Destined to be?

Chapter 9

Eli

It's been two weeks since I gave you my contact card.
Two weeks of my heart pounding almost out of my chest everytime my phone rings.
Two weeks of utter disappointment when your voice wasn't on the other end of the line.
Trying to see this situation from your point of view, trying to find the good. At least I had work. Plenty enough to keep me busy though not enough to keep my mind off you.
Never enough work to do that.
I've stayed away.
Not even driving within ten minutes of your house knowing that if I were to get any closure I would want to drive until I found you. Even if that meant driving by your house.
Lying to myself by saying that I just wanted a glimpse, how I just wanted to check in to make sure you were ok. Knowing that what I really wanted to do was grab the hair at the base of your neck and bring you closer until our lips crashed together.
To be able to taste your sweetness again.
Making sure that the fence post was lined up properly, making sure to measure twice since the customer was very persistent that each one should be the same distance apart before using the nail gun to attach the board into place.
It takes me three times as long to do this job with all the extra amount of measuring that I have to do but I don't mind. This is what the customer wants and he paid upfront on our agreed amount.
Besides, the only other job I have today is to de-weed an elderly woman's garden and that was an easy enough task.
Making sure that the board doesn't move keeping the bottom in place with the tip of my boot as I secure the top, pulling out the block of wood that I had marked so that each pair of nails were also the same distance apart and would match every plank.
Shooting the nail through the wood, once then again before leaning down and doing the same at the bottom.
Already I've been at this for four hours and it will probably take me another four to finish, probably less since I've begun to get my rhythm down with the repetitive process.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket just to make sure I haven't missed a call even though my ringer was on full blast.
Nothing.
Sliding the phone back into my jeans as I continue on.
You would be in school right now.
Considering the time probably into your third class.
What were you learning right now?
Hoping that you weren't still stressing yourself with all those higher classes. Were you still taking them? Did you go back to the plan that you had, getting the best grades so that you could earn a better scholarship so that you could pay for college yourself.
If that was the case did you have a college in mind?
Have you found the thing that you wanted to do?
Remembering how we had a few talks about that, about what you wanted to do with your life and you never seemed to be able to land on anything that made your eyes light up with interest.
Has that changed now?
Or were you still searching?
If it were up to me I would say that you will never have to work a day in your life if you did not want to but i knew that it was more than that for you.
Not just interested in making money, what you wanted was to find something that you genuinely loved, something that made you happy to do. Somewhere you fit in this world.
I never had the heart to tell you that you were never meant to fit into this world. Your light, shining so bright.
Even still you will be graduating in just a couple of months.
A graduation that I will be attending even if I have to stay in the background because there is no way that I'm going to miss my beautiful girl walking across that stage and receive that diploma.
One that you more than earned.
Knowing that no matter what you choose after, no matter what college you go to, I will follow you.
There is work to be done everywhere I can find jobs anywhere I go. If I needed to sell the house I would have no questions asked because that was just a building.
My home is you.
Noting the date.
March eleventh.
Exactly a year since I first brought you to our home.
That day, that was the beginning for the both of us.
The beginning of having the person I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with.
Of course for you, you wouldn't think of this day in the same way.
No you would remember it with horror.
Waking up in a strange place, a metal collar around your neck making sure that you couldn't escape.
It took time for you to get used to me but I knew that was going to be the case.
It was scary for me too.
Those couple of times I almost lost you. The times when you would become so distant it was as if your soul had detached itself from your body.
No light in your glass eyes.
That was the worst part.
But each time I got you back, determined more than anything to put life back into you.
My heart beating so loud almost as if it was its own personal fireworks show when I would see your eyes begin to focus. A bit of shine returning to them.
Shaking my head.
Wanting to get past those thoughts.
Noting that I was the one that caused those moments to happen.
Your prom is coming up.
Wanting to switch to a better thought.
Everyone was always so excited to go to those things.
Some dances that became such a big deal. In a way I guess it was the last dance of high school.
I never went to one myself considering that I stopped going to school and instead just got my G.E.D online.
Even if that hadn't been the case I'm sure that I probably wouldn't have gone anyways.
Considering i'm not much of a dancer though if you were my date that would be a different story.
I would dance with you all night long just to see that smile on your lit up face and have you close to me.
It would be worth completely making a fool out of myself because I wouldn't care what anyone else would think. The only person's opinion that mattered would be yours.
Letting myself imagine just that.
Showing up at your house with a limo, wearing a tux. A hitch in my breath as I take you in, breathtakingly beautiful.  Wearing a dress that would suit you so perfectly. With shaking legs I would walk up to you and take your hand in mine pulling you closer telling you just how beautiful you are making your cheeks blush making my pulse speed up before heading to the dance. Noticing people turning and looking at just how gorgeous you are ignoring all of them as I direct you into the center of the dance floor. Your hands on my shoulders and mine on your hips as we sway to the music. All night long.
Ka-thunk. Ka-thunk as the next two nails shoot into place and I break out of my fantasy.
What a wonderful fantasy it was.
Making myself return to reality.
Guessing that you would be going to that with the paint boy.
A level of unease filling my gut.
Knowing that he had to be at least decent for you to even have gone out with him in the first place but that does nothing to lessen the cement that seemed to fill into my fists at the thought of him touching you, kissing you, even being near you.
Letting out a snarl as I threatened him in my mind since I couldn't very well do that in person.
'You better fucking treat her right paintboy becuase if you hurt my girl there is nothing in this world that will stop me from coming after you."
Well maybe one thing.
A major thing.
Knowing that I wouldn't be able to bear the look that would be on your face after you found your boyfriend in a bloody mess with me standing over him. Or even if you were to just see him with bruises and a bloody nose you would know it was me.
Clenching my jaw.
No.
I couldn't. Even if I wanted to.
I promised you that I would never hurt you and I know that hurting him will most likely upset you and that I would not do. Not even if he deserved every last hit.
Instead I would just show you, properly this time, what a real man is like. How he should worship you. How I will worship you when you let me back into your life.
A life where you will never lack in anything.
This time you have your family and friends and a life where your wings won't be clipped by having to stay hidden. 
I knew from that very first day that I wouldn't be able to keep you to myself forever.  But I never lied when I said you were mine forever.
That will never change.
Nor will the fact that I will take care of you.
No matter what you want I will find a way to give that to you, my heart is yours and one day i will be able to show that to the world and claim you as mine.
Until then.
I will work and continue to build up our bank account so that you can have anything you please.
I will never deny you what you want ever again.