The Cycle Repeats

Harper's POV “I will no longer be in love with that kind of trash.” Harper Coffman was a woman with sharp edges and quick wit. Her dark hair often fell in loose waves down her back. Her eyes, piercing brown seemed to hold a world of emotions within her, from fiery passion to distant gaze. She was a woman who knew her own mind, unafraid to speak it and challenge those around her. Her relationships were intense, and would not stop at nothing to protect those she cared about. She was a force to be reckoned with, a woman who would not be easily swayed or defeated. It was a dark doomed day for Harper because of some people ruined her happy life, turning into a miserable one. As she stood in front of the window, her eyes lost in the city lights twinkling below. She kept thinking how unfair her life would be even now for the darkness outside mirrored her emotions that she struggled to untangle. Her apartment once a sanctuary, she had thought it would be a home for hers and Elijah’s, but it turned out a reflection of her own chaotic mind. In the midst of her heavy thoughts, someone knocked on the door, causing her to go approach it cautiously. To her surprise, it was Elijah standing in the hallway. A black balloon tied to the doorknob with a note that read “You’re a joke.” Harper's eyes narrowed as she opened the door, her expression unreadable. “Why are you here? And what do you want, Elijah?” she asked with firm voice but controlled. “Just dropping off a little gift,” he said, nodding toward the balloon. “Thought you’d appreciate the humor.” Harper’s gaze followed his nod and her expression darkened. “You think that's funny?” her voice venomous. “You think humiliating me is funny?” she added. Elijah shrugged, his eyes locked on hers. “You’re the one who’s making a joke out of us, Harper. I’m just highlighting the obvious.” The air between them crackled with tension as Harper’s anger boiled over. “You’re pathetic. You really think this is going to hurt me?” Elijah's smile fade, and for a moment the mask slipped, revealing the intensity beneath. But he quickly regained his coolness. “Oh, I don’t know,” he said. his voice dripping with sarcasm. “I think this might just be the beginning of the end for us,” he added. Harper’s eyes narrowed and her voice low and threatening. “You think you’re the one who's going to end it, Elijah? I don’t think so.” As they stood there, the tension between them extremely high. It was clear that their relationship was precarious on the edge and it would all come crashing down. “I’ll see you soon, Harper, with a big smile because I escaped with our toxic past.” Elijah said, his voice laced with promise. Harper’s smile was cold calculated. “I’m counting on it, Elijah. You won’t be able to stay away.” With that, she slammed the door shut, leaving Elijah standing alone in the hallway. The black balloon a stark reminder of the war between them. As she walked inside her room, she started crying because she wasn’t prepared for what Elijah had said and the surprise that triggered her anger and sadness. “I’d better slap him as a revenge.” She lay down at her bed and think again and again of that scene. It was unexplainable feeling towards the person she loved the most and it had turned into the most hated person she had ever met. Elijah's POV “They are all the same; I’m used to it. I’m so used to it.” Elijah Marco is a confident, charismatic and active person. He has a perfect face that girls love and always seems to have a plan in motion. However, beneath of all this facade lies a web of insecurities, fears, and past traumas that have shaped him into the person he is today. Elijah was marked by emotional neglect. His parents destroyed relationship and constant arguing of the past created an environment of tension and anxiety. Elijah learned to adapt and present a perfect exterior to cope with stress and anxiety. He became a person fixated on projecting an image of perfection and happiness because of his past traumas and doubts often at his genuine emotions and relationships. The mask of his confidence came with a cost. Elijah's relationships suffered a lot. The relationship with Harper was a turning point for Elijah’s life. He felt truly seen and understood by someone he loves for the first time. When Harper’s actions threatened to shake his safe world, Elijah's insecurities, traumas and fears returned. His response was to lash out and try to reclaim over everything even if it meant hurting Harper in the process. His transformation he is today was gradual process, a coping mechanism developed shaped by experiences. Elijah stood in the hallway, having knocked at Harper's door to surprise her with the black balloon tied on the doorknob with a note “You’re a joke.” His smirk stops for a moment as he anticipated Harper's reaction, he regained his confidence knowing he had to keep himself cool. When harper opened the door her eyes narrowed and her expression turned unreadable. “Why are you here? And what do you want, Elijah?” Elijah Nodded toward the balloon. “Just dropping off a little gift. Thought you’d appreciate the humor.” “You think that's funny? You think humiliating me is fun?” Elijah's eyes shrugged, his eyes locked on hers. “You’re the one who's making a joke out of us, I’m just highlighting the obvious.” The air between them crackled tension as Harper’s anger boiled over. Their exchange if hurtful words are the signs of ending. “You think you’re the one who’s going to end it? I don't think so, Elijah.” Harper said. He took a step back, his eyes never leaving hers. “I’ll see you soon Harper, with a big smile because I escaped with our toxic past,” he said with a voice low and promise. “I’m counting on it, Elijah. You won’t be able to stay away.” Harper slammed the door shut and leaving Elijah standing alone in the hallway. Elijah walk away with anger and regrets, he couldn’t shake off the feeling, even though he once cared for Harper all the memories washed away by the hurtful words they’ve threw with each other. He got into his car and started the engine, the hum of the vehicle stark contrast to the emotional anguish brewing inside him. As he drove to his condo, he can't stop thinking about the day they said ‘I love you’ with each other and the day that pain repulsed his heart. He pulled into his condo's parking garage and Elijah felt a sense of emptiness wash over him. He parked his car and stepped out. Elijah rode the elevator to his floor. His thoughts still consumed by Harper. As he walked in the hallway to his condo, he saw a small box in front of his door with a small note that read “For your own good.” But there was no indication of who had left it or what might contain. He felt shiver down his spine as he turned the box over in his spine, searching for any clues. He opened the box, with a little silver key. The key was attached to a leather strap, with a single word etched into it, “Mine.” It seemed intimate and almost obsessive; Elijah’s thoughts immediately turned to Harper. And he wondered if she had delivered it just to take revenge on him. “But why would she have use this kind of box?” He pocketed the key and the note. The game was heating up, and Elijah was ready to play a game. As he turned to go inside, he noticed a figure watching him from across the hallway. The figure stepped forward revealing a familiar face — Harper’s bestfriend, Phoebe. “Phoebe? What are you doing here?” Elijah asked with cautious voice. “I live there,” Phoebe pointed to room 145. “Are you sure? Why were you looking at me earlier? I saw you; you don't ever lie.” Elijah said with a serious tone. “Nothing, I was passing by and saw you so I hid.” Elijah’s eyes narrowed as he studied Phoebe’s expression, trying to read between the lines. He didn’t believe her story about just passing by, and the fact that she had been watching him from across the hallway made him feel uneasy. “What do you know about the box?” Elijah asked. He pulled out the key and the note from his pocket, his eyes locking into Phoebe’s. “The delivery man left it a while ago; maybe Harper sent it.” Phoebe said. “So you think Harper sent the box?” his eyes still narrowed in suspicion. Phoebe nodded, her expression was neutral. “I don’t know for sure, but it’s possible. You two have been... intense lately.” Elijah snorted. “Intense? That’s one way to put it.” He pocketed the key and note again, his mind racing with possibilities. What Harper want from him, did she want to take a revenge? As he turned to go inside, Elijah couldn’t help but feel like he was walking into a trap. Phoebe’s words seemed laced with underlying message but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Little did he know, Phoebe’s eyes followed him as he entered his condo, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.