The Only-Live-Once Society | Book 2

Chapter Six

The rest of the class stay where they are as Elijah makes his way to me, glaring at Vince the entire time. Just as Elijah is about to reach me, Vince steps away from Cecilia, not backing down. He looks at Elijah with a sneer on his arrogant, handsome face.

"You don't care at all, do you?" Elijah hisses as he pulls me to his side.

"Eli-" I start but I don't get to finish.

"I said, you really don't care," Elijah spits, louder this time.

He looks like some kind of avenging angel. In contrast, Vince looks dangerous. Where Elijah exudes light, Vince seems to breathe darkness.

"She came to me." Vince says in a frightening voice.

"Even though Daniel is after you too?" Elijah snaps.

"She's a smart girl."

"You're supposed to stay away from her."

"Why should I? He's coming for both of us."

"And he'll have to get through me to get to her. I'll happily sacrifice you."

They're snarling right in one another's faces. The air is thick with tension, it's almost electric. I am so fed up of them behaving like I'm not in the room, like their feelings are more important. I am so sick of having to mediate and explain and fight.

"I can choose for myself!" I explode, yanking my arm from Elijah's grasp. "This pathetic dick swinging contest you have with each other has got to end!"

They continue to glare at each other.

"Elijah" I say, my heart pounding.

He looks so beautiful, even blazing with anger like he is. I know he can take care of himself, but I think he underestimates Vince, and that feels far more dangerous than anything else. I say his name again.

But Elijah doesn't respond to me. It's Vince who does. He turns his dark gaze away from my boyfriend and looks at me, breaking into an awful smile.

"Keep your dog on a leash." He mutters.

I feel a chill run down me as we look at one another, then I turn to Elijah again.

"Leave it. Please?"

"Okay," Elijah slowly says. He takes a long breath and I can feel the tension leave his body.

Everyone seems to feel the change in atmosphere and relax. I hadn't realised Grace and Stan had eased closer, ready to step-in should a fight break out. Vince turns away from us, and I angle my body towards Elijah, a barrier between them both.

Mike clasps a hand down on Vince's shoulder and says, "Another love triangle, mate? Seriously?"

"It's not what you think." Vince tells him.

Then he looks to Cecilia and his eyes soften. He holds out a hand to her and she takes it. I watch them leave, Vince moving with smooth, long steps. Cecilia follows him, just as graceful. They're a perfect match.

I turn back to Elijah, plastering a smile to my face. "When did you get here?"

He doesn't look at me, he's staring after Vince, his jaw jumping. "Why were you with him?"

"I wasn't." I say quickly. "Like, with him. I was just with him, you know?"

"No."

I take a deep breath and explain what happened. Stan and Grace listen in. I start from Grace and I splitting off when we thought we were made in the shopping centre, right up until Vince and I arrived here. Elijah doesn't look at me the entire time and when I finish there's just silence.