Aloura West | ✓

Chapter Thirty Three

Aloura's leg bounced frantically as she awaited Elias. The coffee in her hands had long gone cold, and she could have sworn the butter on her toast had become rancid too. Yet, her mind was preoccupied with thoughts of what was to come, and the food in front of her was the least of her qualms.

It was only noon, but what was to come at midnight was sending the girls mind into a frenzy of anxiety. Not that she had regretted her decision of course, but she still couldn't shake the feelings of unease that filled the pits of her stomach. Aloura placed the cold cup of coffee on the kitchen table, fearful her shaking hands no longer had the strength to keep it steady. She walked towards her backpack and retreated a small note she had spent her time perfecting,. She looked down at it and pushed the choking feeling that had risen her throat.

Elias' approaching footsteps had broken her from her trance. She turned to face him, smiling lightly. Elias grinned back and took steady steps towards her, pressing his lips softly against his forehead as he fumbled with his shirt buttons. Aloura laughed at his struggles and dropped the note on the couch before turning to him. Her hands gently did up his buttons as he watched down at her lovingly. "Are you scared?" he asked, his voice gentle. Aloura shook her head, and he swallowed. "I am" he confessed.

"I know you're going to be okay, so I'm not scared." She told him as she finished doing up his buttons.

Elias smiled at her gently, "After this, we'll go to college together" Aloura laughed, "and then we'll ask each other, like we planned all along. Right?"

Aloura smiled gently and nodded, "I'll finally get to save people."

"You've already saved me"

Aloura stands on her tip toes and kisses his lips, I hope so. "Oh yeah" she grins before turning around and grabbing the note, she looks at them one last time before handing them to him.

"what's this?"

"Open it when we're finally out of there." She tells him, he grins and runs his finger across his name engraved in small handwriting. Suddenly feeling bad that he didn't get her anything, but vows in his head that as soon as this is over, he would buy her the earth and all its stars. "Come on baby, Blayde's waiting." She slips her hand into his and intertwines their fingers.

Elias tucks the note into his coat pocket and smiles at Aloura. They walk towards the door, and Elias raises their hands and places a small kiss on the back of Aloura's. She looks up at him and blushes.

I can't wait to love you.

♡ ♡ ♡

"You gotta stay hid in here until the fight is over, okay?" Elias asks as he lifts his water bottle to his mouth. Aloura nods, "I'm serious Aloura, Blayde will get the boss into the spare room, and I'll come get you and we go together." Aloura nods.

"I know Elias, I pinkie promise." She smiles and holds out her pinkie. He exhales and watches her finger warily before wrapping his own around it. He smiles gently, the pinkie promise seemingly reassuring him.

"Just a few more hours and we're free" he grins at her, although technically Aloura was already free- it was only his mess. Aloura laughs at this.

"I can't wait for Kalian to find out he's coming back." She grins, and Elias kisses her smile.

"He's going to be so excited."

Aloura smiles at him, "It'll all be worth it in the end." She grabs his hand wrap from the bench and unrolls it. "You gotta win your last fight or I'll pretend I don't know you."

Elias laughs, his eyes trained on her hands as they delicately wrapped his wrists. "Don't worry, you're my lucky charm remember." Aloura laughs and wraps his knuckles before moving it to the anchor of his thumb. "Blayde's going to keep an eye on the boss all night." He tells her, "To make sure he stays until the end."

Aloura nods and they settle into the silence as she finishes wrapping his hands up. He kisses her lips as a thank you. Blayde walks into the locker room and grins at the pair, "if it isn't my favourite single lady" Elias shoots him a disapproved look and Aloura laughs.

Elias slips his boxing gloves on as Blayde keeps talking, "This fucker really is taking his time huh?" he nodded his head to Aloura as they watched him. Although Aloura didn't know If he meant Elias was taking his time to get ready or making it official with her.

Elias shook his legs as he walked to them, he lifted his arm and punched Blayde lightly in the chest. Well, only Elias thought of it as light. "Step away from my girl Steel"

Aloura laughed and turned to Blayde, "Your second name is Steel?"

Blayde glared at Elias who laughed, "yeah I think my parents hate me" Aloura laughs again.

"It's okay, my second name is a cardinal direction."

They share a laugh again before Blayde taps Elias' shoulder, "Give this fine single lady your goodbyes and let's go. You're on in five minutes."

Elias punches Blayde's retreating figure again, who scowls and rubs his shoulder as he walks off. Elias turns to Aloura as the sound of the door closing echoes through the locker room. He smiles gently, "I'll come get you, okay?" he reminds her, she nods again. "Next time I see you, we'll be out this mess." He grins and Aloura matches it.

Elias' eyes flicker between Aloura's, he presses his lips onto hers gently, before pressing them against her forehead, "stay safe" he tells her, resisting the urge to say I love you.

Aloura nods, and blinks the tears away, "you too."

Elias takes in her look one last time before turning to the door, he stops and stands there for a moment, before jogging back turning back to Aloura. She offers him a perplexed look, but he kisses it away.

"I just wanted one more kiss" she laughs but gives him another. He grins and walks to the door, this time disappearing out of it.

Aloura instantaneously takes a seat and exhales, before placing a hand on her erratic heart. She pulls out her phone and the sheet of paper with names on them, she flips it and looks at the two numbers. She dials the first one.

"My mother left me a note with your name and number" she tells the person on the other end as soon as they answered. "It's about taking down Dute."

They ask for more information, and she gives them the address and asks them to hurry before hanging up. She closes her eyes and leans against the wall for a moment before dialling the other number and asking of them the same thing.

They hang up, and Aloura lifts her feet onto the bench before tucking her face into her knees. She lays her head to the side and lifts her phone, but she was only meant to call two numbers.

Aloura's fingers hover over the last number, she presses her eyes tightly shut and dials the number her father had given her. It rings twice, before picking up. But the person on the other end doesn't speak up. Aloura swallows.

"My name is Aloura West, and I want to set up an eccentric payment to write off Elias Kader."