บท 7: What happened was ours and it will stay that way.
Elliot woke up feeling strangely light, as if an invisible burden had been lifted from his shoulders. The cold, however, hit him immediately, reminding him that he had fallen asleep completely naked. But that discomfort was relegated to the background when he noticed something much more disturbing: Mel was no longer by his side.
"Shit!" he exclaimed, bolting upright on the couch. His eyes searched frantically in the dim basement, his heart pounding. His mind filled with the worst possible scenarios. Did she regret it? Did she leave with Owen? Was she going to tell everyone what happened?
His thoughts were stopped dead, however, when he saw her standing near the corner, quietly putting on her clothes. The dim light outlined her body as she pulled up the tight jeans that hugged her round, perfect ass. Elliot felt his thoughts swing between relief and a renewed desire that made him curse under his breath.
"Mel?" He called out to her, his voice still hoarse from sleep.
She paused, turning to him with a calm expression. Her dark eyes met his, and Elliot held his breath, expecting the worst.
"You woke up," she said with a small smile, moving closer to the couch. "I didn't want to wake you up yet. It's early, but you know… I have to go with Owen."
Owen's name was like a bucket of cold water. Elliot clenched his jaw, his emotions spinning in a whirlwind. Sure, Owen. Always Owen. But he couldn't help it; he needed to know how she really felt.
"Don't you feel guilty?" he asked, his words more direct than he had planned. "Don't you feel strange? Don't you hate me for what happened?"
Mel stared at him silently for a moment, her expression impenetrable. Elliot could almost hear the gears in his mind turning as he processed what she had just said. When she finally moved, what she did was completely unexpected.
She let out a small laugh, soft and warm, filling the cold air of the basement. "Why would I, fool?" she said in a light, almost mocking tone, before leaning in close.
Elliot barely had time to react before Mel took his face in her hands and planted a kiss on his lips. It was short but intense, her soft lips pressing against his with a mix of tenderness and passion. When she pulled away, her eyes were shining with something Elliot couldn't quite identify, but it left him wanting more.
"Mel…" he started to say, but she placed a finger on his lips to stop him.
"Shhh," she murmured, with a mischievous smile. "Don't ruin this with questions, okay? What happened was ours, and it will stay that way."
Elliot looked at her, his mind a mix of relief and frustration. Ours, and it will stay that way. For now, those words would have to suffice.
Mel finished dressing, grabbing her things that were leaning against the wall. Before she left, she paused at the basement door, looking at Elliot once more. "You better get dressed before someone comes down and finds you like this," she said with a smirk, giving Elliot one last look at his naked body.
And with that, she disappeared into the darkness of the hallway, leaving him alone in the small basement with a million thoughts and feelings. Elliot let out a long sigh, running a hand over his face as a wry smile formed on his lips.
"What happened was ours and it will stay that way." Repeating those words didn't make them any easier to accept, but at least it gave him something to hold on to. This is far from over, Mel. Owen has no idea what he just lost.
Elliot plopped down on the couch with a satisfied smile curving his lips. He couldn't deny that it felt good, really fucking good. It wasn't that he was hopelessly in love with Mel; No, his feelings for her were more complicated than that. But knowing that she didn't hate him, that she didn't regret what they'd done, gave him a sense of relief he hadn't expected.
"Shit," he muttered to himself, running a hand over his face. Having her to himself, even for now, was a victory he couldn't ignore. She was Owen's, but she was mine now, even if he had no idea.
Despite that, he couldn't fool himself: Mel wasn't going to be enough. Elliot knew it from the depths of his being. He wanted more women. It wasn't just a matter of desire, but an almost instinctive need. If this system works like this, I'm not going to limit myself. But even with that clear ambition, having Mel as his, at least for now, was fucking great.
He let those thoughts float through his mind for a few more seconds before shaking off the chill that was beginning to seep into his bare skin. "Damn," he muttered as he stood up, searching for his clothes. In one swift movement, he pulled on his pants and t-shirt, grateful for the immediate relief from the cold that had been freezing him.
He walked over to the small basement window, staring out into the darkness outside. The night was still shrouding everything in its black cloak, and the silence was almost absolute, save for the occasional whisper of the wind. Elliot thought about going back to sleep, but his gaze drifted to the box of supplies he had purchased.
If I want to share this with the group, I need a damn excuse.
He leaned over to the box, opening it to check its contents again: canned food, bottles of water, the small first aid kit. It was all incredibly valuable in this broken world, but it also raised questions. How the hell was he going to explain finding this? The group wasn't stupid; if he didn't handle this carefully, they might become suspicious.
