CHAPTER XXVII

Whilst he hadn't wanted to approach her since the night he was rejected outside her old house, the genuine joy he saw in her expression the evening they ran into each other at the celebration for the new Queen was more than enough to get his hopes back, especially after seeing her look somewhat different, far more prettier and ravishing than her usual self.

"You better invite her, young man! Your father and I would be very happy if she joins us to celebrate".

That's what his mother had said, and although he knew his parents truly loved Elia, he suspected his mother was particularly enthusiastic because she'd try helping him to get closer to her, taking advantage of the occasion to demonstrate her how welcome she was in his family.

It isn't such a bad idea, he'd thought but given how incredibly busy he'd been regarding all of the post-purge changes, Garrett couldn't find a good time to talk to her appropiately. He'd frequented the shop where she worked at twice or thrice, buying one or two things as an excuse to chat with her for a little while, but it wasn't the right moment. Fortunately, now that he had the entire weekend off, the night before he'd made up his mind and so now, he was heading to her new home, to invite her breakfast at the market and eventually, tell her that she was cordially invited to his parents' 35th year anniversary dinner, in two weeks.

Remember, be cool. Do not fret on stupid things so you don't get nervous, he was telling himself as he continued moving. It was such a relief he still remembered the address to her new home, to where he'd been only once, days after she settled the matter with the building's owners. The young officer snorted in amusement when recalling how much he'd teased her to consider living in a place like that, but Elia merely shrugged and said it didn't matter because she spent more time outside.

As he walked inside the building, he bump into some other residents and politely greeted them. He then checked his watch. Maybe it's too early and she's still asleep, he considered after seeing it wasn't even 8 AM yet but he then remembered that that would be unlikely; in contrast to Ilva, Elia was that kind of people that loved to get up early, work or no work.

When he finally hit the roof, he noticed in the distance the small garden she was growing in all those planters, where several herbs and flowers were blooming. He walked to where they, to one of the house front sides, protected by the shed, and crouched down for a few seconds, smiling fondly as he evoked some memories of his youth, when Elia's younger sister and him were forced to helping her with her parents' old garden, especially after misbehaving. They always complained that it was so boring, but deep down, he admitted now that many of his antics were with the sole purpose of being dragged there, to be around Elia and enjoy her company without anyone suspecting of his feelings.

Good times, he said to himself as he stood up straight and reached the main door, happy to see she was indeed at home and awake because he could hear steps inside, coming and going. He made sure his looks were ok and then knocked twice, trying his best smile as he thought of some silly joke to make her laugh. Nevertheless, the instant that door opened, he automatically stepped back, his jaw dropped and he couldn't help but stare with wide eyes, extremely shocked.

He was unable to grasp what had just happened, but then he was unsure about what was worse: seeing that man when the door opened, or the way he looked; the damp hair and the towel around his neck pretty much screamed he'd just had a shower inside that house. Not to mention he wasn't wearing his uniform or any formal attires but long-sleeved gray T-shirt and black sweatpants, the kind of comfortable clothes people usually wore to stay home and chill.

No great intelligence was required to get the picture about what was happening there but even so, there was a part of his brain trying to deny all of it.

"Oi! Aren't you going to talk? What do you want?" Captain Levi asked, direct and unfriendly "I don't have all day to stand here and watch you catching flies" he was mocking how completely dumbstruck he was.

"I... I…" Garrett managed to articulate, still processing everything. Or trying, at least.

"She isn't here" the soldier said, sharply. His eyes glaring at him, evidently unhappy to see he'd been looking for Elia.

"I thought she… she'd be here" he spoke, haltingly. Not because he was shy or easily intimidated but this had left him somewhat speechless "It's Saturday, and umm… she had a shift at the hospital last week so…er… she should have been here today, right? Perhaps I miscalculated the date" he offered, scratching his neck in dejection, unaware of the grave mistake he'd just made.

