I wasn't too sure what time I fell asleep at, but I knew that I didn't get enough sleep. I rubbed my aching eyes and dragged myself out of the couch. It was 10 am. I searched around the couch for my phone and Elijah's shirt.
I grabbed it from my room after we got off the phone last night. His scent helped me believe that he was around me which eased my mind throughout the night.
I received text messages from Pia, Xavier, and Elijah all asking if I was okay. I sent them all reassuring text messages and headed to the bedroom. There was plenty of light coming into my room which typically would've made me unable to fall asleep but this time around, it helped me fall asleep. I felt safer in the light, so I managed to fall asleep for a few more hours.
I had been thirty minutes late to Xavier's baseball game. He wanted to take a picture before the game because that's when his uniform was nice and clean. I ran onto the bleachers and could see Xavier being visibly upset.
"Go Xavier!" I yelled, standing onto the bleacher and blocking the view. It was rude of me to do, but I had to get his attention.
I had arrived just on time to watch him bat. I yelled again and began stomping. The complaints of the people behind me also helped get his attention. He scanned the audience and flashed a big smile when he spotted me in a red sweater.
With his hit, he managed to get onto second base. Another person went up to bat and Xavier got in position to run. His teammate struck the bat with great force, allowing Xavier to run to homebase and allowing himself to go to third base.
The game went on for about three hours and there wasn't a break in between so I couldn't talk to Xavier. Though, he did occasionally wave at me.
His team won and the people on my side of the stadium all cheered. It was an intense game. At times, I should Xavier's team would lose, and other times I was sure they had the game.
Xavier ran over to me and hugged me tightly, lifting me up slightly. "I think you're my lucky charm!"
"Doubt it," I laughed. "You were great out there! That's pure skill not luck."
"Thanks Mo, that means a lot. The team is going to head to the diner for some food and celebration. Want to come?"
"Sure! I haven't really eaten today!"
The team went to the same diner Pia and I went to before school started. The team divided up and took seperate booths. Xavier waved off some of his friends and told them he'll catch up with them later. We sat at a booth in the corner of the diner.
"I remember seeing you here for the first time," he admitted with a smile.
I furrowed my eyebrows and took a sip of my vanilla shake. "Didn't we meet at your frat house?"
"Yeah, that's were we officially met and talked but I saw you here with Pia. I was pretty hidden away in the back with a few pals, but I spotted you. Cant miss that curly hair of yours."
"Oh, so stalking me huh?" I joked.
"I wouldn't call it stalking, more so, looking."
I playfully rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You're really something."
"But you like it," he said with a smirk.
"Yeah, whatever," I scoffed and smiled.
Xavier and I shared some chili cheese fries while we waited for our cheeseburgers to be cooked. He had made a ridiculous joke about our math professor that I nearly choked on one of the fries. We finally caught our breaths from laughing so hard and that's when I felt a firm hand land on my shoulder.
"Alright, this party is over. You're coming with me," the man spoke.
"What the --"
The man had already picked me up from my seat and it was when we were almost out the door that I realized it was Felix.
"Let her go, man. What's your problem?" Xavier asked, grabbing onto Felix's leather jacket.
"I'm giving you three seconds to get your dirty fingers off my authentic leather jacket."
Xavier wasn't going to budge until Felix released me. I didn't want Xavier to get hurt so I complied. "Its fine, I'll go with him X." I remembered that Felix had a black belt in jujitsu so Xavier was going to be an easy defeat.
"Smart girl," Felix praised in a demeaning tone.
"Mo," Xavier whispered.
"It's all cool," I assured.
"Exactly. Listen to your friend," Felix interjected. "Now, let's go." His grip tightened again, he practically dragging me out of the restaurant and shoved me into his black jeep wrangler.
He slammed the passenger door and ran to the driver's side.
"What the hell is your problem?" I yelled as he floored onto the gas and sped out of the parking lot.
"What was that all about? If you're going to fuck around and leave my friend on the side I'd rather you grow some balls and tell him face to face that things are over."
I looked at him in confusion and frantically waved my hands when he slammed onto the brakes. "Oh my God, slow down! You almost hit that guy!" I lifted my hand up and apologized to the man who was giving us a mean stare.
"Look, Elijah is a great guy. He deserves to be loved and appreciated. Morena, if you can't do that. I need you to let him go. These past few days have tormented him. Do you know what he did last night?"
My eyes widened with the thought that Elijah could have done something to harm himself. "No, what? Is he okay? He texted me this morning. He has to be okay? Right? Is he in the hospital?" I felt my blood running at an abnormal rate, my heart beating rapidly, and my mind bombarded with heinous thoughts.
"No? He's home. Let me talk," he said, waving me dismissively.
I nodded in agreement and gave him the floor.
"I was a bit drunk, but he wasn't. He barely ate or drank his beer, which was expensive by the way. Anyway, you called him and told him you were alone? He knew you were terrified so he slept in his car last night in your parking lot. He grabbed my luxurious sherpa blanket, Voss water bottle, my iPad and left for your place."
My heart sank at the idea of Elijah sleeping in his car because of me. I should've just been forward with my feelings and told him that I wanted to grow with him instead of without him.
"I don't understand this 'break' crap. Real relationship don't get breaks, Morena. If you're too immature for a real relationship, I think you need to reevaluate everything."
"I'm not," I whispered. "I've just been through a lot."
"Everyone has, little girl. Get in line. It's called working through it with those you love or a therapist and getting the fuck over it."
"Why are you being so rude?" I asked loudly.
"I'm not. This is how I get through to people. I'm real, I'm harsh, I'm blunt."
"So, you're taking me to his apartment?"
"Yes, you're going to either break his heart or mend it. I don't want to see my friend being played or hurt."
"Felix..."
He lifted his hand up, halting me from speaking. "Let's drive in silence."
"I cant even --"
He lifted his hand up again and shh-ed me.
I sunk back into the seat and crossed my arms. He definitely wasn't putting me into a loving mood, but at least I was going to see the man I loved. I supposed that Felix had a point to everything he was saying. I had to be more serious about my approach with Elijah. I didn't want to hurt him and me in the process because honestly, I felt like I lost myself even more throughout the days without him.
Felix stopped in the middle of the road and unlocked my door. "Go."
"Bye," I yelled, slamming the door closed.
He dashed off into the darkness, leaving me on an empty sidewalk. He couldn't even drop me off directly in front of the apartment. He made me walk a block and knowing Felix, he thought I would need this time to make up my mind. Though, he didn't know me because I had already made up my mind last night. I just didn't have somebody to push me.
I clutched my hands together before knocking onto the door and blew into my cold hands. I raised my hand and pressed on the doorbell.
It felt like my heart was going to burst out of my chest from all the rapid beating. There was no answer. I rang the doorbell again and waited for another minute.
I had turned around and started walking towards the elevator with my head hung low. The elevator door rang and opened, I was stepping into it when Elijah's door opened.
"Morena," he exhaled.
"Elijah," I cried and ran into his bare chest. I wrapped my legs around his waist and deeply pressed my lips onto his lips. We kissed with a hungry passion and with the desire of consuming each other tonight.