Chapter 130


    Chapter 130


    10- My Name! Elijah! (Book 2)


    Elijah pov


    She looked a little taken aback when I told her that I was the owner of this club. For some reason, she


    was avoiding me, but her body seemed to give a different message.


    She told me earlier that she could not go further with our rtionship but right now she was leaning in


    on me as if she was most secure in my arms. The girl was giving me mixed signals.


    I was in my office when I got a glimpse of her on my camera screen, entering the club. The face I was


    waiting for, for thest few days. As always, she looked beautiful but highly disturbed. I was still trying


    to decide if I should go after her or not, as the girl clearly used to get uneasy by my presence.


    Initially, she was ok with our closeness but after our night of passion, I didn’t know what got into her.


    The first time I saw her in this club, I thought she was a model with her jet-ck hair and smooth, shiny


    long legs. It was expected that she might be a spoiled brat.


    But oh, man. She was an amazing human with a golden heart. She knew when tough and when to


    tease a man.


    Beauty and brains. A highly unlikelybination and here she was responding to my teasing with this


    wittiness that was part of her personality.


    I looked down at her head and swallowed the unexpected lump forming in my throat.


    Why was she running away? Did I make some mistake? Why was she notfortable telling me her


    address? Was I a creep to her?


    So many questions were running through my head as I looked down at her and then kissed her hair.


    “How many sses of drink have you had? I hope it’s only one.” I asked her head. She didn’t raise it


    and stayed like this lifting her index finger in front of my eyes.


    I gulped down the sudden grin forming on my lips.


    “Should I take you home?’1 this made her lift her head looking at me questioningly, “If you are not


    comfortable, I won’t,” I murmured drinking in her features.


    She pouted but didn’t respond. I brushed my knuckle against her smooth cheek, “Please trust me. I will


    nevere after you without your consent.”


    “Promise?” she seemed so fragile and so vulnerable that all I wanted to do was hug her.


    No! Don’t! Don’t scare her off again, Elijah.


    “Promise!” I said solemnly. Right now, all I wanted was to gain her trust. I wanted to earn it so badly.


    She nodded her head, still looking hesitant. I wrapped my arm around her waist and led her towards


    the exit.


    As we stepped out into the cool night air, I noticed her shiver slightly. I immediately took off my jacket


    and draped it over her shoulders. She looked up at me, surprised by the gesture.


    “Umm. You don’t need to …” she whispered, a hint of gratitude in her voice.


    I smiled down at her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ’You deserve it, Cherie. You’re special.’


    She blushed at my words, and I couldn’t help but feel a surge of protectiveness towards her.


    As we walked towards my car, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t quite right. She


    seemed distant and lost in thought, and I couldn’t help but wonder what was bothering her.


    “Is everything okay?” I asked, as I opened the car door for her.


    She hesitated for a moment before answering, ’Yeah. I am.”


    I rounded the car and got in the passenger seat. When I started the engine I heard her low whisper,


    “I’m just not used to being taken care of like this. It’s new to me, Adonis.”


    I nodded, understandingly. ’Well, get used to it. I’m not going anywhere.’ When she turned to me in


    surprise, I hurriedly exined, “Not at least until you ask me to, long legs.”


    The girl was a breath of fresh air in my world which was full of uncertainties. And I was determined to


    protect her at all costs.


    As I drove her home, I couldn’t help but notice the way she kept fidgeting with her hands, her eyes


    glued to herp. I knew something was up, but I didn’t want to push her. I wanted her to trust me


    enough to confide in me when she was ready.


    She guided me through the route to her apartment building and then went silent. Unlike ourst ride,


    she was unusually quiet.


    As we pulled up to her house, she turned to me, ’Thank you for everything tonight. You didn’t have to


    do all this for me, Adonis.’


    I reached out and squeezed her hand, ’I did it because I wanted to. You mean a lot to me, and I just


    want to make you happy.”


    She smiled at me, and for a moment, all I wanted to do was hug her and kiss her senselessly. Right


    now, all that mattered was the way she was looking at me, and the feeling of her soft hand in mine.


    She was about to open the car door to get out of the car, I couldn’t help but felt a pang of sadness. I


    didn’t want the night to end. I wanted to spend more time with her, to hold her close and never let go.


    She gulped down her spit and chuckled nervously. Her hand was still on the door handle, “Thanks.”


    She started chewing her lower lip maybe trying to decide if she should invite me in or not. The idea was


    too tempting, but it could push her further away from me.


    And then I decided to take a risk. The biggest risk of my life.


    “Evelyne,” I called her name softly and smiled when I got her attention. I couldn’t utter another word


    because of my quivering lips, “Can we be together again as friends?”


    She seemed to go stiff, but I ced my hand on her shoulder, ”H…how about I call you long legs and


    you call me Adonis. Let’s pretend we don’t know each other’s names.”


    The moment I said it, I felt her taking a sigh of relief. I hadn’t even finished the talk and she was already


    happy. Why?


