I’m okay. See you soon. Hopefully.
I grabbed the camera from my desk and took a picture. I didn’t have time to examine the photo to see if Elliott got my message and wrote back to me. Plus, that wasn’t something I wanted to try to explain to anyone. Nicholas especially. I turned the camera off almost as fast as I had turned it on, and stashed it the top drawer of my desk. Nicholas raised his eyebrows and looked at me funny.
“
What was that about?”
Nope. I was not going to go
there
. “Let’s go for a walk.” I looked at him as though nothing strange had just happened. “I’ll meet you in front of the Nelson’s.”
He stood there and stared at me for a minute.
“
What?” I said.
“
You look really pretty Lil.” Ugh! He started to crawl out the window, and I didn’t hide my displeasure at the compliment. I slammed the window shut behind him. Nicholas laughed as he shimmied down the roof.
I opened my door. “Guard duty is over, Soph. Thanks.”
She started to collect her things. “Anytime.”
I made my way down the stairs as quietly as possible. I was hoping to be out the door far enough that my mom wouldn’t bother chasing after me with questions, but also close enough that she saw me leave through conventional methods. I wasn’t so lucky.
She was waiting.
On the front porch with the latest gossip magazine keeping her company, Meredith was waiting for me. “So Lilly, I’ve been dying to hear how your date went!”
I casually looked out across the front yard as I took a seat next to my mother. At least I spotted Nicholas where I asked him to meet me. He was sitting on the edge of the asphalt six houses down, drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick, waiting for me. He couldn’t hear me from there.
I shrugged as I said, “It went fine.”
“
Details Lilly. I want details.”
“
We went on a hike, had a picnic, and played in the waterfall that we hiked to.”
“
How romantic.”
I rolled my eyes. “Mom!”
“
What?”
“
It’s not like that.”
She glared right back. “It looks like it to me.”
I got up and started to walk away. “I have to go. I’ll be home later.”
“
Going to meet anyone in-particular?” She asked, not very inconspicuously if you ask me.
I waved her off and headed down the street towards Nicholas. Hopefully she had resumed her magazine and didn’t notice Nicholas waiting for me. It wouldn’t help my lie.
I glanced back at Meredith when I was two houses down the street. Yay! She had resumed the gossip magazine since I hadn’t armed her with much dirt. Nicholas was scribbling out whatever it was he had written in the dirt when I reached him.
“
Hey hoe.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let’s walk Nitch-o-las.”
“
With pleasure.”
Too bad he wasn’t lying. I was really starting to miss the Nicholas that was just my friend. At least then I would have someone to talk to. Someone to console me and maybe even help me with the mysteries of Elliott and projecting. Instead, I had a twitter-pated puppy. A blond, blue-eyed, freakishly tall puppy. At least he was loyal.
I started walking towards the meadow.
“
Where are we going Lil?” asked Nicholas at my side.
“
The park.”
“
Okay. Any particular reason why.”
“
We need to be alone.” He looked a little too happy, so I clarified. “We need to talk.”
“
I think we would get more privacy in my cellar.” Damn. He was right, and he knew it.
“
Fine.” I turned to change course and he grabbed me by the hand and swung me up into his arms. He didn’t even break stride. Nicholas kept walking towards his own little esoteric corner of the world. All I could do was sigh as he grinned from ear to ear.
He ended up having to set me down to get the heavy wood door open. Looking into the dark, damp and creepy old cellar gave me a chill up my spine. I let Nicholas lead the way.
He dragged me by the hand to where his blanket lay on the dirt floor. I took a seat and Nicholas had the nerve to try to cuddle up next to me. Why did he have to make my life so difficult! I squirmed a bit. My heart raced. How was I going to get out of this?
“
Uh?”
“
Yes?” His voice was much too close to me. He was liking this.
“
How about that candle?”
The second he moved away from me I backed into a corner and pulled my knees to my chest.
I was as quiet as the mice that were surely around me. The sound of the lighter broke the silence. Nicholas lit the candle and sat back down beside me. I could tell he was hoping to snuggle up, but we needed to talk. His ultra-thick skull seemed to have issues comprehending
we are just friends
, so I was going to have to be a bit more direct. I really didn’t want to hurt him.
He spoke first. “We’re alone hoe. As requested.” I saw him wink at me in the dim candlelight.
“
Last night’s a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall telling you we are just friends.”
“
Yeah, I remember. But...”
“
But what?” I was getting annoyed.
He smiled. “But then you kissed me.”
Yep. Delusional. At least I wasn’t the craziest one in the room and I had an imaginary boyfriend according to Charlotte. “I did NOT kiss you.”
“
The first part was CPR. By the way, I’m happy to save your life anytime. But you definitely were kissing me before you passed out.”
I was going to have to be mean to him, and I didn’t want to. Nicholas was my anchor. And I was going to have to hurt him. I couldn’t look at his face. I blew out the candle.
In the shadows, his husky voice whispered, “Do you want to cuddle?”
“
Nope.”
“
I don’t get it.”
“
Please listen to me. Really listen.”
He hesitated then replied, “Okay?”
“
I love you, but...”
“
But?”
My words floated into the darkness, cutting my target with dead-on accuracy. “I’m not
in
love with you. You are my best friend, but that is it.”
“
Lilly, come on...”
“
Nicholas. I love Elliott.”
The silence was almost as pressing as the darkness. Nothing stirred. I didn’t dare breath. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He didn’t say a word. I heard the sound of him moving around before I saw his silhouette walk out the door. I hurt inside. The pain was ripping me open. An ocean of tears flowed from my eyes, and I curled up on his blanket and cried myself to sleep.
I opened my eyes to the familiar darkness. Water was dripping somewhere in the background. As I sat up, salty ocean air blew in my face. Then, I realized, I wasn’t in the cellar anymore.
I looked around at the damp stone walls of my room. Instinctively, I knew where I was. I was in my room in the underground, a long time ago. It was dark. A faint reflection of light found its way from somewhere in the distance. All I could make out were rough shadows, but I wasn’t afraid. This was my home.
It was as if I was reliving a repressed memory, again. My body moved as though I had done this all before. As I stood up, I felt the straw and blankets that had made up my bed with my bare feet and walked confidently through the darkness. I noticed these things in my thoughts, but they were not new to me.
Quickly, I walked forward through the shadows. I welcomed them. It was as if this were a path I knew well. My hands swept the cool stone walls as I found my way through the darkness and up a flight of stairs. I didn’t even wonder where I was headed. My heart knew the answer. I was going to meet Elliott.
A glimmer of light caught my eye. I looked to my left and saw my opal ring around my ring finger. So Elliott had given it to me
a long time ago
. I wish I could remember the details. The small stone was so brilliant, but I didn’t look at it now. Even though it was beautiful, something, no someone, else had my attention.
I could feel it in my soul. An intensity was building with every step I took. I was traveling through this underground world, driven by a pull I didn’t quite understand, towards my other half.
I surfaced in the catacombs of San Lorenzo Maggiore from the very place Elliott had followed me down. Cautiously, I moved the stone that gave away my crypt. I peeked out from under the rock, but there was no one around. It was late.
With fire and purpose in my heart, I made my way up to the cloister. Standing in the moonlight and rain was Elliott. No sooner had I saw him, I threw myself in his waiting arms. I was with my other half again. I was complete.