Page 124 of Behind the Bars

“I love you too, Eli.” I’d always had. I’d loved him when I was sixteen, and even though time passed, I had never let that lovego.

That was what the key around my neck stood for tome.

The key was Elliott, and for all those years, he stayed right beside myheart.

He was home tome.

We didn’t sleep together again that morning, but I felt his soul against mine. My favorite thing about Elliott was how he could make love to me with only hisstare.

I loved how he loved me so quietly as our eyes drifted closed, giving way to sleep, and I loved how I knew he’d love me the same when weawoke.

Chapter Forty-One

Elliott

She woke up before me.When I stirred in bed, I glanced up to see her standing near the windowsill wearing one of my oversized T-shirts. The light from the sun spilled in, and I couldn’t fully grasp what hadhappened.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt sohappy.

She was really there. She’d come back tome.

She didn’t have a clue what she’d done for me. I’d spent six years locked in a cage, and she was the key to myfreedom.

“Good morning,” I called, startling her, and she turned around to face me. In her hands was a notebook, one of the many that sat inside of my dresser. “What are youdoing?”

Her eyes filled with worry, and she shook her head. “I’m sorry. I went into your dresser for a T-shirt, and I found this. It was open on top of everything, and I saw my nameand—”

“It’s okay,” I told her, patting the spot beside me on thebed.

She joined me and sat up straight. “What are these,Eli?”

“Letters I wrote to you,” I told her. “I, um…TJ used to have me write down my hopes and fears in notebooks, to help with my music. After what happened, I gave up pretty much everything. Everything that meant anything good to me, but I couldn’t stop writing to you, even if you never read them. I think that’s why it worked for me. I knew you wouldn’t see them and try to make me feel better. I just bled onto the paper each night, writing down everything in my heart, everything I felt. Writing to you m-made me feel less alone, I guess. I was hard on myself, but at least in some shape or form I wasn’t alone. You were always there with me. You were alwaysaround.”

Tears fell down her cheeks, and I wiped them away. “Don’t cry. I never want to make youcry.”

“I’m sorry, it’s just…” She sighed. “These entries…your pain… I’m so sorry,Elliott.”

“Hey,” I said, shaking my head. “I can breathe now. I canbreathe.”

My lips grazed over hers, and she nodded. “You wrote these letters, and I wore your key. This is us…this has always beenus.”

“This will always beus.”

“My favorite part was how you ended each letter, yourP.S.”

I gently kissed her forehead, and we lay back down. I pulled her closer to me. “Also, I still love you,” I whispered, repeating the words I’d written so manytimes.

“Also, I still love you,” she echoed softly. “Can we just stay here? Can we ignore the world for awhile?”

I smirked. “I wish, but I gotta get to TJ’. We have a music lesson, and he’ll kill me if I’mlate.”

“That’s not alie.”

I kissed her lips. “Let’s see each otherafterward?”

“Yes. Dinner tonight, with Jason and Kelly,maybe?”

“I’d love to, but maybe tomorrow? I’m a bit busy tonight. Actually, I was going to ask you—do you think you can hang over at TJ’s tonight for abit?”

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