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Looking Up

Finding Out

-----Elle's POV

Every noise around me is drowned out and all I can hear are my thoughts. I slide down the wall and onto my butt. What do I do? What is anyone supposed to do when they're told a loved one is going to pass away in just 15 or so weeks. I feel my throat tighten and my tears plop onto the old tiled floor.

I quickly get up and make my way to the back room, brushing past the kitchen trying not to make eye contact with my aunt and Mel when I yell to them, "I'm taking a quick break." Once I get into the break room, the floodgates of my sadness burst open. Everything that I'd been holding back since my dad's diagnosis is finally unleashed in one emotional hell storm.

I trudge my way over to the corner of the room, sit on the floor, and lean up against the couch facing the wall. Uncontrollable sobbing fills the room with all sorts of small sounds of sniffling and weeps. I repeatedly tell myself to be tough and stop being so emotional but I can't stop crying no matter how much I want to. My only way of dealing with things is to hold it in- be a brick wall- but now my wall is finally completely obliterated.

-----Steve's POV

I walk through the bakery door whistling, feeling especially chipper today. The guys kept telling me to come and see Elle since it'd be the only way to get me out of my bad mood after losing- and they were right. Seeing her made all of the weight on my shoulders seem to disappear almost immediately.

I search for her face behind the counters, but all I see is Melanie's. "Hey Mel, do you know where Elle is?" She looks up at me with an excited smile, "yeah! She's in the back room, I'll let you in." She unlocks the countertop and swings it open for me to enter, "it's the room right there." Before I start to head down the hall, I thank Mel.

I make my way down a short, narrow dark green hallway and I walk through the old white doorframe. I search for Elle's face, but then, I quickly notice a small body hunched in the corner in front of the couch. Her legs are in her chest, her arms are wrapped around her knees, and her face is buried into her kneecaps. Small, short sobs fill the room. "Hello?" My eyes widen as I identify the small body as Elle when she looks up from her knees and towards me. Her red, puffy, distressed eyes stare into mine for a few moments.

"Elle!" I run across the room and wrap her in my arms.

I hold her head into my neck with one hand and hold her tight against me with the other. My mind runs at a mile a minute while she weeps into my shoulder. What do I say?! In my mind small cue cards flip through my head, each one telling me what I could say- none of them seem right.

I lift her head, hold it with both of my hands, and wipe away the tears from her face as fast as I can while I frantically search her sullen eyes. Elle drops her head and looks at the floor, letting out bigger sobs. I pull her into me again and lean us against the couch. I just let her cry as I slowly rock her side to side, running my fingers through her hair.

After a few minutes, her weeps and sighs become lighter and quieter. "I-I'm so sorry, Steve." She mumbles into my t-shirt, starting to cry again. "It's fine Elle. Trust me, don't feel bad at all." I whisper back to her. I lift up her chin and observe her red, puffy eyes. When she finally looks into mine, a couple tears fall down her face and she bites her lip. I put my left hand on the back of her neck and pull her closer towards me. I look into her eyes one more time, and then softly press my lips against hers. My heart pounds, my body goes numb, and I feel Elle's tension melt. When I pull away, Elle's face is already burrowed into my neck- her crying is finally subsided and her warm breath kisses my neck softly.

I lift her face up and I look into her wet eyes once again, "Elle, please, what's wro-"

"Elle? Ste-" Mrs. Kate begins to say into the room, interrupting my question. I feel Elle stiffen and quickly scramble to her feet. She then moves a couple steps closer to her aunt. After a few moments of exchanging looks, Mrs. Kate embraces her niece in a tight hug with tears coming down her face. "It's okay sweetie, it's okay, I promise." I hear her repeatedly whisper to Elle. I watch their encounter with each other on the floor frozen in shock. What is happening? I hear Elle's aunt whisper something to her and she leaves the room sniffling.

Elle stands frozen in the middle of the room facing the door. I rise to my feet, slowly wrap my arms around her, and hug her from behind. As she turns to face me, I hear her fight back a couple of sobs. "Elle, what's wrong- please- let me help you." For the first time in a while, I hear her timid voice, "M-m-my dad- he has cancer, and he's- uhm- not going to-" She starts to weep and I don't let her finish the terrible news she's trying to tell me- I just hold her tightly against me and say "shhhh." As she cries again into my shoulder, I whisper to her "It's going to be okay, I'm here, I'm here" several times.

