Six Months in a Cabin With The Boy I Rejected

My chest burned. My legs ached. Scratch that, my whole body ached. I hadn't had a good night's sleep in days. Sweat clung to my brows like a freaking curse, and the dryness in my throat worsened with each movement. And still— I pushed forward. "You're almost there, Elizabeth," I rasped, dragging my tired body up the hill and towards him. Soon enough, a warm amber glow peeked through the trees, revealing the outline of the cabin nestled on the hillside. I hastened, and slowly, the cabin became clearer. I stopped in front of the door, my breathing ragged. I grabbed the crumpled paper from my hoodie pocket then opened it. My swollen eyes scanned the details, then moved back to the cabin. I was definitely at the right place. I raised my hand to knock— Only to pause. A quiet sniffle slipped past my lips as I adjusted the hoodie cap to cover my bruised face. How long has it been? What would he think when he sees me? My legs wobbled. My stomach cramped from hunger. Come on, Elizabeth. Just knock already. I took in a deep breath to calm my racing heart. Then I knocked. Footsteps echoed from inside the cabin. Drawing nearer. While my heart began thrashing in my chest again. Finally— The footsteps stopped. "Who are you?" a painfully familiar voice asked. I glanced at the peephole anxiously. "Can you open up please?" I said instead, my voice quiet. "Like hell I will," he groaned. "Not until you show your face." Fuck. I threw my hoodie cap away from my face, then peeked from behind my hair. "I still can't see who you are, Miss. And I find I'm finding you quite suspicious by the moment—" "Elizabeth," I cut in sharply. "Elizabeth Morty." Silence carried on for a few seconds. Then the door opened. And he stepped out. "Betty?" I nodded. He paused for a moment, before stepping closer to me. I moved back instinctively. "What are you doing here?" he asked. "And why are you hiding your face?" The cover of the night helped a great deal, but how long would it be till he noticed. "I... I need... I need a place to stay for a whi—" "No." I risked a glance at him, then lowered my head. "Please... I just—" "Miss Morty, I will not be involved in whatever schemes you and the media are trying to plunge me into so... No. Go back to your husband." He turned around attempting to head back inside, but my fingers wrapped around his wrists quickly. He turned back to me, his expression filled with annoyance only for him to stop at the sight of me. "Please, Eli..." I begged with tears running down my face. "Jesus Christ, Betty. What the hell happened to you?" Elliot asked, his expression horrified. "I—" The words refused to come. "Betty?" A wave of dizziness slammed into me. The cabin blurred. Elliot's face became nothing more than a haze. "I need to..." My grip around his wrist loosened. My knees gave way beneath me. "Hey—" Before I could hit the ground, a pair of strong arms caught me. The last thing I felt was Elliot pulling me against his chest. Then everything went dark. .......... My eyelids felt impossibly heavy, but I forced them open. An unfamiliar ceiling greeted me. My heartbeat quickened. I jerked upright. My gaze darted around the room. Wooden walls and a fireplace. My pulse pounded against my ribs. No. No, no, no... I threw the blanket aside and stumbled off the bed, only for the room to spin. Fragments of the previous night rushed back. The hill. The cabin. Elliot. The tension left my muscles. A relieved sigh slipped past my lips. I laid back on the bed as my gaze drifted across the room. Morning light filtered through the half-open door, accompanied by the distant chirping of birds. I turned my gaze back to the ceiling. What now, Elizabeth? "You're awake." The sound startled me. I scrambled backward instinctively, only to lose my balance and hit the floor with a dull thud. Eli didn't spare me a glance. He simply continued into the room with a tray in hand, as though helping startled strangers was becoming a habit. The rich aroma of beef stew drifted into my nostrils, and my stomach growled. He placed the tray on a table before pulling the curtains aside. Sunlight filtered into the room, blinding me for a second before my eyes adjusted to it. He took the bowl from the tray with a bottle of water, then walked towards me. "Eat." I took the bowl from him, muttering a 'thank you' in return as Eli took a seat facing me. I shifted slightly, but my stomach growled again, prompting me to lift the lid. I shoveled a spoonful down my throat and almost instantly, flavor burst across my tongue. I couldn't stop myself from shoveling spoonful after spoonful into my mouth. Eli just sat there watching me silently, but I was too hungry to care. A few minutes later, I was done. I gulped down the water too, then let out a shaky breath. "Are you done?" Eli asked. I nodded. "Okay... now, how about you tell me what exactly is going on?"