The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 33

El POV

Despite that she was out of the gated community for the night, it was a long night of trying to remind Marlo she didn’t want a boyfriend. She’d reminded him gently and tried to be nice about it, but then had snapped at him once. Apologised afterwards but had insulted him with her tone and she knew it.

It did not help that they were out with his friends who were all in relationships, and that left her and Marlo to sit together, and to be alone as the others all wandered off or got up and danced together. Eliza also noticed that they had spaced themselves out, away from the two of them. She had no idea if this was planned by him or just what they would normally do. Didn’t know them that well to even hesitate a guess at the answer, and there was a lot of making out going on with his friends.

Marlo had tried to get her to dance with him, and on more than one occasion, tried to actually pull her up off the blanket several times “Come on El, dance with me.” He’d stated and she’d shaken her head and told him ‘no’.

It was always she noted been to a slow song, he seemed to be on the annoyed side with her when they finally got home, and though she enjoyed his company normally, she was glad to be getting out of his car when they got back.

The car ride had been made in silence, and she’d stared out the window for the most part. He’d not liked that she’d wanted to come home early either. After the tenth time he’d tried to get her up to slow dance with him, she’d snapped at him, told him she wanted to go back to the gated community.

He’d stared at her for a moment and then just nodded, called out to his friend Hayden, “Eliza wants to go home.” And started packing things up. It made for a very uncomfortable silence in the car. She got the distinct impression he wasn’t used to girls saying no to him.

Eliza hopped on out before he could come round and open the door for her. Was even more glad when her phone rang, grabbed it quickly from her back pocket and smiled, looked at Marlo’s frown “It’s my grandma.” She told him and walked away from him to answer it.

“Hi grandma.”

“El honey, how are you doing?”

“Alright.” She answered, “Back in the gated community.”

“I’m aware of that, your mother called to tell me Conner had collected you to bring you back.”

“Sorry I can’t come there. I have got new rules I have to follow.” She muttered and turned to see where Marlo was, strolling along behind her, looked right at him “Um, Marlo, if you don’t mind, I’d like to talk to my grandma on my own.”

Saw him frown at her “I’ll turn in then, night Eliza.” He nodded and turned and walked away. She knew that he was mad at her, always called her El. Not now though, he was using her full name. It spoke volumes. But how many times did she have to remind the boy she was not interested in a relationship? If she did want one, she’d be dating Xavier or would have been prior to coming here, that was.

Nearly sighed with relief when she watched him stalk away from her, and go inside the apartment building. Alone at last, she thought to herself.

“Who is that you’re talking to El?”

“A boy called Marlo, he’s my age and I was encouraged to make friends. He’s nice. So are his friends.” They were all nice, it was just annoying at this particular moment that Marlo seemed to want to make out with her, even when she’d brushed him off more than once.

“So, you’ve made some friends then?”

“I guess I have, yes.” She couldn’t lie to her grandma. She would pick it up instantly. Though how long Marlo was going to stay her friend she had no idea.

“How are Conner and Logan treating you?”

“I’m just staying away from them, better that way.” She sighed as she strolled around the outside of the apartment building and went to find a chair to sit on.

“Your new rules? What are they?”

“I can’t leave the gated community on my own. I am allowed to go outside if I have someone with me, someone from here. I imagine, don’t think if Cordi turned up to hang out, I’d be allowed to go outside with her. It’s so I won’t run away again I suppose.” Shook her head. “Can you even call it that? running away, I’m an adult, am 18 and should be allowed to leave if I want to right.”

“Technically, it’s still running away, and even adults do that all the time. I wouldn’t be in business if that wasn’t the case, now would I?”

El laughed softly now “I suppose not, but don’t you mostly deal with lost children?”

“Yes, runaways, mostly honey. Don’t you make me come looking for you now.”

El snorted, fully amused now, “You’d hunt me down in a flash.”

“That I would honey.” Grandma laughed right back, “Bit of a b***d hound I am.”

They both laughed at that one.

“So, university, has that been sorted out yet? I had words with your mother about that. Was unhappy about them taking your trip to Italy away from you.”

“As am I,” Eliza muttered, and she was. “I got given paperwork to Utah State here in Logan, along with on-campus living forms.”

“So, my chat meant nothing in other words.” Her grandma sounded annoyed.

“I guess so. Logan only cares about what he wants, not what others want.” She sighed, still felt that was true. Saw a couple walking by stare right at her. One of them frowned at her words, she ignored it. It was the truth.

“Well, El. I’m happy for you to come here if you still want to, it won’t be Italy though.”

