do me a favor baby

And if Elliot knew then the power was in his hands, he held control, something that Rosalie had never allowed another to have over her. It made her feel sick to the stomach, her breathing picked up and her heart raced. Panic set in, she hoped to conceal her feelings by going straight to the counter to ask for her order. “It will be big enough to fit a binder in so yes, it will be big enough to fit ‘shit’ in.” After browsing the purses section, Rosie told Elliot she’d be one second before slipping off to the counter. She had chosen her bag online and so it was ready for her to just pick up and pay for. “Rosalie Deen,” speaking her name alone was enough to calm her, and handing over her credit card and receiving the designer bag helped her feel at peace again. “Thank you.”

Rosie spun on her heel, she sauntered back over to Elliot. “Are you still up for lunch?” She asked looking at the time. She peered up at him, “If not I don’t mind, I just wondered because I think Roman’s forgotten his key and I don’t want him to be have to sit outside.” She lied, without giving it a second thought. “My dad, he’s at work…so there’s no one to let him in.”

“I hate to be the one to break the fucking horrible news,” Elliot began, his voice wavering slightly after he heard her name slide past rosy lips. “But none of them are fucking you,” he said, tapping his fingertip against the counter gently, his heart thumping loudly. Half of him wanted to see her reaction and the other feared it. Not even moments ago he was scolding himself for baring himself like this. He was frustrated because no matter what he said, it seemed Rosalie thought he was lying. He hated it and not because everyone knew he spoke the truth bluntly.

“I’m always up for some damn lunch,” Elliot said, her words burning his stomach as they slipped from her mouth. He wasn’t entirely certain if Rosalie realized the effect she produced on him. Elliot wanted to cut off those feelings quickly; cut the line between them that was strangling him softly, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. His posture straightened, quick to retreat into himself as she said her excuse.

“Fuck Roman,” he said first, his anger poking out slightly before his jaw tightened and he looked away, “if you don’t want some damn lunch, we can take a fuckin’ rain check. I wish I’d known before I brought my ass down here.” The words came out sharp, a defense mechanism he’d begun to perfect since he was a child. He didn’t mean them and he’d more than likely regret them later, but Elliot didn’t like feeling vulnerable and powerless, especially over his emotions. Especially since he felt they were the only thing he couldn’t have taken from him, but here they were.

“I’m hungry as fuck and I want to take you out for lunch,” Elliot said after a moment, his knuckles white as he let those words slide past his lips. “If you don’t fucking want to go out, I fuckin’ get it.”

They were on a high speed train, with the option to get off at the last stop but they stayed. Knowing that there had to come an end if the line, neither could bare to leave before they saw what they would be missing. The foreseeing of shattered hearts, and broken walls wasn’t enough to deter them away from one another. Rosalie knew that Elliot was a warrior, she could see it, not that she’d ever tell him, afraid of what might happen as a result. She could tell he carried his scars and pain wherever he went, and she wasn’t sure how much longer she could keep up with her facade.  

Rosalie took comfort in the element of control in her life, there were never any surprises, at least not for her. That’s why she did what she did, her father had taught her that ‘control is held better when those are feared, than it is when they are loved’. A strategy that didn’t work on Elliot, and a tiny part of her didn’t want it to either. 

Rosie was distracted by the placement of his hand. “Good to know.” Rosie said non-nonchalant, her mind automatically taking over from her subconscious. Reminding herself who it was she was with, she remembered that this was Elliot did, she’d seen him leaning against the lockers while asking out some random girl from their year or below, many times. “Do you say that to all the girls?” 

Rosie knew that once she had spoke the words, it was a mistake, she squinted her eyes as waited for the response. She stepped past a group of girls idly standing outside the store, and she stepped inside holding the door for Elliot before changing her mind and letting it go. 

Guys like Elliot weren’t meant for soft words and bared chests. They were meant for loveless nights and sloppy kisses filled with only lust. Elliot knew he wasn’t worthy of anyone’s love, and his father made sure he knew that as well. He was meant for bloody lips and bruised skin, words that lacked passion and had no sign of love.

Tongue darting out to wet his lips, Elliot ignored the group of girls, his eyebrows pulling close. He pulled the door open, his eyes scanning the store before his shoulders hunched slightly. Not often did he do that, a defensive stance that people hardly took notice of. It made him feel safe in a way, prepared for whatever ended up flying his way.

“You fuckin’ caught me,” Elliot said, humor lacking in his words as he raised his hands. ‘Only strawberry blondes with killer smiles,’ lingered on his tongue but he was quick to bite that down. Calloused fingers pushed aside fabrics, falling on a navy blue dress that looked like an oversized button up. His eyes flickered to Rosalie, watching her silently before he let go of the dress and followed her to the purses. He pressed his fingertips to the back of his neck, tracing the heartbeat tattoo and letting out a soft sigh. It was a nervous tick he’d had ever since he’d gotten it.

“Are you going to be able to fuckin’ fit shit in this purse or is it going to be small as fuck?” Elliot asked, attempting to veer away from the subject. Moving away from the subject was like wrapping that security blanket around Elliot once again.