Chapter 53 A HEART NO ONE PROTECTS
~ Elara ~
As soon as the motorcycle pulled up to the estate i jumped off, immediately walking towards the back door to get back inside the house. I didn't want to be near the presence of Calvin any longer than I had to.
My escape is cut short when his hand grabs onto the hood of the jacket he'd given me and drags me backwards.
I stumble in my step as I get dragged towards him, turning towards Calvin with a slight glare after he turns my body around to face him.
"I just saved your life and you're running off with my helmet and no thank you?" He says, and I nearly pass out when I realize the helmet was still on my head.
My hands instantly move to take off the helmet and I push it into Calvin arms, not paying attention to my hair that probably looked like a mess. He looks down at me with his eyebrows furrowed at my actions and he's about to say something but 1 cut him off.
"T..thank you." I blurt out, biting my lip nervously as I shuffle my feet. Why was he looking at me like that?
The sound of a car blasting with loud music suddenly pulls into the driveway and my head turns towards the noise, only to notice Wayne laughing as he got out of a car filled with other football players.
My eyes are glued to him as he says bye to his friends, as his hands run through his thick blonde hair and as his blue eyes shine even in the dark. I couldn't help but feel my cheeks tint red when the memory of him sharing his AirPods with me flood my head, how he'd been so close to me.
So close I could smell his cologne, and see his long lashes that swept over his blue eyes.
" Elara? Is that you?!" His voice suddenly yells from behind where Calvin was standing and I widen my eyes, looking up at Calvin who had already been looking down at me, something flashing in his eyes that I couldn't decipher.
" Who's there with you?" Wayne says as he starts to walk closer and I'm about to just run away from the situation until Calvin pushes past my shoulder and walks back towards his motorcycle.
I watch as he puts his helmet on before quickly turning my head back to Wayne whose eyes followed where I had been looking. "
What did he do to you?!" Wayne suddenly booms, a tone I'd never heard him speak in before as he looks at my messed up body.
"N...no it...it's not like that." I mumble, covering my arms over my chest as the cold wind blows against me.
" How did this happen then?" He asks, inspecting my bruised up wrists with a frown on his face.
"I...I just got into an accident that's all, Calvin had nothing to do with it." I sigh, noticing his jaw clenching as he looks up at me.
"Are you sure you'll be fine?" He says, his tone softer now as he trails his eyes over Wayne jacket I was wearing.
"I just need some rest, t. thank you though." I say, giving him a small smile which he returns but it doesn't reach his eyes.
It's silent for a moment as the wind grows chillier and runs through my hair. I could feel his eyes on me, and nearly hear the gears turning in his head as he stood there.
My body tenses when I'm suddenly pulled into a hug, a comforting one as Wayne held me there, like he knew something was wrong.
"You're going to be okay." He mumbles lowly as I relax into his arms, and I nearly break down at his words. No one's ever comforted me like this, no one's ever cared much.
But, for some reason, Wayne cared. Did I know why? No. Did I know why he took interest in being my friend at all? Not one bit.
But I couldn't deny enjoying his presence, enjoying his hug, his smile, the way his eyes sparkled every time he laughed.
I really was going insane.
Today was Saturday.
I had gotten no sleep since the club. I tried, but I only got terrible flashbacks of the old man touching me. I kept screaming to myself, angry that I couldn't be strong enough, that I couldn't just stop him.
Maybe I was the problem.
My shift started at 6am today, since it was the weekend after all. Mrs. Carmen surprised me with strawberry jelly on toast today. It wasn't much to most people, but I hadn't had it for years, and it's my favorite food combination. I never had the money to afford extra stuff like jelly, or any other sweets of that sort.
When I'd told Mrs. Carmen about my love for strawberry jelly, at the breakfast all the maids would eat before work, she came out of the pantry with an entire jar.
I don't think my eyes lit up that much in 10 years than they did when I saw the jelly.
Now here I was, cleaning the floors in the middle of the day as I couldn't help the small smile on my face from Mrs. Carmen who told me she'd write my name on the jar and leave it in a place only her and I could find.
I had my own jar of jelly.
I couldn't help but wander around the estate as I cleaned, looking at all the polished floors and walls filled with expensive paintings. All the door handles were gold, and had the letter A carved into each handle. I assumed it was referring to Calvin .
I sigh as I peek through a window, looking outside at the bright sun and green grass spread across the large land. Today was a beautiful day, yet I had to spend it inside cleaning.
I knew there wasn't any point working anymore, I wouldn't have enough money by the time Andrew demanded I give him the debt. I was as good as dead.
If only I was a little stronger and pushed through the shift at the club last night, then I wouldn't be over here thinking of ways Andrew could kill me.
My only hope was he'd give me more time after I gave him whatever money I had available, but I doubted it.
He probably already had a gun loaded to shoot me.