If he thought he'd seen him mad before, his expression proved how far that was from reality. The Captain's veins were throbbing in his neck as he lowered his eyebrows and his eyes squinted in anger, very upset about him knowing all those details in Elia's life.

"Not my problem and I honestly couldn't care less…" the man replied, in a dead-calm but dry tone "She's not here, and I warn you, I am nobody's messenger".

"I understand" the young officer accepted as he looked down, disappointed and disoriented.

"If you do, then why are you still here?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow but then his demeanor changed to a calculating one, and there was a clever sparkle in his gaze "Though I suppose it's good to see you now, without her being involved".

"What do you mean?" Garrett looked at him carefully, already surmising what he wanted to say.

"In case it's not crystal clear, I'll be as straight as an arrow" he said with sarcasm "She's with me now, thus, you'll find me here often, and I'm sure that won't make you happy".

Hierarchically speaking, he wasn't his superior but the Captain was still much older than him, he was an important medium-ranked officer and last but not least, he was a dangerous man… the most dangerous man. So those were the reasons why he was still addressing him with respect, even when he wasn't having such deference towards him. But, as he said, this was a good chance to talk.

"I know it's not my business or my right, but if this is going to be some sort of unimportant, time killer thing to you, I respectfully beg you to desist, sir" he dared to say, despondent but determined to let him know that Elia wasn't all alone in the world. He cared for her, no matter what "She's no child, but the way she comes to believe in the people she appreciates, how pure her feelings are… It's what she has in common with them" that was also infuriating the soldier; he knew well how incredibly faithful, innocent, and amazing her affection was "So please, sir, don't play with her".

Levi considered him an absolute wimp, but the fact that he was brave enough to ask something like that demonstrated he had some balls. Sure, it terribly displeased him to see the idiot knew so much about her, but his concern was understandable; the subject had no idea about his past, or the reasons behind his wish to be with her, much less that he'd never take her lightly because Elia deserved his respect and devotion. He was doing well on assuming the worst while he tried to protect her; there were just too many pigs out there, so he decided to ignore the impertinence and respond in all earnest.

Garrett on the other hand was trying to figure whatever went through this man's mind during the awkward silence after his request, but it was simply impossible. He couldn't see anything past his discontentment.

"At least we agree on one thing: it is not your business. Only hers and mine" the Captain stated, bluntly "But in any case, my time and hers is valuable so, do the math".

The officer nodded a couple of times, assimilating what he'd just heard. The soldier hadn't been too specific, but it didn't sound like she was a mere hobby or an entertainment he planned on throwing away.

"Thank you" was the only thing he got to reply, unhappy for himself but somewhat serene to learn Elia wasn't his toy.

This is it, he said to himself with a sad smile as he stood there for a minute. No matter how much he disliked this, he thought he'd finally reached the limit concerning her. To whom he couldn't even blame because she never once gave him a sign of anything different than her unconditional friendship and fraternal love. She'd never looked at him the way she probably gazed at this man, who'd won her over who knows how. It was difficult to imagine what she possibly saw in him, given the soldier's insensitivity and sour attitude, not to mention how terrifying and savage he seemed. Perhaps it was something that only she is allowed to see, he pondered, comprehending Elia was capable of that and more.

"There's no need to mention I was here. Have a nice morning, Captain" he finally said after sighing in defeat, not really requiring a reply from him. He turned to go back from where he'd come from, needing to leave that place and his presence. However, after taking a couple steps away, and to his immense surprise, the soldier's voice stopped him right on the spot.

"Give up on her already and back off" the man demanded, and Garrett turned, finding his defiant, dark, and menacing gaze when he did. Levi knew this was the best opportunity to have this conversation so he wasn't going to waste it "You may fool her with this whole longtime friendship shit, but that nauseated expression on your face when you saw me tells me otherwise. So do yourself a favor and cut the crap".

