Sequel: Focus on Family
Status: Finished!

Eat.

18;

The thunder wasn’t helping my sleepless night, I couldn’t help but to feel like he was near, like he was watching me. I stirred in bed and looked at the ceiling worriedly, jumping when the thunder shook the windowsill. I rubbed my tired eyes and sat up in bed, watching the light show in front of me.

“Can’t sleep?” He asked.

I looked at Brian and sighed sadly, who climbed under my sheets, “How can I sleep? He’s out there doing God knows what to other girls who are at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“He’s all over the news. I don’t think any girl would get five feet near him. Now sleep, it’s late.”

“Why are you up here?”

“Because I knew you’d be away. Now sleep.”

“Will you be here?”

“Yeah. Unless you don’t want me to be.”

“No, I want you here. Will you be here the whole night?”

“God, you’re so clingy.” He laughed, pulling me in his arms and kissing me gently, “Go to sleep, Ellie. Seriously.”

“I don’t want to, I’ll have nightmares.”

“If you keep saying you’ll have a nightmare then you actually will.” He mumbled, yawning on my shoulder.

“You can sleep, just because I won’t sleep doesn’t mean that you don’t have to.”

“You might do something stupid while I sleep.”

“Like what?”

“Draw on my face.”

“I didn’t think about that.”

“Sleep Elizabeth.” He said firmly.

“Are you ordering me?”

“Yes. God, you’re the worst at sleepovers.”

“Only when there are thunderstorm. I don’t like them.”

“Just...sleep...” He yawned again, “It’s four in the morning...”

“More of the reason not to sleep. It’s almost time for the sun to come up and- Brian?”

Instead of saying anything, he slept on my chest, snoring gently and his arm draped over my waist. I smiled and ran my fingers through his hair as he slept.

But even that couldn’t calm me down.

I stared at the window until the rain ended, watching the sky go from a dark grey to a navy blue and eventually to a bright yellow. I hadn’t slept and when Brian began to stir in my arms, he awoke and sat up, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

“Didn’t you sleep?” He asked with a frown.

I smile sheepishly and his frown only deepened, “You need to sleep.”

“I told you-”

“Ellie, staying up all night isn’t healthy.”

“It’s only unhealthy if you do it every night.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked at me in disbelief.

“If I went to sleep now, would it make you feel better?”

“Yes, it really would. But knowing you, I know you won’t go to sleep.”

“It’s not like I’m acting like a stubborn kid or anything.”

“Right.” He sighed as he got out of bed, “You need to get up. You’ve a doctors appointment today.”

I frowned and cuddled the pillow, “You know what. I’m tired, I’m going to sleep.”

“Nope. You had your chance.”

“I’ll go tomorrow.”

“That’s not an option. Your appointment is today.”

“I’ll get up after you’re done using the bathroom.”

“This house has two bathrooms.”

“Yeah but the bathroom that has all of your stuff has all of my stuff in it.”

“Alright, I’m going to take a shower and when I come back you’re going to take one.”

“Yeah sure.” I hummed, closing my eyes and drifting to sleep.

But it only felt like five seconds later when I felt someone flicking my ear.

“Time to get up.”

“No.”

“We discussed this.”

“Well we’re undiscussing it.”

I heard him sigh and then felt a weight on my back.

I grunted and I felt him chuckle, “Are you getting up?”

“I would if there wasn't a big lump on me.”

“When I get up will you get out of bed and do everything you're told to do?”

“Oh my God, anything for you to get off of me!”

He laughed again and got off my back, allowing me to breathe again. He grabbed my arm and pulled me up from bed, grinning at me.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked.

“Because you look like you want to eat me.”

I looked him up and down, his hair was damp and tousled, wet enough so that little droplets dripped down his chest. I looked up at him again and smiled, “Five minutes?”

“I thought you'd never ask.”

I giggled as he picked me up and sat down on my bed, kissing me gently. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I cut the kiss short, pulling away and placing soft kisses along his jawline and stopping below his ear, spending just a second more on this kiss.

He groaned and his hands tightened around my waist, “You're driving me insane, Elizabeth.”

“Good.” I smiled, placing another kiss on his lips before climbing off his lap.

“Wait,” Brian pulled my hand and took my chin in his hand, pulling my face down and kissing me once more, “Okay. Now you can go.”

x-x


After I had finished showering and brushing my teeth, I began to look for Joe so he could take me to my appointment, except, he wasn't anywhere to be found.

“Joe?” I called out, “Joe where are you? I'm ready to go!”

Still no answer. I walked down the stairs and checked the kitchen and living room. Nothing.

“Dad?” I continued yelling out.

“Why are you yelling?” Brian asked, pulling on his shirt.

“I'm looking for Joe, but I can't find him.”

“But today is his day off and he would've called if something came up at work...”

“He's a grown man, Ellie. He'll probably be home when we get back.”

I bit my lip and looked at the floor, “What if...what if Mario-?”

“Don't think like that. Here, I'll take you to your appointment and he'll probably be back by then like I said before. Anyway, let's go, you'll be late.”

x-x


After the appointment with the doctor, Brian and I drove home, parking in front of the house and seeing that Joe’s car was parked in the driveway.

“See?” Brian said, “I told you he would be back.”

“Yeah yeah.” I replied, sticking my tongue out.

But when we entered the house, Joe was still no where to be found. My breathing hitched as I tried to find him in every crevice of the house, but he just wasn't home.

“He isn’t here, Brian.” I say with a panicked tone.

“I’ll tell you what, I’ll go see if he’s at the shop. You call the police but if you hear anything weird you just call me alright?”

I nodded and allowed him to kiss me before he left, “Remember, anything.”

“Alright. I will.”

Brian left on that note and I called the police but the lines were busy. I sighed in agitation and took the phone with me to the couch, waiting for a minute or two so I could call the police again. Two minutes passed and I was about to dial the number but a crash in the backyard distracted me. I panicked and began to dial Brian’s number instead of the police, but my fingers were trembling that I messed up on every number and I would have to start over. All I needed to do was push in two more numbers but his hand clasped over my mouth and the stranger was carrying me to the door. I kicked and I screamed but nothing worked. Before I knew it, I was suddenly falling asleep, only to find out that when I woke up, I would be far from home.
♠ ♠ ♠
V E R Y I M P O R T A N T

So yesterday, I spent the whole night writing up the last chapters so this story is coming to it's end soon.

Chapter twenty will be shortish, and the chapters after that one will be in third person.
Because I said so.

Thank you guys for reading this lame story and thank you to Mariam for helping me write these chapters.