Three's A Crowd

Like a Band-Aid on a Chasm

-Six months on-

Your POV

It's a lazy Sunday afternoon; you're watching a film with Elliott, nestled in the corner of the sofa against his chest.

You're not that interested in the film but Elliott wanted to watch it so you're happy to oblige him. It gives you time to think. Out the corner of your eye you can see Lannan and his new girlfriend at the breakfast bar in the kitchen watching something on his laptop. She walks away into the pantry and Lannan turns to glance at you. You flash each other a smile that says We're okay. Despite everything I still love you.

It makes you think of the first argument you had with Elliott.
"Just admit you want Lannan back!"
"Elliott," you say calmly, "I have to be civil with Lannan, we all live together, I still work for him. I don't want to take him back. I want you."
This seems to work, he sits down and doesn't say anything else.
You sit next to him, take his hand in both of yours and say quietly, "When I broke up with him, the first thing that helped me move on was when I saw him with the girl he had been seeing. It made me realise I had done the right thing, I was furious that he'd gone back to her after all he'd said to try and get me back, but I wasn't jealous of her, I wasn't mad because I wanted him to keep begging for another chance. I realised it didn't matter because I was right, I couldn't trust him and I didn't really care, because I didn't see a future with him. And the more I thought about it I realised I never did, I never could properly imagine having a family together, growing old together. But with you it's different." That last bit isn't entirely true but it seems to pacify him. You let go with one of your hands to lift his chin up so you're looking Elliott in the eye, "I love you."
He sighs heavily and drops his head, "I love you too," after a few moments silence he looks up at you again, "This is not how I imagined you'd tell me you loved me for the first time."
"Me neither. Shall I take it back, try again later?" you chuckle.
"Hmm..." he fake ponders for a second, "Nah, we're stuck with it now."
"Yeah, you're definitely stuck with me," you say with a grin.
"Good," he says, pulling you into his side and placing a kiss on your temple.

---

Three years later the house lease is up, everyone decides it's time to move on and find your own places to live. The crew carries on making videos and growing, becoming more and more successful. They hire more employees which allows you to take more of a back seat and certainly stop editing Lannan's videos, you're much less sad that way; without the constant reminder of how broken he has become and how you feel the same inside.

A few weeks after moving into your own apartment with Elliott you wake up to find him already out working however he's left a note on the table.

We're going out for dinner tonight, here's $100 treat yourself to that dress I know you want and get your nails done   - E x

With a fond smile you do as told and are nearly ready when he gets home.

"So what's the occasion?" you call through to him in the other room, applying your eyeshadow in the mirror.

His reply is a little delayed, "No reason," but you can hear the smirk in his voice.

Your suspicions of something going on are confirmed when, after you've finished your main course, Elliott takes your hand and with a shaky voice starts to speak, "(y/n) you've made me so happy since you came into my life, I don't know where I'd be without you and I don't want to have to think about you not being by my side for the rest of my life. So..." he slips out of his seat and rests on one knee on the floor in front of you, "Will you marry me?" he asks, offering a beautiful ring to you with a huge glistening stone on top.

Your jaw drops, never did you expect this to happen so fast, and certainly not tonight. 

"Yes," the word tumbles out of your mouth but as he leaps up and slides the ring on your finger you have no recollection of actually giving your reply.

For the rest of the night your head spins as you stare at the ring on your finger; even before Lannan you didn't expect to marry someone so soon, you've not been put through enough strains to know that you can survive whatever comes your way. And above all else you're actually a little angry at Elliott because clearly after all the times you've told him that you're only just learning to trust again he still hasn't listened.

"You're not listening to a word I'm saying," Elliott's gentle touch on your wrist breaks you out of your thoughts, "you can't stop thinking about getting married huh?"

You barely lift your gaze up from your hand to give him a smile, "Yeah..."

A few days later a message pops up on your phone while you're working.

Lannabanana(1): I heard you got engaged. Congratulations.

You stare at the screen for a second before typing.

Thanks. Delete.

I miss you. Delete.

Thank you.

Your thumb hovers over the send button for a few seconds until, in defeat, you delete that too; opening his contact details instead.

Lannabanana. Delete.

Lannan Eacott. Save.