Page 26 of The Storms Between Us
twenty-one
Over the next few days,we fall into a comfortable routine. You would think the house might be crowded with four people and three bedrooms, but it's not. Aurora and I discovered we enjoy a lot of the same things, so we’ve been sharing books and watching reality TV together. I can see her becoming a great friend. Sharing a room with Elijah has been better than I imagined. I was a little apprehensive after he told me about his nightmares, but so far he’s kept them under control. Sometimes he thrashes in his sleep or releases these pained moans, and I know he’s trapped in the memories of his past. During those moments, I try to stroke his back softly or whisper calming reassurance until he settles. When the dreams are particularly vivid enough to wake him from his sleep, I allow him to find his solace in my body until we’re both too exhausted to move. At first, I was afraid he would say I snore or something totally embarrassing, but I just feel like that’s where I belong.
Eli has been talking back and forth with some guy he calls Breaker about tracking down Justin. I guess he’s pretty tech savvy and can hack into a bunch of places that sound semi-illegal, so I’m not asking questions. I’ve thrown most of my time and energy into my work and tried to block out anything related to Justin. Unfortunately, I still feel like I need to look over my shoulder every time I leave the house. I want to feel safe in this town, but I can’t shake the feeling of unease.
Today, for the first time in a while, Eli and Everett agreed Rory and I would be safe to go out without them as long as we stayed together. I’m excited to check out the bookstore in town again and Rory wants to find some new clothes. Once we’re dressed and ready to go, we hop in the Jeep and head into town.
“I think you’re really great for my brother,” Rory says, climbing out of my Jeep in front of Revamp, the cute vintage clothing store in the middle of town.
“I think he’s pretty fantastic for me, too.” I smile at her compliment, adoring the fact that other people can see our love for each other.
“He’s never been one to do much for his own benefit,” she says, holding open the door as we walk inside. “He’s always done what he could to take care of me and my mom, even though it wasn’t his responsibility.”
“That sounds like Eli,” I say with a smile. “I didn’t ask him to change his life for me and all the drama that surrounds me. He just did it.”
“That’s because he loves you, Ember. I’m glad he found someone who is worthy of him,” she says, grinning.
“I wish he didn’t have to deal with all this bullshit from my ex, but I'm not willing to give him up. So, I guess me and my drama are a package deal,” I say with a shrug.
Rory laughs with a mischievous gleam in her eyes, “That’s okay, keeps him on his toes,” she winks back at me.
We browse through rows and rows of vintage band shirts, trying on styles from different eras and enjoying some much-needed girl time. Before we know it, it's been three hours and we’re finally hauling our bags to the Jeep.
“Oh my god, Ember! What the hell happened?!” Rory screams beside me, dropping her bags as she covers her mouth with her hands in shock.
I look over to my Jeep and see that all four tires are flat and the word ‘WHORE’ has been keyed into the passenger door. I feel the sting of tears welling up in my eyes and I let them fall silently. “Why? How? Why is this happening?” I ask, barely above a whisper. I can hear Rory already talking on the phone with someone, most likely Elijah.
“Yeah, come now. We’re on Main and Maplewood at Revamp. It's really terrible, Eli,” she says, “Ok, I’ll call the police now, see you in a minute.” She hangs up and walks us slowly over to a bench in front of the store, sitting me down and piling our bags next to me. I’m stunned. I can’t speak, can’t move. He was right here, close enough to touch me, and I didn’t even know. The thought of something horrible happening to me, or worse to Rory, makes my stomach turn. I pull my knees up under my chin and sit quietly on the bench like a frightened child. Why me? I hear the familiar rumble of Elijah’s motorcycle drawing closer, but I’m frozen. From the corner of my eye, I see him stop quickly at the curb and hug Rory, making sure she’s okay. Then he's kneeling in front of me. His electric blue eyes lock onto mine and I break. I launch myself into the safety of his arms and release the sobs I’ve been holding back. He wraps his arms around me tightly, supporting my weight and running his hand down my back soothingly.
“It’s okay, Sunshine. I’m here. I’m right here,” he says, his tone calm and comforting.
“He was here, Elijah! Right here, and I didn’t even notice! He could have seriously hurt Aurora or done something just as insane and I didn’t even fucking notice!” I’m screaming at this point, but I don’t care. The fear and rage I’ve been trying to keep under control courses through my body freely. “How can he do this? How is there nothing we can do but wait around for him to do something even more dangerous?” my eyes plead for answers, but I know he has none.
“We can do something now, baby. Veiled threats and creepy notes are one thing, but this is serious property damage. We’re gonna tell the police everything we know, and then they’ll pick him up. He won’t get away with it this time,” the anger is tangible in his voice.
A patrol car pulls up behind Elijah’s bike and two officers step out. Over the next hour, we explain to them everything we know and give them as much information as possible. They take pictures of my Jeep and tell us they will check with the local shops to see if anyone has a security video that could have caught something.
“It would be nice if you still had one of those notes,” the older, more seasoned officer says.
“Actually, I do,” Elijah says, and I look at him in confusion.
“You do?” I say, remembering him telling me he got rid of the last box Justin sent.
“Yeah, I threw away the flowers and shit, but I kept the card, just in case. I was afraid something like this would happen and we might need it,” he says, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.
“Well, if you could bring that by the station, that would be great. We’ll look into this lead and keep in touch with any new developments,” the officer says, shaking Elijah’s hand and walking back to his car.
“I’m glad you kept that,” I whisper.
“What can I do here, Ember? I want to help you feel better, but I don’t know how.” He sounds so lost and I’m right there with him.
I place my hand against his cheek and pull his lips down to mine, giving him a tender kiss. “I love you for wanting to help me, honey. Just take me home.” I suddenly feel exhausted from the adrenaline crash.
“Rory, you feel okay to take the Jeep over to the repair shop with the tow guy? It's about four blocks that way and Everett said he can meet you there and bring you back home,” he says. I see her nod her head quietly and I instantly feel guilt for her sadness and fear. If I hadn’t run here, these things wouldn’t be affecting these people who I’ve come to love so much.
“Come on, Em,” Eli says, grabbing my hand and pulling me over to the curb where his bike is parked. “You feel okay to ride?” He asks, softly rubbing my cheek with his thumb. I give him a small smile, but we both know it's forced. “I know what you’re thinking here, Sunshine, and you’re wrong,” he says, “you didn’t cause this. You didn’t put yourself or Rory in danger. Put the blame where it belongs, on that crazy fucker.”
“I just wanna go home. I'm just so tired,” I tell him.
“Ok, let’s go,” he climbs onto his bike and reaches out a hand to help me slide onto the seat behind him. I wrap my arms tightly around his waist and lay my head down on his back. I don’t let go until we’re safely back home.
