This week was incredible. Elijah has completely gone out of his way to make me his #1 priority for the whole week and I am not complaining about it one bit.

After the past few months of taking care of him and the restaurant and trying to keep my mental health steady, having a whole week where someone else (especially that someone being the love of my life) takes care of me, has been so nice.

"My love," Elijah said, sitting at a delicious-looking ham and salami sandwich on Italian white bread. Okay, so the boy can't really cook, exactly. But, for some reason, this fact only makes me love him more. I can cook for both of us for the rest of our lives.

I can just picture us old and grey in our warm, toasty kitchen. He's sitting at the kitchen island with a glass of red wine in his hand while I'm sauteeing us up some steaks and refilling his wine. My heart fluttered as I reached down to grasp the necklace that rested on my chest.

"Where'd you just go?" Elijah's eyebrow peaked up. He grabbed a big red and green plaid blanket from the loveseat beside us and placed it over my lap. He slipped in beside me before grabbing his plate off the coffee table with his own sandwich and placing it on his lap.

"I was daydreaming, I guess." I smiled.

"Oh yeah? About what?" He said smiling at me, glancing at my lips. He always does that which makes me smile even harder.

"Will we ever get tired of one another?" I shook my head, beaming. "I just can't picture not wanting to be with you – ever." I smiled, looking off in the direction of the TV. This was pretty vulnerable but so what. He was my person. I looked back at him and took a big breath.

"I really don't think so." Elijah laughed, taking a bite of his sandwich. "As long as you're...well, you...I think I'm always going to love you. You know?" He shrugged.

I thought about his answer. "I think I understand," I smirked, lifting the sandwich up to my lips. "I was daydreaming about our future." I took a bite.

Elijah's eyebrows shot up as he swallowed his bite. "Woah, bottoming for the first time last night really got you in your feels, huh?"

"I hate you." I laughed, nudging him on the shoulder.

"But seriously, I think about that all the time." He nodded.

"You do?" I was shocked.

Elijah shrugged, placing his sandwich on the coffee table before sitting back. "Yeah, of course. I'm heading back to school after the summer and that's going to be...interesting to say the least. Being away from you will be...hard. But, I know how strong we both are. How much we've been through. I think whatever the future throws at us...we're going to be okay." Elijah nodded.

I smiled, looking at his lips. "I feel the same way." I nodded.

"You're it for me, Tobias. I think I've always felt that way about you. Now that I have you..." He swallowed deeply, shaking his head. "I don't ever want to let you go. I don't think I'd be able to."

My heart warmed. I placed my plate on the coffee table too and turned back to Elijah, folding my legs and sitting cross-legged beside him. He moved his one leg up on the couch and turned his body so he was facing me too.

"I promise, I'm always going to be in love with you. I'm never going to leave you worried or scared or heartbroken." I put out my pinkie finger.

Elijah looked at my finger curiously and glanced back up at me. "Remember the last time we promised something?" He huffed.

I rolled my eyes. "We were kids, dummy." I nudged him in the shoulder making him sway backwards. "Anyways, I still kept my promise. I'm here, aren't I?" I winked. I stuck out my pinkie again.

He looked me over, biting his lip. "You're right." He took out his pinkie and wrapped it around mine. "I promise too. I really do." He said, pulling me in. He threw his arms around my neck as I crushed my lips to his.

I leaned into him and wrapped my hands around his waist, immediately feeling those pesky 'I want him in my mouth' feelings climbing up rapidly.

"Forget about the sandwich. I want you." I said between kisses. Elijah lifted his arms as I reached under the hem of his shirt, feeling his soft skin beneath my fingertips.

"I'm all yours." He panted.

Suddenly, I felt a buzzing beside me. I looked behind me to find my phone sitting on the arm of the couch. The screen was lightening up which meant I had a call incoming.

I groaned, sitting up.

"Who is it?" Elijah asked, sitting up and fixing his shirt. To my disappointment.

I looked at the phone screen. Unknown number.

"I don't know. It could be the restaurant though so I better take this." I got up from the couch. "Pause. Don't go anywhere." I pointed at him as I rounded the corner.

I walked into the kitchen, sliding my finger across the screen to pick it up.

"Hello," I said into the phone.

There was a long silence. "Hello?" I asked again.

"Tobias."

My heart dropped. The voice that visits me in nightmares. I felt a chill run up my spine.

"W-What—"

"Before you hang up. I need to tell you...I'm sorry." He breathed into the phone.

I furrowed my eyebrows. I ducked my head around the corner to see Elijah happily scrolling away on TikTok without a clue. He softly laughed at something he saw on the screen.

I decided quickly to run upstairs. I needed to say what I needed to without any listeners.

"What makes you think I want your apology?" I snipped. "After everything you did. After burning down The Pizza Junction–" My heart was beating so fast.

"I know what I did was wrong. I know that now. I'm so so sorry, Tobias. I was...drunk and angry and I didn't realize how much I had hurt you."

I squinted my eyes. "Are you fucking kidding me? You're a horrible, disgusting person. Poor excuse of a father. I deserved so much better than you—"

"You did. Which is why I'm so sorry to hear about Elijah's Dad. I know he was like a father to you."

