Hey Guyss! Thanks for the reviews from last chapter. Here's chapter 10, it is by far the cutest one yet, I promise. It made me tear up a bit while writing it. So yeah, here it is! Enjoooy. R&R! ;)
Disclaimer: I do not own Degrassi. But, I guess I can add it to my bucket list, haha.
I awoke to a loud knocking noise on the door, making my head shoot up and meet a pair of eyes that Eli had inherited.
"Clarabelle." Bullfrog said quietly with a smile that only he could make. I flashed him a quick smile before gesturing for him to come sit on the green couch next to the vacant chair.
I glanced at the sleeping boy I was curled up against, and his mouth was open slightly as his eyes moved back and forth under his eyelids, in such a deep sleep that the loud knocking didn't even make him stir. I found a loving grin creep onto my face, and I moved a stray piece of hair from his forehead and tucked it behind more soft, slightly wavy locks. I took note of the protective arm slung casually over my side, and I just wanted to curl up further into his loving embrace, even if he wasn't conscious or aware he was doing it in the first place. I had forgotten Bullfrog was in the room, and my eyes darted to his still but amused-looking form on the couch. He had a small crooked smile on his aging face, and he was watching us with an expression I couldn't place. His eyes changed direction and abruptly met mine, and his smile turned into a smirk as he cleared his throat and shook his thoughts away. I felt a pink hue adorn my cheeks, and I turned my head slightly to glance at the clock. 6:02 P.M. Had we really slept that long? Suddenly, I heard the crinkling sound of a bag, and my head whipped around to the sound. I watched Bullfrog take a small, orange bag out of the pocket of his leather jacket, and he tossed it to me. I eyed the bag with fervor, it bringing back so many good memories.
"Cheetos!" I exclaimed, reaching for the bag and tearing it open, immediately taking in the delicious scent. I didn't know that the smell of artificial cheese could bring back so many memories, but it did. I pictured my mom coming through the door with brown grocery bags in her hands, with her favorite light blue v-neck shirt and her most favored pair of capris pants. Seeing her big brown eyes and her wavy light brown hair in my memories should've made that emptiness return, but it didn't. It gave me this light feeling that I could picture every single detail about her, and that even though she's gone, I can still remember her with clarity. It brought yet another smile to my face, and as I stuck one of the crispy pieces of cheesy goodness into my mouth, I hummed with delight at the familiar taste. "Thanks, Bullfrog." I said after finishing my chewing.
"No problem, Clarabelle." He said with a smirk. But one question was still hanging in my mind.
"Why did you bring me cheetos?" I asked with a strong hint of curiosity, placing another cheeto on my tongue and tasting the cheese on my taste buds. He pursed his lips and seemed to be contemplating revealing something, but then shrugged and answered me.
"Lover boy, here, sent me a text saying to bring you 'em." He said, patting the sleeping boy's foot with a small smile on his face. My smile grew bigger as he stirred a little bit in his sleep, mumbling incoherent words as he buried his head further into the pillow.
"That was rather sweet of him." I told Bullfrog, my smile never faltering as I remembered our game of twenty questions, when he asked what my favorite food was. Did he ask specifically for that purpose? Is that what he was typing a text about? I plopped a couple more cheetos in my mouth, chewing slowly and quietly, careful not to make so much noise so Eli wouldn't stir again. Out of nowhere, I heard light snoring noises coming from him, and I quickly slapped my hand to my mouth to contain the giggles threatening to come out. I heard Bullfrog chuckle loudly, not even worrying about waking him up.
"He gets that from CeCe." He said quietly, putting a hand to shield his mouth from view as if it were a secret. Suddenly a hand came and smacked him on the shoulder, and I giggled as I watched CeCe sit down next to Bullfrog as he rubbed his arm muttering an 'Ow'.
"So, Clare, how're you feeling?" She asked, shooting Bullfrog a mischievous smile before she said it.
"Pretty good, but that's probably just 'cause I'm on pain meds." I answered honestly, and a louder snoring sound came from the sleeping Eli, but I ignored it and only grinned.
