Murdered for love

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Natalia

Today is Saturday. And it's raining outside, it's raining a lot actually, it's almost a storm outside. So Elijah and I take this opportunity to make a cozy movie day. We're at Elijah's house today. I love being here, it feels special just because Elijah lives here, I can't really explain it.

We almost spend the whole day watching movies and eating junk, I love having a boyfriend I can do that with without being judged. We've been watching everything from scary movies to comedies and romance. I love scary movies, Elijah not so much. He's not scared he just doesn't see the point with them.

"Like why? Someone gets murdered or they have to murder themselves like in Saw", he said one time. "I mean what's the point? It's just sad in a none scary way, like who wants to find their daughter or friend murdered? I don't see the point in watching these movies", he was referring to One missed call. I can agree with Elijah in some ways but I still like scary movies.

I love this. Elijah and I being able to have a whole day to ourselves, just caring about each other, being able to focus on only each other. That doesn't happen very often, we usually have a stack load of homework, or Logan and Audrey are with us, it's rarely just Elijah and me. It's nice for a change.

The whole day I'm laying snuggled into Elijah's embrace, just enjoying his presence, his arms tightly wrapped around me, his occasional kisses on my forehead and temples. His lovely scent, his warm skin. My head onto his chest with my ear, hearing his steady heartbeat. Knowing how lucky I am to have him. To be able to call him mine.

I love Elijah. I can say that and mean it with all my heart. A lot of people say that without really knowing what it means, or that it's a very strong word and a very strong feeling. And with that feeling comes a lot of other feelings. Happiness, anger, tenderness, sadness, compassion, but most of all, worry. You always worry. Mostly you worry about nothing. If you call and they don't answer you get a lump in your throat. "Is he dead? Did something happen? He always answers, why doesn't he now?" You never stop worrying. But it's worth it. It's so worth it. To love someone and be loved by the one you love, nothing can top that feeling. Nothing. I am, so happy that Elijah and I have that, even though we are still young and teenagers, but I have a feeling that Elijah and I will be one of those high school sweethearts that will last forever and tell our grandchildren how love can conquer all.

"I love you", Elijah whispers in my ear.

"I love you", I tell him, and turn my head, putting my lips softly against his.

Suddenly Elijah starts moving, he pulls away from me and stands up. He takes my hand. His hand is big and warm, my hand is a perfect fit in his.

"Come on", he says and pulls me up.

"Where are we going?" I ask and become very curious.

"Wait and see, my love", he says tenderly and walks towards his bedroom door. He opens it and walks out into the hall. I wonder where he is taking me. I'm too curious for my own good.

We can hear talking from downstairs. Elijah's parents and very sick aunt and his brothers and cousins. His family. My family. That's truly how I feel about it. But Elijah leads me in the hall corridor, and to the door in the back of the corridor. The last door. It leads to their attic.

I now know where we are going. I wonder why he's taking me there now though, for what reason. He opens the door and leads me in. I close the door behind us and it's dark immediately. No lights. Elijah leads me up the dusty and unsteady staircase carefully. We know to be careful since we were the ones who broke the staircase in the first place. When we were ten. Long painful story. Elijah ended up with a broken arm and me with a broken leg. Yeah, it wasn't pretty and our parents weren't happy at all. We can laugh about it now but back then it was just painful.

We come up to the attic and Elijah puts on a small lamp that pours out a warm and cozy yellow light. I shudder. It's been a long time since I was here. Since we were here together. Long before we were even a couple. I think we were eleven when we were here last. Why has it been so long? Maybe because of the accident, but I don't know.

"Oh my god", I whisper and run to one of the corners.

This is an attic. So there is a lot of junk here, a lot, for me that's what attics are for. When we were kids, we used some of the junk to build a clubhouse. Silly, I know. But that is now what brings a smile onto my lips. I look into the tent we built and see that the mattress is still there, and so are our toys and everything we out in there. On the wall, there are photos hanged. I smile. Elijah and I. One in particular catches my attention. We're at the park. Standing beside each other. Elijah with a broken arm me with a broken leg. We're smiling into the camera.

I turn around and look at Elijah. He smiles at me, giving me one of his sweet smiles ever.

"Everything's still here", I say.

"Yeah mom and dad didn't want to take it away", Elijah says. He holds up a photo. Elijah and I kissing. "I think it's about time we add to the time-line of our lives together".