The young officer said nothing. He didn't know from where he was being this brave or this stupid, but he automatically clenched his fists at his sides to face the man was still standing outside her door, arms crossed and so full of himself. His countenance looked calmed but the way he said that showed his undeniable desire of having her all for himself. And he hated him for that.

"You may be with Elia but that doesn't give you any right over her, even less on how I feel about her" was it possible to make that man even angrier? Definitely. He hadn't liked his words, not one bit, plus, hearing him say her name with such familiarity seriously ruffled his feathers. And despite Garrett had felt a little courageous a second ago, what remained now was mostly fear, so he concentrated on not ever flinching and keeping eye contact, no matter how murderous Captain Levi looked with his frown and clenched teeth. But to his horror, he couldn't stop talking "That's my business and I won't change my mind or my feelings for her because you ask me to".

"Oh, but I am not asking…" the man hissed, scowling as he gave one step closer "I'm not talking about rights here. I'm letting you know your feelings for her disgust me because she's mine" he gave another step "How can you stand yourself, drooling over her like a dog, waiting for crumbs of something that ain't going to happen?"

"Wow... I never thought someone like you, Captain Levi, would be just as insecure as any other mortal" Garrett mocked, and regretted immediately after, but his bloody mouth wasn't obeying; the jealousy and pain were instead taking a hold of him now "You say she's yours, but if that's the case, I don't understand why does my presence bother you so much. Unless things aren't going well between you two" he challenged him, faking smugness with his chin jutting.

He wished that was the case, but the young lad knew it wasn't. The joy and magnificent aura he'd seen around her that night at the party had now the best explanation: they were already together and that was why she'd been in such a great mood. True, she probably was happy to see him but the special spark in her eyes… that was because of him.

Unfortunately, his last words killed what little patience Levi had left. He was approaching him slowly, like a predator smelling the fear of its prey, or that's the impression he got. Garrett was scared but his feet were stuck to the ground, regardless how loud his mind yelled at them to run away if they wanted to survive.

When he came to stand in front of him, he'd have laughed at the height difference because the soldier didn't even reach his shoulders, but the murderous, annoyed, and dismissive look at least prevented him from such mistake.

In the blink of an eye, all he saw was a blur moving in front of him, knowing what he'd done to disarmed without actually seeing it. The soldier simply broke his balance by pulling him directly towards him, inserting his right arm under his armpit and spun around on his right foot, with his back against his body, barely lowering his right shoulder to effortlessly throw him over his shoulder in a circular motion, making him land on the floor quite heavily. As soon as he looked up, he sensed Captain Levi's left foot stepping onto his chest while he looked down to him with nothing but contempt.

"I knew you were pathetic, but I didn't take you for an insolent punk" the man muttered, pressing the area where his foot was, hurting him enough. He'd have kicked his face, but Levi had no intention on getting blood stains, not when he'd just taken a shower and his clothes were clean "But I guess you're one of those to remember things better with a different kind of motivation" Garrett could tell how real his threat was, because he was actually cutting his breathing off. He took a hold of his leg and tried to remove it, but it was simply impossible "Stop looking for her. Whether you like it or not, she's mine because she wants to. If you don't get this now, I'll gladly help putting the notion inside that huge head of yours, but I can't guarantee you'll keep breathing" he then sank his foot deeper before stopping and let him go.

Garrett rolled to his side and was now down on his knees while his left hand grabbed his chest, trying to catch his breath and recover. He looked up at that man, and he saw the eyes of the criminal staring back at him, one that was declaring how unwilling he was to share her with the world. He just hoped Elia could be free of him if their thing didn't work out, because nobody would be able to help her otherwise.

He isn't like that, Garrett, he heard her voice, and he knew the real Elia would say the same, so he decided to test him.

"I know you're more than capable of kicking my ass and make me disappear, but you won't. Not if you want to keep her around" he was tempting his fate here but if Elia saw some goodness in him, it was the only way to make sure she wasn't in danger "She may be yours, but we'll always be close. Whether you like it or not" he was using his own words to deliberately piss him off, seeking to emotionally hurt him and see how he'd react, but also to let him know he'd never be able to kill Elia's own kind of affection for him "If she ever finds out you took my life, you'd lose her".