"That's good." Both Bullfrog and CeCe said at the same time, and then whipped their head toward each other and pointed index fingers at each other.
"Jinx!" They both shouted, and then both erupted with laughter, their laughs sounding so different but strangely good together. The light snoring stopped, and my head turned to glance at Eli, only to see his eyes opening groggily, his smirk already in place. I offered him a small smile, and he nuzzled his head into my neck lovingly with a small chuckle, making me laugh. I heard Bullfrog clear his throat, and Eli's head whipped around to look at him, only to nestle his head into my neck like before. Bullfrog groaned and glanced at me with a raised eyebrow, and I only felt my cheeks gain a familiar pink hue as I felt both of Eli's parents' eyes on me. I coughed lightly, making Eli move his head to look at me, his smirk remaining as he moved to lay on his back. His arm still hung casually over my side, and it brought yet another smile to my face for the seemingly millionth time since I woke up. I stuck a cheeto into my mouth, and then Eli spoke, making me realize how much I loved his deep yet entrancing voice.
"Thanks for bringing the chips, dad." Eli said thankfully, a still sleepy smile forming on his face. That reminded me that I still had to thank him, but I didn't have the desire to kiss him while his parents were only a few feet away.
"Yeah, yeah." Bullfrog answered, waving his hand, dismissing the topic. "CeCe, did you bring the other stuff?" He asked, and she nodded, grabbing a container at her feet. She opened it up, and the smell wafted into my nostrils. She smiled at my reaction.
"Eli said the hospital food 'wasn't edible'." She said, using her fingers to make air quotations in the air with a smirk. "So, I made you something." She murmured, lifting her head to look inside the container. I glanced inside as well, and I felt my mouth begin to water as I stared at the container of multi-colored pasta with chunks of meat and vegetables.
"You really didn't have to do tha-" I started to say, but she cut me off.
"Of course I did. You're the daughter I never had, Clare." CeCe said with a loving smile, and I smiled, not having had this much daughterly praise in such a long time. Bullfrog nodded, agreeing with her with that Goldsworthy smirk plastered to his face.
"Aww, thanks guys." I said softly, not being able to hold in the 'aww' coming out of my mouth. CeCe's face suddenly brightened.
"Oh, that reminds me! The doctor recommended that for a few weeks, you have special care. Like, help with showering and such." She said, and my heart immediately dropped. I hadn't even thought about having to go back to my house. "And Eli had informed us that your father wouldn't be able to take care of you because of his demanding occupation." CeCe muttered, and my eyes met Eli's for a brief moment, silently thanking him for not telling my secret. He gave me a reassuring smile and grabbed my hand before squeezing it lightly. "So. We've all discussed this with each other, and we all agree with the decision. Would you like to stay with us until your injuries heal, and you feel better?" CeCe asked, with a giddy, hopeful, and pleading expression.
To say I was shocked, was an understatement. They liked me enough that they'd make an offer like that? I wanted so badly to tell them yes, that I'd live with them, and I'd love to do it. But I couldn't do that. I'd be a huge burden, needing help with this and that. But, I also couldn't leave my dad. I shouldn't just leave my drunk dad in a house alone for days, weeks even. But if I stay there at my house, I wouldn't get the help I needed, and I might even get hurt even further.
I feel conflicted.
And when I glanced at all three of the Goldsworthy's, they all had pleading looks, Eli's being the worst. He knew that if I didn't stay with him, I'd have to go back there. He knew I'd get hurt, that I'd land right back in the hospital again. But I couldn't stay there, I just couldn't.
"I can't." I answered, trying to keep the pained look off my face as I voiced the decision that I'd rather not have chosen. Eli gave his parents a pointed look, and then directed his eyes to the door, and then back to his parents. They got his hint.
"Um… I'm hungry. Come on, Bullfrog, there's gotta' be a vending machine somewhere…" CeCe said, pulling up Eli's dad and practically dragging him out of the room, giving me one last reassuring smile before disappearing behind the doorframe. I faced Eli, and he had a pained expression on his face as he appeared to be thinking about something.
