"You said you had a long night?"
Alexa's POV
The door quietly opened, sliding gracefully against the hardwood floor. The sound of keys being thrown into the bowel beside the door and a deep sigh was heard from none other than Ela's mouth.
That's what the routine has been now for three weeks and four days. The routine being one of the girls waiting up till unholy hours of the night, waiting for Ela to return from one of her escapades with Kendell.
It was my turn tonight and I was beyond frustrated.
"Its three am Ela." I huffed throwing the warm blanket off of my lap and rubbing the sleep from out of my eyes.
"I tell all of you the same fucking thing. Don't wait up. And I mean it. So don't get mad at me when I tell you every fucking single time-"
"Watch it Ela! God I'm so tired of your shit!"
Her expression faded to something yet again unreadable. She mastered being able to mask her emotions and now she was a hollowed out vessel.
"I'm going to bed." She huffed throwing her purse down.
"Ela do you even see yourself? You're not happy anymore. You're empty and cold and- and lonely. You live with four other girls who love you like a sister and you treat them like annoying groupies! Do you see any of this?"
"No."
"Come on Ela! Please, I'm begging you, come out of this shell. You know Kendell doesn't love you."
"I wouldn't know if he really does or doesn't Alexa."
"Just because he said he was sorry doesn't mean he actually is. He's a jerk and doesn't deserve you."
"Well I've never actually gotten to feel what love is like so lay off Kendell and maybe I can have a chance."
I scoffed in disbelief. "You can't be serious?" I wanted to scream and throw the coffee table beside me right at Elas face. I couldn't take her pity parties anymore. "Ela! Come back here! This conversation isn't over!" I desperately tried getting her to listen but too late. She was already halfway down the hall and seconds later the sound of her door slamming shut was heard.
Count to ten and take a deep breath. I breathed a deep sigh, trying to calm myself down but this was shit and I was done letting Ela act like this.
"Ela Cunningham open this freaking door right now!" I shouted till my throat felt raw.
"What the hell is going on?" Maura emerged drugged from sleep. Her wild hair poking in every direction almost made me laugh. Almost but not enough to stop the seething anger boiling from my body.
"Ela is what's going on!" I screamed purposely through the doorframe.
"Its three am! Can we do this later?" She yawned.
"No we can't. I can't live like this anymore. Not with Ela ruining herself."
All of a sudden a burst of air hit my face. I turned to see Ela's door actually opened. Ela was nowhere in sight.
"Do you want me to help?"
I turned back to Maura. "No. I think I got this."
Maura nodded her head in approval and shut her bedroom leaving me in an open doorframe and a brooding Ela somewhere in her room.
I felt like I was entering a crime scene as I entered Elas confines. Everything was haphazardly thrown in every direction. No wonder why too. When Ela was upset, nothing in her life was organized. Nothing.
"Ela?"
"I - I jut don't know what to do! What to think! I don't-don't know what to do with myself!"
Not what I was expecting at all. Ela emerged from her closet in a frantic motion. Her hair was tugged and the deep black and blue bags beneath her eyes seemed to be freshly tattooed on.
I bit my lip in apprehension. I knew I was treading in dangerous territory. For Ela to open up, it takes a lot. Especially after weeks of silence. Now, out of nowhere, she was pouring her heart out to me and I just wanted to make sure that I didn't say anything stupid to make her shut herself out again.
"Did you know I bought a jet with him! A jet! A fucking jet Alexa!"
Oh god she's a goner. I thought again and again to myself as Ela poured her soul out into pieces.
"He was my world Alexa."
I swallowed over again and squeezed my eyes shut praying that I could conjure up a response that would somehow rid these demons attacking Ela.
"I know it's hard but-" I started but she interrupted me again.
"He's the one who showed me how to love. Alexa he is it for me. He's the only one I will ever love like that. Ever."
"Ela I understand why you are so upset, don't you see how I'm going through the same exact thing! It hurts like hell but this is no way to deal with it! Hey- hey Ela! Are you listening?"
She wasn't though and I could tell. All of her drawers were throw open and items were being tossed in every direction.
"I have to get rid of this!" She shoved a white folder in my face before scrambling to grab her purse.
"Whoa whoa slow down! Get rid of what?" I refocused my vision to see what she was talking about. And then I saw it. TPJC The private Jet Company written in black ink across the folder.
"Okay so shred it."