I should be terrified at those words, which I was, kind of. Yet, even through all I fought for, all the hope I kept telling myself I had, maybe dying wasn't all too bad.
All my problems would be gone.
But I still couldn't help dreaming about the future, the small hope left in me that it'll get better.
I force myself out of my daze as I drag myself away from the window to finish dusting all the picture frames and decorations around the house.
" Elara sweetheart!" A voice yells out softly and I turn my head at the sound, turning to another maid who worked here. Her name was Claire, she was older in age and had gotten hired here a couple months ago.
" Yes Claire?" I say, smiling up at her taller frame.
"Could you go help serve drinks down at the pool? My old body isn't fit for all of that movement these days." She chuckles and I bite my lip as I contemplate.
wayne was throwing a pool party, and as much as I'd like to see him, he'd invited most people from our school. And I didn't exactly want to see them. I especially didn't want them to know I worked here, It'd only give them more of a reason to hate me.
But how could I turn down Claire?
"Of course, you go rest Claire you don't want to overwork yourself." I sigh, leading her old body over to a chair to sit in.
I really did feel bad for her, she told me all her money only went to her grandchildren who just lost their father. Claire said she didn't need much anyways, that she was already grateful to live at the same place she worked at.
"Oh you really are a sweet young lady, you should be having fun on the weekend not working." She sighs out as she leans back into the chair. I lean down to her height as I look over Claire's aging face.
I smile at Claire, slightly shaking my head no. " Well, someone has to keep this house in order." I joke, feeling my heart warm at the smile grazing over her face.
I always liked when Claire smiled, she had such sad eyes, it broke my heart.
"And you do great at your job." Claire chuckles, pushing a strand of my hair behind my ear as I giggle at the gesture.
" I should go hand out the drinks, you rest now Claire until I'm done!" I say over my shoulder as I get up from my spot and walk towards the kitchen.
The cart on wheels had already been prepped with multiple different types of drinks, some alcoholic and others just lemonade.
My eyes were so focused the entire time on not dropping anything that I hadn't realized I was outside already, walking towards loud music and a large crowd of people I recognized from school.
My head drops as low as it can as I walk past the gorgeous girls dressed in expensive looking bikinis. They hadn't been paying attention to me as I held a tray in my hand and walked through the crowds, stopping every once in a while for someone to grab a drink.
The pool was empty, other than a couple of guys messing around with the floaties.
What kind of pool party was this? I've never been to one but usually people are supposed to be swimming at these things.
It seemed more like a social and popularity competition than anything.
Which I didn't mind, since everyone was so focused on trying to fit in that I had practically been invisible to their eyes.
Well, sort of.
Luckily I hadn't seen Wayne , but the strawberry blonde haired girl I'd seen yesterday get into Calvin’s car had been shooting daggers into my head in every direction I turned.
I pause in my steps when she gestures her hand for me to come over to the large group she had been conversing in.
I purse my lips before slowly walking over to the large group.
"I always knew you were one of the pity students.
You were a servant to the Conner’s all along." She snorts as she looks me up and down.
Her words cause the rest of the group to look over at me and I feel the blood rush through my body as my nerves spike.
Wayne was there
I could feel his eyes on me but I refused to look anywhere near that direction.
"Is your entire family serving them? Gosh you poor soul your parents are just as pathetic as you." She giggles with her friends and my breaths become ragged as I tighten my grip on the tray in my hand.
My eyes move up to her as I try holding in my tears. She had the nerves to speak about my parents.
"D…. did you want drinks?" I say quietly.
She looks at me like I'm nothing, like I'm a joke.
She sighs loudly before walking up to me, reaching her hand out for a drink before
"accidentally" tripping over her foot.
The tray gets pushed into me as all the glass cups fall around me on the ground and the drinks drown my clothes and hair.
I look up at everyone, my lips parted and my eyes starting to water as I feel the burning ground from the hot sun on my skin.
They watched me like I was a zoo animal.
I slowly stand back up with my hands now empty as everyone looks at my soaked self.
" Oh my gosh! I tripped I really didn't mean it Elara!" The girl gasps, covering the smile on her face by putting her hand over her mouth.
I could hear giggles and laughs from every direction. I look up at Wayne to see him looking at me with his eyebrows furrowed. I look away, moving down to grab the tray and clean up the large pieces of glass.
"It's okay." I mumble, ignoring the blood on my hands as I finish cleaning the mess in front of me.
My bloody hands shakily grab both sides of the tray as I get up, noticing her annoyed face as she watches me.
She was annoyed because I didn't show any reactions to whatever immature game she was trying to play with me. I didn't even know her name yet she still put in effort to break me, but none of them know I've already gotten past that point.
There's not much to break anymore.
I don't give any of them a glance as I walk past the crowd and back inside the estate with the bloody tray held in my hands.