Captain Levi was as livid as he was taken aback because that was no lie or a bluff, so he couldn't move. His body and his mind were debating between his resolve and desire to beat the shit out of him and the statement he'd made, knowing how accurate that was; Elia was the kind of person who'd never forgive an act like that.

The choice was right there, and there was nobody strong enough to stop him if he wanted to do it, except his own mind, driven by his feelings for her. So, he finally sticked with the option that was tolerable instead of the one that was unthinkable.

It was then that Garrett sighed in defeat with a sad smile on his face, realizing this outburst was nothing but a territorial thing of his, and Elia was safe from being mistreated or harassed by him if she ever changed her mind. Captain Levi would probably feel like destroying everything in his path, but not her. He knew it because of how hard the man was restraining himself from beating him to death after all what he'd said, and that was because he cared for her… In his own twisted way though.

The young officer managed to get up with what little dignity he had, shaking the dust off his clothes to stand in front of him but sideways. Ready to leave.

"If she ever needs me, I'll be there" he said yet no longer with the same defiant tone from minutes ago. He wasn't looking to his face, but he felt the waves of hatred coming his way "However, you won't hear from my part anymore. I won't come any close" he meant that. He couldn't be near her while his feelings were still there. An unrequited love was one thing but seeing her with another man was more than he could bear.

He finally turned away and walked out of there. He couldn't help but worry about her future with this man, whom he didn't like, but that was just his jealousy. Either way, he knew the woman he'd loved most of his life wasn't a fool or believed in fairytales, so she knew what she was getting into.

The only thing he was positive now was how urgently he needed to get over her, find a way to let her go for good because he couldn't take this no more. Seeing him open her door... hurt. Knowing it was him she wished to see at the end of her day... hurt. Comprehending that the joy he saw in her eyes was because of him... hurt. Just imagining how he could kiss her, touch her, and worship her... hurt. And it was ten times worse to accept she gave herself to him in the nights, or whenever they got to see each other... Garrett shook his head and took his hand to his chest, where he still felt the man's foot, although the severe pain there was more due to his heart, breaking.

Sad and humiliated, the young officer scoffed at his situation as he walked out of the building, not really knowing to where he was heading. His eyes itched but he squinted them shut; he wasn't going to cry. Not there at least. Having a drink sounded so much better, so he turned at the next corner to go see Rosie at the tavern but changed his mind as soon as he recalled Elia's desperate expression the day of the shooting, wanting to help him. Him, who needed no help or anyone but for some reason wanted her.

Have I lost her forever? He asked himself, leaning his back on the nearest wall. No… it was that man's voice the one he heard inside his head, torturing him. You cannot lose what you've never had... this time it was his own voice. He looked down, smiling bitterly.

After a couple minutes, he looked up to the sky, missing her and wondering if he'd ever see her again, when would that be… it was torture and yet he couldn't help it. He still loved her, but he'd come to the conclusion that he never had a chance. He might have, had he stayed years ago, instead of running away but it was pointless now. Enough he'd had with his regret about Ilva, so adding a new one to the list was no help.

Garrett Holt didn't know that man, but he knew well who Elia was, the way she saw things and people. And if they'd gone that far without even being married, he was positive that she was, irrevocably, in love with him.

They've just had breakfast together after she came back from the store she worked at; some goods were arriving that morning, but her boss was out of town and would get there past nine, so she'd decided to lend a hand to that brat called Tom. He still didn't know him, but Elia said it was a teenager, like his subordinates.

"He's a good lad, Levi" she commented, as nice as she always was to people "And he's my colleague, so I couldn't leave him to do all by himself" and whereas she was talking about him, he couldn't help but remember the other twat.

