Page 31 of Tell Me Everything
Elena:You can still join me to see the rest\(?ω?)/
Alex:Pause it. I’m on my way
Without wasting any time, he started the car. Alex didn't know why he wanted to see Elena when the presence of the others was putting him on edge. Yet he felt the need to see her. Arriving at Elena's, she observed him as he removed his jacket.
“You look terrible.”
“I'm tired, is all.”
Needless to say, he hadn't slept in two nights, and instead of finding sleep at Melissa's, he'd found anxiety and remorse. Elena wouldn't understand. She smiled at him, and he felt some of his unease lift. It was strange how her mere presence managed to soothe him.
“Are you sure you can survive a marathon?”
“Is that a challenge?”
“Maybe.”
Alex dropped onto the bed with a sigh. Elena placed a cool hand on his forehead, concern appearing on her delicate face. Unlike with Melissa, her touch didn't freeze him.
“You look feverish. Are you sure you're alright?”
With you by my side? Absolutely.Alex bit his tongue to keep from saying that out loud. He didn't know when she'd become his safe haven, but now that he did, his anxiety subdued. Panic always seemed to have less of a hold on him when Elena stood beside him. Seeing that she was waiting for a reaction, he nodded. Elena left the room in a hurry. When she was there, he didn't feel the need to destroy himself to forget. His mind was at peace. Alex wondered when she'd begun to play such an important role in his life. Maybe he'd simply forgotten that she'd been there for years, ever since the day she'd reached out to help him get up when they were children.
Elena returned, a steaming mug and a bottle of Coke in hand.
“I'd make you a bowl of soup, but you know my culinary skills. You'll have to survive on tea.” She grabbed a large pink blanket and wrapped Alex in it as if he were a child.
He couldn't keep from laughing, but let her do her thing. He wasn't used to someone taking care of him. And strangely enough, it was pleasant. Because it was her.
“Better?”
“I appreciate your efforts, but I'm not sick.”
Suddenly, Elena's gaze turned sad. “That's what my brother always said. Until they told him he was dying.”
That explained why she was always so worried whenever Alex did anything more than sneeze.
“I promise I'm fine. If I'm not better by tomorrow, I'll go see a doctor. Okay?”
Elena nodded then smiled, her worry dissipating. She lay down next to him and wrapped herself in the same blanket. She gave him a conspiratorial grin. “Ready?”
“Fuck yeah.”
***
Something poked his cheek, waking Alex from a deep sleep. He had to blink a few times and found Elena just two centimetres from him. She was in his personal space, and still, he felt calm. She flashed him a wide grin.
“See? You didn't make it to the end of the marathon.”
Alex stretched, yawning. He'd really tried to stay awake, but he had been too exhausted. Normally, Alex had to test his limits to clear his head and get some sleep. Next to her, sleep had found him fast.
“I made it halfway through the second film. For someone who hasn't slept in two days, that wasn’t too bad.”
Elena rested her head on her pillow, all smiles. Unlike what he was used to from her, she looked Alex in the eye. She was radiant; her gaze open. No wonder he felt so at home with her. Her kindness and the way she cared for him were able to relax him in a way no one else had managed before.
“Did you manage to get some rest?”
“Yeah. I could definitely get used to falling asleep when you're with me.”
