Daisy in a Meadow

38 - Expulsion

"What is this place?" I questioned in wonder, following after Elias.

Feeling perturbed after the fight with Heather, I'd asked Elias to take me somewhere—anywhere. After driving for a few minutes, it appeared that he had brought me to a small clearing of sorts, hidden away by thick trees and overgrown vines.

"It's nothing special," he replied, while grabbing my hand to prevent me from tripping over a branch. "I come here sometimes when I need to think."

In the center of the clearing, there was a waterfall. It was a breathtaking sight, the water cascading from high above and crashing against the rocks below. My eyes widened as I took it all in.

"It's beautiful, Ellie," my voice was hushed in awe.

"I know," Elias whispered, voice deep.

I glanced back at him, although I was surprised to find that he was already looking at me, a strange emotion on his face. Just as we made eye contact, he abruptly cleared his throat and looked away.

"How did you find this place?" I asked as we sat down on the soft grass.

"It was an accident. When I ran away from home—"

"You ran away?" I interrupted, alarmed.

He looked surprised for a moment, before chuckling. "I forget we've only known each other a few months. Anyways, yeah, back when my father first found out my mom was sick, he..."

Elias clenched his sharp jaw, as though he was struggling to find the right words. I placed my soft hand over his much larger one, a silent act of comfort.

"He left her—left all of us after she got diagnosed," Elias blankly said, "actually, that's not right. First he cheated on her. Then he left."

I didn't know what to say, feeling sadness for him and his family. "That's not right," I whispered. "Your mom deserved better than that. You deserved better than that."

"It's really not a big deal," Elias casually brushed it off. "Anyways, on the day he announced he was going to divorce my mom, I ran away from home and stumbled across this place."

I spent a brief moment staring at the enigma in front of me. It was weird. Although we felt as though we'd know each other forever, there was still so much I didn't know about Elias. And yet, the more I learned, the more I became attached—a feat which scared me.

"Don't feel sorry for me," he suddenly scowled.

"I didn't say I feel sorry for you."

"You don't have to. It's written all over your face," Elias said. "Don't worry about me, D. It's good riddance. That asshole can pretend he's enjoying his new life with his new family, but deep down, he knows he fucked up."

"You're speaking in present tense," I cocked my head to the side.

Elias froze. "What?"

"You're speaking in present tense," I repeated, "even though your father passed away."

For the first time, he appeared at a loss for words.

"I slip up too sometimes," I confessed, a gentle smile on my lips. "Not sure why we do that. Maybe it's because we're just used to having them around—our fathers, that is. But, don't worry. As long as we accept the fact that they've passed away, I think we'll be fine."

Elias looked as though he desperately wanted to say something, but alas, he closed his mouth and nodded, an unsettling look on his face. I didn't quite know why, but he almost appeared... guilty.

The topic eventually got changed, and the two of us chattered about everything and nothing, to the point that we ended up losing track of time. The sun had now set, and the sky was painted with hues of orange and pink.