Page 15 of Dare To Live

I close my eyes, guilt eating at me. “Okay.”

“Once you get to the airport, you can call an Uber to take you to a town called Hillfar. I’ll ask Roger to pick you up from there.”

My appetite gone; I leave my fork beside my plate. “Roger?”

“He works for Eli.”

“Why can’t he check on him?”

My mother sighs. “Roger and his wife are flying out to stay with their daughter for the holidays. They can’t stay to look after Eli.”

A heavy weight settles in my chest. “Oh.”

“I know you and Eli don’t get along, Arabella, but we’re still family. I’m sure he’d do the same for you.”

Eli would rather have a hole in his head than help me.

My lips twist. “It’s fine. I’ll go and make sure he’s not dead. I’ll call you when I know something.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

I end the call, and drop my cell onto the table, trying to figure out the things I need to do. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to cut short my stay with you.”

Miles frowns. “Eli is sick, and Elena wants you to play nurse? Are you sure going to see him is wise?”

“We moved on a long time ago.” I smile. “But he’s still family, and it’s the right thing to do.”

Chapter 8

Eli

It takes me a little while to realize that the banging I can hear is not inside my head. I lay there for a moment longer, weighing the pros and cons of moving.

I’ve barely slept for two days. I feel like shit. My head is thick, throbbing. The slightest hint of light sends pain like white hot pokers through my eyes. My ribs ache from coughing so much, and I don’t think I’ve ever sneezed this much in my entire fucking life.

The banging on the door starts up again.

Maybe it’s a bear looking for food.

Fuck it. It can eat me.

I heave myself up from the couch, where I’ve been sprawled since forcing myself out of bed, and stagger across to the door.

If there is a fucking bear behind the noise, I’ve made my peace and will welcome death. It can’t feel worse than whatever has me in its grip right now. I drag my fingers through my hair before wrapping my hand around the doorknob. Twisting it, I throw open the door.

The form in front of me is not a bear.

I frown, my gaze tracking over the tendrils of blonde hair escaping the wooly hat. Blue eyes blink at me.

“Eli?”

My brain moves at a sluggish pace, taking its time to connect the voice to the bundled-up blonde standing on my deck. When it finally puts the two together, I take the only reasonable course of action.

“Fuck off.” I slam the door shut.

What the actual fuck is she doing here?

The moment the question forms, so does the answer.

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