Capturing Her Heart

9

                            •Elysian Monroe•

                     I kept my eyes closed, not ready to confront the day's uncertainties. With a sigh, I opened them and checked my phone, noting I had a few hours before needing to be at the office. Yet, I still had to rise to take Eil to her destination.

Hearing no footsteps, I groaned, left my room, and approached her door. Receiving no answer, I peeked inside.

She was hidden beneath the covers. I entered, pulled the covers off, and playfully tickled her feet.

Regretting it instantly, her foot connected with my nose. I recoiled, hands covering my nose, surprised by the force of her unconscious kick.

As the pain dawned, I saw her sitting up, eyes apologetic but her face teasing.

"I told you not to wake me like that!" she protested.

"And I told you to set your alarm to avoid this!" I retorted.

She exhaled, rose, and examined my nose, giving it a playful tap, prompting an instinctive thumb from me in return.

"It's not broken but, it is a little swollen. Might want to ice that before work." She stated

I rolled my eyes and got up. I pointed my finger towards her door, and she dropped her head. She made her way out of her room and to the bathroom.

I lowly sighed and made my way out of her room and to the kitchen. I opened the freezer and grabbed an ice pack. I closed the freezer and gently placed it onto my nose. I softly winced and went back upstairs.

I knocked on the bathroom door and waited for it to open.

"I need a small rag" I said

She went behind the door and grabbed a spare rag. She handed it to me and closed the door. I walked away from the door and sat down on my bed.

I removed the ice pack from my nose, wrapped it in a cloth, and placed it back on. It would stay there until she was ready for school, after which I planned to grab something to eat.

Perhaps I'd visit a bookstore; I wanted to expand my collection. Rising, I approached my drawer.

I changed out of my shorts and into black sweatpants, then made my way downstairs.

Settling on the couch, I occupied myself with my phone, unsure what else to do as I waited for her.

I sighed quietly; she always took ages. That's why I insisted on setting an alarm. It worked for a night, then inexplicably, it didn't.

Maybe she preferred being late. Dismissing the thought with a shake of my head and another sigh, I knew she still needed to attend.

Glancing at the clock, I realized punctuality was out of the question. Resigned, I slouched deeper into the couch and turned slightly.

Might as well make myself comfortable while I waited. I turned my phone off and slid it into my pocket. I kept the rag on my nose and closed my eyes.

I could feel the sleepiness lurking around and I sighed as I opened my eyes. I knew if I kept them closed any longer, I'd succumb to the temptations.

I could hear the bathroom door open and then close, hopefully that was her coming out. I soon heard footsteps and a door close. I lowly hummed and grabbed my phone.

She was already 10 minutes late; I wonder how much longer she's going to take. I put my phone back into my pocket and turned forward.

I looked up at the ceiling and allowed my mind to wonder. I still needed to figure out how I was going to handle today.