A Penny For Your Tears

Twenty Three

Nervously, I trod across the dimly-lit street towards Elias' home, clutching his penny tightly in my fist as my teeth clattered together in shivers due to the cold night air. It was late, and I wasn't really sure what I was doing but by the time I had set foot in his compound, I knew it was too late to turn back now. Much to my convenience or inconvenience, Elias was already outside, sending me a puzzled look when he saw my approaching figure.

"Olivia?" He questioned confused while taking a puff of the poison stick that was a cigarette. My face scrunched up in disgust and Elias' only reaction was to laugh. I smiled at the sound, something I wasn't accustomed to but wouldn't mind hearing again. "Are you just here to judge me while I smoke?" Elias spoke after a while of silence and I bit my lip nervously as I debated if what I was going to do was the right thing to do.

"Uhm no. I have to tell you something." I stuttered anxiously. He raised his brow as he inhaled one last set of toxins before dropping the cigarette bud to the floor and stomping on it. He then crossed his arms as he looked at me, giving me his full attention. I felt my throat tighten as my palms began to sweat, why was I so nervous? "You gave me this a while back and at the time, I didn't know what to do with it. But, now I'm ready to accept your penny and relay some of my thoughts." Elias kept quiet, standing up straighter as he anticipated the words that were going to come out of my mouth. "I'm not sure what exactly it is I feel for you but I know that at first I couldn't do anything but hate you. I mean, I had just left someone who manipulated, abused and assaulted me, only to be met with hostility and contempt when I finally thought I was free. When you drugged me, you don't how scared I was. I was petrified and I couldn't sleep for days."

"But, I didn't do anything? I just wanted to get the truth out of you." Elias interrupted me, trying to defend himself, though I could see the guilt in his eyes.

"That's not the point Elias!" I cried, angrily wiping tears from my eyes. "You took away my ability to think for myself, to defend myself. You could have hurt me if you wanted to, anyone could have! You left me vulnerable." Elias shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, I didn't mean to bombard him with guilt but he had to understand how I felt.

"Olivi-"

"No, let me finish. If that wasn't enough, you selfishly almost got me killed. Look, though I don't know what it is exactly that this Luca did to you but I want you know that I understand how you feel, the burning sense of revenge that won't leave you alone. Trust me, I know what it's like to feel pain. However, you can't go around hurting others because of it, you can't put your anger on every person who comes from New York. And, to be honest what you did to me makes you no better than the men you save all those girls from." The last sentence hit Elias hard, I could tell. He didn't say anything just stare at me wide-eyes as if he was only now taking everything into perspective.I didn't say anything, wanting him to at least say something as I felt I was the only who had been doing all the talking.

"Olivia, do you hate me?" He asked quietly. I was taken aback by his words, not at all expecting this to be his first question. For the first time since I had met him, I saw complete and utter vulnerability something that no man had ever shown me before, aside from my father of course. I remember my father used to say, if a man is able to show true vulnerability as well as true strength only then is he truly a man. Luca had never allowed me to see his weakness, always making sure that he was the alpha and that I knew it.

"No, I don't Elias. I don't hate you. I don't what I feel you but I don't hate you."

"I can live with that." He took a step forward, carefully reaching for both my hands and held them in his own. I couldn't help a stupid smile forming on my face as I stared at the way our hands fit together perfectly. "But, I do want you to know that from the very first moment I saw you, I was intrigued and I thought, you must be sent by Luca, this must be a trap. How could something so good come from a place as dreadful New York." I blushed, looking away but Elias gently took my chin and pushed it to face him.