Page 15 of Elijah
Amy
aged 19
As I rounded the corner coming back from the loo, I had an inkling she’d be there, and she didn’t let me down. Ever since our first year in the sixth form, Lauren Proctor had been trying to get Elijah for herself. It didn’t seem to matter to her that he and I had been going out together for almost two years, because any opportunity she got, she’d be hanging off his arm.
As I watched from the dim corner of the pub, I could see Elijah trying to shake her off, but she was like a bloody leech, clinging on for dear life. When she trailed a finger across the tree tattoo that he’d had a few weeks before, Elijah took her hand from his arm and pushed her away, albeit gently, but anyone could see he wasn’t interested – anyone except Lauren.
I knew if I walked over there she’d act all innocent and make her excuses to leave, but I was tired of the same old shit with her. I wanted her to finally get the message from my boyfriend because I needed to stop feeling sick every time he went out without me.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him because I did. Elijah had never given me any reason to doubt him, and although I wasn’t living away from home, my university interior design course meant I was often late getting back and had tons of course work to do, so I couldn’t always go out during the week. Whereas Elijah was doing a landscape gardening course at a local agricultural college and had quite a few free hours during the week to get his work done, easily giving him enough time to go out drinking with his friends.
Deciding enough was enough, I started to move out of the shadows and back to our table, but as I did Lauren went in for the kiss. As she lurched forward, lips puckered, I pulled to a stop, a gasp of shock leaving my body with same speed as the adrenalin pushing through my veins. I wanted to scream and rush her, but my feet were rooted to the spot and tears pricked my eyes at what I thought was about to happen. Then my heart almost exploded when Elijah ducked out of the way and put his palm up in front of Lauren’s face. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but I watched his lips as they said ‘What the fuck are you doing? I’m with Amy. I love Amy.’ Lauren said something that I couldn’t see, but Elijah took both her forearms and gently pushed her away. Then he raised his voice, shouting ‘Lauren, I’m sick of telling you no’. As he turned his back on her, I decided it was time for me to go back to my boyfriend.
“What’s going on?” I asked, as I reached our table.
Elijah looked up at me and rolled his eyes. “Lauren is leaving.”
Lauren’s head shot around to me and she plastered on a smile. “Hi, Amy. I’m just going. I was asking Elijah if he’s seen Alex.”
“Alex?” I asked.
“Erm, yeah. He owes me a drink.”
“Really?”
“Lauren,” Elijah warned. “Stop with the shit and tell Amy why you’re really here.”
“I think I know,” I said, giving him a smile. “And I think you know, Lauren, that Elijah isn’t interested, so just give it a fucking rest. It’s a muggy thing to do and you know it.”
Lauren’s eyes went big as she stared between me and Elijah. I could see her bottom lip tremble and wondered if she was going to burst into tears.
“I…He…He’s always flirting with me,” she snapped. “I would never do anything unless I thought he wanted me to.”
“I fucking don’t,” Elijah cried. “I don’t even look at you for longer than two seconds, because I know if I do you’ll come rushing over, trying to get me to take you out, or even go outside with you.”
“I do not,” Lauren replied, not at all convincingly.
I sighed and took hold of her arm. “Listen, Lauren, I don’t really care. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like my seat back please.”
I pulled Lauren up and as soon as I was able, flopped into my chair.
“You are such a knob head,” she spat at Elijah. “As if I’d be interested in you.” With that she spun on her heels and stormed off.
“She’s a fucking psycho,” Elijah groaned, as we watched her go through the main door of the pub.
“Hopefully she’s got the message.”
I picked up my drink and took a long swig. When I put it down, Elijah gave my shoulder a squeeze.
“You do know I’d never do anything to hurt you, don’t you?”
“I do,” I replied. “But she never stops trying to get you away from me. It’s all the time and I hate it.”
“But she isn’t going to succeed,” he said, taking a strand of my hair and twisting it around his fingers. “You’re who I want to be with, not her.”
“And I know that,” I stressed, my voice getting a little louder. “But it still doesn’t stop me worrying and wondering every time you’re out and I’m not around. I’m constantly thinking is she coming on to you, are you talking to her, has she turned your head ? ”
“Never.” Elijah interrupted me, shaking his head. “She will never turn my head. You are everything to me.”
