Mad World (Gone Editing)

Chapter 19

Elliot's POV

Blame It On Me by Post Malone

I stayed at the hospital until they released Corinna. Then I drove her home. I talked her into staying with me until she figured out what her father wanted her to do. I even retrieved her things so she wouldn't have to go back into that house. The place looked as though nothing had ever happened there. That wasn't the point.

If I have my way, she'll never step foot in that house again.

She rested the entire first day she was with me. She slept in my bed and I took the couch. I enjoyed cooking for her and taking care of our pups, but I knew it was temporary. Just not how temporary.

I woke up the second day to her on the phone with her mother. She ended the call with a sigh. She looked everywhere but at me.

"Good news," I asked stretching.

Her eyes flicked to mine and for a moment there was heat. Then she looked away and shrugged.

"I guess so. My father said I can come home," she said. "My flight is in a few hours."

"Oh," I said.

"Yeah...uh, thought we had more time," she started.

"But you can't be with me, you don't love me anymore," I said, my voice quiet and sad.

"How can you say that, and it not sound accusatory," She asked with a frown.

"It's a gift," I said and shook my head.

"And for the record; I do love you Elliot. But you scare me, the capacity for such violence... I just can't and I'm glad to be going home otherwise staying away from you would kill me."

"I told you I would leave you alone once I was sure you would be okay, I meant that, love."

My heart was beating so hard, I thought it was going to burst from my chest. My mouth was dry, and the words felt like shards of glass across my tongue. I didn't want to lose her.

I looked at her, but she couldn't look me in the eye. I got up off of the couch and went to her. I tipped her chin up to make her look at me. Her lip was trembling and there were tears in her eyes.

Gently I placed my lips on hers, careful of the delicate stitches on the left side of her lower lip. She hesitated for only a moment but then her hands went around my neck. The kiss was slow and passionate and filled with everything we felt for each other.

I broke the kiss and brushed the tears from her cheeks with the thumbs.

"I love you, Corinna," I said in a resigned tone.

"I love you too Elliot. So much," she said and buried her face in my chest, sobbing softly.

"I know, beautiful. I know." I rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head saying, "I'm sorry," over and over.

We sat and talked for a little while before the cab came that would take her to Tasha's house so she could explain her story to them and say her goodbyes. I couldn't take her because I would end up begging her to stay and I didn't want to make a fool of myself.

She let me kiss her goodbye before she rode out of my life.

The next few weeks passed so slowly as I waited for a job or message from the company. I was surprised that there had been absolutely no consequences for killing Gold and Silver, not that I really expected any. I contemplated quitting. Just giving the life up and going after Cori. I entertained that fantasy about every three seconds of every minute of every hour of every day since she'd left.