Crash Into Me

Chapter Seven: Eli

Alli is looking out of the small plane window, captivated by the sight of Australia below. Her pouty lips are slightly parted, hair braided messily to one side, and skin gleaming with a natural beauty that no amount of makeup could create. She looks back at me, awestruck, revealing her earnest smile. I've never met such a genuine and humble woman.

"Eli, thank you so much! It's indescribable! I can't believe we are about to be in Australia." She grabs my arm with both hands, smile lines hugging her eyes.

"Just wait until you see the ocean."

"The ocean!" she swoons. "I cannot wait to see all the fish. Wait. Will there be sharks?" she scrunches her face in worry.

I laugh, "Not any that you should be worried about." Her expression lightens as I hold her delicate hand.

I'm falling for this girl. Hard. I've only known her for a little over a week, but there's something inexplicably enthralling about her—something intrinsically mystifying.

"Welcome to Cairns, folks," the pilot's voice echoes over the speaker system. "It's sunny and seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit. The local time is three o'five PM. Thank you for flying with us. We hope you have a great rest of your day."

After we land, my phone starts buzzing with missed calls and texts. No messages from Jannine, though, thankfully. I haven't heard a word from her since that night at Jay's, and I'm glad. I just want to move on and forget about that part of my life. I want to explore things with Alli.

I scroll through my messages, one from Mike, who's covering for me while we're away; another from Jenny asking for an update on how my flight with "the new girl" went; and five missed calls from...my mother. Shit. I debate calling her back. She doesn't know that I'm in Australia, or that I'm with Alli, for that matter. I still haven't even told her anything about Alli. She's still reeling over my breakup with her "glorious" Jannine.

I feel Alli looking at me and then at my phone and then at me again. "Everything all right?" she asks.

"Everything's fine," I smile, putting my phone away. Mother can wait. "Let's get off this plane and get to our hotel," I smile, standing up and stretching my stiff legs.

I admit that my mind has been a bit preoccupied by the hotel situation. I reserved two queens because I didn't want Alli to think that I was expecting her to sleep in the same bed as me, but I'm secretly hoping she will. We still haven't even kissed. I thought we might Saturday night when I took her back to her place and walked her up to her door after dinner. She didn't linger long enough for me to make a move, though. Instead she said good night rather quickly before sliding into her apartment door and shutting it in my face without another word. She's so different from anyone else I've ever dated, but in the best way possible.

My phone starts buzzing again as we are leaving the plane.

"Are you gonna get that?" Alli asks, sweetly.

I debate with myself for a second before nodding my head and clicking "answer." Might as well get it over with.

"Hello, mother."

"Elijah! I've been worried sick! Is everything okay? I haven't been able to get a hold of you. Your work said you left the country?"

"Yes, I decided to take a last minute vacation," I say, preparing for the anxiety-filled shit-storm that's about to unleash.

"Last minute vacation?! What on earth? To where? And you didn't think to let your mother know beforehand?"

I look over to Alli, who's walking patiently beside me, admiring other tourists. "Australia. And I didn't think I had to ask for permission from my mother, seeing as I'm thirty-one and all."

"Don't use that tone with me, young man. I am your mother. It wouldn't hurt to have some courtesy to inform me of these types of excursions. You know how I worry. You're my only child," she lets out an overly dramatic sigh.

"You're right. I'm sorry, I should have told you." I find it's best to just agree with her in these types of situations.

"Well, that's all right," she says, the hissing dissipating from her voice. "I'm just glad you're safe." She sounds as though she's calmed down and there's a millisecond of silence before she adds, "Are you there alone?" Fuck. My free hand clenches. I thought I was about to get away scot-free. I glance back at Alli, who's now browsing through the magazine stand right next to me. I turn away slowly, but she senses my movement and looks up. Shiiiit.

"Elijah? Are you still there?" mother says, getting heated again.

"Uh..yeah, I'm still here."

"Well, did you hear my question?"

"Yes, mother," I say, racking my brain for how to get myself out of this cluster-fuck.

"Yes you heard me, or yes you're there alone?"

"Yes, I heard you."

"So you're not alone?" her voice has a hurried curious tone to it.

"No," I respond shortly. Alli continues flipping through magazines, but I'm almost certain she's probably overheard at least some part of my conversation.

"Well who are you with then? A girl? You're with Jannine, aren't you? I knew it! I knew it was only a matter of time before the two of you got back together!"

"No, I'm with someone else." I grip the phone harder, waiting for her next rant, but instead it goes quiet for a moment.

"Some—someone else?" she sounds like she's about to cry. "But you only just broke up a few weeks ago...I—I think I need to sit down. Oh my word! She's going to be devastated."

I drop my voice to a frustrated whisper and try to walk away casually. "You can't tell her anything, mother. She and I are done. There's nothing left between us. I thought I made that clear."

"But she is perfect! She's everything I ever wanted for you! And you spent the last two years together. Now you're going to start all over?! And what about my future grandchildren? I'm not sure I'll live long enough to see them born by the time you finally decide to settle down!" she cries.

"Can we talk about this another time? I'm kind of in the middle of something." Alli is browsing through some books now. I just hope she didn't hear too much.

"Well—I—," she sobs. "I suppose so. I'm just so...so...disappointed."

"I'm sorry mother. I really am. Now is just not a good time. I love you."

"I love you too," she sniffles before I hang up and walk back over to Alli.

"That was my mother," I look at her apologetically.

"Yeah, I figured, when you answered with 'mother'," she says, her weight shifted to one hip. "She doesn't know you're here with a girl, does she?" she asks, her expression unreadable.

"Well she does now," I laugh nervously.

"But she doesn't know you're here with me?" she clarifies.

"Not exactly...I—I haven't told her about you yet. It's kind of a strange situation. " I stand there in front of her, feeling incredibly small.

Her expression softens as she reaches her hand out to touch my arm, "I get it, Eli. We've only known each other for a week. I'm sure you have a past. We both do," she adds. I don't know why, but that "we both do" part makes me feel a little uneasy, but I don't want to press the issue.

"Yeah...thanks for understanding," I say, grabbing her hand as we walk toward the baggage claim. My mind is swimming in questions and the little voice in my head tells me that maybe Alli has her secrets too.

**More to come soon! Please let me know what you think. Any comments or suggestions are always welcome 🤗**