cover you up

thirteen•her

Waking up next to Eli I felt like I was finally safe. It was like this constant battle I've been having with myself could have all have been avoided if I let him in the first time around. I turned my body around to face a sleepy Eli. Before I knew what I was doing myself, I brought my lips to his cheek and kissed it gently. He stirred.

"Morning sunshine..." he said without opening his eyes.

"Shh, go back to bed, I'm going to go talk to your mom ill be up in a flash. Tea?" He nodded his head and as soon as I saw his answer I left the room, stepping down the stairs to the kitchen in hopes of finding Karen, but... that was not who I found.

"Long time no see, darlin'." I turned around to see Mike leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. He looked different from when we dated, he was trying out a hipster style and was letting his hair grow out. He walked my way and I looked around for refuge; for Karen. She wasn't anywhere my eyes could wander.

"Where's Karen?" I asked impatiently.

"First name basis with my mother now? So what are you? Fucking my brother for revenge? Last I heard you were all for the ladies." he's referring to my partying days when I only dated women. That was an odd phase in my life. God, why did I date this prick?

"Um actually your brother has been helping me cope with the hell that has become of my life and your mother has also been very helpful." I tried to stay at a calm neutral voice but all I wanted to do was ring his neck. He only laughed.

"Okay, whatever you say sweetheart. Sit with me." He motioned for my to sit down on the couch and cautiously I do. My body sinks into the couch cushions and Mike takes a seat next to me, setting his coffee on the counter.

"So how are you these days?" he said and scooted closer to me on the couch. I suddenly realized just how close he was when his hand was on my knee.

"I'm okay. I work at your brothers shop and uh, Dan is coming to live with me when he finishes in a year and a half, you know he's graduating early." I said awkwardly, my breathing picking up its pace in return as his hand was slowly lifting its way up my leg. I was only paying attention to his hand until I felt hot breath in my ear.

"Tell him I said..." His hand traveled upwards and down to my inner thigh.

"congrats." he exasperated sharply in my ear. I felt like this was the end, like right now my life was going to change and I suddenly felt less safe then I've ever felt before.

"Get your hands off of her before I rip your fucking throat out." I looked back to see Eli standing at the bottom at the stairs, looking like he was out to kill. I slapped his hands off my leg and ran over to where Eli was standing, grabbing onto his arms.

"Eli, don't. He's your brother, he was only joking around." I say, trying to hold him back but it seemed like any second now he was going to exlode and I wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

"Listen to your girlfriend, besides I think she liked it." He smirked something devilish and Jesus Christ I wanted to hurt him at this point.

"Okay I got two kinds of- what is going on in here?" Karen said as she walked in with two grocery bags in her hands.

"Mike touched Elana." Eli said through his teeth. Karen dropped her groceries at the front door.

"Mike get out." He laughed at his mothers 'humor'.

"Mom, lighten up we were only joking." She looked dead serious.

"Michael if you don't get out of my house right this moment I will call the police. I do not care if you are my son, you will not touch Elana." she sneered. Mike looked suddenly taken back by this. He stood up. Shit.

"But-"

"Out." she pointed towards the door. He gave me a look on his way out and it made me feel guilty as hell. After he left Eli picked me up and hugged my so tight I could feel my insides about to explode.

"I'm so, so, so sorry babe. I will never ever ever let him near you again I promise." Despite all of the horrible things that just went down, the name babe made butterflies appear in my stomach. This tends to be a recurring feeling that occurs when I'm with Eli.

"I'm okay, I'm okay." I whispered. He just hugged me tighter and spun me around. Once he let me down i recieved another hug from his mother. She would not stop apologizing about letting him in here and she continually said that she never thought he would do anything like that. I promised her I would be okay and that it wasn't her fault.

Suddenly, we heard steps coming down the hall way, it was Olive, thank god. She may have been ten but she doesn't care she still carried her stuffed animal with her everywhere. Her eyes glance around and land on her brother.She ran to him and hugged his waist.

"Eli, why were you crying? Don't cry." she begged and he ran his hands through her hair.

"I'm okay Olive, I'm not crying anymore. Look!" he said and pointed at his tear free eyes. She smiled and let go, looking around the room.

"Where's Mikey and daddy?" suddenly Eli looked at me. He hugged his sister and mother, pecking her cheek. Then he grabbed my hand and said, "Put your shoes on." We did so.

"We have to get going, thank you so much mom, I'll be back to pick up our stuff later. We need to be at work." He rushed us out of the house and quickly helped me into the truck quickly.

"So uh why did we have to leave like that?" I asked when we started driving.

"I pissed off my dad." he said and I laughed. He smiled proudly. God, what did I do to deserve him?