"Clare, if you go back there…" He started, swallowing hard before continuing. "He'll only hurt you worse." He said, glancing to see my reaction, but I kept my face neutral, so he continued. "When I went to pick you up for our date, I heard you… and I knew what was happening in there." He said, gulping. "And when I ran in and saw you there on the floor, I thought you were… dead." He concluded with pain in his tone, his voice cracking on the last word. Tears formed in my eyes as I remembered him screaming my name and telling me to wake up. "I don't want him to touch you ever again. Just, give me the reassurance." Eli said, quickly wiping his eyes with the dark gray sleeve of his shirt, trying to hide the tears trying to escape. I literally felt my heart start to tear, seeing him like this, so worried about me. Wasn't this only supposed to effect me? He shouldn't have to deal with the worry; it's supposed to be mine. I'm the one that should be feeling it. I opened my mouth to speak, but quickly shut it as he gave his closing argument. "Please. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for me." He whispered, his emerald eyes staring straight into mine. The pleading look that spread across his face filled me with guilt, that I'd caused him this much anxiety.
"Okay." I whispered, bringing up my hand to touch his face and brush it softly against his flushed, slightly-tanned skin. His face filled with joyous relief as his arm slung across my side pulled me against him tighter, him burying his face in my neck again.
"Thank you." He whispered against my auburn curls, his voice sounding so relieved, it made me guilty once again. He abruptly pulled his head away from my hair, looking into my eyes. "Clare…" He said, trailing off and tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, seeming to contemplating something in his head. "I love you." He told me, brushing his palm against the side of my face sweetly. I literally heard the heart monitor stutter, faltering for a few beats, and then returning back to normal. I hoped he hadn't noticed, but by the smirk on his face, I had a feeling he had. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was back, and hopefully it was there to stay.
"I love you, too, Eli." I said, my smile beaming as his face mirrored mine. He planted a loving and incredibly sweet kiss on my lips, and when he pulled away, his smile was even brighter than before. I leaned forward to reconnect our lips once again, giving him a chaste kiss before pulling back to look at his handsome face again. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to say that." I told him, and he chuckled.
"The same goes for me, Blue Eyes." He said, and the heart monitor did that fluttering thing, making him laugh yet again. I got a warm feeling in my stomach as I head his pet name for me. He eyed the bag in my hands, snatching it from me and taking a few cheetos, shoving them in his mouth. He smiled at cheesily; literally, his teeth full of the orange powder. I giggled and rolled my eyes slightly at him.
"You totally just ruined the moment." I said, remembering the bowl of pasta at the foot of the bed, grabbing it and taking hold of a spoonful.
"Did not." He said playfully, stealing my spoon full of pasta and taking it up to his mouth. I scoffed and stole it back, glaring playfully at him before he laughed at my failure of intimidation.
"Did too, pasta thief." I retorted, and my little nickname only made him laugh harder.
"Are you really calling me out on that?" He said with an eyebrow raised, and I only nodded my head.
"Yeah. I am. You stole my pasta." I accused of him, and he scoffed.
"Oh, I am so sorry for stealing your measly spoonful of pasta from that gigantic bowl of it." He said sarcastically, his smirk never leaving his face.
"See, this is why I love you." I told him, burying my face in his chest as I giggled.
"Well, son, at least say it back." I heard a manly voice say from the doorway, and I whipped my head in that direction to see Bullfrog and CeCe, arm in arm, looking in through the doorway with smiles on their faces. I felt that familiar blush creep back onto my cheeks. Eli chuckled at his parents, looking me in the eye.
"I love you too, Clare." He said, placing a sweet peck on my forehead, smiling against it before pulling away.
"Awwww." I heard CeCe gush from the doorway, her hand over her chest.
