Endgame (rough draft)

Part 26

The sound of Elijah's racing heart was all he could focus on. His palms were sweaty to the point where he had to constantly wipe them. His eyes would unintentionally travel afar as if he was checking if she was nearby. As the hours passed by, the once cold man would find his mind drifting to the events of spring break. This foreign feeling that was burning his body was terrifying. 

Elijah was terrified of the feelings that seemed to grow day by day. Week by week. Rachel's smile would often set his heart into overdrive, beating rapidly against his chest. A simple touch could send an electric-like current through the veins of his body. The way she clung to his muscular form would make him feel protective. He yearned to hold her tight, silently vowing to never be apart from her. These emotions and feelings were indeed terrifying, yet Elijah wanted to face them head-on without thinking. 

He sighed for the umpteenth time that morning. Leaning back in his office chair, he rubbed his now forming beard. Chuckling to himself, he remembered how Rachel loved rubbing his stubble. Elijah could practically feel her laying on his chest with their legs intertwined. 

"Mr. Elijah, shall I repeat what I said?" The timid employee cleared his throat. His hand trembled as he held out a stack of documents towards his boss. "The deadline for the venue is near. Fashion week is fastly approaching."

The grin that masked Elijah's face slowly faded into his usual cold demeanor. His eyes darted around the room, slowly realizing where he was. It was unlike him to slack off during the busiest month. Sitting up in his chair, he fixed his cuff links before briefly gazing at the short man in front of his desk.

"I thought I was clear about not interrupting me before my afternoon meetings. Were those simple words difficult to understand?"

The man went to defend his reasoning for entering the office but stopped upon noticing Hunter's disapproving look. Hunter's absence from work had put the staff members on edge. They chose to walk on eggshells rather than to be on Elijah's bad side. 

"Ms. Jaeger requested w-we find a venue before tomorrow. The pages with blue markings are my suggestions and the red is Ms. Jaeger. We need a final decision before confirming. I'm setting the files here to be reviewed. I'll l-leave the rest to you." The man turned on his heels, silently cheering himself for being brave. As he spent time his working hours with Rachel, he learned to embrace being bold when it came to Elijah. The woman brought out a side in him that he didn't know existed. 

Elijah hummed in response. Quietly picking up the papers, he looked over the venues. He carefully analyzed the size of the stage to the size of the dressing rooms. Just as he was about to select the final choice, a thought popped into his head. The second-largest venue would match the appearance of Rachel's fashion design class. 

He shook his head in frustration as he sent an email to the dean. Even without Rachel's presence, Elijah's thoughts were consumed about her. There was never any hesitation when it came to helping or pushing her to be the best he knew she could be. Almost as if it came naturally. Recently, Elijah overheard Sophia expressing that their final show would be held in the gymnasium due to limited funds. He figured the girls would have a better experience if they were to take part in a realistic fashion show.

Hunter leaned against the pale white wall, silently watching his brother. Despite being apart for a few years, he still knew when the complicated man was overthinking. He was the type of man that would dive headfirst into something he wanted. As opposed to Elijah, he would often overthink, constantly convincing himself to change his mind. 

Elijah's personal cell phone began to ring. An annoyed expression briefly masked his sharp features. He tucked the phone in his desk drawer before briskly standing to his feet. Grabbing the stack of potential employees, he began pacing the office as he read. 

"Keep it up, and your going to burn a hole in the new rug. This is unlike the brother I once knew, so what has your knickers in a bunch?" Hunter plopped down in the office chair, giving Elijah his full attention. 

Elijah stared at nothing in particular before he began pacing once more. He hesitantly stopped. "I'm going to have you overlook Rachel's part in the fashion show. The event is right after her college's show, she might be overworked. I also want you to choose the new employee for the Advertising Account Coordinator position. I will entrust the next two days of duties to you. I'll be out of touch, so please manage on your own." 

Hunter sighed disapprovingly. "You could take all the time you need, but avoiding the situation will not make it any better. Your falling for her faster than you think. It's like riding a roller coaster while blind. Always unsure whether you're going to fall and rise. I told you not to think about it yet."

"How arrogant. At least know what you're talking about before running that mouth of yours." Elijah hated how Hunter could read his body language to the way he thought. He could never keep a secret even if wanted to. 

Hunter was right. Elijah was a cautious man when it came to any and everything he invested in. Every decision he made in life was thought out and perhaps over-analyzed. With Rachel, he found himself being reckless. Here he was, falling for a woman that was unable to choose between himself and his brother. At the end of spring break, the trio came to a mutual agreement that they were going with the flow. That if one wished to end things, they would communicate before making any final decisions. They weren't exactly official but they all knew that feelings were involved. 

Elijah pulled into the parking garage of his favorite art gallery. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he slowly walked into the building. He spotted Desire who eagerly waved at him and he felt... nothing. 

The once beauty who made his heart skip a beat appeared to be an average person. 

The woman who taught him how to love was nothing more than a bland woman. She didn't have curly brown hair, soft lips, or a beautiful personality. His eyes scanned the rest of the room and not a single soul caught his attention. Bland. Desperate. Too short.

As Desire's spoken words fell upon deaf ears, Elijah was slowly realizing his own heart. He scratched his beard, gazing at the portrait. 

"I have to go," Elijah said monotonously. Ignoring her protest, Elijah headed to his car.