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[sub][i]A collab with [@Dirty Pretty Lies][/i][/sub][hr][hr]

[color=#513857]“Oh. My. God Olivia!”[/color] Elliot let out a laugh in pure frustration.[color=#513857] “You still don’t fucking see it do you?! No you didn’t know what was said, so why would you jump to that fucking conclusion? A look on my face? I think the fuck not! You wanted shit to go down so you created something in your head!”[/color] He felt like he could punch the wall, how could she be this thick headed?

[color=#513857]“Why do you think I’m fucking defensive?! I can’t live my life even for one day back in this godforsaken town without being spied on. By my own sister! Why do you think you can sit in your dweeby friends apartment and spy on people just because you’re bored?!”[/color] He stormed after his sister. 

[color=#513857]“Or what shithead? You’re going to sic Mark on me?”[/color] He was just about to continue his screaming match but Ali came over and dragged him away.  

Elliot’s breathing had stabilized somewhat when Ali closed and locked the door to the bars back office. There he stood staring at a case of Budweiser breathing heavy still, his anger refusing to ebb away. Some would say he had overreacted at the situation at hand, that his actions had only made him look worse. If he didn’t have anything to hide then he had nothing to worry about right? But it wasn’t what he had done that made him freak out the way he did: it was his sister’s actions. Having lived with Olivia for 16 years meant that Elliot had been forced to endure [i]a lot[/i]  of her shenanigans, and this was just the straw that broke the camel’s back. He could forgive her reading his personal notes, or her snooping around his room when they were younger because she was just a kid. But when she is messing with something that is the [i]most[/i]important thing in his entire world- which is his relationship with Ali:  the girl he has loved since he was 10 years old staring at the back of her head in math class? He just couldn’t let her get away with that without consequences.  

[color=#513857]“I will make this as clear as I can right now.”[/color] Elliot said and sighed. [color=#513857]“The only thing that happened is, I knocked out the poor girl’s coffee all over her and then I offered her to pay for her dry cleaning… That is it!”[/color] He chose to leave out the part where Eva had asked him to meet for coffee the next morning, because that would probably not help in this situation.

Aliana had heard his excuse with the scowl still on her face, tapping her foot on the floor as he spoke. When he was finished, she immediately piped up. [color=crimson]“Elliot: those people have more money than we’ll ever see in our entire damn lives!”[/color] she began, shaking her head in exasperation. Leave it to her boyfriend to want to be much too kind for his own good. [color=crimson]“I get that your parents raised you to be a gentleman, and that’s one of the qualities I love the most about you. But I think replacing the fucking drink would have been enough!”[/color]

[color=#513857]“Who cares how much money they have? I was the one who spilled coffee all over her, then shouldn’t I be the one who makes it right?”[/color] Elliot challenged as he walked over to the small desk and sat down at the edge of it.[color=#513857] “And do you not think I tried buying her a new drink? She said no.”[/color] he scoffed. 

[color=crimson]“You know what? That's not even the biggest issue here,”[/color] Ali pressed on, taking a few steps to where her boyfriend had chosen to sit. She wasn't going to let this go so easy. [color=crimson]“The real problem is how that slut was looking at you, and how you flipped out at Liv as if she's caught you in the middle of something you shouldn't be doing! If you have ‘nothing to hide’ as you say, why act like that in the first place?!”[/color]

Elliot stared at her in disbelief, how was he the only one seeing it? How did everyone think it was normal for someone to sit with a camera with a telescope lense and take pictures of people, and then make up stories? He rubbed his face in frustration. [color=#513857]“Ali, I don’t even fucking know her! And that’s besides the point! I am fucking furious at Olivia because she has no respect for me or anyone else! Why do you think she came straight here to tell you? To start something that’s not even real! And I am so done with her getting away with that just because she’s young and dumb or whatever!”[/color] He stood up again. [color=#513857]“Why is it that you are so quick to take her word against mine, huh?”[/color] he looked at his girlfriend earnestly, who had grown silent.

 [color=#513857]“My reaction here has nothing to do with guilt and all to do with me being sick of her shit! If you knew half of the things she gets away with back home… you’d get it.”[/color] He sighed, took of his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose feeling defeated.

