MAYA

Elijah set the food down on the table and settled himself opposite me.

"What did you order?"I asked looking at the assortment of different foods on my plate.

"Food."He replied smirking at me.

I rolled my eyes at him and picked up my cutlery. There were so many different things on my plate it was difficult giving it one name. There was mutton, mushrooms, carrots, corn, vegetables and more I couldn't name.

"Just try it, if you don't like it, we'll order something else."Elijah suggested.

Deciding to trust him I skeptically took a bite of the mutton and it was actually good.

"I like it."I informed him taking some more.

"I knew you would."Elijah replied starting on his own food.

It was quiet for a while as we both ate but I could tell Elijah had something on his mind. He kept sighing and glancing at me. I didn't want to spook him so I just ignored him and hoped he would talk to me. I wanted us to talk but he had to be the one to make the first move.

Eventually he gave into his urge and put down his fork.

"Bug."He called out taking me by surprise.

"Mhh."I choked out my eyes wide.

"Can we talk?"He asked but I was too busy gaping at him to reply.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"He asked when he noticed that I was staring at him without saying anything.

"You just called me bug."I replied softly.

"Sorry?"He apologized looking confused.

He hadn't done anything wrong. I just hadn't expected him to use that pet name especially when we weren't on the best of terms.

"Don't apologize. It's okay. What do you want to talk about?"I inquired composing myself.

"Us."Elijah replied surprising me further.

"I thought you weren't ready to talk about us."I reminded him remembering all the times I'd begged him to talk to me only to be met with a resounding no.

"You're here, I'm here. We might as well talk about what we can. Unless you're not ready."He explained.

"No I am. What do you want to know?"I asked him.

I wasn't going to let the chance of fixing things with him pass me by.

"Everything but let's start with why you hid this from me. I know I have something to do with it, I kept stopping you even if I knew you were keeping something from me but this was huge Maya. You should have told me from the beginning."Elijah pointed out.

"I know."I sighed pushing my plate away, my appetite vanishing.

He was right, I should have been honest with him from the beginning no matter how many times he assured me that everything would be okay.

"Then why didn't you?"Elijah asked me.

"I was scared."I replied honestly.

"Of what?"He retorted.

"Of you and how you'd react and I was right to feel that way. Eli you broke up with me when you found out. You didn't even give me a chance to explain."I reminded him.

"Can you blame me? You dropped a bomb on me."Elijah defended.

"No I don't blame you, you were entitled to your feelings. I just wish you would have let me explain."I expressed.

"I wasn't thinking straight. When you told me that you had something to tell me I thought you meant something like you used to have a boyfriend back in Nigeria or you weren't a virgin anymore."Elijah replied nonchalantly.

"Eli!"I choked out shocked by his train of thought.

"I know, it's stupid but what was I to assume?"He asked me.

"Oh I don't know anything but that. I didn't have a boyfriend and I've never been with anyone."I exclaimed.

I had no idea that Elijah was thinking things like that. Of all things he thought that I'd had someone else back in Nigeria. Where would I have gotten the time to nurture a relationship amongst me being sick, dealing with poverty, school and my parents dying?

"I'm sorry if I've offended you. If it makes you feel any better, I haven't been with anyone either."Elijah apologized looking a little embarrassed.

His revelation shocked me to my core and my face was definitely showing it. I knew for a fact that Elijah didn't date anyone else after I left but I thought he'd hooked up with someone. We were both virgins?! Now that was surprising.

"Can we go back to the original topic please?"Elijah requested feeling embarrassed by the current discussion.

"Yes."I replied agreeing with him.

What we had revealed to each other was important but we had more pending matters at hand.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you but now that you know, I'm sure that you have questions and I'm here to answer all of them honestly."I informed Elijah.

"Good because I have quite a few. Like for instance if I stab my hand with this knife right now will you feel it?"He asked running the blunt side of the knife over his hand.

"Yes so please stop it."I pleaded with him and he thankfully set the knife aside.

"How does that work exactly? Do you feel everything I feel?"Elijah asked.

"No I only feel what your body can't handle. If you're in extreme pain I'll feel it, like if you stub your toe I'll feel it but if it's something your body can accommodate I won't feel it. The greater the injury the more I feel it."I explained hoping I was making sense.

