Finding Red

Chapter 7

     Gage When we got back to the house it was quiet besides a soft cry coming from Elijah and Donny's room. Vannessa looked up at me and shook her head. She was holding sleeping Bella in her arms. Rocking her back and forth. I sat on the couch as Nadia read through the letter again. The words had her memorized. "How did this happen?"

"I don't know. Me and Bella left for a while and it was just Elijah and Donny" Vannessa stopped rocking. I looked back to where Elijah was sobbing. "Don't bother, he won't talk right now." She stood up and looked at Nadia then back to me. "We're leaving in the morning." She didn't have to say anything else, I knew what she meant. This whole thing had gone on long enough. Nadia must have known what she meant too because she looked up from her trance of words. She looked back at Elijah's room and then back to me. Her bright smile no longer lingers on her face. She gets up leaving the letter and disappears into the halls. I would do anything just to comfort her right now but I really don't think she needs it as much as Eli. I grabbed a bottle of some cheep alcohol.

I stumble over to Elijah's door. The lights are off and he's curled up on his dark gray bed, He's holding onto a pillow crying into it. "Hey Eli, can I come in?" I knocked on the door frame a little harder than I meant too. I cringed when I heard how loud the sound came off. He didn't move. Alright then, I'll just help myself in. I pull myself over next to him on his bed. He looks up from the pillow. I put my arm around him, the only light is the soft glow from the hallway light. "Hey bud, talk to me. What happened today?" He looked up at me, his eyes were red and puffy.

"We weren't– I didn't know–" he stuttered as he bursted into tears again. I ran my hand along his back trying to calm him down. He sobbed as he turned and buried his face in my chest. I've only seen him like this once before, his mother died a few months ago. He wouldn't even talk to Donny all he wanted was to talk to me. It made me feel special that someone wanted to talk to me and wanted my comfort.

"Just breathe Eli, we're going to get him back I promise." Over my life I had made a lot of promises I didn't keep; hurting Nadia to Naida, bringing a good name to my family to my father, not falling for Nadia for Donny, Not losing my temper as much with Vannessa. I had failed all of them with my promises. I would not let Elijah down, I'd give my own life to get Donny back. Even if he hates my entire existence. Anything for Elijah, he had been helping me ever since I got kicked out. Now it's my turn to help him.

He pulled his head off of my chest and looked at the bottle. "What's that for?"

"Well we're leaving in the morning so let's have fun while we can?" I opened the bottle and offered it to him.

"You know Donny doesn't like it when we drink together." he paused, " he's not here anyway so fuck it." He grabbed the bottle and started drinking. Hour's went by and so did half of the bottle.

"Dude it's getting hot in here." I laid back onto the bed.

"Only because I'm in here," he laughed and looked over to me, "Just take your shirt off."

"What?"

"You heard me, you're hot so take your shirt off." He fell back and laid sprawled out on the bed.

"Well okay," I threw my shirt off and went back to laying down, "but only because you think I'm hot." I rolled my eyes.

"I– Gage you know what I meant." he sat up and took another drink. He looked me up and down, scanning my body.

"What? You don't think I'm hot now?" I laughed, I was just messing with him but his red face only made it funnier.

"Shut up." He stood up and stumbled to the door.

"Woahhh EJ chill, how would your dear old mother think if she heard you speak to your best friend like that?"

" You haven't called me EJ in forever," he locked the door. I knew why he locked it, he didn't want Bella to come in, even though it was late Bella got up at crazy times. "But for real, shut up.

"And that's why I was your mom's favorite." he jumped back onto the bed and looked up at me. "So do your eyes always sparkle or am I just that attractive?"

"What– I– You're not— I mean you are but–" he stuttered as his face somehow managed to get only more and more red. He covered his head and mumbled, "yeah ok whatever you are attractive but you should save that line for Nadia."

"What if I wanted to use it on you?" I lifted his chin up so he would look at me.

"What?"

I don't know if he was thinking or if he wasn't but right then and there he kissed me. It felt like cheating. Well I mean it was cheating, he was with Donny and I was with Nadia. But we didn't stop. I should have stopped the whole thing there. I didn't though, he kept his lips on mine. He pulled himself on top of me.

"Elijah, should we be doing this?"

"Probably not but who's gonna find out?"

"Good point."