e d i t

chapter nine.

Ihop
(Yn)
Ten fifty eight, November twenty-first, twenty-sixteen.

I gave one last look at myself in the grungy lighting of the mirror in the staff bathroom. I fluffed my (h/c) hair and stared into my (e/c) eyes, before giving a reassuring sigh and ambling out into the kitchen,

Then into the waitress prep station,

Then into the dining room,

And there he was, Eli. I felt like I had done something wrong, I felt wrong, and as I walked towards him with a loving smile on my face, his frown wasn't helping.

"Hey, Eli!" I said, happily, nervously.

"Who was he?" He grumbled under his breath,

"W-what. Who?" I stuttered back, all I could think about was max, about how two minutes ago, he and I had been touching hands, then back to Eli, standing in front of me, face scrunched up with anger.

"The guy who just walked out of here. The red head." He huffed,

"Oh, he's a friend of mine. His name is ma-"

"Don't pretend like what just happened didn't happen, I saw it."  I must have been standing there slack jawed because he threw up his hands in frustration.
"(Y/n) I saw you and him touch hands, I saw that. I was outside the window, texting you, telling you I'm outside to get you."

"Eli please, this is a misunderstanding."

"Oh is it? Did my brain misunderstand what my eyes saw? What happened then, (y/nickname)," he paused, looking mighty angry. "Tell me that,"

"He was in earlier for breakfast and forgot his wallet, so he came to pick it up, I was just teasing." I said, I was speaking in the tongue of a squirrel, fast, and high pitched. "And he reached for it, and accidentally grabbed my hand and so I pulled it away and tossed it to him."

"What's his name."

"Eli," I warned.

"What's his fucking name, (y/n)"

I looked down at my shoes, "it's max."

"Tell me you don't feel anything for him."

I looked up to him, into his eyes, the very same eyes that make me feel like I'm home that were now pooling with anger, (I can't)
The very same eyes that make me feel like I'm safe that were now cautiously enraged, (I can't tell him that)
The very same eyes that sat behind black framed glasses, and were now sitting under furrowed angry brows. (because I don't know)
(I don't know and I can't tell him I don't because that's a lie isn't it?)
(I'm telling myself I don't like him cause there's Eli and there's always been Eli and the only person I can lie to is myself)
(The ONLY person I can lie to is myself.)
I looked up, and I lied.

"I don't have any feelings for him, Eli." I said, his face softened but only just a little, and he leaned back on a table.

"Okay," he whispered, running a hand through his hair, "okay sorry, I believe you."

"You- Eli, you're my everything, okay? My world, my safety, I love you." I said, it wasn't a lie, I loved him. I truly truly loved him, but- "and there's only you." I lied through my teeth. I began questioning why I'm lying, why don't I just leave him to go be with Max? Apparently I'm thinking about him so much,

But I shook my head and snapped out of it, (because) I told myself (because Eli has been here since we were teenagers and one red-headed customer isn't going to ruin that, we'll get through this, Eli and I. We will. I will.)

I walked to him and gave him a hug and he threw his hand around my shoulders and together we walked out, yet for some reason, all I was feeling was the nostalgia, of the first time I trailed max with my eyes, as he walked this very parking lot.

Author's note:
Oh my GAWSH guys! 300 reads! I'm so happy! I'm not even going to ask for support this chapter or plug myself in here or tell you to check out my other stories because you guys are AWESOME! And you have all been doing a wonderful job of supporting me and my fics, so thank you so so so soooo much!

Sorry for the short chapter today but I have a HUGE geography project due tomorrow that I have to start... Uhm... Right now so I should probably get to that.

Trust me, more max is on the way! I'll probably update later tonight though I can't promise that, if I don't get around to it there will definitely be one tomorrow.

As always, goodbye lovelies :D