Sixteen

The Euston's family recipe has been in the family for generations. As Elijah sat on his couch the familiar paper consisting of an apple pie recipe on the coffee table, he began to doubt the recipe. He's enjoyed its deliciousness since as long as he could remember; from his mother's baking to his own and never once as he doubted anything. Elijah had promised to bake Scott one of his family's famous pie, he might've said it on a wimp but Elijah still wanted to bake him one. He wanted to see the look on Scott's face when he eats the pie and for him to give Elijah those small compliments.

It had Elijah on edge all morning, his bed hair was still sticking in all directions, his breakfast was pushed to side and eventually got cold; he's barely done anything all morning. Elijah bit on his thumb as he paced back and forth, stopping to look at the recipe, groaning loudly then continuing pacing back and forth working up a storm of ideas in his mind. He knew Scott had enjoyed the pie as he watched him took each bite as if he tasted heaven, the look of disappointment on his face as he saw that it was finished. Elijah knew he loved it but he wanted for when he steps into his small kitchen, gathers his ingredients and put on his apron, he was about to make something extra special. The last pie was only Elijah wanting to have a bite so he ended up baking one, now this one was for Scott and Scott meant special.

Elijah had to put everything he had into it. As he looked at the recipe he knew something was missing. There was no problem before but as Elijah bore holes into the paper he couldn't help but feel like there was a blank spot that he needed to fill out. He let himself fall back into the couch, staring up at the white ceiling. He outstretched his arm as if he could grab the answer from thin air. Elijah clenched his fist, bringing it close then opening it, it was just his empty palm but it seems he's found the answer he was looking for.

"How could I forget that" he muttered to himself as he scribbled onto the paper. "That should be it" he smiled in satisfaction.

Elijah folded the paper and placed it back in his desk. He stretched his limps then sauntered off to his bedroom. The answer was so near yet he couldn't grab ahold of it, now that he did he felt elated and couldn't get rid of the smile pasted on his face as he curled up into his bed. He didn't fail to look out his window at the clear morning sky, each time he did it bought about fond memories. Elijah's hand wanted to hold Scott, his arms wanted to be wrapped securely around him; his being ached for Scott Finnegan.

Could he utter the three words without sounding too clingy. Its almost been two days since they parted, they would text occasionally but could Elijah say that was enough. He reached for his phone from the bedside table, unlocking it and looking at the photo of him and Scott. Elijah thought it was cute and Scott didn't look awkward in the least. He loved how he bit his lip nervously, how he tried to sneak a glance at Elijah but didn't dare to look at him. If he'd done that and Elijah got lost into his brown eyes, he might just have lost control and press his lips against Scott.

Elijah didn't want for it to happen that way, he wanted for it to be special, for Scott to want it just as much as he wanted to. He didn't know what happened to Scott but that wasn't going to stop him from feeling what he felt. Elijah was going to be patient until Scott wanted to open his heart up. His curiosity wasn't going to get the best of him, he had something far greater that could win against it. A loud banging on his front door pulled him from his thoughts.

Elijah cursed under his breath, wondering who could be disturbing him. The banging continued, Elijah's frustration growing with each step he took towards the door. He flung the door open, ready to behead whoever stood at the other end of the door. It was no one other than Carly holding desperately onto her leather bag, dark circles under her eyes showing she could use some well deserved rest.

"Took you long enough" She said, pushing pass Elijah and forcefully closing the door.

Elijah stood to the side, watching the sleep deprived Carly stumbled into his apartment. She headed straight for the couch, taking papers one by one out of her leather bag. He wanted to ask what Carly was up to but he held back and sat beside her. She was in full concentration and Elijah didn't dare break that. She started taking out a few photographs and putting them with the papers she already took out.

"Remember when I said that I was hunting for the breaking story behind what happened" Carly finally spoke, tossing her bag to the floor. "Well I think I've found it" she continued not waiting for Elijah's reply.

"So what did you find?" He reached forward to take a look at what was on the papers only to get slapped on his outstretched arm by Carly.

"Don't touch anything" She ordered, her eyes darting from one paper to the next. Elijah thought maybe if he had touched something he would've messed up her puzzle laid out on the small coffee table.

"Are you going to say or not" at this point Elijah didn't know if he wanted to hear or not. What if it was something bad that could get him and also Carly into a serious situation. With the way Carly is, the moment she came inside there was no turning back for Elijah.