He'd though the best would be not to ever tell her about the recent visit, but he later considered the possibility that this could be some sort of trap from that douche, a thing he could use it to his advantage somehow.

"I wasn't going to tell you anything because he said I didn't need to, but I don't want a quarrel with you if he decides to come and play the victim, so let's take a head-on look at the issue right now" he began to say, cursing that jerk in silence "That friend of yours came this morning, and he wasn't happy to see me here" he said the word friend with disgust and she obviously noticed.

"What happened?" his attitude had made her tense; she couldn't help it. It was easy to see how exasperated he felt despite his apparent tranquility "What did he say?"

"Not much. It was a rather short exchange" he'd commented, and there was a sudden change in his demeanor, something resembling satisfaction "I'm sure he finally understood to stay away".

"You asked him to stay away from me?" she stood up, and looked at him upset and in disbelief, wiping away his recent expression "Levi, you need to understand that I am with you but that gives you no right to say such thing to Garrett" this time he raised his eyes at the healer and he was frowning like she'd never seen before but Elia stood her ground, just as mad "Why did you do that?" Levi didn't like her response and how protective she was over that moron, so he got up and went to sit on the couch, arms folded and staring to the window.

"I did. And I'd do it again" he admitted nonchalantly "I wasn't joking when I told you how I hate to see him around you, the way he stares at you... it disgusts me, but I guess you cannot get it. In any case, I think I actually did him a favor today, helped him see things clearer".

"Really? How so?" she said sarcastically, and then got somewhat hesitant when the word help came in that sentence "Did you also hurt him? Physically, I mean" Elia asked and feared the answer.

"Believe me, it's a good thing he knows about us. Maybe that'll finally snap him out of his stupid crush on you" the Captain said, only now turning to see her. She was standing by the dining table with her hands on it, worried and waiting for him to be frank "Hurt him… I've caused far more damage to other idiots for a lot less" he said, dead calm but his eyes showed a slight reluctance to her reaction.

"What?! Why did you do that?" she wasn't screaming but her eyes showed disappointment, and it wasn't better.

"He went for it, although seeing his stupid puppy eyes on you was annoying enough" he muttered, now looking to the wall in front of him "To be fair, I told him to back off and he didn't like it".

"This was the first day we had for ourselves since I moved in, and I was truly eager to spend it together but this… I cannot ignore this, Levi. You shouldn't have done that. Garrett is nothing but my friend, so you shouldn't be that jealous. Even if I wasn't with you, I'd never see him the way I see you. Never" he was happy to hear that, but this fight detracted him from enjoying it.

"If you no longer want to spend the rest of the day with me, fine. I'll leave you alone so you can run to console him because I was too mean" he said acidly as he stood up and headed to her bedroom to dress appropriately and leave. Nevertheless, when was passing by her side, he stopped without turning to her. His eyes were fixed in the hallway "You might see him only as that, but he confirmed me is not the way he sees you. Even his odious expressions showed he'd intended to ask you out today, always hoping to have a chance... see if you'd come to change your mind one day" he took a deep breath and then grumbled "True, I hurt him, but you've been doing the same for a lot longer with this whole friendship crap, which is ridiculous given you're better than me with these human relations".

"But..."

"You refuse to see there's no friendship when one of the parties wants the other in a different way. And that's shitty".

"But I turned him down, Levi. You know I did. You saw it yourself" she whispered, affected by his words and feeling now embarrassed, confused and guilty.

"Doesn't matter. He'll always hope for a miracle. He cannot control what he wants, just as I couldn't. Like right now, that I really need to go far from here or I might break something, but I also want to stay because…" he breathed out, taking a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye and then resumed his way, giving up.

Elia stood there, at loss for words as she tried to take in all what he'd said, deep down knowing he was right. But she still couldn't allow him to do whatever he wanted when something related to her bothered him, especially other people. Still, it hurt her to see him go like this. He'd depart in 24 hours, and she was missing him already.

