Elijah

There's a code amongst veterans which says that we never hurt women or children, but some of us don't seem to honour it as much as most of us do.

I know Guy is the rather violent type, and his respect for women is generally non existent, which is why I instantly pull Alice back after she punched him straight on the nose. That was quite the right hook, I gotta give her that, but she doesn't need to get one herself. She begrudgingly gives in as I pull her next to me, watching Guy with caution, gauging his reaction.

To my surprise he just takes a step back, not that I'd let him get anywhere near Alice right now, but I figured he'd lose his shit one way or another. But then I hear the voice that makes me realize just why he took a step back, Rusty's aftershave lingering in the air when he comes up right behind me.

"What the fuck did you do now, Guy?!" He asks, crossing arms in front of his chest as he takes in the situation.

Now I know why Guy hasn't reacted yet. If there's anyone in this place every single one of us respects, it's Rick. He's done a ton for veterans, even lost a leg himself while serving for this country.

"I'm so sorry Rick, I didn't want to cause any trouble..." Alice shoots him an apologetic smile, and I honestly wonder why the hell she's the one apologizing here. It's not like she's the one who molested him.

"Oh, no, sweetheart. Guy gets himself in trouble most of the time. If he disrespected you..." And like he knew what he was looking for his eyes settled on the wrist Alice was still rubbing, the red bruises instantly sending another wave of fury down my spine.

God, how much I would've liked to punch the guy. Who knows how this situation would've turned out if Alice hadn't stepped between us...

"Alright Guy, that's it. Get out." Rick steps forward and pulls him by the elbow, making both Alice and I step to the side to give him space to escort him.

"What?! I didn't even..."

"Guy..." Rusty might look like a nice guy but when his tone gets threatening, no one would even dare to object his orders inside his own bar, and so I'm not too surprised when Guy just shakes his head as he follow him outside, turning his head to shoot me another look.

"See you around, Eli..."

"I really hope not."

It's been a while since I've seen Guy, which might be correlated to the fact that I generally don't show up here anymore. I can't say I've missed him though; it's quite the opposite.

I feel Alice's hand in my own, her gentle appearance in front of me looking so damn out of place in this rough and shabby bar... She just stands out, no matter where she goes. "Are you okay?" she asks, and I almost have to laugh at that.

"I'm the one that should ask you that..." Taking her hand in my own, I bring it up to my lips, placing a soft kiss on her bruised wrist.

The second I look back at her I see that fire again, that fire that had her punching Guy straight in the face a few minutes ago. And I don't know what it is, but I suddenly feel this pull to her, those green orbits studying me with curiosity, letting me swim in their gaze to find my way out of this cyclone that is this woman.

And I know she feels it, too. I see the ragged breaths she takes; I see how her cheeks flush, how she bites her cheeks from the inside... It's too much to handle, really. I guess that's why I decide to get out of here, pulling Alice after me as I rush to the booth, grabbing both our jackets and Alice's purse before I throw a twenty on Rusty's bar, eliciting a laugh from his direction that still echoes around us until we finally reach the exit.

Alice stumbles behind me the whole time, and I'd feel sorry, I would, but I'm so full of fire that I don't know how to stop without burning everything in our vicinity down. And so I dash to my car, opening the passenger door for Alice, who just shoots me a confused look before she steps inside. I follow quickly after, slamming the driver's door shut behind me when I hear her speak. "Elijah? What is..."

But I don't let her finish. I can't. Everything within me screams for this woman, screams to feel her skin against mine. Grabbing her by the neck, I pull her toward me, crashing her lips against mine with a force that almost hurts, but fuck, do I need it...

I feel her exhilaration when she crawls over the console, straddling me in a matter of seconds, her lips still connected to mine. Alice is pure fire when she devours me, her tongue chasing my own like it was the last damn thing she'd ever do, her entire body practically melting against me.

My arms circle around her back, needing to feel her as close to me as physically possible, our bodies now creating a friction that's not only really fucking dangerous but also goddamn beautiful. The fact that she stood up for herself like that... Damn, that's the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen. And it feels like she knows it, too, she's practically glowing from adrenaline as she keeps rubbing herself on top of me, driving me all sorts of insane in a matter of seconds.

And just when I think that this is it, I'm just gonna take her in this goddamn car in the middle of the street, she pulls back, leaving me both breathless and cold as hell all of a sudden. Her forehead rests against mine as we take deep breaths, trying to steady our thundering heartbeats that are practically echoing through the confined space of this car.

When I open my eyes I get hit with this beautiful mess in front of me, lipstick smeared and her blond hair ruffled into all directions... It's the most beautiful fucking thing I've seen, honestly.

It reminds me of something I haven't seen in a while, and I quickly glance at the setting sun above us, deciding we still have enough time for that quick trip. "What is it?" she asks, obviously having seen that something's going on in my mind. It's honestly mind-blowing how much she can read people, her ability to assess situations and human beings has me in awe of her.