"You know that the gang around here as always been small, they deal and get high because that was their main thing" Elijah knew if not the whole down, they were the most peaceful compared to the notorious ones Elijah saw on TV. They deal, get high, a few overdose here and there and not very often they would get into serious fights and that was about it.

"Since the first incident with Mrs. Hampton I found it to be odd" Elijah raised a brow, what was odd about it the guy robbed so he could get high. "They always rob the convenient store for liquor" Carly pulled a map of the town from her bag that was tossed on the ground, circles and x in red markers.

"They always hang out around here" she pointed to a rather secluded area not far from the town square. "Over here you have the richer snobs of this town" Carly pointed to the left. "And the average ones over here" she then pointed to the right. "Why not target the richer part which was nearer and you could get more money instead of here"

Carly made a point, if you wanted to score big that was the better part to go. They spent so much money on the simplest of things that Elijah couldn't understand. The guy could get months worth if he stole a simple earring. "Maybe he wanted to go small; first timer" Elijah shrugged.

"This is why I love you" Carly chuckled then continued. "I was thinking the same thing so I pulled a few strings and got to have a word with him."

Elijah leaned forward, Carly now getting his full attention. She was digging further into the situation that everyone passed off as a single robbery.

"He didn't say much" Carly said disappointedly. "But he did say clover before I left"

"Clover?" Why would he say that? What meaning it held. Elijah was on the verge of being pushed by his curiosity when he knew he shouldn't dig along with Carly.

"I still don't know what he means" Carly ran a hand through her hair that was once covered under a beanie. "This guy in the photo" Carly took up a photo and handed it to Elijah. "I've never seen him before"

"You're not going to know everyone in town" Elijah said, looking at the guy who hid his face with a baseball cap and black hood thrown over his head. "I can't even see his face"

Carly yanked the photo from him, "I know a local when I see one" she almost yelled, "And he's not one" she poked at the photo numerous times.

"I know you want a big story but isn't this too dangerous" Elijah finally voiced his opinion. "By the looks of it you can tell if you dig any further you might just dig your own grave. Clover and that guy, we don't know what any of it means and I think that's for the best"

"Sorry Elijah" Carly gave him a small smile. "They might be awful people but two have died so far and the innocent Mrs. Hampton, if I can find the center of all this then maybe I could stop any further deaths"

"Your a journalist not a detective or police officer. Just write a normal story"

"Yeah I'm not but I am a journalist and I stick my nose where it doesn't belong to get a huge story. The police already think it was just a robbery gone wrong, some guys fighting over drugs and a guy happens to throw himself off a bridge and wash up down the river. It's not as simple as it sounds"

"There's a third one" Elijah only knew about two.

"They found the guy this morning" Carly informed him. "You see Elijah someone else will die and with the information I have now I could score big and give the police the lead they're so blind to see"

"I still think it's dangerous"

"I'll be careful"

Just how much can he truly believe those words.

**

Elijah's mind was in a turmoil the moment Carly left. He didn't want to think about any of it, clover or the suspicious guy. He thought it would be better off if he didn't hear anything in the first place. If he stopped over thinking it was like a warning from Carly, saying that things aren't what they seemed. Elijah took up his phone, finding Scott's contact without much effort. Today he wasn't going to text him, he wanted to hear Scott's voice. He pressed the device to his ears, each ring making his heart pound even harder.

"Hello"

"Scott" Elijah said, his voice sounding desperate as he closed his eyes, recalling the huskiness in his voice when he replied. "Did I call at a wrong time?"

"N-No, your timing was perfect" Scott said from the other end making Elijah chuckle at his light nervousness. "Is something wrong? You sound....umm"

"I'm fine" Elijah assured him, feeling his heart tug at the fact Scott was worry about him. "Just a long day"

"We could tal--"

"No!" Elijah said, rising from his bed in the process. "Sorry I just want to talk to you" he settled himself back into his bed.

"Its fine" a long silence followed, "Elijah?" He said when he wasn't earning a reply.

"Scott have you ever had that unsettling feeling in your chest that bugs you but in a good way" Elijah spoke, "That feeling, you love it but it can also be a bit painful. When I listen to it, I feel like I'm riding on a blissful wave and nothing else matters. I'm feeling that now Scott and I don't know what to do with it"

"I think you should follow that feeling Elijah" Scott's reply came quickly, making Elijah open his eyes as if he would see him.

"Elijah?" Scott said when another silence was received on Elijah's end.

"You don't have to say anything" Scott informed him. "Even in silence I feel like we're communicating somehow. It even makes me feel like we're close to each other"