I take the photo, smiling big. "I think you're right".

I put it up on the wall and back away to stand beside Elijah. He wraps his arms around me and kisses my cheek. We look at the time-line, at all the years we have spent together.

"We've had a pretty good life together", I say. "I honestly don't know who I would've been today without you in my life, you are a big part of who I am".

"Yeah the roller-coaster of our lives would be entirely different without each other", Elijah agrees. "Even if we hadn't gotten together, I think we would still be in each other's lives".

He's right. It's really been a roller-coaster. Ups and downs. But we've gotten through it together. Now we're seventeen years old and we are a couple. From being toddlers in kindergarten attacking the poor teacher with fingerpaint after telling us we have to sleep, to wild children who fought for what they believed in and against injustice in the world, which back then were that we did not get candy whenever we wanted. To be what we are today. We were very defiant as children, I don't know how our parents could stand either one of us. Today we're the calmest people I know. Yeah, it's been a journey alright.

Elijah leaves me and walks around in the attic. I turn around and see that he's opening the hatch on the roof.

We always used to go up on the roof, sitting, talking, laughing, watching the sunset. Elijah loves the sunset. Even as a child he always dropped everything to go and watch the sunset. He's always said that it's something he has to do, he can't explain why only that it feels very important to him. His mother said that Elijah was born during the sunset, so maybe that's why, but it hardly seems likely.

"Come on", he says and puts a little staircase kind of thing under the hatch so we can climb up.

I smile and walk up to him. He lets me climb first and he comes closely after. I sigh in awe and I climb through the hatch. It's so beautiful. The sunset is so beautiful. I sit down on the roof and Elijah sits beside me. He takes my hand. We sit quietly. Watching the sunset. It's wet on the roof after all the rain, my shorts and Elijah's soft pants become wet but we don't care. It's clear in the sky now, and the sunset is shining bright in orange. Sunset orange, Elijah's favorite color. It makes Elijah's ashy hair shine like an aura. It makes his skin glow and he's never looked more beautiful. He looks at me and I see that his eyes are even bluer than normal and oh my god it takes my breath away.

I squeeze his hand harder and smile back at him. It's still unbelievable for me that I can call him mine and be sure of that. I don't know who to thank for Elijah.

"I suddenly feel the urge to go down there and thank your parents", I say thoughtfully.

"Thank them for what?" Elijah asks puzzled.

"For having you and in that way giving you to me", I say and feel grateful.

Elijah smiles and kisses me. He takes something out of his pocket. A ring.

"I made this ring", he says to my surprise. He did what? And it's not some cheesy macaroni ring, it's a ring, a beautiful ring. It's not a normal-looking ring, it looks like it's made out of steel thread or something but it is beautiful. And I'm not just saying that.

"It's beautiful", I say.

"I could've given you a real ring, but I didn't want to, I wanted to give you something I made myself, make it more personal", Peeta says.

He's right. It is more personal. Anyone can buy a ring but only a few would even take the time and make the effort of actually making something on their own.

"What's it for?" I ask.

"You and me committing", he answers. "If you want to. This is a promise ring and an engagement ring at the same time, a promise that I'll marry you when the time is right, because I love you and there's no one I've connected with as much as with you, and no one understands me better than you even when we were kids you knew me like a book, you're the one person who never fails to make me happy even when I'm angry or sad, you're the light in my life and I wouldn't be a lot without you, and that's why I want to marry you and make this promise to you because I love you, Natalia Colton".

I don't even have words to express what I feel right now. I nod my head, not being able to find my tongue. Tears streaming down my face. Of course, I want to marry Elijah. Not in high school but in a few years. Of course, I do. How could I not want to? he even made me a ring to make it all more personal.

"Of course I want to", I whisper in a tear-drained voice. "I love you so much".

Elijah smiles and kisses me. The sunset is now gone and the moon light up the night along with the stars. It's beautiful, but it's starting to become chilly in the air. If I wouldn't have been in Elijah's arms right now I would've been cold. I keep looking at the sky. It will be winter soon. But either way, summer, spring, fall, or winter, the night sky looks the same, with the moon and the stars. Always just as beautiful.

I'll never forget what I'm feeling right now at this moment right now. Never. It will always be with me, even if Elijah and I would break up in the future and go our separate ways. He will always be my first love and I will always be his. But I can't even think that thought right now, I don't want Elijah and me to go our separate ways.