"I want to show you something."

"Okay..."

I smile when she raises an eyebrow, pressing a quick kiss on her nose before I lift her off from me, knowing that time is scarce right now. That's also why I instantly start the car, starting the ten-minute drive to the hill on the outskirts of this city. "Did you bring your camera?"

"I always bring my camera," she answers what I wanted to hear.

"Good." I shoot her a wink when we pull into the lot, and I quickly get out of the car, smirking at the fact that this time Alice didn't care about manners, having gone out of the car herself by now.

She shoots me a smile when I take her hand, the camera now hanging around her neck as I lead her through the few trees and out into the clearing of a forest I used to visit a lot when I was younger, the bluebells covering the entire meadow this time of the year. The orange light of the setting sun turns the entire field in a dark purple color. It's a sensation I discovered by accident, but it's damn beautiful every time.

"What is this?" Alice asks with wide eyes, her fingers already fiddling with her camera. I can only imagine how much she wants to capture this moment.

"Bluebells. The sunset hits the field just the right way at this time of the year. Go ahead," I nod, lowering myself to the ground, my back resting against a tree as I watch how Alice's eyes sparkle, taking every possible angle to capture the sight in front of us in just the right light.

She screams pure and utter professionalism as she lies flat on the ground to get a nice shot, then gets on her toes to get one from above, kneeling left and right... It's mesmerizing, somehow, watching her get the right picture.

After a few minutes, she just stands there, looking out at the field with a smile on her lips, the orange light giving her an almost unearthly vibe. I've always felt that Alice looks like an angel, and in the orange light the sun casts on her skin, the gods might just believe me...

"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and soul."

I can't help but smile at her words when she sits down next to me, both of us leaning against the giant tree now. "John Muir."

She seems to be surprised at the fact that I know someone like him, which I somehow understand, too. But I do read a lot, and I enjoy finding new authors and poets. They have a unique view on the world.

"He was a clever guy..." Alice whispers as she closes her eyes, letting the last rays of sunshine hit her face. If I wasn't already sitting I would've fallen to the knees by now, simply from how gracious she looks.

I shouldn't have brought her to the bar. I should've known it would cause trouble. I haven't been there in a while and they simply don't know who I am now, compared to who I was back then.

But I was grateful that Alice indulged me, talking much more than I did over the course of the evening. The things I told her were superficial enough, and I'm not sure if it's what she wanted to hear. I promised I'd talk to her, but I find it hard to open up sometimes... Even though I do trust her now.

"Can I ask you something?" she asks, her gaze now focuses on the birds in the trees ahead of us, watching how they fly from branch to branch.

"Only if I can ask you something as well," I quip, sending a quick smile on her lips as she turns to look at me.

"Okay, you first..."

I can tell she's intrigued, wondering what I want to know. And I have no idea how far I can go with this, but I decide to just try, and so I ask, "What exactly happened to your parents? I know you took care of Jake, but I don't know why they didn't..."

A sigh escapes her lips when she nods her head, she picks up a leaf from the ground before she asks, "Long or short answer?"

"Long. Always long."

My answer makes her smile, and I watch how she traces the patterns of the leaf, her eyes focusing on the movements of her fingers as she explains. "My parents got me when they were very young, and I, of course, wasn't planned either. When I was eight, my mother got pregnant again, which made them freak out. They wanted to abort but were too late already and didn't have the money to go somewhere else to get it done, luckily..."

"Originally I wanted to leave as soon as I turned sixteen, but with Jake in my life that didn't work anymore. My parents neglected both of us, and if I didn't steal their pocket change to get both Jake and me some food, he probably would've starved to death. It's the main reason I stayed two years longer than I wanted to. And then, when I turned eighteen... They sent me packing, a key to a one-bedroom apartment they paid for three months in one hand, Jake with a backpack full of his stuff in the other..."

"Well, I did what you do in that situation, got a job, started working at a restaurant that later got me into culinary school as well. My boss was a sweetheart and supported me and Jake, knowing about our situation... Felix pitched in, too. He's basically Jake's big brother in a way, taking us in more than once when we needed a place to stay. And Jake... He's a rock. He had the worst background anyone could have, and still, he pushed through, always ambitious and working his ass off to follow his dreams..."

The smile on her lips almost takes my breath away, she always looks so damn proud when she talks about her brother... It's mesmerizing, really.

"So, that's my story," she says like it wasn't a huge deal that she raised a child while she was still a kid herself...

"I'm... I'm speechless," I admit, "You've done a great job with Jake. He's a good kid."

"He is, isn't he?" That proud smile on her lips turns even broader, and I can only observe again: She's way out of my league...

But then something falters in her gaze, and I realize that this is it, it's my turn to open up. She offered her whole life story in a matter of minutes, I can surely offer a part of my own, right?

Right?