His footsteps were getting farther, and she contemplated him walking to the door saying absolutely nothing else. But when she saw him turning the doorknob, the words slip her mouth.

"Come back in a couple hours" she whispered, and it sounded like a plea. He was clenching the fist that wasn't holding the door, and Elia knew it was because he probably wanted to turn around right then and go to her. A part of her wanted him to, but they needed to ease down and think before anything else "Please, Levi".

"Tch!" the healer saw him looking outside, walking out in a haste after making that sound, irritated.

She flopped down on the chair, trying to figure out what to do. And the only solution to this situation was to go see Garrett, apologize, and say goodbye. Not because Levi wanted it, but because he was right about her being selfish. She never meant to hurt her friend, but if he never allowed himself to take distance from her, he wouldn't be able to move on. She actually couldn't believe how stupid she'd been to believe he got over his feelings so quickly, after the first time she heard him confess, when he said he'd been in love with her since he was a teenager.

Elia covered her face with her hands for a while, ashamed of herself. But she quickly composed and decided to act. So, after leaving the plates and other stuff soaking, she got her jacket and headed to his parents' house, hoping to find him there. If he was going to ask her out, he was probably wearing civilian clothes, so that meant it was also his day off.

Fifteen minutes later, she was knocking at a door she hadn't seen in so long. And of course, it was Garrett's mother the one who opened it.

"Hello Mrs. Holt" she tilted her head, trying to smile but the woman gave one step in her direction and grabbed her hands with affection, like she usually did.

"Elia, my dear child!" she was so happy to see her. And that only made her feel sick; she didn't deserve to be treated this kindly. Not that day "Please, do come in".

"Uumm, I'm sorry but I must leave soon. I just needed to say something to your son, if I may, of course" if she accepted to be taken to the living room, she knew she'd end up spending the day there because Garrett's mother was exceedingly attentive.

"Oh, dear. I'm afraid he's not at home right now. He left early today, without even having breakfast" the woman told, and then smiled with pride "You should have seen how handsome he looked. I thought he was going on a morning date" she giggled, and Elia only smiled sheepishly. She was so frustrated that she couldn't imagine her friend's mother was trying to make her jealous with that last comment "But he came back not long after, changed and said he'd be back in a while. That was half an hour ago and I can't tell if he'll be here soon or not" by the tone of her voice, she figured Mrs. Holt wasn't pleased about that.

"Mrs. Holt... Umm how did he look like? Do you know why he changed his clothes?" Elia asked, trying not to sound as incoherent as she thought she was, but she needed to make sure he was alright. Too bad she couldn't literally ask that, but she needed to know. She knew very well that Levi was capable of hurting him bad if feeling ticked off. That sometimes excessive aggressiveness was the one part of him she didn't embrace, not when it wasn't war or survival related.

"Oh, he looked so handsome, child" the woman seemed to misunderstand her questions but as long as she ensured he was ok, she'd be able to walk away "He was fine. Although I think his shirt was a little dusty but even so, he was just as good looking as ever" the woman smiled broadly, proud of her son.

"Certainly" was all she replied to that comment, feeling now relieved. It was undeniable that they had an encounter but if he wasn't bleeding or bruised, then Levi managed to control himself a little. She doubted any internal damage, or else, his mother would have seen something strange, a bleeding nose at least.

"Are you sure you cannot wait for him? He'll be happy to see you" the lady insisted, hoping she stayed "Is true I don't know what time he'll return but you can wait in here for as long as you need, child"

"I'm very thankful for your kindness Mrs. Holt but I must go for now" she respectfully declined, lying to her. She doubted coming back here at all "I figured something like this would happen so I came here ready" she then handed a flat, weightless object to the woman "Could you please give him this note for me?" Elia knew the lady wasn't lying about his whereabouts but she'd considered that scenario and the other where he probably didn't want to see her, which was completely fair "It's somewhat important".

The woman took the envelope in her hands and noticed it was sealed and it only said her son's name on the outside.

