Silence Can Seem So Loud

Leaving Darren was one of the hardest things Eleana had to do.

Packing up her clothing and leaving the one place where she felt happy, loved, and wanted was enough to make her never want to return.

But life was calling her back and demanding she pay attention.

As she steers her SUV the last hour of the interstate, Eleana adjusts the sunglasses nested on her nose and remembers what Darren promised her before she left.

“Eleana, please call me whenever you get home?” Darren asks as he shuts the tailgate to Eleana’s SUV, sending his sad, honey colored eyes to look at his best friend where she stands.

“As soon as I get into the house.” She offers him a sad smile before sitting behind the wheel but facing where Darren is now standing.

“I wish I could be there with you.” He reaches forward and brushes Eleana’s bangs from her bright blue eyes. “Do you think waiting another week would be the best idea? I’ll be there in case anything happens.”

“Darren, we talked about this already. If Mark saw you as I was breaking up with him, that would only make things worse. I need you to let me do this. I am trusting you and your judgement enough to do this in the first place. I need you to not make me second guess, okay?” She responds, butterflies starting to fly around in her gut as she thinks about the impending break-up.

“You are a grown woman and don’t need me to be there to hold your hand.” Darren smiles as he mimics Eleana’s voice from the conversation they had the night before. “It would just make me feel better.” He whispers, leaning forward to place a kiss to her slight sunburnt forehead.

Wrinkling her nose, Eleana just smiles and wraps her arms around Darren’s bare torso. “I’m going to miss you.”

He kisses her temple and rubs her back gently. “I’m going to miss you too. But remember, less than a week and I will be seeing you once again.”

She just nods against his collarbone and closes her eyes. The pair stand like that for as long as they can before Darren slowly pulls away from Eleana. She leans up and gently presses her lips to his before pulling back and blushing deeply. Darren just smiles widely and runs his fingers through her hair and places his lips to her forehead once more and steps back. Eleana swings her legs so they are resting under the steering wheel. Darren shuts the door just as Eleana turns the key and starts the car.

“Promise me something?” She asks, looking over to Darren.

“Anything.”

“Never, ever leave me.”

Darren steps forward and gently pulls Eleana’s head to his and places his lips upon her. His fingers thread into her hair as she kisses back, curling her fingers around his wrist. Slowly, he pulls away from Eleana a few minutes later and rests his forehead against hers.

“The only way I will ever leave you is if you tell me too.” He whispers. “So, I promise.”

Eleana just smiles and kisses Darren once more before he steps away. Without another word, Eleana puts the car in reverse and backs out of the drive way.

A small little promise like that is what’s giving Eleana the power to make the call to Mark asking him to meet with her for lunch the following afternoon. This gives Eleana enough time to figure out what she is going to say and for her to run through everything Mark could say or do in the public place of her choice.

All she hopes is that nothing goes terribly wrong as she walks into the mall after begging Mark to meet her a couple hours after she had gotten off the phone with Darren informing him she had made it home in one piece. What she failed to mention to her best friend was that she was planning to meet Mark as soon as possible to get the break-up over with.

Seeing Mark sitting in the center of the food court, a tray of Chinese food in front of him. He has his phone stuck to his ear and he is casually eyeing the young women who walk around and notice him.

“Hey, thank you for meeting me on such short notice.” Eleana says as she walks over to slide into the chair in front of her boyfriend.

“It was lunch hour so not that big of an issue.” He takes a bite out of his chicken before turning his eyes up to his girlfriend. “So, where did you disappear to?”

Eleana takes a quick sip of her water to clear her nerves before speaking. “I just needed some time to get away, that’s all.” She shrugs, not looking up to meet his eyes.

“That doesn’t answer the question, Eleana.”

“I went to L.A.”

“Were you with him?”

“I was.”

She can see Mark’s eyes harden as his whole body tenses and his hands ball into fists. “Why?”

“Why?” Eleana asks, sitting up straighter in her hair. “I’m tired of everything you have been putting me through for the past couple of years.”

“I only do it so you know not to piss me off. It’s also teaching you how to make me happy.” Mark says honestly.

