesterday, Harry didn't know what to say as he still cried but after some time he gave up and went to the bedroom to, I assume, sleep. I didn't care.
Today I realized I didn't want to be in the same house as him. Under the same roof with him. Not today maybe. So the best place to go and clear my head was my cafe.
After almost a month of it being closed I finally wanted to go back. The only things I had left were the bittersweet memories of me and my mother. The only person in my life that did love me and care about me.
Harry was still asleep so without making any noise, I put my hoodie over the white crop top I was wearing along with jeans because of the cold breeze outside and went out deciding to walk there.
It was 9 in the morning and the cold tickled my cheeks and nose. I paced a little and finally arrived. I opened the door and saw everything was left untouched from the night of the accident. But as I stared more at the broken phone and table on the ground, more memories flooded back. So I quickly darted my eyes away and moved to the counter.
I got a bucket of water and a broom and started cleaning the dusty counters, tables and walls here and there. I also made fresh pastries and cookies and coffee.
I got so lost in the work I didn't realize it was 1 pm. Damn Elliana. Cleaning for 4 hours straight. But when I looked around, everything was shining, everything and everywhere was clean, neat and had life in it again. A small smile of satisfaction tugged at the corner of my lips but quickly faded when the first customer of the day entered.
"Hello miss."
A tall, and dark haired man with ocean blue eyes entered. His face looked familiar but I couldn't figure out where I've seen him. But then, not wanting to scare him away because I was staring, I looked away, quickly straightened myself and greeted him.
"Hi. Welcome. Have a seat and I'll be right with you."
The man nodded and sat down. I quickly went behind the counter and replaced my hoodie with an apron and left the bucket and broom out of sight. I paced back to the table he was sitting and with a sigh I was there.
"What can I get you sir?" I asked forcing a smile that never formed.
"Actually an espresso would be great." I nodded ready to go when his question caught me off guard.
"Miss I've came here almost every day for the past 3 months for coffee when you were suddenly closed for a whole 3 weeks. What happened?"
"Ummm..." I turned around and looked at him. That's why he looks familiar. I thought.
He was waiting for my answer with his face holding a confused expression. "If you are having money issues I offer to help and you can pay me back any time." He offered. I was taken aback by how sweet and nice he was.
"No sir. Me and my family went on a trip to Asia. But thank you for saying that. It's very nice of you." I lied and finally smiled only to assure him that I wasn't lying, which I was, and went to make his coffee.
After he left, more costumers came and some of them who had came here before, asked me the same question and I told them the same lie.
It was around 6 when the door of my now busy cafe opened. Luckily it was located in one of the popular parts of the city so it could get pretty busy at rush hours.
All tables were packed with people, leaving the boy with blonde hair and green-ish blue eyes nowhere to sit.
He was handsome, I admit. And tall and really beautiful. He had a piercing on his lip and smiled when he caught my eyes staring at him.
"Hello there." He smiled widely. Something about how his lips formed when he smiled or how his piercing was reaching his ear because he grinned or how his eyes stared deeply into mine made me smile back. Not one of those forced ones I've been carrying since morning, but a real one.
"Hi." I simply said. "What can I get you?" I asked him.
"Well actually, I was looking forward to getting a job in here. I see how this place is always packed with costumers and you are always, you know, working alone. I was wondering if I could work here too."
I was confused and didn't know what to say. Nobody has ever came to me and asked if they could work here. But then again it was true. I really was alone and needed help sometimes so with a smile on my lips, I nodded. "Yes. It's fine. You could start right now if you like because I could really use some help." I chuckled and gestured towards the amount of people sitting and chatting.
"Sure. Awesome!" He got behind the counter and put on the extra apron we had instead of his jacket. "I really needed a job and I came here sometimes so I figured why not go and find out if I have a chance." He stated and shrugged.
"How old are you?" He asked as his tall figure hovered above me knocking all the air out of my lungs when he stared down at me with his beautiful eyes. "18."
"Really? Aren't you a little young to have a cafe all by yourself?"
"Actually it was my moms but she passed away." I said and looked away.
"Oh... I'm so sorry! I'm an idiot.. I'm so sorry-"
"Hey hey! It's okay. After almost two years without her, I'm used to it." I smiled again when I looked up at him.
