Heartbreak Warfare | Elijah Mikaelson

Introduction

"Which one is he?" My best friend asked, rolling onto her tiptoes.

I sighed, scanning the crowd of attractive college students packed into the humid basement.

"I don't see him." After tugging down the hem of my gray wool skirt, I craned my neck to see more of the sea of sweaty partygoers. "Maybe he's not here. Maybe he transferred."

Presley's elbow connected with my ribcage gently, and she shook her head. "Nice try, but you're not getting out of this one, kid," she chastised. "I'm sure he's here somewhere. Let's try this room back here."

"God, it smells like sweat mixed with Axe body spray and desperation," I gagged, stepping around a couple dry humping by the speakers.
A red solo cup of warm, cheap beer tipped over, a few drops splashing onto my new heels. "Ah, perfect! I must have really been an asshole in a past life."

Presley snickered, lacing her fingers through mine and leading me past the crowd. We navigated around a wall and discovered another seperate room filled with only a handful of the fraternity brothers. They glanced up when we entered the room, curiosity filling their stares.

"Hello there, ladies," said the blonde one in the middle, his pink lips curling into a smirk. "How lovely to see you two again."

I'd never seen this guy before in my life, but he sure seemed to know me. I turned towards Presley who looked just as confused, flicking her brown eyes towards me before stepping forward.

"Um. Right. We were just looking for someone," she explained with a sweet smile. "Maybe you could help us?"

"I'd be happy to," he answered, gesturing for us to come closer. "Don't be shy, now."

I groaned, suddenly desperate to get this over with.

"He's like, six feet tall, brown hair that's sort of messy, with a horrible fake accent. I think his name is Colton or Colin or something?" I blurted.

His blue eyes narrowed on me, dancing down my body with interest. "And what, may I ask, would you want with this man?"

"Let me guess. He owes you money." The handsome man beside him sighed, rolling his eyes. "Just tell me how much, and I'll take care of it." He stood, reaching into the pocket of his trousers to produce a wallet, which he opened with an irritated scowl.

Was this guy wearing a suit to a basement party? I mean, he looked hot. Just a little out of place. As he glanced up at me, his dark hair falling into his eyes and sharp jawline flexing, I momentarily forgot the reason I was here in the first place.

"No, nothing like that," I frowned. "I just really need to speak with him."

He seemed to sense my discomfort and took pity on me, his jaw unclenching and hard glare finally softening. "Come with me," he said. His face remained serious but his eyes conveyed a kindness for which I was grateful.

"I'll be right here if you need me," Presley whispered, and I nodded.

As I turned to follow the guy in the suit, my shoes remained still on the cement floor, unsticking with a gross slurp before I was able to take a step.
I pouted, wondering what fresh hell was awaiting me next.

"My name is Elijah," he said, offering me his elbow so I wouldn't trip. I wrapped my hand around his forearm, allowing him to lead me up the cement stairs without incident.

"Lila. Thanks for your help."

"Of course. I believe the man you're looking for is my younger brother, Kol," he shared, leading me down a crowded hallway to another staircase.

As we moved towards the stairway, I noticed a small pocket of girls looking at me with envy. I arched an eyebrow, wondering what they thought I was doing. Whatever it was, I was one thousand percent certain I would rather be doing that.

We walked up the old, worn staircase, which was missing a few key elements such as a railing and a runner, and made a left at the landing.

"This place is much bigger than it looks on the outside," I grumbled, already exhausted from the journey.

Elijah chuckled—a dark, velvety sound—and a smile teased at his full lips. "I can assure you, we are almost there."

"Super." I was dreading this moment more than anything I had ever done so far in my entire life.
The butterflies in my chest were straight up rabid at this point, and I knew my hands were trembling.

Elijah stopped before a closed door, wincing when the soft strumming of a guitar spilled out into the hallway. Heaving a deep sigh, he lifted his hand and knocked loudly.

"Go away. We're busy." An amused voice called back. I was thrown back in time by the accent curling around those few words.

"Oh, yeah. That's the guy," I groaned. "Lucky, lucky me."

Elijah tilted his head and pursed his lips, as if he were trying to read my situation.

"Are you alright, Lila?"

I just shrugged, keeping my focus on the closed door in front of us. I knew if I answered this handsome guy with the gentle eyes, if I told him exactly what was wrong, there was a good chance I'd break down in tears.

But I hadn't cried in close to fifteen years, and I wasn't going to let today be the day that changed.

Straightening my spine, I flipped a lock of dark chocolate hair over my shoulder and pounded on the door with my fist.

"Open up Kol, or this entire house will find out you're hung like a gummy bear!"

I heard Elijah's amused chuff beside me.

A moment later, the door flew open and two scantily dressed co-eds rushed out of the room wearing matching scowls. Kol stuck his head out, his angry eyebrows greeting me impatiently. I noticed he was shirtless, wearing only a pair of distressed jeans, half unzipped.

"Who the hell—" He froze, the realization hitting him like a brick. "Wait. Lila, right?"

His dark eyes softened as they gently caressed my body, sliding over my curves before snapping back up to meet my glare.

Elijah cleared his throat beside us. "I'll just head back downstairs. If you need anything--"

"Elijah, wait." I curled a hand around his forearm. My scarlet painted nails probably dug into his skin, but he said nothing. "Will you please stay with me?"

I was Lila Grey. I hadn't needed anyone's help since I was a child. And yet here I was, begging this stranger to hold my hand.

I really was growing soft.

If he was surprised, he didn't let it show. "Of course, Lila. If that's what you want."

I nodded, pulling him with me into Kol's room. It was tempting to look around, but I forced myself to stay focused on the task at hand.

"What is this about, Lila? I mean, I'm not unhappy to see you, but I thought you were just looking for a one night thing." Kol tugged a navy tee shirt over his head as he threw my own cold words back in my face.

I winced at the reminder. "Yup, one night was all I wanted Kol. But instead, I got something much longer..."

Both brothers looked at me expectantly, and I had no choice but to tell him the truth.

"I'm pregnant, Kol. And it's yours."

[To be continued..]