Once she's done crying, she takes a step away from me, "I don't think I have any tears left- I probably won't cry tears for another 25 years," she says with a small laugh while wiping her face and nose with her sleeve. "Why don't we get something to eat? Do you think your aunt will let you leave?" I ask her. "Yeah, most definitely, let me just get my stuff," she tells me softly. Before I know it, she is out of the room already getting her things.

We don't talk much on the walk out to my car- which is fine- I don't think I'd be very talkative either after finding out the same news about my dad. I'm the first one to break the silence once we get on the road, "How does take out sound?" She gives me a small smile and a nod. "Anything in particular?" and without missing a beat she says, "Taco Bell."

As we drive back to my apartment with two full bags of take out, we listen to some Coldplay. The entire ride back, she doesn't really say much, instead she looks out of the window at the passing buildings and people. Once we get to my apartment, she comes out of her daze and apologizes for being so quiet. On our way to my door she finally starts to open up and talk, however, I can tell she's just trying to put on a smile so I won't worry about her. When she makes her way to the dining room table, I stop her, "I don't think we'll eat out there Elle," she turns around, and gives me a confused look. I smile and move my head towards the bedroom, signaling for her to come over.

I step into the bedroom with her, set the take out bags on to the floor, open the curtains and lift up the blinds. "Oh my goodness I didn't know you had a friggin' balcony! This view is amazing!" she says with a big smile on her face.

"I know right? It's what made me get the apartment," I say as I hold the door open for her. When she steps out onto the balcony, she lets out a deep sigh and takes in the fresh air from above the city streets. She turns her head every which way and takes in the view.

I quickly grab a blanket off my bed and Elle helps me spread it out on to the floor of the small concrete balcony. I grab the bags of take out and we start to eat right away- the smell of our Taco Bell has been making my mouth water ever since its aroma filled my truck. While we eat, we talk about what's in store for the summer- I mainly just keep asking her the questions because I want to keep her talking and her mind occupied. Once we're finished with dinner, I leave her on the balcony and head to the kitchen to throw out our trash.

I can't believe this is what she's been going through for so long- what's really killing me is why didn't she tell me? Does this mean she doesn't trust me?

"Elle!" I call from the kitchen. No response. "Elle?!?" I yell again, listening intently for her response. Still, I hear nothing. I rush through the kitchen and into the bedroom, while a variety of terrible scenarios fill my head, which throws me into a panic.

Once I get over to the balcony, I let out a deep sigh of relief. Elle is leaning against the left railing with her eyes lightly closed- safe and sound, and not crying. As she slowly takes in deep breaths, I see the distress on her face wash away. When Elle opens her eyes, she finally has a genuine, real smile, which causes my heart to soar and, in return, spreads a grin across my face- her smile is incredibly contagious. "What are you looking at?" she asks me, starting to blush.

On an impulse, I step in front of her, put my hands on the railing, press my lips down onto hers, and she gasps in shock. "Oh I'm sorry, I just-" I start to say before she interrupts me with a kiss. For a couple minutes, we just kiss slowly on the balcony. The sounds of car horns and buses stopping and starting become nothing more than a hushed whisper and I can feel time almost come to a complete stop.

Once she pulls an inch away, the noises become louder and much more noticeable. "Can we go somewhere?" she asks, her head tilts slightly to the left.

"Sure! What do you have in mind?"

"How does camping sound?"


Notes

Hey everyone! I am SO sorry it took me so long to update- work started and I'm struggling to stay awake! I hope you guys like the story so far and where I'm going with it- I'm having a lot of fun writing it. Thank you so much for reading! Please comment, I love your feedback! (:

Don't forget to rate, comment, and subscribe! Thank you again!

Comments

@Flyers3516

I understand the school stuff, I'm in my final year and there is too much to do!

Bookworm93 Bookworm93
11/6/15

@Bookworm93 Ahh! I'm so sorry I haven't updates in like 25 years hahaha- school has been so busy but I think once the semester ends or at least slows down a little I'll finally write a chapter hahaha (: and I'm so happy it's one of you favorites! I have to catch up on all of you stories! (which are amazing btw!)

Flyers3516 Flyers3516
11/6/15

Miss this story soooooo much! It's a favorite of mine!

Bookworm93 Bookworm93
11/5/15

I hope you don't end it too soon. We have to have a proposal and a wedding!!!

amr10299 amr10299
6/3/15

Can't wait for the next update! I love this story!

amr10299 amr10299
4/27/15