"Geez. I didn't even introduce myself and you gave me the job. You must really have a huge trust in people you meet."
When he said that, a part of me recalled the memories I had with him. Every single one. I looked up at the table where he sat down 6 months ago for the first time when he came in as I remembered how mesmerizing he was with his long curls and green orbs. How he melted me under his gaze. How we talked, laughed.
And then my eyes darted to the table in front of it. The one he kicked Dylan to death beside it and Dylan knocked me out. I remembered every single one of them as clear as the day. And it hurt me, a lot when I also remembered how I trusted him and let him be a part of my life.
"Yeah. I guess I do." I sighed and looked down.
"I'm Luke. And you m'lady?" He asked and I chuckled again.
"Elliana. But I go by Ellie mostly."
"Well Ellie, it's great to be working with you." He smiled and his piercing was dancing on his lip again.
"Miss?" Somebody called and I turned to look at Luke. "Well here's your first costumer." I shrugged and he got a notepad and almost ran to the couple, giving me thumbs up when he reached them.
I chuckled and looked away starting to do my own job. As I was cleaning the counter, I remembered the memories again. Flashbacks from any time, anywhere we where together. And then after a long time of ignoring it, I admitted it.
I still love him. No matter how many times he lies to me, no matter how many times he fucks over and over again, no matter how much I try to ignore it or push it away, I still truly love him.
But he can never know that. Not now at least.
I don't want to talk to him until he realizes how much pain he has caused me. Until he explains everything himself and apologizes for every lie he has told me.
.....
After a long and busy day, me and Luke said our goodbyes and parted ways, going home.
On the way back, my heart raced 100 miles per second. Yeah! That's how fast. Because I still got butterflies when I thought about him.
I don't know why but remembering those memories again, kicked something in me.
Made me feel.
Something that hasn't happened for 2 weeks.
I slowly shut the door and made my way to the kitchen to drink something.
The house was dead silent, you could hear ants walking on the wooden floor. That meant I was alone.
Sitting on the couch I turned on the TV and started watching the news. Something I hardly ever do.
"Just in today, a 17 year old girl was announced missing this afternoon. The parents said that after not hearing from her for almost three days they figured she might be missing. They contacted the police and they are working on the case...."
As the news anchor continued telling the story, I couldn't help but get sad and mad at the same time. Tears formed in my eyes as I remembered what Zayn told me the first day I was there.
"He sells girls."
"He sends his men to go all around mostly Europe and America and Asia and kidnap the ones that catch their attention. Then he brings them all here, London, and sells them to men or even women at his own auctions."
What else could've possibly happened other than him or his men capturing her? Nobody ever goes missing in this goddamn city.
I couldn't believe myself. I couldn't believe after finding out what a monster he really is I still love him.
Somewhere in between my cries and the news, I had fallen asleep on the couch. But I was jolted awake by the door hardly slamming shut making a loud thud break through the silence in the house.
I peaked and saw it was him. A bottle of scotch hung loosely between his long fingers and he stumbled a little. He stopped to take a long sip of the almost finished bottle and then continued his journey upstairs without noticing me.
After some minutes that I heard the bedroom door slam shut, I quietly made my way upstairs too. I opened the door and saw he was fast asleep.
I slowly went in and saw his exhausted body spread out on his stomach all across the mattress as soft snores left his pink lips and his hand was on top of the bottle that was now empty and laid on the ground.
I moved closer to him and kneeled beside the bed. The smell of alcohol and cigarettes lingered in the air surrounding him. But you could still smell his cologne. His hair had gotten longer. And I wished I could run my fingers through it like I always did as he rubbed small circles on my hips with his thumb, but I couldn't.
But what caught my attention was the hickeys on his neck along with some red lipstick on his shirt that was under his all too familiar coat.
I smiled out of pity for myself and whispered. "How can I still love you after all you have done to me and you wouldn't even love me back? Don't I deserve an explanation?"
A single tear rolled down my cheek but I quickly wiped it away.
I moved back to my spot on the couch and let it's warmth slowly greet me as I drifted into yet another sleep with our memories playing over and over in my head.
.....
So Luke is the good guy.