After a moment of thought, he found a quick solution. He walked over to a corner where several old, worn-out boxes were stacked. Boxes within boxes. So typical, but effective. He placed the supply box inside a larger one, adding empty ones on top for concealment. He made sure it was well hidden, out of reach of prying eyes, and straightened up, satisfied with his work.
"If anyone asks, I'll say I found her in an abandoned place," he thought. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was convincing enough that no one would push it too hard, especially if the group was hungry.
Elliot returned to the couch, letting out a sigh as he slumped back down. He closed his eyes, his mind torn between the events of the night and plans for the next day. For now, he had what he needed: Mel, supplies, and a system that promised much more.
-x.X.x-
"What are you guys doing?" Elliot asked as he came up from the basement with the box of supplies in his arms. He had purposely made the surface of the box dirty, adding dust and small marks to make it look like it had been forgotten for years.
Manny looked up from where he sat, his face tired and dark circles marking the lines of his face. "Look who shows up," he said with a sarcastic smile. "Dude, Abby wants to kill you."
Elliot let out a short, disinterested laugh. "So what are we going to do? Get in line," he replied, dropping the box to the floor with a thud. "So what's going on here?"
Manny shrugged, running a hand through his short hair. "Thanks to your last argument with Abby, the group is split up. Some want to go with the wolves, and others are considering finding a new place to settle down."
Elliot arched an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
"I'd rather stay," Manny replied, crossing his arms. "We already know what the other groups of idiots out there are like. Better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, as my old man used to say."
Elliot nodded slowly, his thoughts racing as he looked around. "Yeah, it wouldn't hurt to find a nice spot in the woods somewhere. Away from all the assholes."
Manny let out a sigh, then jerked his chin towards the box. "What's that? What do you have in there?"
Elliot acted as casually as possible, as if he didn't know what he was talking about. "I found it stuffed inside some other boxes in the basement," he said, opening the lid partially to reveal the supplies inside. "Looks like the day is starting out nicely."
Manny's eyes lit up at the contents: cans of food, bottles of water, and a small first aid kit. He immediately let out a long sigh of relief. "Jeez, Elliot! This is a miracle. Abby and Owen went out to search for things in nearby houses and came back empty-handed. Your box is the best thing that's happened today."
Elliot smiled with a sly grin, leaning slightly toward him. "You know, I'm Mr. Miracle," he joked, dusting his hands off as if he'd just performed a magic trick.
Manny let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "Sure, Mr. Miracle. Just don't let Abby hear you say that or you're definitely going to need that first aid kit."
Elliot shrugged, his smile full of confidence. "We'll see," he said, as he straightened up. "For now, at least we have something to keep us alive for a few more days."
Manny nodded, but his expression darkened a bit. "Yeah, a few days. But if the group doesn't decide what to do soon, this isn't going to last long. Your miracle better include some luck, man."
"But I don't get it, Owen. You walked out without telling me, you're going with Abby... Damn! I'm sick of the same old thing," Mel's voice echoed in the room as she walked through the door behind Owen, her tone filled with frustration.
Elliot, who was finishing securing the supply box, couldn't help but crack a smile as he listened to the argument. This promises, he thought, casually leaning against the wall to enjoy the show.
Owen let out a long sigh, his face showing exhaustion that went beyond the physical. "Enough, Mel! You argue like I'm cheating on you with Abby. Can't you understand that I love only you?"
Mel shook her head, her eyes burning with rage. "Well I don't feel that way, Owen. Every day you get further away, every day you look more like Abby's fucking lapdog."
Elliot had to press her lips together to hold back her laughter. Mel's theatrics were pure perfection, and every word stabbed a knife into Owen's weak facade. She knows exactly what she's doing.
"There we go again," Manny muttered, rolling his eyes as he went back to his things. "They've been like this all damn morning. It's tiring just listening to them."
"And you," Owen's voice suddenly rose, turning to Mel with an exasperated gesture, "you disappear for most of the night and now you get angry over stupid things. What the hell are you talking about?"
Elliot barely managed to stifle a laugh at that, bringing a hand to his face to hide his amusement. God, this is too good. It was satisfying to watch Mel play her role with almost artistic precision, while Owen fell apart more with each word.
Mel crossed her arms, her face hardening as she glared at him with contempt. "You know what else, Owen? Fuck off," she spat, her tone heavy with contempt before she turned sharply towards the door.
But just before she left, she stole a glance at Elliot, her eyes flashing with a mischievous spark that he instantly recognized. And then the wink.
That small gesture, subtle but loaded with meaning, made Elliot's smile widen as he watched her leave. The theater you put on, Mel... I'll never tire of this.
He never warmed to Owen, and after this, he doubted he ever would. While Manny was still busy, Elliot allowed himself a small, silent laugh, enjoying the chaos Mel had unleashed and the way she had brought him into her game without Owen having the slightest idea.
End of Chapter 7
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