If Only You Could Tell

Chapter Twelve

GREG'S P.O.V.

 I stared into the mirror but didn't see myself. The man staring back was lifeless; dark circles surrounded his blood shot eyes and his chocolate colored hair fell to his shoulders, unkept and dirty. Stubble lined his jawline to around his mouth, telling that he hadn't shaved in days. I didn't know this stranger. I only knew why he let himself become this. And that was because he let his love go. He let her run away six months ago and he found himself questioning everything he did.

 It was the first day I had been out of bed for weeks because I knew every day before I was ready, I would only end up in a bar, drinking away the memories and the last of my sanity that I held dear. A quiet hum filled my ears and I jerked over to face my phone, buzzing with 'Unknown Number' tracing the screen. "Hello?" I answered. Whoever had been on the other line immediately hung up. I thought it was little strange, but I pushed it to the back of my mind and let Elliot fill it again. I'd been getting calls like that for the past month and I knew who it was. If I ever wanted any chance of even having her in my life again as a friend, I had to clean myself up. I pulled the curtains open, letting sunlight fill the room.

 It wasn't a secret where she was and who she had ran away to, but I did question why. Kyle had abandoned her. I didn't care if he had been the most honorable guy I knew or not, he wasn't that man anymore after what he did to her. The sick part was that I never told her any of it. For all Elliot knew, he broke up with her because it was 'the right thing to do for the both of them' and that he 'expected her and me to hit it off'.  Every single thing he told her before he was deported and what he said when he showed up with a slut hanging on his arm was a lie. She was probably sitting with him as I this all came rushing back to me and he was keeping up the act of being a good guy. Bull shit. He hurt her much more than I ever did, she just didn't know it.

 I wasn't thinking clearly. Picking up my cell again, I dialed the unknown number. "PickupPickupPickup..." I mumbled. The ringing stopped. "Ell?" I called before there was any answer. "Hello?" I called again. There was a long sigh. "Greg. Hey." Elliot's voice sounded like angels singing.

 "I-uh-How've you been?" I grinned. She didn't sound happy or glad to talk to me but at least I could have some sort of communication with her after all this time.

 "How did you know it was me calling?" She ignored my question.

 "Let's discuss it over breakfast. At the regular place. Does that sound good?"

 She didn't answer for a minute. "Greg, I'm in Oregon."

 "Still?"

 "Still." She replied. "I can't talk right now," The voice of a kid boomed in the background. "Peter, hang on a minute. Can I call you back later?"

 I didn't mean to allow the tears to fill my eyes. "Of course." My voice cracked. "Whenever you're ready, Ell."

 "Okay, I guess I'll talk to you another time."

 I hung up, vision foggy and heart sinking further and further. I collapsed on the bed, head in hands and tears streaming down my face. I've never been an emotional guy, but damn. She has found every way to the moon and back to hit me where it hurts.

 "If I were Elliot in this situation, what would I do?" I asked myself. "I sure as hell wouldn't be sitting here sobbing. I'd be packing my bags and buying a ticket to Oregon. But before all that I would take a shower because I smell like shit."

 ^^^^

 Before I knew it, I was on a plane with my heart set on one thing: Elliot. What was I going to say to her? Would she accept me back? Doubtfully. Maybe we were just like Ross and Rachel from the sitcom Friends. I tried to take my mind off Elliot for a moment and found myself questioning if Ross and Rachel had been on a break or not... I came to the conclusion that they were after many hours of thinking it over. Actually, I was picturing Elliot smiling and embracing me as I told her how I felt about her, but everyone already knows that Ross and Rachel were on a break.

 ^^^^

 My taxi pulled up in front of Kyle's house where I knew Elliot had been hiding from the world. I jumped out and ran up to the door and rang the doorbell. As it opened, I looked down to see a miniature version of Kyle.

 "Hey, bud. Is your dad home?" I asked with a smile. He shook his head. "But my aunt Elliot is. Don't tell her I opened the door, please. She doesn't like it when I talk to strangers."

 I couldn't help but smile. "Deal. How about this? You close the door and go get your aunt and I'll pretend like I just got here."

 He grinned, showing a gap where his two front teeth should be. "Okay." He shut the door and ran off yelling, "Aunt Ellie?"

 The door opened again to reveal Elliot. Her hair was now to the end of her back and she wore small, frameless circular glasses. 'Bout time she got them. "Holy..." she glanced down to see the kid. "Holy baloney."

 "It's good to see you, too." I said with a quiet laugh. I pulled her into a hug and didn't want to let go. "I have to tell you something important-"

 "Greg?" Kyle ended my happy moment as he picked up the kid and held him in his arms. "What are you doing at my house?"

 I gritted my teeth. "Came to see Elliot. Do you mind if we talk for a moment?"

 "Yeah, actually, I'm not okay with you showing up out of the blue like this. It's stalkerish." He replied.

 "I wouldn't want to make you look bad in front of your kid, but dude, seriously? All those drunken phone calls begging me to let you see Elliot while you were engaged... No, I'm not trying to hurt her, I'm trying to explain something to her and apologize."

 "What are you talking about?" Elliot asked.

 "Nothing," Kyle said coldly. "Greg is just confused."

 Elliot held the bridge of her nose. "You used to be inseparable, guys. Best friends. Brothers. What the heck happened?"

 "You fell for one of us while the other loved you." Kyle murmured.

 "I can't do this-" Elliot began.

 "Dammit, Elliot!" I shouted. "I love you! I have always loved you! Fuck, I knew I loved you the first time I saw you. We first talked on the 15th of December at a shitty school dance. You couldn't get over the crappy band and kept commenting about all these other ones that would've been better." I dropped my bag on the floor. "You agreed to dance with me and a slow song happened to be next. I remember how you closed your eyes and hummed along with the music as I swayed us back and forth. We were fucking fifteen and I loved you. Sure, I've gone out with other people but that's only because I never thought I would be so lucky to be with you. I've been in denial. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you." I stopped myself. "But if you don't love me then I understand. I wouldn't either."

 She walked up to me slowly and brushed the long strands of hair out of my face. "Of course I love you, you idiot." She grinned. "How could I not?" She pressed her lips into mine and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'll always love you."