Eli's POV

I sat in the back of the bar surrounded by people I've known all my life, but I wasn't paying attention to them. I was paying attention to the woman that sat at the bar. With her short auburn curls and bright blue eyes, she was recognizable anywhere. Especially here, where she knew she wasn't safe and didn't belong. I don't know why she was here but I had a guess, me. She knew I came here every night so she knew I'd be here tonight. I saw here get up from her chair, and after paying for her drink and getting her jacket and purse, she walked out of the bar. I was about to get up to when my sister, Kelly, grabbed my arm. She knew everything that happened between me and Clare and she knew that if I followed her now something bad would happen. She may be younger than me but she was always the more responsible one. In our family that was rare but she always stopped me from making rash decisions, which has saved my life more than once. "Eli, sit back down. You know I'm right." But I didn't listen. I stood there staring at the door, contemplating.

"Eli," I looked over at the voice. It was my father, who was giving me a look. Him I always listened to, so I sat back down and leaned back in the booth. Everyone who wasn't in my family but were there all looked a bit confused at what just happened. I didn't want to explain it to them, my family knew and that's all that happened.

After a few hours of sitting there, listening to everyone around me talk about nonsense, I was getting bored. I looked over at my dad, who was still staring at me, and he knew right away that I wanted to leave. Him and I always had a bond, we were a like in many ways. "Well everyone, I think it's time for us to be leaving," he said while standing up. No one argued with him, no one dared, so we all stood up. My father held me, Kelly and my mom back until everyone was gone. The bar was officially closed for the night so the barman and owner of the place locked the doors. We knew he would kick us out. My parents were the only reason this place was still open.

"Eli, honey," my mother said, "What are we going to do?"

"Cece, Bullfrog," I never called them mom and dad. It just wasn't done in our family, "I really need you guys to hear me out, you to Kelly." I looked at all three of them trying to figure out how to say this.

"Ok, son we will," Bullfrogs deep voice sounded louder than it was in this empty bar. My mother held his hand as he sat back down.

"Well you guys know what happened with me and Clare. It shouldn't have happened, we both know that, but it didn't and I don't regret it. Neither does she and I happen to know her parents found out, I have no clue how, and kicked her out and basically disowned her. She has nowhere to go in this city anymore because of who she is and what shes done. But being who we are I was wondering if maybe we could take her in." my parents and sister looked surprised at what I just said. I already knew it was a bad idea. She had more family that just her parents but I also knew that they didn't know. They hated us more than we hated them, but that still hasn't stopped all the fights and shootings that have happened in the past three generations and it won't stop all the future deaths. "I know it's a really bad idea but what else is there to do?"

"Leave her," that idea came from my sister, along with more rational she was also my cynical that the rest of us.

"That is not an option Kelly," my father, despite being a don he had a good heart. He knew how I felt about Clare. My feelings weren't rational but they were what they were. My mother looked at him; she knew he was right even if she didn't like it.

"Ok, Eli," my mother began, "Tomorrow you need to call her and talk to her. You are right, she has nowhere to go but if we help her then she will be safe, for the time being. "We all looked at her with confusion. "She can stay with us but only for a few months. After that, you two need to figure out what you're going to do. She won't be able to stay in Toronto forever." I leaned against the wall thinking. A few months is a long enough time to convince my parents, and sister, that Clare belonged with us, even if she didn't know it yet.

"Ok, we have a deal. I'll call her and talk to her, tomorrow."

"Great, what if she only slept with you and is pretending to be alone?" Kelly always saw the bad in people, never the good, "What if she's doing all this to find a way to screw with us?"

"Kelly, I know her and I trust her, she would never do that."

"Eli's right, Kelly. I met her she's a nice girl, even if she was seriously hungover. So she's staying with us and that's final." I'm glad Kelly was somewhat scared of him because that shut her up. "Now I think we need to go home." I stood up from the wall, while my parents stood up from their seats behind the table. We walked out of the bar and into the night.

Later that night I was lying in bed, under the black sheets, staring at my ceiling. I hope what we were doing was right. I didn't want Clare to be in more danger than she already is. I rolled over, still thinking of Clare, and fell asleep.