Taking Chances.

Part 7

"Nathan!? Nath!? Can you hear me!?"

I opened my eyes to find Tom staring blankly at me

"What happened.." I said, mumbling my words.

"I don't know, you told me to come pick you up and when I arrived I found you here!" He replied

I tried to sit up, slowly. Tom helped me, I vaguely remember what happened, I knew who'd done this to me. That bastard. He needs to learn his lesson.

"What happened?" Tom asked

"Connor..." Was all I said

"Mate, look I think you need to leave Eleanor alone, he hurt you! He's probably angry, he could be taking that out on Eleanor!

"Exactly, which is why I need to help her. I can't leave her with him. She's not safe!" I said finally getting up

"No Nat-"

"Would you leave Kelsey with him?"

"Well...no! But I love Kelsey, do you love Eleanor?"

I stopped. Was I in love with her? I did think about her all time...maybe I was, I did feel strange when I went to visit her, we had a moment. A moment that I played in my mind hundreds of times, her beautiful blue eyes staring into mine, I'm turning soppy now!

"I....I think I do..." I said, still unsure

Tom smiled "Hey it's not a bad thing! She's pretty, but it's too risky!"

"I can't just leave her though" I said "I care about her, Tom. She's all I ever think of"

Tom smiled again "Well we need to think of a plan to get her"

"Yeah.." I said thinking

*the next day*

Me and Tom had no plans at all, we just decided to go visit her again today.

"But Tom...what if Connor's there?" I asked as we walked in

"Even if he is, it doesn't matter. We're here to see Eleanor not him. I've got your back Nath" He said, reassuring me. We walked into the gift shop of the hospital.

"What can I get her?" I asked

"Flowers" Tom replied "She'll love you"

I smiled and picked out a mixture of pink/purple flowers, similar to the nail polish she was wearing yesterday.

"They're great!" Said Tom, he'd got her some grapes, charming!

We walked up to her room, to find again, no one was in there with her, few!

Tom walked in on his own, I watched her smile at him and accept the grapes, they talked for a while, then I decided to enter

"Hey, I bought you these" I said, extending my arm

"Flowers?" She asked "Why have you got me flowers!?" She said, with more anger in her voice

"I...I thought you'd like them?" I said

"No. I don't. What if Connor saw them!? Do you know how much shit I would be in!?"

"Look, he's not doing it for trouble" Tom said "He just wanted to be nice

"Being nice would be staying away from me" She snapped "I've told you hundreds of times"

"I can't!" I snapped back "I care too much about you Eleanor, everyday I'm thinking about you, wondering if you're okay, wondering if you're safe. I love you Eleanor!" I stopped.

She stared at me as did Tom. I can't believe I had just said that, I mean it was true, I did love her, I did, I can't lie to myself anymore. I'm madly in love with her and I can't hold myself back any longer.

Tom got up "I'll give you two a minute"

Eleanor waited until he'd left "You...love me?"

I nodded "Yes, I do. I've never felt this way about someone before, even though you're pushing me away, I'm still madly in love with you"

"But Nathan..-"

"I can help you" I said sitting down beside her "Just tell the police what Connor is like, then you'll be free of him"

She stared at me and seemed to have got closer as I spoke

"And I know that you care about me Eleanor, I can see it. Trust me, I can make you happy" I said, moving closer to her face

"I do care about you" she whispered, she then moved in and kissed me on the lips, it felt amazing. I'd been waiting for this moment for a long time. She pulled away.

"I can't leave him" she said "he'll hurt me, and he'll hurt you" she leant her forehead on mine

"That's a risk I'm willing to take"I said "The boys would help, we can phone the police an-"

She placed her finger over my lips "No, we can't" she sighed "You deserve someone much better than me"

"No don't say that Eleanor!"

"It's true Nathan, I love you and I want you to be happy, you can't be happy with me" she took her hand from mine.

"I think you should go, go home and never think about me again"

"No Eleanor please!" I sobbed

"I'm sorry, it's for the best" she said with tears in her eyes

Tom had obviously heard the conversation and pulled me out of the room, he gave me a hug whilst I cried on his shoulder.

*******

It was a silent drive to the hotel, I couldn't stop thinking about her. I can't believe I admitted my love for her and then she threw it in my face. I could have helped her, she would be safe with me, I would have made her feel wanted.

Tom didn't speak to me in the car and I'm glad he didn't. He would have just said 'it's all for the better' or 'you'll find someone else' that's bullshit. No I won't find someone else, not on Eleanor's standard, she was beautiful, inside and out. I had so much in common with her. And now, all she is, is just another extra in our music video.

We pulled up to the hotel and made our way up to our room. As soon as we got in, Siva launched himself at me

"How is she?" He asked

"Probably best not to ask Seev" Tom replied.

I gave a little smile to Tom then made my way to my own room. I closed the door and just laid in bed, thinking. What if he's hurting her now? I knew I shouldn't think about her as it would only make me feel worse, which it did. I am experiencing the cruelest part of love. Loving someone who does not love you back, I'm used to this feeling, I just know she doesn't, or she would have jumped at the chance of being with me, who would want to be with me anyway? I'm worth nothing. I'm not decent looking, that's why she didn't love me.

I rolled over in my bed and picked up a bottle of Max's vodka. Well this should be fun.