This last part made Ali stop in her tracks and actually think for a second. As much as she hated to admit it, Elliot was right. In the years that they had been dating -hell, in the years that they had known each other! Eli had shared more than a few stories about Olivia and her pot-stirring ways. According to her boyfriend, it had all started when she was a kid: snooping around the oldest siblings’ rooms, possibly trying to find something to get them in trouble for. When accused, she would get off with only a light slap on the hand. Then the incidents escalated, to the point that Elliot’s oldest brother Lorenzo had moved away after she’d exposed a relationship he’d wanted to maintain a secret. With Enzo out of the picture, she’d focused her attention on Eli: reading the love letters they’d exchanged, his private notes, etc. And no matter how angry he got or how much he accused her, in all occasions, she’d only gotten away with the lightest of punishments. No wonder he’d flipped out the way he did.

Now Aliana felt like a complete piece of shit. How had she been so dumb as to completely jump the gun and buy this story without bothering to confirm it with Eli first? Guess she was every bit a hothead like her parents and older brother before her.

[color=crimson]“Shit…”[/color] Ali cursed, closing her eyes and letting out a tired sigh before taking a seat in her office chair. [color=crimson]“This is too much shit for me too damn early in the morning.”[/color] she complained, fingers massaging her throbbing temples.

Elliot let out a long breath through his nose and put his glasses back on and looked to his girlfriend,  [color=#513857]“I...know”[/color] he walked up to her and spun the chair around so she faced him. He crouched down so he was face to face with her  [color=#513857]“This is not how I wanted our reunion to play out.”[/color] He leaned in and planted a quick kiss on her lips. Elliot had an whole evening planned out with dinner and a night christening his new apartment for his first night back in Salem.

The young woman looked at him with green eyes that expressed her disappointment in herself and how this scene had occured. At his kiss, she gave him a sad half-smile. [color=crimson]“El, I’m sorry I lashed out at you the way I did.”[/color] Ali apologized, taking his hands and biting her lower lip. [color=crimson]“I know it doesn’t justify my actions- and I’m not looking for that either- but the thought of losing you to anyone like that just…”[/color] she trailed off, looking away with the beginning of tears in her eyes. [color=crimson]“I don’t know what I would do. I hate to think about it.”[/color]

Elliot’s eyebrows bunched together when he saw the look on Ali’s face [color=#513857]”Hey…”[/color] he tucked a stray piece of red hair away from her face. [color=#513857]”You will never lose me to anyone ever, ok?”[/color] he reassured, kissing her again. He gave his watch a quick glance, his blue eyes widening in horror when he realized what time it was. 

. [color=crimson]“What? What’s wrong?”[/color] she asked, a little alarmed.

[color=#513857]”Holy crap it’s already 11:30? Grant is going to kill me!”[/color] Elliot complained and straightened up. [color=#513857]“I’m sorry babe, but I need to run! I can’t wait until this stupid celebration is over.“[/color] he took Ali by the hand and pulled her up from the chair and held her close to him. [color=#513857]”I’ll make it up to you tonight… Come over after your shift?”[/color] He asked raising an eyebrow, hugging her closer.  

Ali’s expression- one that moments before had been sad because of Elliot having to go so suddenly- brightened up instantly at his last two sentences. The proposition of spending some time together without having to worry about being interrupted or stumbled upon was without a doubt one to excitedly look forward to. And what better way to declare the peace to each other than some ‘kissing and making up’?

[color=crimson]“Oh, I’ll be there, alright.”[/color] she replied, grinning at him while wiggling her eyebrows suggestively. She had her thumbs hooked on his belt loops. [color=crimson]“What time is best for you?”[/color]

Elliot’s face cracked up in a big smile while looking down at his girlfriend [color=#513857]“Well that makes me the happiest boy in the whole of Salem, that does!”[/color] he said in a sing songy voice and kissed Ali one last time before pulling away from his love. [color=#513857]“I’ll be heading over to Mom and Dad’s to help out but I should be home by like 6! So whenever you are done you can just come right over.”[/color] he unlocked the door ready to exit the office praying his sister had left, he held out his hand for Ali to return to the pub with him.

Aliana followed his lead, leaving the office when he did. But instead of going straight to work, she took him by the hand, and together they made their way out to where Elliot had parked his car. [color=crimson]“I’ll see you soon then, hun… I love you.”[/color] she told him sweetly, a soft smile on her face. The young woman planted another kiss on her boyfriend’s lips before watching him get into his car, start the engine and drive off.