“What happened to loving me for who I am?”

“I do love you for who you are. I am just trying to help build on that in order to make you a better person.”

“Bullshit.” Eleana glares as her body tenses up as well. “You are trying to make me into some kind of mindless bitch that will do whatever you want her too.” Her defensive walls are starting to build back up and it makes her a little more brave to finish what she came here to do.

“That isn’t true, Eleana and you know it.” Mark pauses for a minute. “I think that faggot best friend of yours is trying to turn us against one another.”

Eleana lets out a bitter, barking laugh before running her hands over her face. “You’re so full of shit, Mark. Darren is the only person who actually cares about me as a person. So, you can’t blame anyone but yourself for this.”

“For what?” Confusion washes over Mark’s face as his sets the plastic fork down on the tray.

“It’s over. We are through and I no longer what to see or hear from you.”

“You can’t do this. I told you what I would have to do if you ever thought of doing something like this. Eleana, don’t make me do that to you.”

“You won’t do anything to me.” Eleana leans back in the chair, her eyes hard and cold as they meet Mark’s ice colored ones.

“And who says?”

For the first time, she really notices how different the two men in her life make her feel.

Mark, cold and terrifying. The one with the ice colored eyes. He keeps trying to change and mold Eleana into the woman he wishes her to be. She would dread seeing his name pop up on the phone or when she would see his truck parked outside of her house. The very thought of having to sleep with him used to make Eleana’s stomach turn because to Mark, it was just sex. Everything meant so much more to Eleana and none of that meant anything to Mark.

Darren, warm and inviting. The one with the honey, hazel colored eyes. No matter the distance, he manages to warm her entire being. The sound of his voice brings a smile to her face. Her stomach does flips whenever she thinks of him. He loves her no matter what. Everything about their friendship gives her a thrill and makes her want to be around him for as long as he would allow. Darren knowns how much love, intimacy, and relationships mean to Eleana. And they mean the exact same to him.

I love Darren.

The thought enters Eleana’s mind and nearly knocks her out of her chair. As she brings herself back into the conversation she is having with Mark, the thought gives her nothing but strenght to finally finish the toxic relationship once and for all.

“I do.” Her voice and body language is full of confidence.

“Yeah, because you’ll be able to stop me.” Mark snorts as he starts to eat once more.

“No, but the cops will. And I have enough proof of all the things you have ever done to me. All dating back to when this first started. So, unless you want to lose your business and everything you hold near and dear to you, I suggest you just keep going with the little sluts you have waiting for you at your apartment. I want nothing more to do with you anymore.” Triumph flood through Eleana as she stands up, grabs her purse, and walks away from the table where she and Mark where sitting.

She doesn’t pull her phone from her pocket until she gets to her car, dialing the only number she has memorized.

“Darren, I did it.” She takes a deep, shaky breath. “I broke up with Mark.”

- - - - -

The feeling of being single is new to Eleana.

No longer having to worry about being presentable all the time incase Mark wanted to drop by. No more having to spend an hour and forty-five minutes to get ready for the dates she would be forced to go on. Being able to pour all of her focus into the final exams without Mark bothering her for anything.

Being single made Eleana very happy.

It is now two weeks since summer finals ended and Eleana stands in the front window, watching for Darren’s car. Finally she watches him turn onto the street and slowly make his way towards the house.

The minute he has stopped his car on the street outside the home, Eleana is out the front door and rushing to meet him. They end up colliding half way. Darren firmly wraps his arms around Eleana as her arms secures themselves around his waist. Holding her close, Darren can’t shake the smile that has been present since he entered Sacramento fifteen minutes ago.

“How are you?” He whispers, the corner of his lips rubbing against the shell of Eleana’s ear.

“He bought it.” She says into his chest before shifting and snuggling against his collarbone. “Everything about me having proof of his abuse. He bought it.” She physically relaxes into him as his hands start to rub up and down her back.

“I knew he would, baby girl.” He places his lips against her temple. “Has anything happen since then?”

“Nope. Not with Mark anyways.”

