Eli Goldsworthy is a mess.
His world has stopped spinning, and the sun is in a constant eclipse. Nothing ever goes right for him, and he's completely at the world's mercy.
He blasts the angriest music he can find, stays to himself at all times. He wears black and eye-liner. His appearance screams "go away", and so far, everyone has.
The only exception is Clare Edwards, the too cheerful Christian girl who doesn't seem to understand that he just not in this world anymore.
She has electric blue eyes that pierce his very soul, and before he knows it, he's let her in. She sits with him in English, jokes with him about assignments. He slowly feels his heart start again.
He hates it, rejects it. He shuts himself down completely.
He can see it in her eyes. She doesn't understand. But he's used to that, used to no one understanding.
So when she grabs his hand and refuses to let go, he is utterly shocked. Her fingers twine with his and she simply says, "I'm here."
His eyes close and he squeezes her hand. "You can't fix me, Clare."
She doesn't miss a beat. "Who says I want to?"
He thinks this is the most important thing that anyone has ever said to him.
His whole life, someone has always been trying to fix him. He is always told that he isn't good enough, that there is something wrong with him.
But for Clare Edwards, he is enough. In fact, he is everything.
He won't admit it, but there has always been a part of Eli that has needed someone like her to fill his void.
He's been an empty shell for years, and no one has ever cared.
So why does Clare Edwards?
He doesn't ponder the question long before he knows the answer.
She's his soulmate. He doesn't have to give that a second thought.
The first time they kiss, his world is ablaze. The sun returns, the world spins again.
Eli Goldsworthy is whole.
