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Elliott

I don’t know where I thought Marcus would take me but I didn’t expect him to have his backpack filled with a full on picnic.

Blanket, food, drinks and all. We didn’t have to walk long to find the spot.

A clearing came into view, taking my breath away and there were mountains on the horizon topped with white powder, like they were dusted with powdered sugar.

When I turned to Marcus to show my complete awe, he was already unpacking the backpack.

If my jaw wasn’t already on the floor, it would have been right then and there.

I’m watching as he lays everything out to his liking.

I can’t sit as I wait for him to finish, offering me his hand once he finally approves.

I take a spot across from him, “You didn’t have to do all of this, you know?” I say with a slight warmth in my cheeks. Looking at him and what he planned for me to make me feel at ease does something to me .

“I know, I wanted to.” He says calmly as he grabs my legs and pulls me in closer, setting them over his lap.

He leans in to make a plate of meat, cheese, crackers, and berries before placing it on my lap.

He doesn’t make his own plate like I expect him to.

Instead, he takes a berry off my plate and lifts it to my lips.

I open my mouth enough to take the sweet fruit from him, making sure I let my tongue sweep his fingertips as I do.

I hear his breath hitch at the feel of my tongue on his skin and I grin to myself, not looking at him even though I want to see the look on his face.

These past few weeks have been…different for us.

He’s been attentive and affectionate. Still an ass at times but that’s just Marcus.

His eyes look softer now than they did before.

I can’t help but hope that it’s his version of showing that he cares.

That he likes me even just a fraction. I would take every small piece of affection from him, any crumb he’d offer me so that I could keep him in my life.

“Is this helping you stay distracted?” He asks softly before feeding himself a piece of salami.

“It’s easing it a little bit, yeah. Who knew Marcus Flores could be so cute?”

He chuckles in a way that has the smile reaching his eyes. My stomach somersaults as I take him in and the way his face lights up, his eyes looking at me with more happiness than ever before .

“Here I am wooing you and you still have a look of worry on your face. What’s on your mind? Is it Kameron? ‘Cause he will get in touch. He always does.”

I shift in my spot, “I mean, yes I can’t stop from worrying, but that's not all my mind is swirling with.”

“Oh.”

“Marcus–” I take a deep breath and sit up straighter, needing to brace myself for the way I'm about to be completely honest with him. “I care for you more than I thought, even after all the bullshit remarks and the way you hated me. I couldn’t help but be drawn to you, to care for you.” He stares at me more intensely but doesn't say anything and I’m glad for it because there’s more I want to say, “I don’t know how you feel…

but from what we’ve been doing, how we’ve been talking to each other, it feels different.

Like you might just care for me a little bit now.

And fuck me if that doesn’t make my heart skip a beat.

I know this is hard for you, opening up, and I would never want to push you or rush you into any decision.

I am happy to take whatever you’ll give me. I just–”

“ A little bit? ” He interjects before I can continue my next thought.

“Yeah. I don’t know wh–”

“Elliott, You have to know I care for you more than a little bit .”

“No, I don’t really.” My chest pings with more frustration than I should feel right now, “I can assume all day long and make shit up in my head by the way you act towards me now, but..” My shoulders sag, “I don’t really know how you feel, what you want from me other than what we have been lately.

You’ve never told me in words what this is.

I know what I am with Kameron and Hunter.

With us… ” I gesture between us, trying to find the right words, but I can’t, “Ahem, I will take whatever you will give me because I–”

His eyes soften in a way I’ve never seen before and the dark umber hues seem brighter. His gaze flickers between my eyes and my mouth, his lips part as if he wants to say something. “Elliott?”

“Yes?”

“I want to give you all the right words but I don’t know how.

I’m not someone who does this often, Hunter and Kameron are family.

It came so organically to be together, years of falling in love with each other.

But with you it's been a whirlwind of emotions, so rapid I feel like my head is spinning.”

“Close your eyes.”

He pulls back a little, “What?” His brows knit as if I asked him to do something completely absurd.

“Marcus, just close your eyes.” He squints his eyes at me but does what I asked of him, “Now try to find the words.”

“I–” His hands reach for me, so I scoot closer.

His hands land on my thighs letting them glide up to my hips, “You have made me feel things I didn’t know I could feel anymore, and that…

” he grips my hips, his fingers deliciously digging into the fabric of my jeans.

He lifts me so that I’m on his lap straddling him.

I yelp in surprise at the change of direction this is taking.

“Keep going.” I encourage him.

One of his hands blindly reaches up to cup the side of my neck and he pulls me forward so that my forehead is leaning on his, “It scares the living shit out of me.”

“I know.” I breathe out the words as I look at him, his eyes still closed. His emotions raw on his face and the way his eyes scrunch up in the corners and the wobble in his bottom lip. “I’m scared too, you know.”

His eyes pop open at my words, “You’re scared?”

“I’m terrified.”

“Why are you scared?”

“I don’t want to lose any of you. I don’t want any of you to hurt because of me . I care about you guys. I can’t imagine a world where I didn't have you all in my life.”

“El, are you catching feelings for the three assholes that forced themselves into your life?”

“I’m falling for the only three men that have ever given a damn about me fully.”

“Oh princess, we’re falling for you just as much as you are falling for us…maybe even more.”

“Is that so?” I taunt him with a playful tone, but my heart aches at what he might be insinuating .

His face drops and his cups my face in his hands, “Princess, I know so.” He takes a deep breath, his eyes burning into me with seriousness. “Elliott–”

A loud bang sounds off, my ears ringing at a high pitch. Then everything seems to go extremely silent as Marcus’s body jolts into my chest.