"Don't you understand? It's signed with him! I can't just shred it and have it be gone! I need to- need to get off the contract or- I don't know but something!"
Violently she grabbed her jacket and huffed it on. "Ela calm down! Where are you going? Stop and think about this okay. We will have lawyers look at the contract later okay? Just get some sleep."
She shook her head no. She honestly looked insane. "No it can't wait. I can't wait."
I followed her, running to keep up as she stormed back to the front door of the penthouse.
"Ela! No! What are you doing?"
"I have to settle this Alexa. "
"Ela it is three am. Do it tomorrow. Plus how do you even plan on settling it?"
"By going to see Harry. For as much sleepless nights as he's given me he can afford one without."
"Ela! Ela wait."
Too late. The door was slammed and she was gone.
"Shit." I mumbled to myself.
Do I follow? Do I call her? Better question.. Can I stop her? No.
But I could do something.
I had to. I could safely wash my hands of the matter if I at least tried and stopped Ela from whatever stupid thing she was going to do.
My fingers dialed the memorized number by heart before it even occurred to me what I was doing.
The phone rang and rang and rang and a knot grew in my stomach like no other.
I almost gave up hope and hung up. Almost...
"Alexa?" And I froze. I had forgotten it was 3 am.
Niall's voice sounded so raspy from sleep that his accent was barely able to be heard. I missed him so much. I had blocked every call, every text. I mailed back the letters. I avoided ever crossing his path by totally shunning events I knew he was going to be at. But that didn't stop me from missing him terribly.
"Alexa? What's wrong?" I could hear rustling in the background and hear him frantically grasping for something, anything, to cling on.
"No nothing is- its just...Ela. She took off in an angry daze and I think she's heading for Harry and can you just-could you just watch out for her. Make sure she doesnt do something stupid or just-"
"Of course Alexa. I'd do anything for you."
And instead of getting that warm and gushy feeling I usually got when he told me things like that. Now im just annoyed with it all.
"Stop lying Niall. I've had a long night and I'm not in the mood for your antics."
The rustling in the back ground completely faded now. "Antics? Jesus Alexa. I'm not lying! How could you even think that."
"Why wouldn't I think that? You've given me no reason not to."
"Alexa. Listen to me! It was never a lie to me. I just signed the damn thing so I could get to know you!"
I hung up. No later than thirty seconds my phone lit up with a cute picture of Niall kissing me cheek. Damn. I forgot to change Niall's profile picture.
"What?" I half screeched through the reciever.
"Don't hang up on me Alexa! Let's work thro-"
I hung up again. Screw him telling me what to do. He had no place to.
My phone lit up again.
"Alexa! Stop!"
And then I started laughing. Maybe it was the exhaustion or maybe I just loved hearing the sound of his voice. Either way I I burst out into giggles.
He sighed, but contently into the receiver.
"I missed that sound." He admitted so rawly.
That ceased my laughing immediately.
He caught onto my sudden stopping and quickly talked into the receiver againm probably to distract me.
"You said you had a long night?"
Do I talk to him? Should I? Why fricking not?
"Yeah.. The girls and I take shifts waiting for Ela to get home from dates with Kendell..."
"You and Harry.."
"Huh?" I questioned. "What do you mean?"
He sighed. "Harry stalks the internet whenever shit about Ela and Kendell comes up. He flips every time and then one of the guys has to calm him down."
"Really?" I don't know why but that actually surprised me. I didn't take Harry as someone to flip out like Niall was describing.
"He's a mess. Yeah."
"That's awful. I wouldn't wish that on Harry."
Niall wasn't the only one I missed. I missed Harry as being one of my best friends.
"You should come talk to him sometime."
I rubbed my eyes tiredly. "Him or you."
"Both."
I didn't know what to say. So instead I just yawned and shrugged. Because I did want to go see them deep down.
"You should go to bed Al."
"Yeah...I should." I didn't even want to say goodbye. How bad was that?
"I'll call you if Ela needs help or anything."
I felt my eyes slowly shutting. "Thanks Niall."
"Goodnight Alexa."
I nodding forgetting he couldn't see me. Within seconds I felt myself falling asleep here on the kitchen counter. The sweet silence and comfort of being able to finally relax hit me like a wave. I fell asleep a little bit happier that night all from just talking to Niall.
Maybe I should go talk to Niall tomorrow. I mean Harry. Yeah, Harry.