Pressure built up behind my eyes. Anger and sadness filled me to the brim. "You don't get to talk about him. And that's where you're wrong. He wasn't like a father to me, he IS a father to me. The only father I've ever had. His name is Jude fucking Thorne and he was a better man than you'll ever be."

I heard a big breath of air on the other side of the phone. "I don't know what you expected to receive by calling me but it won't be forgiveness. That's the last thing you'll ever get from me. You hurt me in so many ways and you won't even turn yourself in to pay the price." I spat.

"I...I know." He exhaled. "I don't deserve your forgiveness."

"No, you don't." He shook my head even though I knew he couldn't see me. "You deserve to rot in prison."

"Tobias." He whimpered. Was he crying?

"You're pathetic." I went to go and hang up when I heard,

"Wait. Wait, I need...Tobias, I need your help." His voice wavered.

I lifted the phone back to my ear.

"What? What could I possibly help you with? Turn yourself into the police, they'll help you—"

"No, wait! I've...gotten mixed up with some bad people. Being on the run isn't for the faint of heart. If I don't pay them...They'll kill me."

I was fuming. "I still don't see what that has to do with me." I huffed.

"Oh, come on, Tobias. You're smart but you're not heartless. I know you don't want to see me killed. Plus, who knows? What if once they're done with me...they'll think to go to my family."

My eyes widened. "What did you just say, you piece of shit? Are you threatening me?"

"No! Not me...these men, Tobias. They're really bad. I don't want to see any more of my mistakes flow back onto you." He stammered.

I gulped, thinking through his words. "How much do you need?" I asked.

"$5,000" He breathed.

"Jesus." I sighed, raking my fingers through my hair. "And you think I'm just walking around with that type of money to spare? I've got a life here." I've got Elijah to think about. All the extra money the restaurant makes goes to paying for the mortgage, car payments and Elijah's schooling.

"Well, you do have the pretty new restaurant, don't you? I heard it's doing really well...Hey, it's kind of because of me. Your revamp and everything. I did you a favor." He softly laughed.

I hated his fucking voice. I wanted to punch a hole through the wall. How could everything get so fucked up?

"Why couldn't you have just stayed gone?" I muttered.

Derrick sighed into the phone. "Do this for me, kid and I will. Forever. You'll never see me again."

"I–" I opened my mouth.

"Meet me on County Side Road. The intersection between Side Road 3 and 4. I'll be there at 10 pm, Tuesday night. See you, son."

And with that, the phone went dead. I felt sick to my stomach. What was I supposed to do with that?

All of a sudden, the bedroom door opened revealing a smiling Elijah, leaning on the doorframe.

"I thought I heard you finishing up. Who was it?" He tilted his head, looking curiously at me.

I swallowed deeply. Did I want to ruin how happy we were just moments ago? Not at all...but...

"It was my Dad." I breathed. "He called me and told me he was sorry for everything he's done to me." I shrugged.

Elijah's mouth dropped open. He stood up straight. "What the actual fuck? That fucking bastard." Elijah rushed over to me, throwing his arms around my neck to hug me tightly. I threw my arms around his waist, immediately calming down in his grasp.

We stood there for a few moments, his grasp grounding me and bringing me back to the present.

"How are you feeling?" Elijah asked, slightly pulling away to look at me in my eyes. His eyes were so tender as he smoothed his hands through my hair.

"I don't know how to feel. I think I'll always hate him no matter what he says. But...a part of me wishes he didn't hate me. Is that wrong?" My voice sounded choked.

"No, baby." He pulled me back against his body. "Not at all. He's still the man who brought you into this world, as unfortunate as that is. It's not your fault he was so cruel. You deserve him apologizing but he does not—" Elijah pulled back to grip my arms. "I repeat, he does NOT deserve you forgiving him. Not now, not ever. He made his own bed."

"You're right." I swallowed hard. "He also asked me for money." I rolled my eyes.

Elijah shook his head and laughed softly. "What a pathetic idiot. We should've traced his call and turned him in." He tucked his face into my neck and tangled his fingers into my hair.

"Yeah..." I agreed. The fact that I have the exact location of where he'll be on Tuesday weighs on my heart. What if what he said about those bad men coming after me were true? What if that means Elijah is in danger too? What happens if I get him caught...would those men come after us?

I had so many thoughts ringing out in my head. I held on tight to Elijah to steady myself.

"That was a lot." Elijah sighed. "You must feel overwhelmed." He took a step back and looked into my eyes., I bowed my head down and nodded.

"Do you want to keep talking about it?" He asked.

I thought about this. I shook my head. "No," I admitted.

"Okay. Do you want me to get your mind off of it?" Elijah asked, lightly pushing me back. I felt the back of my knees hit the bed behind me and I dropped down to sit on the edge.

"I–" I started. Elijah grabbed the bottom of his shirt and lifted it up and over his head revealing his beautiful tight, fit body. Suddenly I couldn't remember what we were talking about before.

"Lay back. I'll take your mind off of things." He said, dropping to his knees.

Little does he know, he already has.

 ☀️

Authors Note:

Oh no! Hate hate haaate Derrick! Do you think Tobias is going to meet up with him? Do you think he should based on what he said? Thoughts! Give me thoughts!