“Marcus!” I scream at him, pushing him up so I can see his face, but his body slumps back onto the grass behind him.

“ Marcus! ” I shake him, but I get no response.

I glide my hands over his body trying to figure out what the fuck is going on, when my hands land on a wet spot on his chest. I lift my trembling hands to see bright red on my fingers.

No. No. No. What the fuck just happened?

“I didn’t mean to ruin the moment there, but I’m kind of in a hurry.”

The voice cuts through me, making my veins run cold. I lift my head to find Joshua standing there with a gun in his hands, looking annoyed. He huffs out an exasperated breath walking towards me.

I should run.

I should be getting to my feet and sprinting as far away from him as possible, but I can’t seem to move.

I’m frozen.

I can’t leave Marcus’s side. I need to get help.

“Marcus! Marcus wake up, please! ” My words are strained with the tightness in my throat, tears blurring my vision as I pat him on his cheek and shake his shoulder frantically. Joshua stops next to us, “What did you do?!” I scream as I look up at him.

He offers me his hand, “Let’s go, Eden.” Not bothering to respond to my question.

Ignoring him, I slump onto Marcus’s body, fisting his jacket into my hands as I let out a gut wrenching sob, “Marcus, please! ” I cry into his already blood-soaked shirt, “Wake up! I need you to be okay!”

“Alright, you're done Eden. Let’s go.” He grabs my arm yanking me off Marcus.

“Don’t call me that! Let me go!” I swing my fist at him, hitting him right in the jaw. Pain radiates from my knuckles down to my elbow, but it takes Joshua by surprise long enough for me to get his hold off of me and my ass meets the ground with great force.

Fucking hell, that hurts! My ass and my hand. Punching someone for real was way different then sparring in the gym with Marcus.

I shake off the pain and get to my feet just as Joshua begins advancing on me. I get ready to use every skill Marcus taught me in our short amount of time, when I hear a cough at my side.

I look down to see Marcus trying to roll over, “Marcus!” I yell as I reach for him, but Joshua grabs a fist of my hair.

Forcing me to look at him as he speaks, “Samuel is going to be pissed when he sees this shit.” He pulls a piece of my long hair between his other fingertips. “Stop making everything so difficult and come with me, you ungrateful little bitch.”

Glaring into his eyes I spit right in his face, “Fuck you.” I bellow.

His arm raises and I close my eyes ready for impact, but I drop to the floor instead. Another wave of pain shoots through my spine, this time even more intense.

If I land on my ass one more time, I swear my tailbone is going to break.

“Don’t fucking touch my girl!” Marcus groans next to us on the ground. I whip my head to him to see his eyes are barely open, but his hand is gripping Joshua’s ankle with a vice.

My hair is still wrapped in his hold as Joshua takes his free leg, bringing it down on his chest repeatedly.

My heart aches as I watch Marcus’s face contort with pain, grinding his teeth together, but Marcus doesn’t give up his hold.

Joshua lets go of my hair before reaching over my head.

My confusion quickly dissipates as I watch him aim the gun at Marcus again.

“No!” I scream, jumping on top of Marcus now to block him from Joshua’s view, “I’ll go! Okay!?”

Joshua grins at me, “All that fuss and I just needed to point my gun at this guy again for you to fucking listen?”

“You are not going with him, Elliott.” Marcus roars.

“Her name is Eden.” Joshua says blankly.

“Like fuck it is!” Marcus hisses over my shoulder.

“I can’t lose you, Marcus.” My voice cracks as I keep my stare on Joshua and his gun.

“I won’t let you die because of me.” I twist to face him and see just how much blood he’s already lost before I face Joshua again.

“You have to let him live. Let him contact someone to come help him after you take me back to Everton.”

“And why would I do that?” Joshua laughs.

“Because it’s the only way I’ll go with you.”

He rolls his eyes at me, “Fine. Now get up.”

I listen to his words and rise to my feet, taking a step toward him. Joshua yanks me into his hold, turning me to face Marcus again

“You can’t leave, Elliott. I won’t let you!” Marcus is on his feet faster than I can blink and charging for us but before I can protest I see the gun out of the corner of my eye just as Joshua pulls the trigger.

“Nooooooooo!” My throat feels as if it is tearing open as a devastating scream erupts from inside me.

The world tilts and my ears begin to roar as I try my best to get out of Joshua’s arm.

Marcus’s eyes flutter for a second before he drops to his knees.

I kick and scratch at Joshua, trying anything and everything to be able to get to Marcus’s side.

Marcus’s head drops to his chest, inspecting the new hole on his left. He raises his eyes and gives me one last look. His mouth parts, “El–” he coughs and his eyes go blank just before he slumps to the ground.

“Marcus!”

Hot streams of tears coat my cheeks as I still flail around, trying to escape Joshua .

“No! No!” I elbow him repeatedly, “I will kill you!” The burning of my throat worsens as I keep repeating the words, my eyes locked on Marcus’s still body.

“Looks like you aren’t going to fucking listen.

” He lets up his hold on me and I sprint towards Marcus.

Before I can reach him, pain shoots through my neck.

The world around me sways, the edges of my vision darken.

My limbs grow heavier with each step as I turn to face Joshua, who is now right behind me.

I reach for my neck, my fingers touching something sticking out of the side. I hiss at the dull pain as it erupts through me. I grip it with the little strength I have left, pulling it out to inspect it.

A syringe?

“Wh-what did you d-do?” I slur as I feel my body topple over, but he catches me in his arms.

“What I had to.” His words are faint as my eyelids sag, and the world around me goes dark.