19. Dylan.
The day came that she had been dreading - the day that she had to say goodbye to him. She woke as he tried to get out of bed without disturbing her.
"Don't go yet, please!" she pleaded. "Stay. Let's say goodbye properly. Then you won't have to come and see me off, and I won't cry like a baby."
"I can't. I have to be on duty in 45 mikes." he said, shaking his head. "And I'll come see you off, don't worry. I know you won't cry. That's not your style."
She almost yelled at him. "It's not my style? And how the hell would you know what my style is? As if you even care!"
He just stared at her. "Of course I care. Do you think I want to stand there and watch you go?"
She shook her head. "How am I supposed to know what you think? It's not like you actually tell me anything!"
She felt terrible. Here she was, yelling at him, seeing the distress on his face, and yet she couldn't help herself. She needed to make him hurt as much as she was hurting. Leaving him was so much harder than she'd imagined it would be.
"Well, maybe I'm not good at this stuff!" he yelled back at her furiously. "What did you think we were doing these past weeks? Did you think I'd just get on with my life and forget about you? Is that it? Is that what you want me to do? Because if it is, then I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, but I can't do that!" He stopped to take a breath.
She was distraught. "Oh Ty, I'm so sorry. I did think you'd do that. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The tears flowed down her cheeks. Now he thinks I don't care about him at all, she thought. He thinks I'm just a heartless bitch.
She leaned into his arms as he came to sit beside her on the bed.
"I love you." he whispered. "I didn't think I'd ever say that to anyone again. But you - you made me say it. You made me love you. You're my little elf. You always will be, wherever I am. And wherever you are, you will always be my elf."
She smiled. "Your elf?"
He nodded. "My elf."
"Oh god, Ty. How am I going to say goodbye? Please don't come to see me off. I don't think I'll be able to cope." She knew if he were there she'd fall to pieces, especially after what he'd just said. "And I love you too. You do know that, don't you?"
He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "So, we're settled, yes? I won't come to see you off. But as soon as I can - as soon as this war's over - I'm coming to find you. Because I really need my elf."
She smiled. "I'll hold you to that!"
He stood up. "I really have to go, but I'm going to miss you so much." And with a quick final kiss, he left.
She got up, showered and dressed, and then packed her things, readying herself for her journey home.
She'd come all this way because her mother had wanted to help out some big shot friends of hers, and now, just when she knew what and who she wanted in this life, she had to leave. To go back to that shut off world she'd grown up in. Only now she knew far more than they'd bargained for, and she was going to use it to her advantage.
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The day came that she had been dreading - the day that she had to say goodbye to him. She woke as he tried to get out of bed without disturbing her.
"Don't go yet, please!" she pleaded. "Stay. Let's say goodbye properly. Then you won't have to come and see me off, and I won't cry like a baby."
"I can't. I have to be on duty in 45 mikes." he said, shaking his head. "And I'll come see you off, don't worry. I know you won't cry. That's not your style."
She almost yelled at him. "It's not my style? And how the hell would you know what my style is? As if you even care!"
He just stared at her. "Of course I care. Do you think I want to stand there and watch you go?"
She shook her head. "How am I supposed to know what you think? It's not like you actually tell me anything!"
She felt terrible. Here she was, yelling at him, seeing the distress on his face, and yet she couldn't help herself. She needed to make him hurt as much as she was hurting. Leaving him was so much harder than she'd imagined it would be.
"Well, maybe I'm not good at this stuff!" he yelled back at her furiously. "What did you think we were doing these past weeks? Did you think I'd just get on with my life and forget about you? Is that it? Is that what you want me to do? Because if it is, then I'm sorry to have to disappoint you, but I can't do that!" He stopped to take a breath.
She was distraught. "Oh Ty, I'm so sorry. I did think you'd do that. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The tears flowed down her cheeks. Now he thinks I don't care about him at all, she thought. He thinks I'm just a heartless bitch.
She leaned into his arms as he came to sit beside her on the bed.
"I love you." he whispered. "I didn't think I'd ever say that to anyone again. But you - you made me say it. You made me love you. You're my little elf. You always will be, wherever I am. And wherever you are, you will always be my elf."
She smiled. "Your elf?"
He nodded. "My elf."
"Oh god, Ty. How am I going to say goodbye? Please don't come to see me off. I don't think I'll be able to cope." She knew if he were there she'd fall to pieces, especially after what he'd just said. "And I love you too. You do know that, don't you?"
He nodded, kissing the top of her head. "So, we're settled, yes? I won't come to see you off. But as soon as I can - as soon as this war's over - I'm coming to find you. Because I really need my elf."
She smiled. "I'll hold you to that!"
He stood up. "I really have to go, but I'm going to miss you so much." And with a quick final kiss, he left.
She got up, showered and dressed, and then packed her things, readying herself for her journey home.
She'd come all this way because her mother had wanted to help out some big shot friends of hers, and now, just when she knew what and who she wanted in this life, she had to leave. To go back to that shut off world she'd grown up in. Only now she knew far more than they'd bargained for, and she was going to use it to her advantage.
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