My Art (Elio Perlman)

My sun

When lunchtime rolled around, Elio disappeared. We all sat at a table eating our lunch, when I finally speak up. "Where's Elio?"

"He got a nose bleed early. He's probably resting." Hid dad answers.

Oliver suddenly straightens up. "He still gets those?"

For some reason it angered me that Oliver knew something about Elio that I didn't. I stand up, not taking my eyes off of him, throw down my napkin, and excuse myself.

When I do find Elio, he's in the living room curbed up on the couch.

"Elio?" I say, trying to see if he's awake.

"Hmm." He hums.

"Are you okay?" I ask.

He shrugs and rolls over so he's facing away from me.

I furrow my brows, confused on why he's being so short with me.

"Did I do something wrong, love?" I walk over and put a hand on his arm.

"No. I'm just thinking." He rolls onto his back and I can see the slight remanence of blood under his nose. He gives me a soft smile.

I sigh and nod.

He grabs my hand as if asking me to stay without saying anything.

I nod. He sits up and I sit down. He lays his head in my lap and rolls onto his side so his face is buried into me.

I run my hand down the curves of his body, stopping at his shorts and then going back.

"Im scared." He whispers.

I look down at him and he looks up. "Scared of what?" I question.

"I'm scared that when summer is over, you are going to leave and I will never get to feel this way again." He explains.

"What way Elio?"

"Like there is no one else in the world. Like I don't have to hide anything. I feel like I'm at home when I'm with you." He fidgets with the bracelets on his wrist. "Everyday I wake up looking forward to the day because I get to spend it with you. You're my favorite person to talk to and the person I want to tell all my good and bad news to. I want to be with you all the time. You are the last person I will ever be able to love like this. You have ruined my chances with anyone else because you've exceeded every expectations I have ever held. My life will be terrible without you in."

"You're my sun Elio Perlman." I whisper with tears in my eyes.

For a moment, I rethink going to college. But I stop myself. I can't throw away my future. I won't.

"Mia!" I hear Oliver yell. "I'm about to leave!"

I kiss Elio long and hard. "I've got to go."

"We'll talk more later right?" He asks.

I nod. "Of course."

_____

We rode our bikes into town, not speaking much unless it's needed.

Honestly, I had no idea what I was gonna get from town. I just wanted to get to know this Oliver guy.

The two of us walked around after stopping by a coffee shop.

"How long are you planning on staying, Oliver?" I ask, taking a sip of my coffee, pretending that I didn't just burn off every single one of my taste buds.

"A week or so. I've got to get back to the U.S. because my wife wasn't to happy with me coming in the first place." He informs.

I almost go into cardiac arrest right then and there. "You have a wife?"