MR. MORENO'S SURROGATE ✔️

9 - Elijah

A couple hours after that, she didn't say anything to me. I didn't say anything to her. Not that it wasn't normal. Then the day after, she didn't say anything to me. Didn't even look at me. Even if she did, it's not like it was intentional. I've had a couple days off, so today, I've been on the couch or in my room.

Fuck, I'm bored.

I get up from the couch and I go to the kitchen to grab a water, not bothering to notice Cayson giving me that 'I'm about to say something that's probably gonna piss you off.' look.

"So uh.... Leilah." he says.

Those three fucking words alone draw me away from conversation. "Leave me alone about her, Cayson." I say, opening my water and taking a sip as I walk away.

"I'm serious; Eli." he says, insistent on having this conversation. I sigh, closing my bottle of water and turning around to sit down at a stool at the island. "Why is she acting like that?" he asks.

"I don't know. Aren't you guys like... close now?" I ask, shrugging.

"Fuck off. I'm just concerned as to why she's not speaking to either of us. It doesn't come as a surprise with you, but.." I look up at him with a hesitant glare. "I don't even wanna know what you did. All I know is that she deserves better than what she's getting from you. You know I'm never this kind of person, but she's carrying your kid. She's a woman, Elijah, you can do better than this." he says.

I look off. "Yeah... I know." I say, shaking my head. I'm not one to admit when I'm wrong, but he's right. I've never wanted to admit it, but he's been right since day one. I know I need to treat her better but how can I when my anger's always getting in the way?

"Why don't you?" he asks.

" 'Cause I don't know how to." I admit. "I was raised to hate people my whole life. I was taught to discard the feelings of others if it doesn't effect me in any way, I can't just come back from that, Cayson. It's instilled in my brain."

"Well you should at least try to, or else her and that baby are gonna grow to hate you. I know you don't want that. You saw how that turned out for us."

"She's not gonna want to talk to me. She hasn't said anything to me since yesterday."

"That sounds like a you problem." he says, shrugging his shoulders and turning away.

He walks away and leaves me alone with my thoughts. I sit there, and I hesitate on doing what I'm thinking of. With a sigh, I get up and I walk up the stairs to her room. I knock on it and I wait there, regretting what I just did immediately. After a moment, I hear the doorknob wiggling and the door opens. She looks at me with a dull look and raises her eyebrow at me.

"What?" she says.

"Why aren't you talking to me?" I ask.

"Gee, I wonder why," she says sarcastically. "Besides, it's nothing out of the ordinary. Why do you care?" she asks, shrugging.

"Because I don't want you to hate me."

"Too late for that." She stands there looking up at me with her ear turned my way as if I'm whispering. A lump forms in my throat and I start to choke on the words that refuse to leave my lips. Noticing my struggle, she smiles in amusement.