To Set You Free

I couldn't believe my eyes. The girl that had been haunting my memories in the last forty-eight hours is now standing across the open bar. The moment my eyes met her watery blue eyes, a wide variation of emotions threatened to show itself on stage. I had to look away, but I couldn't. When Elena finally bowed her head and made a bash from my eye line, I was both thankful but also disappointed.

I couldn't have finished fast enough. All I could think about was going to find Elena. There was an energy pulling me towards her, the more I tried to ignore this feeling the strongest and more obsessive it seemed to get.

"Baby, I want to go home and have my way with you in so many different ways," Quinn said, covering my body with her own, once I got off the stage and entered the small room used as a dressing room.

"Not now. I want to go say hi to some old people. Why don't you go get a drink at the bar? My cousin Eric is up there. Go introduce yourself."

"I'm sure he already knows who I am," Quinn said cockily.

I gave a little smile, just to acknowledge that she spoke. I quickly make a beeline to the door that exits to the alley. There she was, her body is propped up against the brick building. She wasn't looking but I knew that she knew I was there.

"Hey stranger," is the only thing that I can say. Not some cool line that would make her smile, or even an insult that would make Elena cry.

"Hey yourself," Elena barely above a whisper but loud enough for me to hear the voice that speaks to me in my dreams.

"I uh, saw you run out," Another lame sentence. I write music for a living, why couldn't I think of any better words?

"Yeah when I came into work tonight I wasn't prepared to watch someone you love propose to their famous girl friend," all her words cut deep into me but one. Love.

"Love?" She still loved me, she just said that she still loved me.

"Loved. Past tense," Elena says quickly, but I knew it wasn't true. How could it be?

"Oh. Well it was nice seeing you, really nice. I should get back inside. Um, I'll be in town for awhile so we should catch up," I didn't want to leave, but I knew that the only I stayed out here the worse shit I would be in with Quinn.

"Yeah, your fiancée is probably looking for you," Her words cut me again. There is nothing more in the world that I wouldn't do to take away the pain that I caused her, but I couldn't. I give a weak smile before opening up the door that I had come through.

*

I laid in my old bed, the exact bed I had all throughout childhood. I listened to Quinn sleeping heavily on the other side of the bed. She doesn't like to cuddle, or even touch after sex, it's something I miss.

It's weird sharing this bed with anyone other than Elena. This is the first time I've had sex with anyone other Elena in this bed. Quinn laughed when I told her. She laughed even harder when I told her she was the second girl that I ever introduced to my mom.

My mind wandered back to Elena. She had gotten even more beautiful, something that I thought was impossible for her. She looked healthy, she had gained weight. I wondered momentarily how she did it. Her hair was shiny and her skin glowed.

I decided that tomorrow, or later today, after Quinn left I would go see her.

*

"I'm going to miss you baby," Quinn kissed me quickly before getting into the back of the black, shiny town car. I shut the door behind her and waved as the car drove down the driveway.

My mom was in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"I have the girls coming over tonight, is that okay?" She asked once I took a seat on the bar stool.

"Yeah that's fine. I'm going to go catch up with some old friends."

My mom paused for a beat, "Oh, who?"

"Probably Eric. I haven't spoken to him in years," if I told my mom I was going to go see Elena she would probably tell Quinn, and I didn't want that.

"That seems like fun," She turned to smile at me before I went upstairs to change.

*

"I'm not telling you where she lives," Eric says while wiping down the top of the bar.

"Why the hell not?"

"You got engaged last night, and today you are trying to hunt down your ex girl friend. That doesn't look too good."

"I just want to catch up with her. See how she is doing. She seemed really good."

"She is, because you aren't in her life. It's going to stay that way."

"Fine, I'll just go ask her mom. She loved me," I don't let him reply. I get up and head to the exit.

"No don't-" the shutting of the door cuts him off.

Elena's old house looks different. It looks brighter, more inviting. I think it's been repainted. Maybe her mom got help too.

I ring the doorbell and a teenage girl answer.

"Oh my god!" She yells, excited that I just rang her doorbell.

I took a step back to look at the numbers on the front of the house. Yes, I was at the right place. "This is the Fraser residence right?"

An older lady, the teenagers mother, came into the doorway. "Would you like to come inside?" She face looks sad.

I nod to be polite. The inside is nothing how I remember. It's been painted and the rooms are newly furnished.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" The lady asked as I followed her into the kitchen.

"No thank you."

"Okay. Jessie, can you go get the box?" She says to her daughter. I watch her disappear then return with a big cardboard.

"This is for you," the lady gestures towards the box that was recently placed on the table.

"What's in it?" I asked while starting to lift the flap.

"Some old things that I didn't have the heart to throw out. I knew someone would be by to pick them up. I just didn't think it would take this long."

"What do you mean? I was completely confused.

"Oh honey, you don't know?" I shook my head. "Tonya Fraser, the lady that owned the house before us, died."

All of the blood drained out of my face, "Died?"

"About six months ago. Were you close with the family?"

"Yeah, extremely close. I came to see her while I was in town. Wow. Do you know where Elena Fraser might be?"

"No clue, or I could have given the box to her."

"I should go then."

I made my way back to the bar. Eric had to tell me where she was.

"I'm not telling you where she lives, but I'll give you her number okay? You can tell her that you have a box of her stuff and that you'll leave it here for it. Got it?"

I nodded my head. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I programed the number in my phone then pushed the green button.

"Hello?" Elena answered on the first ring.

"It's me, Tommy."

"Oh, hi."

"I went to your moms house, looking for you. Why didn't you call me?"

"Is that why you called?"

"No, I have a box that they gave me. It's for you. I want to meet you somewhere."

Elena was quiet for a moment. "Okay. I'll meet you at Henry's in thirty minutes?"

"Yeah, see you."

"Bye."

I turned back at Eric who had his arms crossed across his broad chest.

"I know, I know. But when did I ever listen to you?" I smirked as I got up to leave the bar for the second time today.

I have never been equally this excited and nervous to see someone, but Elena does that to me. She ignites every nerve in my body. I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I want to say good but I know that nothing good can come out of this.