"You're supposed to be dead."

"I know."

Everything seemed to stop; the wind, the sound that traveled from the growing crowd around CeCe and Bullfrog's conjoined grave, and my heart. All of it stopped, as soon as the man before opened his mouth and spoke.

He was the same person who had snuck into, and out of, the church during the service. Same thick, black coat, same black hat, same everything. Only this time, I saw his face. And though a long scar made its way from the top of his right brow to his jaw line, she still knew it was him.

In the few seconds that it took to recognize him, all my senses came back to me at once. The noises, my heart, and the sense of the wind sliding across my skin.

My hair whipped into my face, but I paid no mind, I was too busy staring into familiar deep, mossy green eyes.

"Clare…"

Oh how I missed his voice, how he said my name. I wanted to hold him, kiss him, embrace him. I almost did, too. My left foot moved forward, ready to approach my once dead lover.

My heart wouldn't let me, once it started beating again, his words, his disappearance, the pain, the endless months of pain all came to me. But I moved again, long strides, coming towards him with fury in my heart.

Slap!

My hand slid across him face, his head turned in the direction that I slapped him. Tears welled in my eyes and I lowered my hand, clenching both fists at my sides while my eyes stayed at the ground.

"How could you?" I hissed, my heart beating painfully fast.

"I am so sorry. I ju-"

"No!" I yelled, raising my head to look him square in the eyes. "Don't apologize. I don't want it. It's too late."

"Clare…please…"

"No! I said don't! Do you know how hard it was for me, after you sent me that letter? After breaking my heart. I thought what K.C. did to me was painful, but that, and now you're back. I don't…how could you? And to come back? After all this time, after leaving alone and wondering what the hell happened to you?" I yelled; my face probably red and my eyes puffy from the on coming tears. "And you thought you felt pain with losing Julia. How do you think I felt? Not knowing whether you were dead or alive. And know that if you were, you willing let me go. And you expected me to forget you, how could I? I loved you, I still love you! Because of you, I spent months depressed and alone, you took your heart back and never returned mine!"

"I wasn't supposed to come back." He said and I stood there rigid with salty, sticky tears pouring from my eyes.

"What?"

"I wasn't supposed to come back! I went on a mission that I wasn't supposed to come back from. I was so close to death, and I rather have you hate me and lose me than love me and lose me." Eli hissed, removing his hat to reveal how bad the scar was. "I got this," he pointed to the scar. "And I wasn't supposed to live but I did. I got back a month ago."

I stayed silent, because I didn't trust my voice. Here was the man I love, and I've never seen him more broken than now. But a small part hated him for what he did to me, and I don't know if I could forgive him for it.

"I went to see you, but when I got to your house I saw you taking all my stuff out of it, and I followed you to where you burned all my belongings. And I thought you moved on. And that night, at the club, I saw you leaving with K.C. and leaving his apartment the next day. You looked…so happy. Then, when you went to CeCe's, I never felt so happy myself, to see you still care about my family after what I did to you. From then on, I decided not to contact you. This…you seeing me was an accident. I knew I shouldn't have come, but it's my parent's funeral. I couldn't not come."

"Oh, Eli…"

"I am so sorry, Clare. You can't even understand how…awful and…stupid I feel. I betrayed you, I hurt you, I did the one thing I promised I wouldn't. But I seemed to break all my promises." He kept choking on his words, crying openly in front of me. "I ruined everything, but I'll go now. I won't hurt you anymore."

He turned around, still crying, still broken. And the pain in my chest tightened, watching as he slowly started to walk away from me. His figure got farther, and I felt something inside me snap.

"Wait!" I cried, running frantically towards him.

I stumbled from my heels and eventually I just kicked them off, my pace getting faster as I approached him. Eli turned to face me, his expression heartbreaking. I pushed away the thoughts of his betrayal and ran into his arms.

"Don't leave me, ever again." I mumbled as I buried my face into the crook of his neck.

