"...because he realized that his daughter was up to no good," William concluded with a smirk and Eliza giggled before climbing down his lap. Running towards his desk, she picked up her jacket just as another knock on the door followed.
"Where are you going?" he questioned and Eliza turned to face him as he put on his shirt; the linen was back on his body making her forget her lustful thoughts about him. She put her jacket on and pulled up the zipper.
"If Papa sees me here he'll be furious."
"You're going to escape? How?"
"No, I was rather thinking of hiding inside your bathroom," she said and she didn't miss the hint of tension that crossed his eyes.
"I don't think you should do that," he said, sounding serious.
"C'mon, I can't let him see me," she pleaded. "I lied to him about going to James'. He will be upset."
Eliza didn't wait for him to answer before she picked up her shoes and rushed towards the bathroom.
"Wait!" She heard him call out but she locked the door before he could stop her.
She pressed her ear to the door, putting an effort to hear whatever her father had to say. Her anxiety grew fast and she feared that Harvey would know she was here. Soon, she heard the click of the front door as William opened it.
"Why are you here?" She heard him say to her Papa. He sounded anxious and she knew it was because of her.
He needn't have to be.
"William." She heard Harvey speak. "Son, I am here to tell you that I won't be able to help you."
She did know which grabbed her attention more — the word 'help' or 'son'.
"Now is not a good time to speak," William said and even though he tried to sound okay, she could feel the nervousness in his voice.
"No. I have to," Harvey spoke. "I know that whatever happened was very unfortunate but there's no way I can help you. I can't."
"Mr Scott, you should go." William's voice was harsh but very low like it was almost taking him an effort to speak.
"No, son, listen to me," her father began again.
"Mr Scott, please go."
She was puzzled by William's defiance. It was like he didn't want her to hear what her father had to say.
"William, look, I have thought about it a lot..." her father continued. "But I can't take the risk. You must let her go."
"What?" This time William didn't stop Harvey and it seemed like he had forgotten about Eliza in his bathroom.
"You must let her go," Harvey repeated himself. Eliza had no idea who they were talking about but she was getting more and more interested.
"No," William said, his voice breaking. "You promised me. You said you will help me get her back."
"I can't, son. This isn't possible. I have thought of it a lot and I have come to the decision." Her father's voice was tensed and laced with a hint of anxiousness. "I need to think about my daughter. Whatever happens at the end will break her heart. I know how much destruction I have brought to your fate but I need to think about my Eliza first. I'm sorry, son."
Eliza started at his words. She couldn't believe what she had heard and she stood there, shocked.
"Please don't do this to me." She heard William beg. "I can't. You took away everything. Please, don't make her disappear. My future is in your hands. Please." She could hear him on the verge of tears and her heart thumped so loud that she heard the sound of it in her ears.
"I'm sorry, son," Harvey said. "I'm sorry. You need to forget her, she is gone. She is not yours anymore. You need to forget about her or of your chances of going back because there's no way I am risking the loss of another life because of my stupid obsession."
"You can't do this to me. I can't stay. I can't stay. I see her every day and you don't know how much it haunts me. Please don't do this." She heard him plead and she could hear his sobs. "Please, Dad. Please."
Eliza was now completely absorbed by what she was hearing and everything around her started to feel constricted. They were talking about her, she knew that. They were talking about her and William was calling Harvey 'Dad'.
This wasn't normal.
Her whole body shivered as terrible thoughts occupied her mind.
Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong.
"I am sorry. Please forgive me," her father said in a deep and grave voice.
She knew that voice. It was the voice he used when he was about to cry but was trying hard to control. She heard footsteps and then heard the sound of the front door opening and shutting. Her father was gone because she could hear no more conversations; everything was as silent as the grave. She slowly opened the bathroom door and peered outside. What she saw made her heart sink.
William sat on the bed, his head hung low and his eyes boring holes on the floor. His hands lay lifeless on his knees and all the expression of life was washed away from his face. He was catatonic. All the joy which had adorned his face before was gone.
She felt like she no longer knew him. He had gone back to being the mysterious guy; his walls were back and he was hidden behind them.
(Who are you?)
She moved out of the bathroom and walked up to him. He didn't even flinch at the sound of her footsteps. When she was close enough, she reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder but he still didn't move.
It was like he had lost all sense of life and would be dead at any moment. She grew worried as she watched him. He didn't acknowledge her presence in any way. She dropped her shoes on the floor and put her hands on his cheeks.
"William," she whispered but he was still not moving.
"William, what happened?"
He lifted his eyes to meet hers, unblinking. Yet, he wasn't moving. Then, all of a sudden, she felt his arms around her waist and he pressed his face on her stomach, pulling her closer.