"That's why you passed out when I did and the reason you could tell I'd run into the table when no one told you."Elijah reasoned and I nodded.

"Yeah and its also affected by distance. If I was in Nigeria when you got hit in the head and passed out, I would only have had like a headache for a few hours without the passing out. But since I was closer to you, the effects were more substantial."I added.

"Can I feel your pain?"Elijah inquired.

"No, only I can feel your pain. It's a one way street. Nothing that happens to me affects you but everything that you do affects me."I answered.

"So I'm the reason you don't feel period pains?"Elijah asked looking proud of himself.

"Kind of, I'm still not so sure about that one but I think you have something to do with it."I replied.

"Can you read my thoughts?"Elijah asked making me chuckle.

"No but I can sense it when you have extreme emotions like anger or happiness though its rare."I answered.

"All this is so confusing."Elijah sighed running a frustrated hand over his face.

"It's just like you said, you are my life support machine but it's more complex than that. If your body fails, I do too but if I fail you're okay. It's all physical Eli, our hearts have got nothing to do with this. What we feel for each other is real."I explained hoping this time he would actually listen to me.

He looked at me, his eyes meeting mine and I could see that he wanted to believe me but he was still skeptical. I couldn't force him, just be there to answer his questions, reassure him and hope he understood.

"I wish this was scientific so I could do more research on it."Elijah expressed.

"I wish that too, for you but you will just have to trust me on this. I'm not lying to you and wouldn't do anything to put your life in danger."I assured him.

"I know that, by God I know that but I'm scared."Elijah admitted.

"Of what?"I asked.

"Maya you just told me that your life is in my hands. Do you know how scared that makes me? I miss the not knowing because now that I know, I'm second guessing everything. If I hurt myself then you get hurt too, if I die then you die. That's a lot of pressure."He explained.

"I'm sorry, I never thought of it that way."I consoled him.

He was right. I couldn't expect him to just accept what I'd told him overnight. He needed time to process the weight of the burden I'd placed on his shoulders.

"You just continue living your life as normal."I suggested.

"Normal? I've never been normal, not back then and definitely not now."Elijah laughed bitterly.

I was scaring him, it was not my intention but I had no idea what else I could do to reassure him.

"Then what do we do because I love you and I know you love me too but I can't force you to just accept that and get back together."I expressed sadly.

"I know and I do want you back, you have no idea how hard it is without you but I'm still not ready."Elijah admitted.

"That's okay, maybe we can try being just friends first."I suggested the words tasting biter on my mouth.

"Bug you and I can never be just friends especially after we know what it feels like being in a relationship."Elijah replied smiling sadly at me.

"I know."I cried knowing that it was impossible too.

"I just need more time, please be patient with me."Elijah pleaded.

"I'm not going anywhere. I had years to deal with this, you've only had two weeks. Take all the time you need, I'm here."I assured him.

"Thank you."Elijah said giving me the first genuine smile I'd seen on his face ever since we broke up.

"You ready to leave?"Elijah asked when we both realized that the conversation was over for the moment and our food had gone cold.

"Yes."I replied putting on my trenchcoat, scarf and gloves.

Elijah paid the bill and we left the warm heated air of the restaurant and our into the Norwegian cold.

Norway was beautiful, it was a place I wanted to visit when I could take my time to enjoy the scenery. If Elijah and I were together I would have suggested we come back after graduating highschool before we joined university but now that things were so unsure between us, I kept my mouth shut.

"Anywhere else you want to go before we head back to the Inn?"Elijah asked walking next to me on the street.

"Can we visit a few souvenir shops? I want to get everyone back home something."I requested him.

"Okay let's go."He agreed taking my hand like it was norm for him to.

I didn't fight him on it, just basked in the closeness we were sharing because I knew it would be over soon.

"Thank you for coming today, it meant a lot to have you there."Elijah expressed glancing at me.

"I wouldn't have missed it. I really I'm sorry for you loss Eli, I knew how much loved Oma."I replied.

"I'm sorry too. She meant just as much to you."Elijah responded squeezing my hand comfortingly.

Even though I'd said goodbye to Oma, the news of her death had hit me hard especially since they came a few hours after I'd talked to her. Her memorial service back in Ohio had been beautiful, filled with the people she loved and that loved her. It wouldn't have felt like a proper goodbye if I didn't see it all the way through so I'd asked uncle Ted for help and he'd made all the travel arrangements for me. Now Oma could rest in peace next to her husband.