"Alright, dear child. Is there anything else I can help you with?" the woman asked, but Elia smiled apologetically.

"That's all, Mrs. Holt. Give my regards to Mr. Holt as well and I hope you're all doing great. Thank you!" she said and turned to leave. Preparing herself mentally to now face the Captain once he came back, if he chose to do that. She would tell him about her visit and all, explaining her actions to smooth things over, hopefully.

The healer couldn't help but feel tremendously sad though; Garrett was like a little brother, and a direct connection to her past, to so many beautiful memories, but it was true that she was unconsciously hurting him if he continued to hope for something that would not happen. She was Levi's. Even if he disappeared one day, she'd always be his because her heart had chosen him. Therefore, she couldn't be this selfish to want Garrett in her life when she knew it'd hurt him to see her with someone else. That was cruel, and Levi was right.

Little did she know that at that precise moment, the young officer had seen her from afar and debated himself whether to go talk to her or not, but the fear of another rejection commanded him to stay right there and watched her disappear.

He never imagined the soldier telling her about his visit. That gives him some credit, I guess... the thought bitterly. He could have remained silent and avoid the argument with her, because there certainly was one afterwards; Elia was incredibly kind, but her in her feisty mode wasn't fun, and he knew she'd undoubtedly take his side; that surely was why she'd come all this way.

Sighing dejectedly, he got his keys but the instant he unlocked the door, the large piece of wood opened abruptly, and he found his mother standing right in front of him, hands on her hips and, beyond a doubt, impatient.

"You could have been here five minutes before, young man?!" she complained "Elia came all this way to see you, so I suggest you turn around and follow her. She's probably not far"

"Mom, I'm tired. And Elia has things to do so, please let me go and have some rest" he asked and the woman moved to the side, looking at him so confused and worried. He'd been in such a good mood that morning.

"Garrett, what's going on?" she was worried of course "Did something happened?"

"No mom. I'm just tired and I feel a bit sick. Probably something I ate" he lied. He hadn't eaten anything nor go to the bar. Trudging around the district in very low spirits was all he did after coming back home before, just to quiet his mind "My head hurts a bit, so I'll have a nap" he said, heading to the stairs now.

"Alright, darling. I'll make some soup for you" Mrs. Holt said, as caring as she always was, and he gave away a sad but grateful smile. Scarcely two seconds later, when he'd just got to the second floor, his mother voice made him stop "Just in case, Elia left a letter for you, honey. She said it was important, so I left it in your room".

That being said, he nodded and the woman walked towards her kitchen while he went inside his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him and glanced around, he located the missive at once, waiting on his bedside table but ignored it. Instead, he calmly took his jacket and boots off, and only then grabbed the object as he sat on his bed. He slid his fingertips over the place where she'd written his name with that unmistakable handwriting of hers.

Whether you like it or not, she's mine because she wants to… those words echoed in his head; he was so furious at that man, at Elia, but above all, at himself. So, barefoot, he went near his small stack of books piled up on a corner of his room, grabbed the first one and put the envelope inside, to eventually place the item at the bottom of his many volumes before going back to his bed. All he wanted was to take a really long nap.

There's no need to read that, he said to himself as he stared to the ceiling. He knew Elia Stoltz, and he imagined what the message said; how she was probably apologizing for her partner's behavior, that she'd been out running an errand or something, but at the end, he knew she'd be saying goodbye and that she was sorry for being unable to reciprocate his feelings. And, to make it worse, wishing him the best so one day, he could be happy with someone else.

The young officer clasped his hands, not wanting to dwell upon all of this or make that morning any more real than what already was. He closed his eyes and breathed in, then out and felt his body relaxing a bit. He repeated the exercise several times, until the tightness inside his chest faded, knowing the only choice he had was to stay away for good this time. That'd be for the best.

Song that inspired this chapter: Everybody hurts, by REM.

I'm sorry, Garrett. :(

Namárië