"Mom." Eli said in annoyance, and Bullfrog and I started laughing again as him and CeCe walked back to their couch near the hospital bed. I didn't move, I just wanted to stay in Eli's arms forever, because I was in love. I didn't think that those words would ever invade my mind, but they did, and it felt oh so good.
"So, Clare, did you reach a decision?" CeCe asked with that same hopeful look in her eyes.
"She said yes." Eli answered, his tone filled with relief. I watched as a smile stretched across her face.
"Excellent." She said, her smile never fading. "So, Clare, did you try the pasta?" CeCe asked expectantly, and I turned to glare at Eli, who was trying to keep his smirk from growing into a mischievous smile.
"Actually, no. Because your son is a pasta thief." I told them bluntly, and every single person in the room laughed. I took the spoon and shoveled some pasta onto it, placing it in my mouth. As soon as it touched my taste buds, my eyes widened. I hadn't had home-cooked food since I ate dinner at the Goldsworthy's a few weeks ago, and it was delicious. "Oh my goodness, CeCe, this is amazing!" I gushed, taking another spoonful and taking a bite.
"Why thank you, Clare." She said, her smile growing at my facial expression.
"It should be pretty amazing, considering she almost set off the smoke alarm." Bullfrog said snarkily, earning another smack on the shoulder from Eli's mom.
"Did not." CeCe argued, and while they had a heated debate about the condition of the kitchen, Eli turned to me and pressed a kiss onto the tip of my nose.
"I had a pretty nice nap." He said with a smirk, stretching one arm out.
"Me too, I have the best pillow ever." I said, remembering how I laid my head on his chest while I slept.
"Yeah, well, I have the best girl ever." He said, pulling me closer as I laid my head on his chest again.
"Get a room." I heard Bullfrog mutter, which only made Eli's chest move quickly with laughter, making my curls bounce.
"Dad, shut up." Eli mumbled into my hair, making me smile. I pulled away to take another spoonful of pasta, and the look Eli gave me made me giggle as I covered my mouth to keep from choking. I winced as for the first time today, my ribs tugged from the laughter.
"You okay?" Bullfrog asked, and I nodded while my eyes remained shut, waiting for the feeling to subside.
"I'll buzz in for the nurse." Eli told me, rubbing my hand with his thumb as he leaned back to press the red help button. He then got off of the bed gently, careful not to jostle it at all so I didn't have any more pain. He settled in the padded bedside chair, and I immediately missed his proximity, because now he was too far away for my liking. Eli looked like he was having the same thoughts as a knocking was heard on the door, and then the red-headed nurse came into the room. Her eyes went from me to Eli, back and forth, as a smile stretched across her young face.
"Did you two have a nice nap?" She asked with a satisfied smile. The blush adorned my face yet again, only growing darker when Eli answered the question bluntly.
"Yeah. Best sleep I've had all week." He said before shooting a smile in my direction. "She needs another dose." He voiced to the nurse, and she nodded as she left the room to get my medication. My eyes met Eli's for a brief second, then met CeCe's and Bullfrog's humorous ones. I covered my face in my hands as laughter bubbled up from my chest, and then grimaced as the tugging sensation came back. Eli grabbed my hand as the nurse came back in with a small white pill and a dixie-cup full of water. I sat up gingerly as the nurse placed the pill in my hand, and I popped it into my mouth before the nurse handed me the cup of water. I washed the pill down, and the nurse asked if I needed anything else before I thanked her while she grabbed my empty paper cup and walked out the door. I glanced at the clock on the wall, and it read 8:39 P.M. Bullfrog's eyes followed where mine lead, and he looked startled as he stood up quickly.
"Well, Clarabelle, I have a 9:00 o'clock radio show, so I should head out. CeCe, you staying?" He asked her, and she nodded.
"I'll leave in a little bit, I have to get things ready for Clare's stay when she leaves the hospital tomorrow. Bye, hon." She said, standing up on her tippy-toes to plant a light kiss on Bullfrog's cheek.