Elijah and I found a cute little souvenir shop to start our shopping spree on.

"I love this country, I've definitely got to come back some day."I sighed as I ran my hands through all the merchandise in the shop.

"I love it too. Sometimes I wish my grandparents wouldn't have left but then I remember all the things my family has achieved in the States and I immediately change my mind."Elijah replied.

"If your grandparents hadn't moved to the US and my parents hadn't moved from Nigeria, we would never have met."I reasoned.

Elijah stopped in his tracks looking at me with a frown.

"Shit?! You're right. My life would have turned our so different."Elijah responded agreeing with me.

"Do you regret meeting me?"I whispered letting the insecurity seep through.

"No! Never. I know things aren't great between us right now but I will never regret meeting you."Elijah assured me.

His words encouraged me that I hadn't screwed up as bad as I thought.

"I'm glad I met you, not because you ended up saving my life because my life is better with you in it. I don't want to imagine what my life would be if you weren't in it."I confessed.

Elijah looked taken aback by my words probably because he hadn't expected me to be so brutally honest. Eventually he snapped out of it and we proceeded hunting for more souvenirs.

We bought some things in that one store and visited a couple more. Time was running out so after two more stores Elijah and I decided we'd bought enough stuff so we took a cab back to the Inn.

"Thank you for hanging out with me today. I promise to stay out of your way back home until you figure things out."I said to Elijah when I saw we were about to arrive.

"I'm sorry I'm hurting you."Elijah apologized.

"I just what you to be okay. We're not going to rush into getting back together so you take your time."I assured him.

"Thank you bug."Elijah whispered leaning in to place a lingering kiss on my forehead.

I savored the feel of his lips on my skin for those few seconds before he pulled away. I believed that Elijah and I were meant to be, I just had to be patient and give him time to realize the same thing.

Elijah paid the cab driver before we alighted. We walked into the inn like strangers and back to the harsh reality where Elijah and I weren't together anymore.

I gave him one lingering look trying to take as much of him in as possible before I ran up the stairs. Ivy had offered me her room to crash in so all my stuff was there. I didn't have a key but I was grateful to find her in the room so I didn't have to go around looking for her.

"Look who's back? How was your stroll around town?"She teased wriggling her eyebrows as soon as she saw me.

"Eventful, I managed to get everyone back home souvenirs."I replied even if I knew that's not what she wanted to her.

"Good but more importantly, did you two get back together yet?"Ivy asked looking hopeful.

"No, we just talked."I replied knowing there was no need to lie to her.

"Aaargh. You two are so frustrating, I know it's more him and not you but why can't you two just be together and happy for once?"Ivy asked exasperated.

Elijah hadn't told the rest of his family why we broke up and I appreciated that since I had no idea how they would react if they found out.

"We'll be okay, don't worry. Now I have to shower and change. I need to be at the airport in two hours."I informed her taking off my shoes.

"Okay, I'll leave you to it. I need to go find Tamara anyway."Ivy replied getting off the bed.

"Thank you."I smiled at her.

She gave me a mock salute before skipping away out of the room.

I took a few minutes to gather my thoughts before I got undressed and entered the shower.

Forty five minutes later, I was bundled up in my biggest hoodie and fluffiest sweatpants ready to go. I carried all my stuff towards the dining hall where most of the family was gathered.

"Leaving already?"Florence asked as soon as she saw me.

"Yes ma, I have a track meet tomorrow."I replied.

"Okay be safe then and keep us updated. Text us when you land safely."She requested hugging me.

I hugged her back soaking in all her motherly love and affection. I said goodbye to everyone else hugging those closest to me.

Elijah wasn't there to see me off which hurt but I'd been expecting it. I was glad I'd made the choice to go to Norway. Elijah and I had actually shared a mature conversation giving me hope for the future of our relationship.

After thanking everyone for their warm welcome, I waved goodbye to them and got into the cab Florence had asked reception to order for me.

The drive to the airport was sad and lonely but there was one thing that I didn't have arriving that I had now as I was leaning. Hope. Hope that we would be okay. And that hope would keep me until we were back together.