    Was it something rted to our names? No. It can’t be.


    Elijah was not a sa*tanic name. Was it?


    “I…is it possible?” she whispered turning to me. I nodded my head and leaned forward.


    “Yes. It is very much possible Eve.” She seemed to control her tears.


    “Evelyne. You don’t like me?” I asked her in a painstakingly low voice, “Did I do something wrong?” I


    asked her the million-dor question and she started shaking her head.


    “No. No. You didn’t.”


    How to ask her that?


    “Long legs. Give me a chance.” I held her chin in my forefinger and thumb and raised her face, “All I


    need is one chance. If it won’t work out, then I promise. I will let you go.”


    “What?” Her head snapped up. She had doubts in her eyes. Trying to swallow the lump I nodded at


    her. I was willing to take this risk even if it meant, losing her forever.


    At least, I won’t regret itter, that I didn’t try enough to give it a chance.


    “You will really let me go? Just like that?” she didn’t sound convinced.


    “Just like that. Your happiness matters, Eve. You are worth trying for.” This time I leaned forward and


    nted a kiss on her cheek. She was looking at me with those misty eyes.


    Atst, a small smile broke on her lips, and she bent over a little to give a kiss on my cheek.


    Damn! There was hope.


    There was hope for me. Yayy!


    She opened the passenger door and walked towards her apartment gates. I knew I had to let her go. I


    couldn’t force her to stay, and I didn’t want to make her ufortable.


    As I drove back home, I couldn’t shake the feeling that she was the missing piece in my life. The one


    person who understood me, who made me feel alive. And I knew I had to do everything in my power to


    protect her, to make her feel safe and loved.


    Because in the end, all that mattered was her happiness, and I was willing to do whatever it takes to


    make her smile.


    Because she was worth it.


    ***


    It was after midnight, and I was still not able to sleep. With a coffee cup on my study desk, I was using


    myptop and trying different keywords on different search engines.


    I put up her salon name and was told it was founded two years ago. Then what was she doing before


    those two years?


    Studying?


    Internship?


    Frencing?


    I kept searching for her but there was no significant info before that two years time period. So, I thought


    to call Justin. I knew he was awake because he sent a message to me not more than five minutes ago.


    “Hey. What’s up.” He received my call on the first ring. I discussed a few of our business proposals and


    then brought up the topic of Eve.


    “Justin. This friend of Ashley. Evelyne. Was she working in some salon before opening her own in


    Arguli?” Justin suddenly went quiet.


    “Why are you asking?” he was quite a blunt man and I liked it when he sounded defensive for Eve.


    “Because I know nothing about her.” With Justin, it was better if one would be honest instead of beating


    around the bush.


    “Why don’t you ask her, Elijah?”


    “I did!” I brushed my fingers through my hair in frustration, “But she is not ready to talk.”


    “Elijah!”


    “Listen, mate.” I interrupted him, “I am serious about her. I … I think … I like her. Like …. Seriously. If


    you won’t help me then I will hire someone for investigation. And I don’t want to do that. I want to


    understand her, Justin.”


    By now I was running out of breath, “I want to know about her from someone who really cares about


    her. From you or your wife. Please, Justin.” There was silence on the other side of the phone.


    Holding my breath, I was waiting when his voice appeared on the phone.


    “Fine,” I heard him inhaling shakily, ‘Two years back, she shared the ownership of a small ice cream set


    up with her boyfriend. It was located in Gravern town which is situated near Deluca mansion. One


    night, the gas cylinder of the shop kitchen burst. Causing the deaths of her boyfriend and his cousin.


    She survived because she was out to buy ketchup for making sandwiches. Ashley was badly injured in


    it.”


    His voice showed he was still traumatized by the ident.


    “Man!” I didn’t know what to say, “So who was this boyfriend and his cousin?”


    ’They didn’t belong to any influential family. Elijah and Eve both were self- made and started the ice


    cream business from scratch.


    “Sorry? Who?” I must have heard wrong.


    “Elijah. Eve’s fiance. Elijah and his cousin Sam couldn’t make it.”


    Elijah? Did he say, Elijah? I was not aware of what I said to Justin after that and when I disconnected


    the call.


    But Eve was fine until that night when we had great s*x. And then something dawned on me. She was


    fine until she didn’t know my name. She must have discovered my name when she was here at my


    ce.


    And then that reminded me of that absurd convo we had at Justin’s ce,” So, your name is Evelyne. I


    am …”


    Please check at N/?vel(D)rama.Org.


    “I know. I heard Justin calling your name.” she didn’t let me speak.


    After a while, she spoke, ‘I… I’m sorry,’ She had stammered. “But we’re done, Adonis.’


    “Elijah,’ I had corrected her, “My name is Elijah.”


    Fu*ck. She always called me Adonis but never Elijah.


    Sh*it! Sh*it! I threw my phone so hard that its screen broke. It was my name. It was my fu*cking name


    all along.