"See you tomorrow, guys." Bullfrog said, flashing me a smile and pointing a finger at me before leaving. The calming effect of my medication washed over me, and I no longer felt the ugly sensation in my ribs any longer. I hummed in delight at the feeling, taking another spoonful of pasta and then popping another cheeto into my mouth. I turned to look at Eli, and he looked amused as he watched me shovel the small bits of food. I redirected my vision to CeCe, who was busy on her phone, probably sending a message to Bullfrog. I saw Eli glance at the pasta, and realized he was probably hungry, too. I stuck the spoon in the pasta and passed him the bowl, and he took it gratefully as he took a few bites. I nibbled on some of the cheetos as the comfortable silence was something that I needed at the moment, it was quite nice. The only noise to be heard was the chewing of both Eli and I, and the buttons CeCe was clicking as she typed up a text message.
"Well, guys, I've got to go set up for Clare." She said, flashing me yet another smile. "Elijah, I assume you're staying?" She said as she picked up her purse.
"You've assumed correctly." Eli managed to get out through his mouthful of food, and I rolled my eyes at his boyish tendencies. CeCe laughed and put her phone in his purse, getting up from the small, probably stiff couch.
"Bye, Clare, honey." She said before walking around to the other side of the bed, wrapping her arms around me as she whispered in my ear. "Feel better, baby girl." She let go of me walked back around the bed, practically had to tear the bowl out of his hands, and engulfed him in a hug. He hugged her back before she pulled away, taking the empty bowl of pasta with her. She then picked up her purse, and headed for the door. But she turned around to face us again.
"Bye, guys. Love you Baby Boy, you too Baby Girl." She said, beaming at us before blowing us a kiss and exiting out the door. I smiled at her new nickname for me, because it matched perfectly with Eli's. It was almost as if she considered me her own child, her own flesh and blood, and she treated me like it. I took the last lone cheeto from the small, orange bag by my side. I crinkled it up after finishing, starting to aim for the trashcan again before Eli's hand caught my wrist.
"I don't feel like taking the walk of shame again anytime soon." He grabbed the bag from my hands with his smirk plastered to his face, and as he got up to throw the empty bag away for me.
"Thanks." I said disgruntled that I didn't get to make my shot at the trash can. He laughed at my expression, then returned back to his seat. Much to my disappointment, he didn't climb back up on the bed to lay with me. His eyes still seemed tired, but looked better than they had this afternoon. I laid down on my side to face him, examining every single aspect of his face. His cheekbones, his jaw line, his cute nose, his cupid's-bow lips, his emerald eyes that held so much depth. He appeared to be doing the same to me, but his eyes stayed at one area on my cheek that was assumedly darker than the rest. I didn't want to talk about the bruise my father left on my face, so I started to talk. "I'm full." I announced, putting my hand over my stomach to prove my point. He looked away to cover his mouth with his hand while he let out a quiet belch.
"Me too." He said, smiling when I rolled my eyes at his burp. I couldn't take the empty space between us any longer, so I scooted back more on the bed to make room. I patted the empty spot with my hand with a smirk of my own, and he laid down on the bed next to me, moving to his side so we were face to face. I giggled before nuzzling into his warm chest, smiling into his shirt as I felt his arm wrap around my side to pull me closer. I inhaled through my nose, and his woodsy scent filled my nostrils. I heard him chuckle softly against my shoulder.
"Did you just sniff me?" He questioned, sounding amused by my action.
"Yep." I answered, sniffing him again to give him some sort of proof.
"Enjoying yourself?" He wondered aloud, his warm breath blowing across the side of my neck, making me shiver slightly.
"Very much." I said happily, snuggling closer to him. A light, content humming noise came from his throat, as if to agree with me.
"Me too." He said, sighing happily as his arm tightened around me, splaying his hand out and tracing invisible patterns on my back.
"That feels nice." I told him, smiling against the fabric of his shirt as I placed my hand on his chest.
