Dear Elliot

Dear Elliot- Chapter 4

Chapter 4

When I could smell the salt breeze I was now aware that I was sitting next to an eighteen year old private, who liked football, baking, reading, playing League of Legends(whatever that is), engineering, laughing, and walking barefooted on the beach. Oh my sweet Jesus I may possibly be sitting next to the perfect man. And the best part was that he seemed slightly interested in me.

When we got to the beach, I pulled off my boyfriend cardigan and both of us left our shoes in the car.

We walked down to the sandy shore and I felt the sand melt into my toes. We were both cringing away from the chilly water but we were slowly getting our feet wet, walking along the beach and just getting to know each other.

"I just have one question for you." I said to him and he smiled.

"Fire away." he said and I caught my breath from staring into his smiling eyes.

"Where were you when my mom thought I was a lesbian because I didn't have a boyfriend for so long?" I asked, playfully and Elliot laughed.

"I have no idea, but are you implying that I would have asked you out?" he asked, obviously teasing me. I mock glared at him and slapped his arm playfully and he laughed.

We were sitting in the sand, and I had showed him the secluded spot that I had known and loved for so long. It was surrounded by rocks and bushes, keeping it separated from the beach and away from prying eyes.

When I was little, and I'm talking kindergarten little, I would take boys back there and kiss them before they would run away screaming 'Ah! She just gave me the cooties!"

There was a small gap in the thin, hanging tree limbs so if you didn't know where to look you would never find your way into my cave.

Elliot and I just sat for a while, staring out into the burning sunset and I realized how cliche this scene was.

"You know Lilly, you are a great girl. Beautiful too." I heard Elliot say and out of my peripherals I could see him turn to face me, but I stayed staring out onto the ocean. "I mean, I know this friendship, or whatever you want to call it, would be hard to maintain, but I really want you to keep writing to me. It means a lot to me. And I know maybe it's too soon to tell, but right now you mean a lot to me." I turned to face him, and his chocolatey brown eyes were staring up at me. Not in a creepy way, more of a caring way. I could almost feel an invisible force dragging me towards his face as both of us leaned in, closing our eyes, ready for our lips to touch. I could feel his breath on my lips, actually feel his spearmint breath touch the inside of my mouth, but I stopped it, ducking out and resting my forehead on his a shoulder for a second. I lifted my head from breathing in the scent of Tide from his shirt and stared.

"Listen, Elliot, I barely know you. You barely know me. I can't let myself get attached to you when I know that you're just going to have to go right back to that war. If this ever happened, we would never see each other. And what if you died? What would happen then? I'm sorry but this isn't going to work." I said and I became vaguely aware that I was on my feet. I moved to leave the enclosure and felt Elliot's strong, calloused hand on my arm, preventing me from going anywhere.

"One dinner. Tomorrow at 7. I'll surprise you?" he asked and I sighed and turned to face him.

"One dinner. But please don't try anything because can't risk getting attached to you when you're just going to leave." I said and then walked through the bushes, still barefoot and the sand squishing up into my toes.

I got into my car and was driving out of the beach parking lot when Elliot came running up to me.

"Hey!" he shouted and I slowed to a stop.

"What's wrong?" I asked and he reached in and fished out his shoes and pack from my back seat.

"Forgot that you have all my stuff. My rental car is gonna get dropped off here. But, meet me here. Same spot, your cave, 6:45. Okay?" he said, smiling at me. And I grinned at him and nodded.

"Okay, but you are bot dragging me into anything with your puppy eyes." I said and he laughed at me.

"A guy can try," he said and I waved goodbye as I drove off. I picked up my cell phone and pressed Jackie's speed dial. I listened as it rung and smiled when he picked up.

"Jackie Paisley at your service." he said in a sing song fashion.

"Hey Jackie!" I said, keeping one hand on the wheel and putting the phone on speaker, dropping it in the pocket in my door handle.

"Hey Lil, so how did your date thing go? Are you calling from the police station?" Jackie said mocking me. I rolled my eyes for no ones well being except for mine.

"No, I am not at the police station. Are you near the house?" I asked.

"Yeah, Sophie and I are eating dinner with mom and dad. Are you driving?" he asked me and I glanced over at the phone and to the road again.

"Um, no." I said, lying through my teeth. " Listen,Jackie, stay at the house. I'll be home in like ten minutes, so just stay there and I'll tell you all about it." I said and we both hung up after saying our goodbyes. Ten minutes later and I was pulling into my driveway, seeing Jackie's familiar, navy blue car and my moms silver Mazda Miata sitting in the garage.

I slid out of my car, and walked into the house, performing my usual routine of throwing my keys onto the counter before walking into the lounge room, where Sophie, Jackie and my parents were sitting.

"Hey Jackie, can I talk to you for a minute?" I said after exchanging greetings with Sophie and my parents. We walked out of the lounge into the kitchen.

"Hey Lil. So how did it go?" he asked, with a worried look in his eyes. I smiled lightly.

"Jackie it was amazing. This guy is so cute and so sweet and we almost kissed. " I said, reminding myself of Bri as I gushed. Jackie absentmindedly scratched his beard.

"Almost? What broke it up?" he asked, of course asking the one one question I didn't really want to answer. I sighed reluctantly but answered because of a look from Jackie.

"I did." I said, quickly as though to get it over with. "I can't get attached to him Jackie! He still has to serve one more year, and if he dies and I'm attached to him, what is that going to do to me?" I asked, talking with my hands and pacing back an forth as I worried with Jackie mostly just observing.

"Okay, you are not being very helpful." I said after Jackie was silent for another moment, still stroking his beard and I slapped his hand away from it. He laughed half heartedly.

"Are you gonna see him again?" he asked me, slowly. And I stared at him for a moment before nodding.

"Tomorrow. We're having dinner." I said and Jackie nodded.

"You know Lil, love may only come once. And when you fall in love you offer yourself up to pain and suffering, and that's the sad truth, and you never know what's going to happen. But if you open up and take a chance, it might just come flying out at you. So take a chance Lil, you never know what will happen." Jackie said and he patted my shoulder and walked back into the dining room, leaving me standing there with a perplexed look on my face