"Oh god, Clare, I missed you. Everyday. I missed your smile, I missed you scent, I missed you. So…so much." He cried into my shoulder as his arms encircled me.

I dug my nails into his thick coat, pulling him as close to me as possible, taking in the sweet, spicy smell that could only belong to him. I missed him, too. More than I thought I had.

I pulled my head back, to stare into his watery green eyes. Our faces were so close; I could feel his warm breath hit the skin of my cheek. My eyelids drooped and I moved closer, our mouths so close, almost touching.

"Clare?" A familiar voice called my name, and I snapped my head up and around to see a confused K.C. standing with Alli. "Who is that?"

"He's…uh…"

Eli pulled my arms from around him and stepped to the side, taking his hat off again. I heard a sharp, female gasp from Alli and an angry grunt from K.C. which earned a glare from Eli.

"You said you wouldn't talk to her." K.C. growled; I gave Eli a confused look.

"What is he talking about?" I questioned him, looking up at his stony expression.

"I didn't. Not on purpose." He said and I wondered what they were talking about.

"What are you guys talking about?" I asked again, tugging on Eli's arm.

"I…after you left K.C.'s I went to talk to him. Just to make sure he wouldn't hurt you." Eli said and I looked at K.C. sharply.

"You knew Eli was alive! And you didn't tell me!" I screeched, my eyes narrowing and my teeth bearing.

"He told me not to!" He stated defensively.

"I don't…I can't even…You knew, for over two weeks, and you didn't tell me! Go! I can't stand to look at you." I yelled angrily, gripping the sleeve of Eli's jacket harshly.

"Clare! Think rationally. Yes, Eli is back. But that doesn't change that he left you. That he hurt you! Are you really going to pick him over me?" K.C. said angrily, and I felt my resolve falter.

"I…I don't know."

"He hurt you, Clare!" K.C. said.

"So did you!" Eli commented defensively.

"I was there for her, when you abandoned her!"

Eli stayed quiet after that, I glanced up to see a defeated look on his face, "He's right, you know?"

"What?"

"I hurt you, and I could do it again."

"No! Don't say that. Eli…if you leave, you'll hurt me more than you know. Please don't leave me, again."

"But he's right! He's so much better for you. K.C. has money, he has power, he isn't deformed! And he won't hurt you." Eli said and started tugging his arm out of my grip.

"I don't want him! I want you! It's always you," I cried and grabbed the front of his coat, smashing my mouth against his.

Eli's arms wrapped around my back tightly, and I slid mine around his neck, tilting my head to press our mouths closer. His tongue peeked out and I opened my mouth immediately, the warm pink muscle sliding in to play with mine.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, clutching one another, but once we pulled away K.C. had left. Alli was looking away, seemingly awkward. I glanced back at Eli to see a smirk I so desperately missed.

"I love you," he said.

"I love you more." I smiled and kissed him quickly.

"Is there a reason Eli is hiding?" Alli asked, having already questioned us both on the way back.

"Well he can't exactly be here without someone noticing him and freaking out. And, he isn't really fond of crowds." I said, glancing back to see Eli walking behind a nearby tree.

"Oh." She nodded and linked arms. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know honestly…after all this time…I still love him, you know." I said and looked at the waiting crowd.

"Obviously, by the way you two were getting it on over there. I almost left, thinking you were about to get some." She laughed and I nodded.

"I want him to live with me, again," I said. "We have a lot to talk about, but I think that it's going to work out fine."

"Whatever you say, Clarebear. Now, for some serious matters, it's time to bury them. You missed the sermon."

I nodded and tried to find my parents who were standing a few feet away from the ditch. I stepped beside them and grabbed my mother's hand, watching as both CeCe and Bullfrog were lowered into the ground.

I took the two yellow roses my mother was holding and threw one on each casket. I felt tears forming in my eyes again and went back to my parents.

"Good-bye…" I whispered as the workers continuously placed dirt on the deep brown caskets.

So, this is the end of the story.

Buuuuuut…

I'm making a sequel :)

And possibly, I'll make a story in Eli's POV