The Perfect Present

Chapter 23

A couple hours had passed and it was now three in the morning, Lucas shook Farren lightly awake. She groaned in response trying to tap his head like an alarm clock before opening her eyes and sitting up.

"Sorry to wake you, um your phone has been blowing up, some guy name- Ellie?"

Farren forgot she had named him after a princess in her phone nodding a thank you before looking at her phone. She had thirty messages and way too many phone calls. 

"Lucas," Farren called.

"Hmm," He mumbled lightly.

"Sorry it's so late but could you possibly drive or walk me home?" 

Lucas nodded, "Let me grab a coat and a spare one for you as well it's freezing."

Farren had gotten lucky if it wasn't for him she'd probably be out in the cold, maybe dead. Lucas came back tossing her a nice jacket, made out of fake fur. He eventually figured they'd take the truck, pouring them thermoses of hot cocoa before they went to find the house.

"Do you know where the house is?"

"It's near a diner, the airport, and a small frozen lake... I am so sorry I ah I can try and call Elliot I just can't remember-"

"A diner, do you know the name?"

Farren though taking a sip of the hot chocolate before shaking her head, "No, but they serve fried chicken!"

"Perfect!" 

Lucas soon pulled next to the diner, " Do you know the way from here?"

"I do, I can walk."

Farren thanked the boy for his kindness hoping out of the truck, she walked to the door of the diner which was still glowing. She walked inside smiling, she walked to a table but turned when she heard her name, it was a girl, the girl who kissed Elliot.

Nothing more than a dirty look and a turn on her heel came from the girl as she waited in the warm restaurant.

Farren frowned as spare hair from a turning motion the heels on the other woman's shoe had made, trying not to cry as she found her way back into the snow and on her way home. It wasn't too long in the cold before she found the familiar door, a small face peering out the window, it was Thomas, he seemed to be drawing and looking out every few minutes as if checking for something or someone.

Farren got closer, her cheeks grew red from the cold and her nose was frosty, Thomas saw her jumping up ecstatically and throwing open the door. Farren hadn't questioned how he saw her in the darker lights of the dim sky, but she didn't care, accepting the warm hug as she carried him inside.

"We were so worried, I thought Elliot had scared you off for good! I am so glad you're back! You are my best friend," Thomas muttered all quickly.

A small head peeped over the couch, the girl whom Elliot had seen earlier that day.. Adeline?

"Oh! You're back," Adeline seemed genuinely happy, "Elliot's in his room, probably counting down the hours until Amber Alert is legal."

Farren chuckled, brewing two cups of hot chocolate before going up the stairs slowly. She knew and regretted all the fret she could have caused, she tapped on Elliot's door receiving a small voice back, "Adeline I don't wanna talk."

"It's not Adeline..."

She heard multiple thuds and coughs in the room before he opened the door, a look of pure shock written on his face. 

"Oh My God! Thank the lord you're safe," Elliot's voice had true threads of stress running through, he took the mugs from her rushing to set them down.

"Elliot I'm sorry-"

"No!"

The abrupt protest scared her and she sat down on a beanbag, the grey one she had once borrowed. He closed the door sitting next to her.

"I don't want you to apologize, you didn't do anything. Sure you left the house, but you didn't cheat on me, or at least I hope you didn't, and you didn't do anything to be sorry of."

Farren's eyes glazed with tears. Elliot's words soothed every part of her soul that had doubts before, she knew he would never purposely hurt her.

"Elliot..."

He looked up at her, and she met his eye contact.

"I... I um.. I love you."