Author's note: Might as well begin this by saying I DO NOT SHIP ECLARE. At all. They are horrible for each other. So this will not end with them being together. Just so you know and aren't disappointed in the end. Anyway, I've had this idea in my head since the first Now or Never promo but I just hadn't got the urge to post it yet. I was upset in Love Game when Eli didn't argue with Clare. She had no right to yell at him and I wanted him to defend himself, so that's basically what this is. It'll be pretty short. Enjoy :)
I stood with my back to her, letting her yell. At first I was gonna ignore it. What was the point? Fighting with her wasn't gonna bring her back to me. That's the main reason I was acting okay. She dumped me for being clingy, so I'd be mature and I'd be civil with her when I saw her so I didn't scare her anymore. Even if everytime I talked to her, my heart burned with the ache of that night. I wanted her back so bad. But I put on a brave face around her and acted fine. When she started yelling, I didn't turn to look at her. I could hear the tears in her voice and I didn't want to see that. I was gonna wait for her to let it all out and then walk away, keeping my composure that I've been fighting to keep since she walked in with him.
"It took you a year - a year - to get over your ex! Did you ever love me at all?"
I felt two sharp pangs in my chest. The first, because Julia was the las thing on my mind right now and by bringing her up - especially that painful year - if caused me to think about her. The second pang, was because Clare doubted my love. How many times had I told her I loved her, that I needed her, that I never wanted to loose her. When I begged her to stay with me, she left. And she wanted to question my love.
"And...scene," I heard her smug new boyfriend say. I turned to look at her.
"Are you kidding me?" I asked in a steady tone, still trying to keep composure.
She held her tearful glare. Her new friend kept making quick glanced between me and her.
"You're really gonna question if I ever loved you? You're really gonna bring up Julia? You really think you have a right to yell at me? To care about me? To even talk to me? Who the hell do you think you are?" I was getting madder and madder by the second. Everything I'd been holding onto since that night was starting too ooze out of me.
"How can you be okay?" she whispered to me like we were the only two in the room.
"Because I need to get over you. I can't be pining after you for the rest of my life. Isn't that what you wanted, Clare? You wanted space. You got all the space you want and now you're mad because I'm not suffocating you?"
"I'm mad because you're acting like you don't care about me,"
"And if I don't care about you that's not your problem anymore," I pointed out. "Clare, I needed you. That was the worst night of my life and I just needed someone there to tell me it'd be okay. But you just walked away from me. You don't think that hurt? My feelings don't concern you anymore,"
"Eli, I still care about you," she argued.
"You sure proved it," I scoffed.
"We aren't meant to be together,"
I flinched at the echoed words, but kept my ground. She was right and I knew that now. "I know. You're right. But you can't be mad at me for being happy. You hurt me and I'm slowly getting over it. I could be the creepy ex that doesn't leave you alone, but I'm trying so hard to let you go,"
"I thought you loved me,"
"I thought you loved me! But I was wrong!"
"Of course I loved you, Eli!" she shouted.
"Then why couldn't you be there for me? Why couldn't you support me and tell me I'd get better. Why did you just run when the going got tough? Why are you mad that I'm happy? Why are you constantly bringing up Julia in situations that aren't about her? Why are you so worried about me even though you shattered my heart? Why did you bring your new boyfriend here to flaunt him in my face? Why can't you just leave me alone? First you want space, but now you're mad that you have it. What do you want?" I screamed, finally breaking through my demeanor.
She started to cry again. "Eli, I just-"
"Just stop," I interupted. "You have no right to yell at me for anything anymore. You gave up that right when you left me. And that's that. Just...get over me. You're the one that left me so it should be easy," I turned and started to shuffle away. I started to hear people whisper.
I heard Clare struggle with Jake a little. He was trying to get her to leave, but she 'wasn't finished.'
"Yes you are, Clare," Jake stole the words out of my mouth and towed her away.
I made my way to the men's room and locked myself in a stall.
once I was sure there was no one in the bathroom, I began sobbing.
Author's note: Oh my god, what is this? It made sense in my head but probably not on here. It's 2:30 am so yeah. I just hate Clare, okay? Alright well, night.
~Karlee.