“Thanks grandma.” It was really nice to hear that, and she wasn’t about to go telling her she was still planning on going to Italy, while she was outside where anyone could hear her. Nope, that was a private conversation it was. Only Cordi and Collin knew about that at this point, though they had both asked her if she was sure she still wanted to do that. Surprised her more than a little, but she’d assured them it was going to happen.

“I hear you got a new car.”

“Yes, I haven’t even so much as driven it. I have dad’s car and don’t really care for another.”

“Hmm, perhaps playing nice will help lessen the rules.”

“I’m playing nice, Grandma. I haven’t so much as even tried to leave, just stayed inside the community and wandered about, hung out at the lake. Gone on a hike. Will likely just stay put for now. There is no point in ticking Logan off. Doesn’t get me anywhere.”

“Now Eliza, you’re not trying to get that man to kick you to the curb, are you?” heard the amusement in her grandma’s voice.

“No, grandma.” She snorted “Would I do that?”

“You, my girl, are way too much like your father. I’m surprised you’re not trying to follow in his footsteps.”

El shuddered “I really don’t much like bugs grandma.” Her dad had been an entomologist and a dendrologist, loved being in nature so much he’d gotten degrees to make a living out there in the woods.

They would hike and camp together and he would tell her all about the trees that were in the woods and point out bugs as well, sometimes pick them up and wave them at her, or chase her around with them. The man was pretty crazy at times.

Heard her grandma laugh good and proper now as well. “Alright, I’ll check in regularly El, I gotta go. I see my little runaway, I’m gonna go snag her.”

“Have fun Grandma.” The line clicked closed and she smiled, that woman had been on a stake out of her runaway teen or child, never really missed her target. She had a good track record, called herself a bloodhound because she rarely didn’t find who she was looking for.

Eliza texted Cordi. She knew it was nearly 10 here but Cordi wouldn’t care about the lateness of the hour, told her about her issues of the night with Marlo, that he’d tried more than once to hit on her, she’d had to tell him no. Now he was annoyed with her.

“Tell Conner, he’ll put that boy right in his place.” Came right back to her.

Eliza frowned at that response. “Why on earth would he care? And why would I tell him anyway? It’s none of his business.”

“The man seemed more than annoyed about Xavier stating you were his girlfriend. Maybe there’s something there.”

“There isn’t. He has a girlfriend, remember.”

“Hmm…he might help if you want Marlo to go away. I’d ask him to talk to the boy. I’d be willing to bet he will, lol.”

El sighed and shook her head, she didn’t need to interact with Conner, any more than she already had, just wanted him to leave her alone and that meant her leaving him alone as well. She could always tell her mother she supposed. If Marlo didn’t let up on it, though she had a feeling that with him being annoyed with her, he would just leave her be. Or go find someone else to try and date.

“Not going to put myself in a position where I owe him.”

“LOL you might wind up in his bed again.”

“I was never in his bed.” She typed right back, and she hadn’t been, wasn’t even allowed down that end of the apartment complex.

Got two laughing emoji’s “Well I guess he could wind up in yours once more.”

“Cordi.”

“Sorry El, I think it’s funny. He seemed jealous of Xavier to me.”

“I seriously doubt that. Night Cordi.” She’d had enough of talking about that man.

“Night El.”

She put her phone down on the table and looked out at the forest before her, it was really dark out there in the woods, even so close to the back of the apartment building, there were no lights out here, only outdoor fire torches, though she noted that none of them were lit right at this minute.

She wasn’t afraid of the dark, was quite comfortable out in the woods of a night time, sighed it had been a while now since she’d done that, only ever with her friends or with her father. Not once since her dad had died. Maybe she could do that spend a night down by the lake. There were plenty of places one could set up a swag.

Not that she had one here, that had not been packed either, as far as she knew, just one more thing that she’d not gotten a say. What to bring with her? She might have to just ask her mother what happened to all her father’s things, all their camping gear.

Eliza near stopped breathing as she saw a rather large wolf walking through the woods. It stopped and turned its head, saw her she knew, because it then just stood inside the tree line, and appeared to be watching her. She couldn’t really see what it actually looked like, only that it was quite large, and had brilliant blue eyes, that glowed in the reflection of the moonlight, mostly it was hidden by the darkness of the woods around it.

It was likely that she wouldn’t have even seen it, if it had not been moving through the woods. Her eyes moved, passed it, looking for the rest of its pack. It seemed to be on its own, though she didn’t imagine it’s pack would be all that far away. Moved her eyes back to it when she didn’t see any others.

Then it was just gone a minute later, turned and ran off into the woods away from her. She sagged a little in her seat, glad that it hadn’t been aggressive at all. That was the second wolf she’d come across now. She shook it off and headed for her apartment. At least it hadn’t attacked her, hadn’t even growled at her, appeared to be just curious about her.