Slowly, Darren pulls himself away from Eleana, smiling down at her. The color has come back into her skin, if not a slight tan bringing out her bright blue eyes. A little weight has been added to her frame completing the curves that Darren has loved so much about his best friend. Her smile reaches her eyes as she looks up into his eyes. The shock of their eyes meeting passes through them and that causes the grip they had on one another to tighten some.

Leading them into the house, Darren allows Eleana to walk past where he stands with the screen door open for her. “How are things with your dad?” He follows Eleana into the house and shuts the front door behind him.

“Fine. Amanda has managed to get him out of the house to bingo once a week with her and her mother. So, that’s a nice thing for him. In fact, he has asked her mother out for dinner one night next week.” Eleana beams as she and Darren enter the kitchen.

“So, his outlook on life has changed?”

“Drastically.” Eleana stands on her tip toes to grab the clean coffee mugs from the top shelf. “Dad even gets up earlier and has a new routine of his medications.”

“Have you talked to him about you maybe moving to L.A.?”

Eleana nods as she mixes Darren’s coffee the exact way he likes before turning to hand it to him. “He’s all for it.” She turns to start making her own coffee. “We had the chat over dinner one night.”

“Eleana?” Her father’s voice asks suddenly.

Looking up from her salad bowl, Eleana raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“What all did you give up to keep an eye on me?”

This stumps Eleana because she didn’t feel as if she was giving anything up. And she is sure to tell him this. “I just felt like you needed me more here than anyone else did. I mean, Darren lives six and a half hours away and Mark can occupy himself whenever I’m not around.”

“But your social life, you gave most of it up, right?”

“Well, not a whole lot, but enough of it. But please don’t blame yourself. I’ve always been more of a loner and never had a real need for other people in my life.” She reaches over to take a hold of her father’s warm, calloused hand. “You’re my father and you will always come before anything else in my life.”

Tears come to shine in the old man’s eyes as his hand tightens around his daughters. “Thank you so much for never giving up on me.”

Eleana is up and out of her seat, taking the space besides her father and wrapping her arms around him. “I’d do anything for you.”

A soft chuckle comes from Oliver as he kisses the top of his daughter’s head. “You are so much like your mother. It was almost too much for me to handle, but now I see how different you two really are. I love you, Eleana and I always will. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Dad.” She smiles and kisses his smooth cheek. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” He leans forward to finish the steak Eleana has prepared for him that night.

“I’ve been going to visit Darren a lot he and I have been talking.”

“Move out there. I think it would be so good for you to be where you are happy. I know you’re happy here, but there is something about how you are when you talk about that boy that shows - wherever he is, you belong with him.”

“I love him, Dad.”

He smiles. “I know this because that was the way I knew I loved your mother.” He reaches forward to run his index finger along Eleana’s eyebrow. “The exact smile, exact gleam in my eye. You’ve been in love for the longest time. It just took your brain some time to catch up with your heart.” Eleana just nods in understanding. “I do have one suggestion.”

“And what would that be?”

“When you get to L.A., take some time for you. Explore the city - responsibly - and find yourself before you commit to anything else. Okay?”

Eleana nods once more. “Okay.”

“I’ve called the movers and they will be here next week to load up my boxes.”

“So, you’re really come to L.A., then?”

“Is that okay?” Eleana smiles from behind her coffee mug as she watches Darren’s eyes light up.

“Of course it is!” He takes their coffee mugs and sets them on the counter before embracing Eleana in the tightest hug he could muster without injuring her. “This is the best thing ever.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Eleana giggles as she holds onto Darren. “I even talked to school and I can start my last year at UCLA whenever the semester begins next month. And my job will transfer in a week after I get to L.A.”

“We’ll have to go look for a new bed and decor.”

“No we don’t. I can just use the guest room.”

“Eleana, the guest room will be turned into an office for us. You get to stay in my room and since it looks like someone just tossed things into the space, it needs to match and be pretty for you.”

“Darren, I don’t care what furniture the house has. I’m just glad that we’ll be within shouting distance of one another.” She kisses his cheek. “Nothing else but that matters.”