Rhenna

Sixty-Three

                Conn

 

                  "I'm sorry". Conn mumbled. He felt shame for what had happened back in the truck.

Maybe if I didn't push him so much? He thought to himself.

"Forget it". Elin replied barely above a whisper. He was sitting on the couch, wrapped up in Conn's blankets. His face was buried beneath the material. Only strands of his dark hair were peeking out.

Conn eagerly glanced at Willow, but his boyfriend was deep in thought. With a defeated sigh, Conn collapsed into the single chair next to Elin. He thrummed his fingers against his knee cap.

This is all my fault. His thoughts were miserable. The mood was miserable. It was suffocating. He couldn't sit still.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He finally blurted. He cringed at his own question.

Of course he doesn't want to talk about it Conn! He's literally hiding from you.

"No". Elin murmered.

The way Elin had reacted in the truck was still seared into Conn's brain. The way he screamed, and literally fought for his life to get away. It made Conn anxious. He wanted to know why?

Why he would react in such a way.

This is fucking killing me! He mentally groaned. He dragged his hands down his face and puffed out a breath.

The look in Elin's eyes, when he had finally recovered from what ever the hell had happened, terrified Conn. It was the look of someone dangling on the edge.

Conn knew this because that same look had haunted his own eyes in the past. First when his father left him in the foster system, and then after every sour relationship, and heartbreak that came after.

"Hay Conn". Elin whispered.

Conn snapped his focus to the kid wrapped in his blankets. "Yeah?"

Please...please talk to me. He mentally begged.

"I didn't mean to scare you".

Scare was a low key word. Try giving me a heart attack!

Conn took in a deep breath before he said, "You terrified me. Yes. But..." he paused, "I think...I think that I deserved it".

Elin slowly peeked over the blankets at him.

"I got carried away". Conn continued. He pressed his thumbs together, and anxiously tapped his foot. "I shouldn't have done what I did".

Elin was silent, but Conn could see that he was thinking hard. About what? He had no clue.

Elin was a complete mystery.

He just showed up one day out the blue, and instantly caught Conn's attention. Then, like a snap of the fingers, he was gone. It was almost as if he couldn't stay in one place for long.

When Conn had first met Elin at that Charity event the kid seemed so well put together, and so full of spunk. His attitude had intruiged both himself, and his dad's interest.

But the Elin sitting next to him now was not that same person.

"Can I ask you something kid?" Conn started with caution. He eyed Elin wearily.

Without a word, Elin slowly bobbed his head up and down giving the permission.

"I know It's none of my business, and I dont want you getting upset again. Cuz that totally freaked the shit out of me. I mean really. I was terrified. Like 100 percent about to-" Conn inhaled sharply, cutting himself off from that rant. In a calmer, much slower voice he asked, "What was your childhood like?"

Well that was really random. He mentally smacked himself.

The question had been on his mind for ages now, and he just wanted to know. At this point Conn only knew next to nothing about Elin. It was frustrating.

Although now that he thought about it asking about Elin's childhood probably wasn't the best way to go.

The look Elin gave him after he asked confirmed that suspicion.

"Ahhhhhh. Never mind". Conn rushed out, waving his hands frantically. "Forget I asked".

Heaving a sigh, Conn quickly got up from his chair. Despite himself, he started pacing.

What if he blows up again?!

He couldn't get the image of Elin crying out of his head.

Maybe I should call dad? Or Sherra?

"Conn". Willow called out softly.

He stopped pacing and glanced at his boyfriend.

"Calm down, would you?"

He didn't know if he could. There were too many things that he needed to know. And Elin would never give him the answers.

He swung around towards Elin. "At least tell me your safe. That your not putting yourself in danger or anything".

Of course he is! Look at the kid.

Elin looked so used up. His expression was sombered with exhaustion. He had dropped weight since the last time Conn had seen him.

"You don't have to worry." Elin responded quietly.

"Well...someone has to worry!" Conn exaggerated, tossing his hands up.

Elin was about to answer, but Willow cut him off before he could say anything.
"We're all tired Conn. How about we get some sleep". He proposed.

Conn didn't want to leave Elin. Nor was there any possibly way he'd be able to sleep. But it seemed that Elin was all for the idea.

He pulled the blanket tighter around himself, then he fell sideways onto the couch.

"Come on Conn. Elin needs sleep". Willow stood up, and held his hand out to Conn.

"But-"

"Come on. We can talk tomorrow".

Slumping his shoulders, Conn followed Willow out of the room.

There was this nagging feeling in the back of his head about Elin. He knew the kid would probably be gone in the morning. Before they could continue the "talk".

Conn decided that when Elin slipped out he'd follow him.

If Elin wouldn't tell him what was going on then he'd fucking figure it out himself.