Much the same as the last wolf, they were probably used to seeing lots of people inside their pack territory, unlikely they were afraid of the humans that lived here. Or not concerned about them anyway, the last one had run off when Conner had yelled at it and clapped his hands loudly. He was obviously used to seeing them. Not afraid of them, which meant that it was likely he saw them all the time, he didn’t consider them a real threat.

Though it had been on its own, just like the one she’d seen just now.

Eliza sank down on her bed and checked all her emails, still waiting for something about scholarships to come through, sighed when there was nothing yet. Though it had not even been a week yet, she was just impatient, and she knew it. She needed to be able to sort out her trip before she made real plans to get out of here.

Changed into her swimmers and pulled on a summer dress over the top, then headed on downstairs to hit the indoor swimming pool, knew there would be no one in there. It was nearly 11 now, and it was normally shut up at this hour of the night. Even on a Saturday no one was in there or hadn’t been the last time she’d been down here using it.

She kept herself to the stairwell instead of the main stairs, the indoor swimming pool was right next to them, no one would see her go in there, not that she thought anyone would be looking for her or care what she was up to. The only perk of living here was all the things she could do in the middle of the night when everyone was asleep.

Dropped into the pool and set off to do her laps, needed to start increasing them, had a few weeks to get herself up to as many as she could, didn’t need to do them faster, it was endurance she needed not speed. Had been doing ten laps needed to increase that dramatically and needed to swim without rest after each lap.

She wasn’t going to get rest out there on the lake if she had to make that swim. Still was hoping she wasn’t going to have to at this point. Rolled over onto her back and just floated out there using her hands and feet to back scull along at a slow but constant pace as she thought about the other option to her.

How could she get Logan and her mother to agree to her being gone for 5 whole days, promise to come back? Didn’t really think that was going to work, but she wasn’t about to take anyone along with her either. They would tell Logan and her mother for sure, if she ditched them and she would be doing so.

Managed to do 16 laps before she got out, walked up the swimming pool stairs and saw Conner leaning in the doorway of the swim centre. Watching her, she grabbed her towel and pulled it around her as she picked up her dress.

“There’s no lifeguard on duty at this hour of the night while you’re in here swimming.”

“I don’t need one,” She commented.

“Hmm, I beg to differ after yesterday.”

“Good for you.” she murmured and headed for the exit. He didn’t move at all and was still leaning in the doorway, though she did note he was once again only wearing a pair of shorts. “You going to move, so I can get passed?”

“Do you often come down here and swim in the middle of the night?” he asked as he leaned off the doorway and held the door open.

“That is none of your business,” She stated and headed for the stairwell.

“Eliza, where are you going?”

“To my apartment, go away Conner.” She muttered.

“Why would you use those stairs? They’re just for the cleaning staff.”

She ignored him as she pushed the door open. She didn’t need to explain herself to him.

“Eliza, there is a perfectly good elevator for you to use.”

“I don’t have the code.” She stated and let the door close behind her, and walked up the stairs. It was a long walk, but it was good for her. She needed the endurance to help with her swimming as well. Heard the door open and close behind her and nearly swore out loud, he was coming after her.

“Eliza, the code is..”

She cut him clean off. “I don’t want it. Reminds me I’m not actually welcome here, I might just need that reminder. Go away Conner, just leave me alone.”

“El, I wanted to talk to you about the other day.”

“Don’t bother, you made yourself plainly clear. I understand perfectly, Conner.”

“No, you don’t, El.”

She stopped walking and turned to look right at him “My name is Eliza, to you. You have no right to call me El, as far as I am concerned. Only my friends get to call me that.” Saw him stop walking and stare up at her a frown on his face. But what did he expect? She was just going to smile and forgive him. It wasn’t going to happen. “I asked that you leave me alone. I meant it. If you don’t, I might just tell your father what you did to me.” She shot right at him and saw his eyes widen a little, turned and headed up the stairs once more, didn’t hear him following her after that.

Knew he didn’t want his father to know, hell she didn’t want anyone here to know either. But if he was going to harass her, perhaps telling his father what an a*****e his son was, why she’d left that day, the real reason behind it, perhaps it would get her out of here. Perhaps he’d let her go back to California, to get the hell away from his son.

Or just let her live elsewhere, somewhere in Logan maybe, showered and sank down in her bed and really thought about that, what would his father do? What would her mother say if she knew that her stepson had taken her daughter’s V-card and ditched her just a few hours later, let himself into her room and just had his way with her.

Only to make sure she saw him with his girlfriend a few hours later, and she knew that’s what he’d done. He had looked right at her before kissing that girl in front of her, done it on purpose so she wouldn’t want to talk to him, would understand it was nothing to him. Rubbed at her chest as that stupid ache started once more. Hated that ache, wished it would go the hell away.