Chapter 17
I burst through the door, the anger renewed in my head.
"ELI!" I shouted through the house. I was not about to waste any of the precious time I had. A moment passed before he appeared at the bottom of the stairs, a questioning look in his eyes. "wha-" He didn't finish before I punched him in the jaw, making him stumble backwards.
"WHAT THE HELL!?" He shouted, before I landed another punch. "what are you surprised that you're little 'trick' with the bike didn't work?! I'm supposed to be dead right?!"
"what the hell are you talking about?" He asked irritated, rubbing his now swollen cheek.
"Don't you dare play innocent with me." I swung at him again, this time he dodged. "You friggin' tried to kill me!" Eli took a few steps back as I grew angrier. "Was having Carmen to yourself really that important you?!" I punched him again. "I didn't do it!" he shouted.
The door swung open, Carmen standing there. Her jaw dropped as she saw Eli. With his face bruised and battered. Her eyes flashed between me and him.
"Carmen.. You're home early..." I said. Her eyes flared.
"What happened?" I opened my mouth to answer but she didn't let me. "Eli,"
"Well pretty boy here, called me down and started swinging punches!" She turned to me.
"Why would you do that?!"
"Eli cut my brake lines!! He tried to kill me the little prick!" I raised my hand to punch him again, but Carmen jumped between us. I stopped. "Cody... Just leave." She said pointing to the door. "Bu-' She brushed away some hair from her face. "Cody don't make this any harder than it already is... Just go." Her eyes brimmed with tears. I took a few steps backward and opened the front door. I took a step out before pausing. I chuckled sadly "I guess this means you won Eli." I closed the door softly and stood still for a second in the silence. I looked back at the house one last time before starting to walk.
Carmen's POV
The door closed slowly. I turned to Eli and hugged him crying violently into his shirt.
"Shh... It's okay, He's gone..." Eli said stroking my hair gently.
"That's why it's not okay." I pulled away, wiping my eyes. He looked a bit hurt. "I'll be in my room if you need me." I ran up the stairs and jumped into my bed curling up into a ball and crying harder than ever. Everything was just falling apart.
**
I dragged myself out of bed, and headed for the bathroom. My makeup was destroyed and running down my face. I quickly washed it all of and applied it again. I sighed and my disfigured appearance and went downstairs. I walked into the living room to see Eli sitting on the couch staring at a blank TV.
"You know you can watch something." I laughed, sitting next to him.
"Um.. Carmen I need to tell you something." I nodded and waited for him to continue. "Cody was right. No I didn't rig his bike or anything like that but what I did was just as bad, and I can only hope that you'll forgive me." I shifted uncomfortably. "I was the accomplice. I was the one who fed you two in the prison. I was the reason this happened to you." Was he joking? And then suddenly everything Cody had been warning me about made more sense.
"Why would you do that?" I whispered. He sighed as if he knew the question was coming and he didn't want to tell me. "It was cus I loved you. And I have always loved you. I only came back so we could finally be together, but then I saw you and Cody together, and I came up with this plan.."
"That's so stupid!" I screamed at him. He looked at the ground.
"I kno-"
"No, you don't know, don't you dare say you know! If you knew you wouldn't have done it!" All the anger from the past weeks suddenly came to the surface. "And Cody knew?!" I asked already knowing the answer. He nodded quietly. "You JERKS!" I stood up and headed for the door. Grabbing my count I turned around. "Goodbye Eli." I ran out to the car and hopped in. I hate him. And I would never. Ever forgive him.
**
Hours past and I finally decided to head home. Hopefully Eli took the hint and left. I stomped on the brakes as I neared my home. The car continued past it. I pressed harder. Still nothing happened.
"Eli cut my brake lines!" Cody's words rang through my head. Could Eli have cut mine as well?
