"When are you planning to repair that stove?" Harvey Scott asked as he finished making William a bowl of noodles and placed it in front of him on the dining table.
"In case you haven't noticed, I don't have my money," William reminded the man.
Harvey tried to be good to him but even after all that, William couldn't help but hold a grudge against the man.
This man was the reason he was in this mess.
William devoured the noodles as fast as possible. He had only come to Harvey because he was hungry and he had finished all his money ordering food from outside for the last few days. His stove wasn't working and he didn't plan on repairing it anytime soon, not unless Harvey wished to give him money for that too.
He finished his dinner and stood up, ready to leave the room as early as possible.
"Where are you going?" Harvey asked, taking him by surprise.
"To that house opposite yours," he replied, pointing towards the front door.
"You appear distant, son."
"Don't call me that," William said with a low growl.
"Why? You are my son," Harvey said, calmly.
"Don't pretend to show me that fake love. I am not your son or son-in-law, not unless you are planning to give me Eliza's hand for marriage like right fucking now," he seethed.
Harvey didn't say anything as he watched William observantly.
"Trust me, son," he said after a moment. "I would have done anything to prevent these turn of events."
"I don't want to trust you. You killed my baby. My wife is gone. Her love and our marriage disappearing into thin air. My life is messed up and I don't want to talk to you anymore. I don't know what I am going to do next. I can't stay here nor can I go home...so don't you dare tell me I appear distant."
Harvey flinched and then rose from his seat. "At least wait a moment, let me get some money for you."
William went back to stare at the blank floor. He couldn't deny the money, not in times like this. Lorna had lent him her car for travelling to nearby places but without money, he felt so utterly futile. Harvey disappeared from William's view and was out of the hall when his phone, which was lying on the table, began to ring. He waited for Harvey to show up but then he saw the caller ID.
'Eliza'
William's heart leapt and he quickly received the call.
"Hello?" he answered.
No reply
He waited for some time thinking Eliza must have recognized that it was him and not her Papa. He wanted to give her time to adjust. However, the sound of loud music and shouting from the other end made him speak again.
"Eliza?"
"Help...me," she said in a weak and feeble voice and he had to strain his ear to hear her. His heart thumped loud at the sound of those words.
"Where are you?" he asked, frantically.
"Arabella...house."
"Wait for me." He quickly copied Eliza's number in his phone before rushing out of the house, not waiting for Harvey as the man rushed down the stairs calling out to him.
***
When William reached the Davidson house, he found it to be a huge villa richly designed. He could see the teenagers walking and running around like crazy six-year-olds through the clean glass doors.
His eyes searched for Eliza as he stepped inside the raging party amidst the sound of music blasting from the speakers. He was worried as he pushed the crowd to make way to find the girl he was searching for.
The place reeked of beer, smoke and he could smell something else too. The way these people were behaving, he couldn't doubt that they were high on something and his worries grew more when he realized that Eliza might be in their situation too. He pushed across the people and was stopped by Arabella Davidson.
She had walked straight at him and her hands were now on his chest.
"What are you doing here, Mr Ray?" she said, in a sleepy voice. He tried to push her hand away from his blazer but she was falling onto him, more and more.
"I thought that you didn't like parties. Who invited you?" she spoke as her hands tucked at his black blazer and the white shirt underneath it. He tried to brush her off but she clung to him.
"Get off me!"
"When you look like this?" She smirked instead. "This extremely delicious, Mr Ray? I can't dare to let you go."
William had never seen someone this high before but now, as each word escaped Arabella's mouth, his fear for Eliza grew more and more. Reluctantly, he did what he didn't want to do.
He grabbed Arabella's shoulders and with a small 'sorry', gave her a push. She fell backwards, to the floor, where she passed out moments after. He sighed as he wondered how many of them would he have to shut up like that before he found Eliza.
It turned out to be none for he found her soon. She was lying in one dark corner of a room, curled up on a couch. Her phone was on the ground but that's not what shocked William. She wasn't wearing any top. She lied there in her bra and jeans, her feet bare and her shoes and clothes nowhere to be seen. William rushed towards her.
Her face was covered by the tangled mess of hair and her whole body was covered in sweat. For a second, he feared the worst but he dismissed those fears. He knelt close to her and put a hand on her arm in an attempt to shake her awake.
"Eliza?" He shook her slowly and she let out a painful groan.
She slowly opened her eyes, they scanned around the room and then stopped at his face.
"Papa?" she said, hope evident in her voice.
"No. It's me...William."
She stared at him for some time, blinking her eyes, and then, her red lips curled to a smile.
"William," she said, grinning. "You came."
"I'll always," he assured her as he picked up her phone from the floor and slipped it into his pocket.
His eyes then travelled around the room, looking for something to make Eliza wear. He spotted a blue T-shirt and quickly picked it up, leaving Eliza's side for a moment. He held her head as he helped her up to a sitting position. She was still grinning at him with her eyes closed.
"William," she said and William stilled when she leaned in and placed a sloppy kiss on his cheek, lingering for a moment too long at his jaw. His heart drummed loudly at the sudden intimacy of her affection.
"Eliza," he groaned as he made her let go of him to help her into the T-shirt.
"Look, William, you're blushing," she said and pinched his cheeks as he fought hard to hide his smile.
"C'mon, let's get you home."
"No," she said and he raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"I don't want to go." She pouted, once again lying down on the couch.
"Eliza, let's go," he said sternly. She was not in her right state and he needed to get her out of the madhouse. The place was reeking of danger at every step and it wouldn't be long before the loud music brought the cops there.
"But if we go home then you will stop talking to me again," she said and his eyes widened in surprise.
"Huh?" he managed to let out.
She grabbed at his blazer and pulled him, making him lose his balance and fall on top of her.
"Eliza..." he hissed, trying to pull away.
"William. Please," Eliza said. "I just want you to kiss me like you kissed your wife."
He panicked when she placed another kiss, this time on his neck, and he tried to pull away. He was successful as he got down from her but she didn't let go of his blazer.
"Eliza, you're not well. Let me take you home."
"If I go home then Papa will know," she said finally and he felt remorseful when he looked at her fear-stricken eyes.
"It's okay. He won't know."
"Promise?" She raised one frail little finger which shook mercilessly and brought it near his face.
"Promise," he said as he laced her little finger with his.
Eliza smiled and then stood up slowly. William didn't let go of her. She fell on his chest and he put one hand around her waist and let the other get under her knees. With little to no effort, she was up in his arms and her hands interlocked themselves around his neck. She nuzzled closer and he felt her hot breath on his neck. She weighed less than the last time and now he wanted to make sure that he helped her back to health. He wouldn't let her destroy herself like this.
With quick steps, he was out of the house with her in his arms. When they were out, the sound of the music lowered and he heard Eliza sigh with relief.
"This world is cruel, William. Please don't let it hurt me," she whispered against his skin.
"I'll never," William promised as he took her home.