"What, this?" He asked, continuing to lightly brush my back with his fingers. I hummed in contentment just like he had earlier, answering his question. We stayed like that for a few minutes, just thinking to ourselves. Is it possible to love someone this much? It was almost overwhelming, like my heart wasn't used to the feeling yet, and it was going to erupt with much-needed happiness any second. That's what I loved the most about him, he made me feel joyous, free, safe. He wouldn't dwell on the negatives with me, he would only focus on the positives, anything to keep me happy. I hated how I used to look in the mirror and see dull, crestfallen, gray looking eyes staring back at me. He shed some light on my life, from the moment we became friends, English partners, even. When my mother died and my father started drinking, I thought that this was the end. That my life would never be the same, that I would never be happy again. Eli proved me wrong with his wit, his sarcasm, and his sweetness. He changed my perspective on everything.
Would I ever be happy again? Would I ever fall in love? Hell, I already am, and it feels amazing.
"I love you, Eli." I mumbled into his chest, loving the way the words rolled off my tongue. It sounded perfect.
"I love you, too, Blue Eyes." He said happily, planting a kiss somewhere in my unruly strawberry blonde hair. "I don't think you know how much." He muttered to me, continuing to trace the patterns on my back.
"I know the feeling." I answered, and turned to press my lips to his shoulder for a second. I pulled back to look at him, and I'm sure that my eyes had the same adoring look in them as he had in his.
"I love you this much." He told me cutely, holding his arms apart as wide as he could for the position he was in. I giggled at his child-like actions, leaning up to press my lips to his for a short moment.
"I love you more." I said, almost laughing out loud from the cliché statement.
"I highly doubt that." He told me, smiling down at me.
"I am positive." I said with a smile, not giving him a chance to argue again. "I can't wait to get out of here, tomorrow." I stated, unable to keep the smile off of my face. I'm starting to think that my cheeks are permanently stuck like this.
"Me neither. Although, I can't say I won't miss this." He said, rubbing my back lightly with his fingers. "But… I couldn't help but overhear the doctor say that you would need assistance when showering. Can I volunteer?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, but I knew he was just playing with me. I gasped and smacked his shoulder just like CeCe had done to Bullfrog earlier, hearing an 'ow' come from Eli's mouth.
"Maybe." I replied, Eli knowing I was just kidding with him. He laughed, accentuating the dimples on his cheeks.
"Well, you can't blame a guy for trying. Especially for someone as beautiful as you." He said, kissing the tip of my nose like he'd done earlier. The pink hue was back on my cheeks with a vengeance. I moved my head to press my lips to his, brushing them against his soft lips. He moved them with mine, a low sound coming from his throat as we broke apart a few seconds later. I smiled cheekily before burying my head in his chest again, loving the way his chest moved up and down with each ragged breath from our kiss. "Did I mention how much I love you?" He breathed, making me laugh shortly, accidentally letting out a snort.
"Sorry!" I quickly covered my mouth as his chest bobbed with laughter, and I soon had to join in.
"That was cute." He said, playing with a lock of my wavy hair mindlessly.
"Ha, sure." I uttered into his chest. His converse-clad foot came in contact with my socked one, and he pulled back to kick them off. His warm, sock-equipped feet returned to intertwine with mine, rubbing softly against mine, making me sigh happily at the feeling. Eli leaned back to kiss my forehead sweetly, laying his head on the pillow as we both laid there, thinking about anything and everything. Before I knew it, I heard faint snoring noises right above my head, and I rolled my eyes slightly at his ability to fall asleep so quickly. I couldn't really blame him, though, he had struggled to keep himself awake the last few days. Just this afternoon, he took a much-needed nap, but I'm sure that wasn't enough. He was probably exhausted. I moved to press my lips to his nose like he'd done to me before, giving him a goodnight kiss, even though he was knocked out cold.
"I love you, silly." I whispered to him before returning to nuzzle my head to his chest.
I fell asleep in his arms, my new favorite place to be.
End of Chapter 10.
Sooo, did you like it? I sure did. They finally said the three magic words, which makes my heart literally swell with happiness, ahaha. Leave a review please, I love 'emmm. ;)
-Emmyyy.