Aloura West | ✓

Chapter Twenty-One

Elias' head was pounding, and his neck felt cramped. He stirred in his sleep in annoyance at the light, he lifted his arms to pull his pillow onto his face, a shield from the blinding bulb. But he met the cold concrete. He paused for a split second, shutting his eyes tightly before prying one open and looking around.

His eyes shot open, and he pushed his body of the floor, his palms now flat onto the cold ground as he looked around the rooftop in confusion. He groaned as last night's events hit him, he was waiting for Aloura.

I was waiting for Aloura. He suddenly realised the weight of the situation, his hand shot to his phone, unlocking it and looking for any messages from the green-eyed brunette. "What the fuck?' he grumbled at the sight of no notifications. It was 10am, she had to be awake. He pressed her number and held his phone to his ear. "Pick up Aloura." He muttered to no one. "Pick up, please."

Elias pushed his body to stand as the phone rang, he paced around the rooftop, the phone pressed to his ear. A cold chill had settled down his spine, but he'd pushed it to be because of the cold metal held to his ear. That was soon proven wrong when Aloura's voice mail blared through the phone. Elias listened to her voice for a second before walking to the wall.

"Sorry I didn't pick up, I'm not available at the moment. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Just leave a message after the beep!"

Elias ended the call as the beep rang into his ear. He paused for a moment his hands griping his phone anxiously before kicking the wall Infront of him. "What the fuck Aloura." He kicked the wall again. "Where are you?"

His stepped back, and breathed in for a moment, his eyes shut in concentration. Do I leave and look for you? He asked no one in particular. No what if you show up and I'm not here. He answered himself.

He ran a hand through his hair as he unlocked his phone again, this time ringing Agnus. If anyone had seen her, it would have been her. Elias paced around again, adrenaline filling his body as he pictured unpleasant scenarios of Aloura hurt by the hands of Kaden- or worse yet, his boss.

No. no. I won last night.

Elias' train of thoughts were broken by agnus concerned voice. "Elias dear? Are you there?"

Elias cursed in his head and stumbled on his words. "Yeah, yeah sorry" he muttered; his free hand flew to the back of his neck. "Sorry to bother you. I was just wondering if you've heard from Aloura?"

Elias could almost hear the older woman frown, before answering, "No dear. I'm afraid not. Is everything alright?"

Elias swallowed the lump is his throat and turned his head to the sky. Shutting his eyes in exhaustion. "No everything's alright" he lied between his teeth, "we were meant to meet but she didn't show."

"Oh, I'm sorry dear. I'm sure she's just running late." Agnus attempted to console him, but her words did nothing to put out the fire blaring in his heart. When Elias didn't reply, agnus sighed. "I'll tell you what dear, I'll ring you as soon as she contacts me."

Elias smiled and nodded, before realising she couldn't see him. He swallowed and rushed out "Yeah. Yeah that would be great Agnus, thank you." He bid her farewell and ended the call, slipping his phone into his pocket. Elias sighed in defeat and took a seat into his previous resting place.

He pressed his head against the wall, and his hands down his face.

"Please be okay, I can't lose you before I have you."

♡ ♡ ♡

Aloura coughed into her locked fist, her shoulders shaking. She was tired, and in pain. Michael hadn't taken her questioning or snooping lightly. He'd inflicted the worst pain she'd felt upon her, and Aloura almost found herself wishing she'd stayed in her place.

He'd left her lying on the basement floor, bloodied and bruised. Not an inch of her wasn't aching. She had continuously tried to move to find her way into Elias' embrace at the rooftop, but her body was too heavy for her frail legs to carry. Or maybe it was her heart that felt too heavy. But either way, she lay there, where her father found her the next morning.

His heart clenched at his drunken actions; his hand tugged at his collar in guilt as he walked towards the passed out girl. Aloura's eyes flew open at the sound of his nearing footsteps, and when she'd saw his figure approaching her, she flinched up and coward away. Not mindful of her aching body.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry" he called out with his hands up, "I'm just trying to help."

Aloura shook her head violently, as she pushed her sore body into the corner of the room. "Don't touch me" she begged, her voice laced with desperation and fear. "Please. It's fine. Please. don't touch me. I'm fine."

"Okay okay" Michael rushed out, tears now spilling from the brims of his eyes. "I'm not going to touch you. I won't touch you." He stared at the shaking girl for a moment before falling to his knees as he holding his head in his hands; spilling into a sobbing mess. "I'm sorry."

Aloura watched him with a broken heart, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him. Because what about her? What about her Mama? Did he not feel bad for them? She turned to face away, her chin resting on her bare shoulder as she swallowed the lump in her throat. She shut her eyes, a useless attempt to block out the sounds of her so called father's sobs. "how" he started after a few moments of crying. "How can I make this up to you?"

Aloura's lips trembled as she watched her desperate father plea before her. Aloura didn't need to think, there was only one thing in the world she ever wanted. "Bring back mama." Or take me to her.

Michael's teeth chattered angrily; he pressed his chapped lips together before standing up. "You're so fucking selfish." He yelled, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet. "I lost her too." He shook her, and she let him. Her clothes ripped and bloodied, her mind hazy. She had no fight left in her. "And every time I see you I see her." he punched the wall beside her head. "Every damn time."

"What did they do to her?" Aloura's voice came out strained and desperate. Michael's eyes flickered between hers. "What did you let them do to her?"

"It was your fault damnit." He cried, dropping the bruising grip he held Aloura with. "I didn't know she was going tooffer herself."

Aloura's world stopped spinning. "Offer herself?"

Michael's eyes widened in realisation, he'd already said too much, and they have ears everywhere. In a quick motion, he grabbed Aloura's arm and dragged her up the staircase. Her screams of pain fell onto deaf ears as he dragged her to her room, grabbing a key from the basement hooks on the way up. "You already know too much." He snapped, pushing her into her empty room. "You think you've seen me angry? Step foot out this room and I'll show you how angry I can get." He slammed the door shut and locked it as she banged on the other side, begging and pleading to be let out.