In Your Eyes

XXIII

"Chloe!"

I sat up with a gasp, wide-eyed and sweating bullets. Everything felt so cold that I couldn't stop shaking for the life of me. My head was throbbing painfully. A soft groan escaped my lips as I glanced around my room. It looked like a damn bomb had gone off. "What..." I mumbled, slowly turning my head to look at the person next to me. "Luke?" The feeling of panic surged through me yet again, and all I could do was stumble over my next words. "Oh- Oh, God. He's gone. Elijah- he's-"

"Fuck." He whispered to himself, his shoulders slumping. I sobbed into his arms. "It's alright. I've got you."

Helplessly, I stared outside of my window, knowing I could do nothing about my misery. "He's really gone." I couldn't help but whisper once again.

Luke kissed my temple, and I knew he was suffering with me, but I was too numb. "What do I do now?"

"I don't know, Baby. But I'll be right here with you." He promised.

***

It had been a few days, maybe weeks or months since Eli left me. The ache never truly went away. I was going through a loss so severely painful, I could barely function properly anymore. Every day was the same. Luke drove me to school, I somehow managed to do homework, ate, showered, and went to bed. My connection to Eli was gone. It was getting warmer outside, yet I was left feeling cold most of the time.
I knew those were signs of depression, but I was too scared to ask for help. The only person that could cheer me up in the slightest was my boyfriend, and even then I could see that it was taking a toll on him. It hurt to see that. This wasn't what he signed up for; he didn't deserve to be with somebody as worthless as me.

I sighed, walking through my doorstep after another long day of school. I quickly took a shower and put on my pajamas, which consisted of some shorts and a tanktop.

"Why do you look so sad?" Mom questioned, her smile dropping when she greeted me in the kitchen. Her relationship did wonders for her mental health. I could tell from the glow on her face, her flushed cheeks, and her newly discovered purpose in life.

Knowing that she wouldn't understand, I just shrugged. "I'm tired."

"You know you can talk to me anytime, right?" She reached out to me. "That's what moms are for."

I just breathed as she pulled me into a hug, trying to stop those stupid tears, but I gave in. "Elijah died." I whispered before I could stop myself.

Mom froze, then relaxed. "Oh, sweetie. I knew this day would come. I'm so, so sorry."

"What do you mean?" I pulled away, confused.

"I should've known from how you acted," She muttered thoughtfully. "I guess it never clicked for me."

I waited for her to elaborate. "I always knew about Elijah and who he really is," Mom clarified, leaving me completely baffled. "I didn't think he'd ever leave you, though."

"You knew and never told me?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "That's... messed up."

Mom's eyes shone with an emotion I couldn't quite decipher. "It was safer that way. The less you knew, the better."

"I don't understand..." I mumbled. This was all too much for me.

"The day you were born, there was this little boy that walked into the room. He couldn't have been older than three, but he kept looking for you and saying he needed to protect you. It was bizarre, and unreal. He knew your name before I even said it."