The Marvelous Elijah's Return novel Chapter 21

Why am I acting like this?

After Elijah took the briefcase from Matt and walked off, he did not look back to see if Peach was following him. 

Knowing how unstable his mood can get, Peach got off the stool and nervously followed after Elijah, watching his back closely. The moment he got to his room door, he finally stopped, and looked back at her, standing behind him with her hands clenched by her sides! 

His expression softened as he opened the door, walking in, and Peach silently walked in behind him. 

After Elijah closed the door, he threw his briefcase on the bed and turned back, facing Peach who stood there, a few feet away from him. 

“What’s wrong?” Elijah asked her, noticing how sad she looked. “Nothing,” Peach mumbled as Elijah approached her. “Don’t lie,” Elijah responded, cupping Peach’s face in his warm palm and wiping away any traces of tears from her cheeks. 

With a sigh, Peach gave Elijah a small smile and whispered, “I was talking with James about my family, and it’s the reason why I lost control of my emotions…” Raising her eyes to lock with his, Peach gazed deep into them as though to tell him everything without being able to say the words aloud. “Damnit! What about her eyes that always seem to catch my attention?’ Elijah thought, unable to help his gaze from lingering on her fluttering lashes and tears, rolling down her cheeks. He felt his hand unconsciously reach up towards Peach face and then slowly, he wiped away each tear that rolled down as he thought, ‘A woman who can sway a man’s emotions with just a gaze is more dangerous than the ones that slap him in the face. But why…” 

Peach’s fingers lightly ran across his knuckles as he stared at her for a few seconds longer before letting go of her face. 

Clearing his throat, Elijah pulled his hand away, and replied, “I got the twenty thousand dollars,” 

Immediately, Peach’s eyes lit up as she grinned widely, “You have the money!?” When Elijah nodded, she rushed into his embrace, burying her face in his chest and sobbing 

uncontrollably, ‘Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you… thank you!” The gratitude in her tone shocked Elijah as she continued to hug him tightly, pressing her head against his torso, while her body trembled with suppressed sobs. 

Even though this was not some free money he was giving her and he was getting something in return, she still appeared extremely grateful, which made Elijah’s heart pound. It was the first time that he ever saw someone be so thankful for something so trifling, and this was one of those rare occasions for Elijah because of his experience with living with Melina. 

“You are freaking amazing! You don’t know just how much this means to me!” Peach shouted between sobs, lifting her head to look at Elijah, but his gaze fell on her lips, which were now dangerously close to his own. Then he gently forced himself out of her arms, taking a couple of steps back and clearing his throat. 

“No need to get all sentimental over nothing,” Elijah said with a small smirk, trying to make light of the situation. “You are my little buddy, right? It’s okay.” 

For a while, Peach just stood there, her eyes wet, and then she started laughing, but tears were still streaming down her face. Elijah raised an eyebrow in confusion at her reaction, wondering what was going on in that small head of hers. 

The raw sense of joy that overwhelmed Peach was too strong for Elijah to understand anything besides the fact that she felt happy and was tearing up. 

“This is the first time I have had someone genuinely help me out of nowhere, Elijah!” Peach exclaimed, her voice filled with tears of pure happiness. “And a total stranger too!! What are the odds.” 

After those words, the atmosphere around them shifted and the tension between them seemed to vanish instantly. 

“Well…” Elijah said awkwardly, rubbing the nape of his neck sheepishly and shrugging his shoulders. “I’m glad that I could help with your problem.” Someone like Peach was kind of the first for Elijah… her bubbly, emotional, and kind of innocent personality came across to him as a refreshing change of pace compared to what he has been dealing with. He liked that she was different, although he wasn’t sure why he did. But he found it quite endearing. 

“Is that the money in the briefcase?” Peach asked curiously, looking over at the bed. 

“Hmm,” Elijah murmured, staring at her for a while before turning his head away. “Yeah.”