Aloura West | ✓

Chapter Sixteen

Elias held the few notes he had in his hand. He'd won a single fight this week- and with the expenses he was paying on Kalian, he was tight on money. Had he been doing this from his own will, he'd easily make a couple thousand from every fight he'd win. But the boss took almost every single penny he'd earned. Leaving him to fend for himself.

Elias was tired of this life; he'd never had the time or effort to get a real job. The fights and training alone were enervating. He could barely pull himself together every night for a fight, let alone work during the day too.

But he'd realised he'd have to put his comfort last after he'd lost the two fights in a row- and the office job he'd initially applied for hadn't gotten back to him. He needed to pay his dads debts fast and get Kalian out of Italy. Just like he'd promised. But in the back of his mind, he knew he also wanted out this dangerous life for Aloura. Because he had never connected to someone as fast as he did with her.

Elias stuffed the notes into his wallet and entered the large supermarket- shopping list in hand.

butter, softened

caster sugar

plain flour

milk chocolate chips

He walked down the aisles; a concentrated look sketched on his face. He gathered the ingredients and made his way to the self-checkout till. Anxious he'd mess up the one thing he could do for Aloura.

He was never good at expressing his emotions- his father was a strong advocate of 'a man's manliness was measured by how hard he punched, or how loud he could yell.' But Elias always scoffed at that argument, more so after he took his life. How can one be considered strong when the only thing he could destroy was himself and those around him? Instead, Elias thought manliness should be measured by how much they could build or create- but his dad argued men would stand as nothing next to women. Which was Elias' point entirely.

Elias didn't want to know what his dad would think of him if he saw the man he was today.

♡ ♡ ♡

"Fuck me. Fuck you" he growled, collecting yet again another batch and discarding it in the bin, "and fuck this."

Elias hit his fist on the counter in frustration, he was on his third batch, and nothing was going right. He was frustrated and tired, and he had an hour and one last batch to turn things around. But it seemed like the universe was rooting against him.

He began taking his apron off in frustration before he paused, sighing sadly. His mind filled with Aloura, the way she'd clean his wounds with her gentle hands- how she'd save her dinner to share it with him, and how she'd offer him her lap to lay in as she read out loud.

He thought about how he desperately wanted her to feel the way she made him feel; important.

Even if it was doing something so miniature like spending the only money he had to bake her cookies. He wanted to do it for her.

Elias sighed, before re-typing his apron. He looked silly, Kalian made sure to remind him when he'd sent him a picture early that night. Elias grabbed the remaining ingredients, sighing sadly at the realisation that this had to be his last batch. I'd better make it worth my money huh. He asked no one in particular; a mere attempt to make the walls that surrounded him less cold. A figment of imagination where he wasn't alone.

Maybe one where his mother was with him, and his only job was to lick the bowls clean.

♡ ♡ ♡

Aloura sat on the bleak rooftop. It was once comforting, a place she'd once found herself retreating too. It was the highest building on the block- the highest she could access of course, but nonetheless, the closest she'd ever get to her mother.

She was sure her mother was watching down at her, but Aloura found herself wishing for more.

She wanted to talk to her mother; to tell her about Elias, how he made her feel the same way hanging off the rooftop did. She wanted to tell her about her father, and Kaden. How she didn't get to college. She knew of course, but I was different- Aloura wanted to tell her herself.

She desperately wanted to sit at her mother's feet and ask her to tell her the story of baby Aloura. How she cried for hours on end, and then never again. truth be told, Aloura didn't enjoy that story much, but she saw the way her mother's eyes would light up when she'd tell her the story.

So, she'd sit, and watch the glint in her eyes, mesmerised with how loud her mother's eyes spoke to her.

Without Elias to share the rooftop with, it almost felt cold, like it was too large; the moons light didn't shine on the entire rooftop.

Aloura frowned as she watched the time tick on her phone, it was quarter past twelve, and Elias was late. She hated to be overbearing, but she couldn't help the excitement she felt. They had been religiously reading Aloura's new book together- and Aloura didn't want to start the next chapter without him.

"Do you like him mama?" she asked the sky as it glistened beyond the darkness. She wasn't sure why she asked for her mother's approval- Elias was merely a friend, and she hadn't had a proper conversation with Kaden about their lack of a future yet. "He's good to me." She added, in an attempt to convince her mother.

Aloura smiled at the memory of him calling her his woman. "Did you hear him earlier mama?" Aloura's mouth almost tore with how wide she smiled, "he called me his woman."

Aloura was broken out her trance as breathless Elias made his way onto the rooftop. He wore a grey jumper, paired with a pair of navy tracksuit bottoms- a long shot from the clothes she first saw him in. Aloura scrunched her nose, "you're late."

"I'm sorry" he huffed, "I was um, I got" Aloura raised an eyebrow at his stuttering; she'd never seen him so shy. "I got caught up with something."

"With what?" she didn't mean to be nosy, but she desperately wanted to know what turned the six-foot giant before her into a stuttering mess.

Elias' ears burned red as he handed her the small container. "Are you blushing?" Aloura grinned as she stood up.

"No" Elias lied, although he could feel his ears and neck burning up. he raised his cool hands and pressed it on his neck, a feeble attempt to cool it down.

Aloura took the container from his hands and pried it open. The smell of freshly baked cookies permeated the rooftop. Aloura stared at the freshly baked goodies for a moment before adverting her attention to Elias. "For me?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

Elias' heart fluttered. He nodded. Aloura looked back down at the cookies. Tears prickled behind her eyes as her gaze met up to meet Elias'. Elias' eyes fell upon her tears and began to panic, unsure why his act of kindness was upsetting her. "What? No. Aloura" he rushed out; eyebrows now furrowed. "Don't cry"

Aloura's lips quivered. "This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me."

Elias smiled softly, his shoulders slumping in relief. "They're not much sorry" he ran a finger through his hair nervously. "I tried all night to make them perfect but-"

Aloura's eyes widened, "this isn't your first batch?"

Elias laughed awkwardly, "maybe it's my third" although his voice sounded more inquisitive than informative, "I lost count honestly." He mumbled.

Aloura's heart swelled again at the thought of him trying again and again for her. She placed the lid back onto the container, weary of keeping them warm for the both of them to enjoy while reading later.

After she was sure her cookies were safe, she turned to face Elias, swinging her arms around his body to encompass him into a hug.

Elias held her back, lifting her up slightly; prompting her to wrap her legs around his waist. Aloura laid her head in the crook of his neck, breathing in his warmth as Elias rocked them gently under the moons light; too comfortable to be the first to pull away.

If this is the reaction I get, he thought to himself. I'd spend every paycheque baking you cookies.