Room With No Windows

It hasn't even been a whole 24 hours, I tell myself the next morning. She was still on my mind; she was really ALL I could think about. Even as I was falling asleep last night on the couch, I remembered the night she curled up next to me, her head on my shoulder. I missed her warmth.
"You're going to drive yourself insane, O' Callaghan," I mutter under my breath, running a hand down my face as I sit up.
"You're already talking to yourself, so you're well on your way," Eric says, entering the room with his hair wild from sleep. He looked like a damn parakeet.
I sigh and glare at him. "You're not exactly helping."
He chuckles and plops down next to me, folding his arm behind his head. "Look, why don't you just call her?" he asks as I grab my phone to see if Peter had texted me and find out if the smell was gone from the condo/apartment.
"Because she doesn't have a phone, idiot," I explain, rolling my eyes. "She broke it when she got here."
"Broke it?"
"She threw it to the ground."
His eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Why would she do that?"
"She was angry!" I shout, aggravated. Why hadn't I just asked Jared or Ken if I could stay with them to avoid all these questions?
Eric gets fed up and stands from the couch. "Quit your shit, dude. You've been having hissy fits since she left. Stop being so fucking touchy!"
He suddenly flings one of the throw pillows at me, thwacking me hard on the chest. "I'm done with your mood swings, man. Find some way to get in contact with her already so I don't have to hear it. I don't care how, just figure it out. Stop moping around and fucking do something about it!"
I clench my jaw and he storms off. Ruby approaches me, apparently having witnessed the whole thing.
Regret surges through me as I bite my lip. "He's right, isn't he?"
She sighs a whine and walks off to follow Eric. Great, even she was mad at me now. But of course she would agree with him.
My stomach churns, considering what Halvo said. He'd made a lot of good points. He had been the victim of my irritation and sulking. He was in the center of it all, and he still let me stay here. Now that I think about it, I never even asked him if he would take me in. I just...showed up.
Was I turning into an inconsiderate, self-absorbed asshole?
It sure was sounding like it.
Being away from Elsa wasn't doing me any good. But yet when I was with her, Eric still didn't approve. He claimed that she was 'dimming my reality' and turning me into something I'm not. Maybe he was right about me acting like a little bitch, but he couldn't be more wrong about that. She brought out a side of me that he's not used to seeing, which is why he was acting so concerned. He hadn't seen it since the last girl, and after that fell apart, he was just watching out for me so that it didn't happen again.
So what if I acted different around her? It's not like I was changing myself. I wasn't. I had a strong grasp of who I was and did not let anyone manipulate me. With Elsa, I felt like a better version of me.
A happier me.
I feel the heaviness in my chest again. There was such more to it than that. I didn't want her because I simply felt it was in my interest. I wanted to protect her from guys like Isaac and be the guy that she needs. I wanted her to feel at home and free with me instead of feeling trapped in her crummy hometown. I wanted her to want to smile every morning because she knew I wouldn't leave her alone until she did. All I wanted was for her to be happy, and I wanted to be the reason behind it.
Shit. I shake my head as I fully realized what I had wanted to say to her before. It was clearer now more than ever.
I love her.

It's been three days now. All I've done is lounge around on Halvo's couch writing lyrics about everything that was happening. Mostly about how much I missed her. I didn't just miss her; I was missing her. She was a piece of me that otherwise made me feel incomplete.
Eric was right. I wasn't going to find the answers underneath the couch. I had to do something. I had to find a way to talk to her.
And I had to tell her.
Grabbing my phone, I scroll through my call history and search for the number Elsa had dialed to get a hold of her sister. My hand, I notice, was shaking as I tapped the number that wasn't listed under a name. That had to be Nicky.
I struggle for a long time, conflicted and caught between what was the best option. I've always been about what was right, but I had no idea what was right in this situation.
But I was going to find out.
It began to ring and my heartbeat accelerates. I had no idea what to ask if she actually answered.
"Hello?"
Well fuck.
"N-Nicky?" I stammer. "It's John."
I hear her voice turn stern."John. Why are you calling?"
"I just wanted to know how Elsa was doing. I know I have no right, but-"
"Elsa's fine," she sighs. I remember the ring that she left with me and get a sinking feeling in my stomach. "And how are things with her and Isaac?"
Nicky is silent for a few seconds, contemplating on how to answer. Finally, she mutters, "I don't really know, honestly."
I swallow the lump in my throat. That was good, wasn't it?
"Can you tell her to call me? Please?" I run a hand anxiously through my hair. "Please."
She takes a deep breath. "I can't assure she'll call. But I'll tell her and give her your number."
I thank her, extremely grateful. I know she probably didn't like me very much, so it meant a lot that she was doing this for me.
"And Nicky? Do you...do you mind telling her I miss her?"
I hear her chuckle. "I'll pass that message on."
"Thank you. I appreciate it."
We exchange goodbyes and I stare out the window, wondering how things were really going. Surely, Isaac had to have realized she wasn't wearing her ring. How did he handle that?
My shoulders tense. I'd met him for five minutes and instantly decided I didn't like him. Something didn't sit right with me. He seemed much too confident and sure of himself, like he knew that he would always get what he wanted, as if he had the upper hand. He seemed to think he had power over things and it pissed me off.
I rise from the bed to grab my duffel with my things, along with the notebook from the other day. I hope Eric didn't mind if he was one short.

I arrive back to the condo half an hour later and find that the smell had dispelled. I was relieved, because I missed my king sized bed.
Though I missed having Ellie in it more.
My phone vibrates in my pocket, making me jump. I clumsily reach in and pull it out, reading the unfamiliar number, sending my heart into a frenzy. Was it her?
"Hello?" I croak.
I hear someone sniffle. "John?"
A thousand butterflies flutter wildly inside my stomach. My breath catches in my throat. "Elsa."
"Nicky told me you called," she says quietly. It was almost as if she were whispering.
I raise an eyebrow. "Yeah. I wanted to see if you were okay. What's wrong?"
She lets out a sob. "I-I don't know what to do, John. I'm so scared."
"What, why? What's going on?"
"He...he asked me why I didn't have my ring and I told him the truth. He snapped."
My teeth clench. "What did that bastard do?"
Her small whimpers made my skin chill. "I can't tell you."
"Elsa, what did he do?"
"I have to go," she whispers. "I'm sorry."
I shake my head, then realized she couldn't see. "Tell me to come get you and I will, you understand? Just give me your address and I'll start driving tonight."
"Thank you," she sighs. "I-I'll talk to you soon."
The moment she hangs up, I snatch up my keys from my table and make my way outside to my truck.
Fuck this. I dial Nicky while I start up the engine. Good thing this baby's tank was full.