Chapter Five
As soon as Elliot hung up the phone, he was out the door. He did not care what was left in his house. His ID as well as a few dollars was already in his wallet, which was in the pocket of his pants along with his car keys. He did not even care if the door was locked behind him. As long as it was closed, he had no worries about the contents inside his apartment. His only worries were on the other side of the city.
Elliot shoved the key into the ignition and sped down the road. Let the police give him a ticket for all he cared. He did not care about things like that. His friend was in need, and he was determined to get to her as quickly as he possibly could.
"Hang in there, Liv," he whispered as he kept his eyes intently on the road. For this hour, it was remarkably calm. He made the drive quickly and parked. He did not care if he was illegally parked. No one would hit his car or try to tow it. He had not gotten a speeding ticket. The worst that could happen would be a parking ticket, which he could tolerate.
Elliot crawled across the passenger seat and made his way out onto the sidewalk. As soon as he was out of the car, he slammed the door shut and locked it. He then rushed into Olivia's building and over to the elevators. One of the people in the lobby eyed him cautiously, but this person said nothing.
The elevator was not arriving. Elliot looked at it for a moment and muttered something incoherently before eventually deciding to take the stairs. In the long run, it would be quicker. His shoes hit the cement stairs with a thud as he ran up them, but he kept going. He made it up to Olivia's floor without stopping to catch his breath. It was strange how much a person could do when driven by someone they loved.
Once on her floor, he briskly walked down to her apartment. He knocked lightly twice. "Livvy, it's me," he called.
"It's open," Olivia responded. Her voice was muffled, but Elliot could still detect it. Wherever she was in the apartment, she was close.
He twisted the door open slowly and walked inside. Olivia was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Its sides draped down her arms, and her socks were poking out from underneath it. The television was on though Elliot highly doubted she was actually watching it.
Elliot quickly closed the door and walked over to her. He wrapped his arm around her gently and allowed her to rest her head up against his chest. When she did, he could tell that, though she was no longer crying, her eyes were still puffy and red.
Elliot rubbed her arms gently. "You know I'm here for you," he told her.
Olivia nodded. "I know," she responded softly. "And that's why this is a bit easier." She turned her head slightly and finally met her partner's eyes. "Elliot, I'm keeping the baby."