Someone Hit the Mute Button

Chapter Thirteen-The Truth Will Out

Chapter Thirteen- The Truth Will Out

I was released from the hospital two days later. As it turns out, I had fainted from, and I quote, "sheer panic," and had hit my head pretty hard on the way down. The doctor had given me strict instructions, and he even made out a list of what I had to do in order to avoid a repeat episode. It didn't matter though, and I knew it. I'd be back in the hospital eventually.

It was actually hard to get Dustin to leave. When I woke up from my strange dream about Alec, Dustin was the one sitting there, but for some reason I didn't want to see him. One of the first things I did was ask to see Eli.

Over the course of those two days, I learned a lot about my relationship with Eli. I learned that the two of us pick fights with each other just for the sake of picking a fight. Half of the time, we argue about a topic we actually agree on and we just ignore the fact that we agree.

My mother showed up for a few hours, but she left in a bit of a hurry to help Aria sort out some things in preparation for the baby. This didn't really make any sense at the time, because Aria had quite literally just told us about the pregnancy, but it seemed that she was farther along than any of us had originally thought. She claimed to be almost twenty-two weeks pregnant- five and a half months- at the end of Feburary when she told us. That meant the baby was due some time in June.

That's what I think about most nights- that damn baby. Aria had the mentality and the responsibility of a teenager, and I was almost positive that Tristan was just biding his time until he was able to slip away and never come back. Aria wouldn't be able to do it alone, that much I knew for sure. I'd have offered my mother up for the job, but when things got tough, my mother tended to skimp out. So what the hell was going to happen to that baby?

One particular day in mid-March, I couldn't keep my mind off of the situation.

"Earth to Annalise?" Eli signed about three centimeters from my face. He was looking at me strangely, and I found myself wondering what was causing him to look at me like that.

It took me a long moment to realize that we were sitting in my living room, on the floor, and the movie we had been watching was over and Eli had started a new one. Half an hour ago.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his hands slow and shaky, rather than rapid and firm. He was nervous. Could I really blame him? Everyone had been worried about me these past few weeks.

They couldn't understand- no one could. Talking to Alec, and then having to leave him? It was like losing him all over again. Nothing could change the fact that I had my brother back, for however brief a time it was, and he left me again.

"Yes," I replied, my gaze on the television once more. I had no idea what movie we were watching, but I had to do my best to pretend that I had been paying attention the entire time.

"Liar," He replied, and I simply glared at him for a second before turning my attention back to the television, even though it was never actually there to begin with.

"Drop it," I signed, my hands ridgid and tense.

He tapped my shoulder, but I just ignored him and kept my gaze straight ahead. He tapped again and I continued to ignore him. After the third time, he stood and moved right in front of me. He sat down at my feet and stared at me.

"Eli, I'm serious."

"I'm serious, too," He replied, and I glared at him harshly.

"Stop it," I snapped, my rapid hands mere inches from his face. Why couldn't he just get the damn message? I obviously didn't want to talk.