With Or Without You (Completed)

Chapter 29

Three days were left of the big day - of celebration and of revelation. 

The tension around the house was palpable, and each passing day became more and more painful for Elli's family as they watched her suffer through the deadly disease. Oliver was hanging by a thread, restraining himself from breaking down entirely in front of the woman he loved - who was fighting so bravely and alone. His respect grew for her.

Everyone was at Elli's beck and call. They made sure she ate healthy food, didn't hit the floor while walking, was covered properly with warm clothes in cold evenings and never let her leave home alone. No matter how much Elli fumed at them for their border-line psychotic ways of taking care of her, none of them ever faltered or got annoyed.

Right at the moment Elli was brushing her hair sitting at the edge of her bed. She groaned and held the hair brush up in front of her face. It was full of hair.

"At this rate I'm going to go bald very soon." This pregnancy hormones sucked. Not only mood swings, fatigue and vomiting... she also had to have the unique hair loss along the way! 

Oliver had just stepped foot into Elli's room, his foot pushing open the slightly ajar door and hands holding a tray that was filled with some light soup and a carrot - cucumber salad. He halted dead on his track the moment he heard Elli. It took him a few moments to gather himself and process what she had said, and when he did - he began walking in again pulling a normal expression. However, his mind was now on full alert mode.

His footsteps made Elli look up. She grunted.

"I don't understand why you guys are after me this days?! What has gotten into you all?" She threw up her hands, the hair from the brush fell down to join her other fallen bunch of hair on the bed. Oliver's eyes discreetly followed them, quietly putting the tray on the bedside table.

"Especially you," Elli sprung up to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at Oliver. "Why the fish are you behaving like a lap dog all of the sudden? Now, what game is this? It's you, isn't it... you must have said or done something that my dad and my brothers are behaving so psychotic out of nowhere. Answer me what's going on, you BISCUIT ! Answer me this instant!" And she felt proud that she had quite soon adapted to moving out slangs from her dictionary and replacing them with these extremely interesting words.

Not budging even an inch Oliver concentrated on her bed where there were an impressive amount of fallen hair spread out on the white covers, and even on her pillow too.

"What are you looking at?" Elli spat, placing her fists angrily on her hips. "Thinking of throwing a party now that I'll go bald with all the hair-loss."

Suddenly as if Oliver was slapped on the face, he stumbled back. His expression pained as he lifted his eyes and stared at Elli.

Elli frowned. "What! Are you mental?" she pressed her lips into a thin line of fury. "Why are you looking at me like a crazy monkey?" Monkey was not a slang, children love seeing monkeys.

Oliver parted his lips as if to say something but then he just puffed out a long breath. His feet slowly made their way near her.

Elli's angered expression fell away to be replaced with confusion. She took a step back when Oliver came to stand too close, but behind her was the bed. She gasped when the back of her knees hit it and she sat back down on the bed rather unceremoniously. When she looked up, her heart stopped beating for a second and then began galloping at a furious speed. His intense gaze mixed with so many emotions caught her off guard, especially that one emotion that stood out like a sore thumb. It gave her hope, made her dream and she dreamed.