He hugged her like he was afraid that she would go away.
"Please don't leave me, Eliza," he murmured and Eliza felt like he wasn't talking to her at all but to someone else. She put her arms around him, returning his hug.
"William, what did Papa say?" she asked softly as she rested her chin on the crown of his head.
"Please don't leave me, Eliza. Please don't leave me. I'm so sorry, love. I promise I'll be good. I'll be good..." She felt him trembling as he said those words. It was like he was begging her to not leave but she knew that he wasn't speaking to her; he was speaking to someone else.
(Who are you?)
"William?" she asked when he stopped moving and his arms dropped from around her. She panicked and looked up at his face as his weight started to feel heavy. His eyes were closed and Eliza knew what had happened.
He had fainted.
She grew frantic and tried to shake him awake.
"William? William?" she called out and slowly pushed him to lie him on his bed. When he was down, she lightly slapped his cheeks but he wasn't waking up.
"Will! Oh God!" she exclaimed.
He had just suffered a migraine attack and now he was unconscious. What if something had happened to him?
The thought hit Eliza so hard that she started to think that if something were to happen to him, something would happen to her.
"William," she said, leaning down and caressing his cheeks. "Don't worry, I'll bring help."
She rushed towards the door and soon she was crossing the street to her own house. She knocked on the door loudly, all the while feeling extremely anxious about William.
What had her father said to him?
"Open the door!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. She had forgotten to take her key and now she regretted it. Soon enough, she heard the click and found her father standing there, looking down at her; his eyes and cheeks were red.
"Eliza! Honey, where are your shoes?" Harvey asked, surprised.
Eliza had completely forgotten about her shoes and she didn't worry about why they were important at a time like this.
"Something happened to William. Help him, Papa!" she exhaled loudly, the cold finally starting to get to her. Her father reached out and pulled her inside the house.
"What happened?" he asked.
"William..." said Eliza. "He fainted. Please help him, Papa. He isn't waking up. Please help him."
She could feel the tears ready to escape her eyes at any moment.
"Calm down, honey. I'll be back. Stay here," he ordered her before rushing out of the door and Eliza watched his frantic steps as he reached across and pushed open the door of William's house to rush in.
She wanted to run to them but she didn't want to see William like that. She knew her father would help him, so she went inside the hall and took a seat on the sofa as she waited for her father to show up with William's news.
Her mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts and soon the thoughts turned to nightmares as she fell asleep on the sofa.
***
"Wake up, honey," Harvey Scott called to her. She opened her eyes to find him looking at her. The events of the day rushed through her mind and she got up to hold his arms.
"Is he okay, Papa? Please tell me he is okay," she pleaded to her father.
Harvey stared at her in surprise and then took her hand in his. He took a seat on the table near the sofa and faced her.
"He is fine, honey. I have given him medicine to put him to sleep," he said, calmly.
"Thank God!" she exclaimed.
"I found your shoes and cap at his house. What were you doing there?" her father asked in a worrisome tone.
"I heard you, Papa," she said instead and didn't miss the panic that flashed through her father's face.
He dropped her hand and stared at her, astonishment clear in his eyes.
"What did you hear?" he asked her, his voice dripping with paranoia.
"Everything," she said. "What were you talking about and why were you saying my name and what did you say to him that he became so sick all of a sudden?"
"Honey...I..."
"Tell me," she demanded, looking him straight in the eyes.
"I..." her father fumbled for words.
"Don't lie to me, Papa. I know when you lie. Tell me. Tell me what happened and what are you hiding," she begged him. "Please."
"You won't understand, honey. I can't tell you. It'll hurt you."
"I am strong enough. Tell me, Papa. I knew something was wrong ever since the day I first saw him. I even heard you both conversing in the hall and you stopped when I stepped in. Tell me. Please, I beg you," she pleaded again, holding his hand until she saw the pity in his eyes.
"I made a mistake, honey," he sighed. "A very big and devastating mistake."
"What did you do? You called William 'Son' and he called you 'Dad'. Why?"
"He is my son," her father said and Eliza's heart almost stopped beating. She felt sick at his words and uncomfortable thoughts appeared in her mind. She had kissed him. She didn't want to regret doing that ever.
"He is my son. Though not my flesh and blood, he is my son and not just my son."
"What do you mean?" she asked in a low and unsteady voice, afraid of what she might hear.
"He is..." her father inhaled a deep breath and stared at the ceiling.
She held his hand, "Please tell me..who is he?"
"He is the man from the future, Eliza. He is your future husband and my son-in-law."