The Unclaimed Human Luna
Chapter 37

El POV

Eliza hadn’t really left her room for the past two days, just kind of lay there and stared up at the ceiling, didn’t really know what to do with herself, about what had happened with Conner, he’d told her he was never going to let her leave. She’d been called down to Logan’s office and he and her mother, along with Jared, were all in there. They had all looked at her with disappointment.

Before Logan had told her he was disappointed in her trying to leave once again, she’d sighed and muttered “I wasn’t trying to leave, that was Conners opinion. I was just out hiking.”

They had all stared at her and she’d stared right back at Logan. “Do you think I would try and hike over the mountains without proper supplies at all? I’m not that stupid.”

He’d looked right at her with those narrowed eyes of his, as though he didn’t believe her. “Have I tried to leave? Even once, I could have ditched Marlo and his friends anytime on Saturday. If I was going to leave, I would have.” She’d gotten annoyed with them all.

Hell, yes she was getting out of this place at some point. She just hadn’t figured out the logistics of getting away and staying away. Seemed it was going to be more difficult than she thought it was now. Conner had told her he would hunt her down and bring her back every time, so she really did need to find a way to throw them off when she did run.

She’d left that office with no new rules, thankfully. Perhaps they believed her, or perhaps her own mother had confirmed that she knew how to hike in the woods, and take all the right equipment for overnight hikes. Maybe she should just do that, pack her bag and go for that long hike. Just needed to go when Conner was at the university. That way he wouldn’t be able to find her.

Rolled over on her bed and stared at her emails, she’d been accepted into a university finally, now just had to get there. Get out of here and find her way there, had a plane ticket but had yet to change its date due to not knowing when she was going to get out of this place. Got up from her bed and dressed for the day, needed to actively engage do something to make Logan believe she was going to stay here.

Stood drinking a cup of coffee looking at the Utah State admission paperwork. Thought a lot about it, then sat down and filled it in, checked all the course codes for the degree she wanted and made sure they were correct, then filled out the on-campus living as well. Then she took it downstairs and knocked on his office door. It was open and he was in there along with the three men she always saw him with.

They all looked at her. Not only had she dressed, she was wearing light make-up and smiled at him, though only a little, couldn’t overdo it. They still didn’t really get along, probably never really would, she thought to herself, as he asked her to come in. “What can I do for you, Eliza?”

“I need to go into Logan. But Marlo is not here to go with me. So, I need someone to go with me. I’m not allowed out on my own.”

“What do you need? Perhaps I could help you with that?”

“No, not really.” She held out the papers for him to see, knew he would want to check them, being a complete and utter control freak. “I need to hand these in is all.”

Saw him look over them and really actually read them, likely looking for discrepancies, she thought, he didn’t trust her, and well he shouldn’t. “You’re agreeing to go to Utah State in Logan.”

“I am, as long as I’m allowed to stay on campus, I will go there.” She nodded, didn’t smile about it, “I don’t like it, but I want to get my degree and seeing as you won’t let me go anywhere else.” She shrugged.

“Do you really mean this, Eliza?”

“What other choice do I really have, Logan?” she put out there. “I could sit around here all day and do nothing, get a real nice tan but be bored shit-less all day every day.”

He was just staring at her, “I’m following your rules, I understand I’m not going to be allowed to study abroad, so after much thought and consideration, and as much as I don’t like it. I’m here and expected to stay here, correct?”

“Yes, I would like that, as would your mother.” He nodded.

“Then there is nothing I can do but try and make the best of the situation right. I’m guessing if I try and leave, you’ll just have me brought back, right?”

She saw him nod and nodded herself. Thought as much, still didn’t understand why though. “Then I need to get those papers in for the new year or I’ll miss my opportunity to study.”

He was staring right at her, there was silence in the room for a long time. “If you don’t believe me, you do it yourself, put them in, I will want a list of books that I need and I will want to look at the on-campus living as well. I don’t really want a share room either, if I’m being made to stay here. I think you can compensate me with a single dorm. Yes. I’ve not asked for anything, have I?”

“What about a shared room with someone from here, your age?”

“Not particularly fussed about that to be honest, I like my own space, it also shows you don’t trust me at all.”

“You have to earn trust, Eliza.”

“Yes, you do. Don’t you Logan.” She shot right back, and rubbed her wrist where he’d once bruised her, saw his eyes looked at her action and heard him sigh. Yes, she was never going to let him forget it.

“Alright, how about your mother goes with you today? Perhaps you two can get lunch in Logan afterwards. You don’t really spend much time with her. I think she would like that.” He held the papers out for her to take back.

“Fine, I’ll meet her out the front when she’s ready.”

“Eliza, do you think you might want to drive your new car? I know that would make your mother happy as well. She did pick it for you, went through a lot of cars to find you something you might like.”

Frowned at him, didn’t want to drive that car. “Fine. I’ll go and get the keys.” She nodded just to make the man happy.

“Excellent Eliza.” He nodded “perhaps we could look at moving you into that new apartment when you get back.”

“Don’t concern yourself with it. I’ll be on campus for the next 3 or 4 years, give it to someone else. I’ll stay in the apartment I have. I’m used to it. Suits me and my status here.” She muttered and walked out the door.

Just like not having a code for the elevator, it reminded her she wasn’t actually welcome here by him. Besides, she’d come to realise that being at the other end of the building to him and everyone else, she could come and go as she pleased of a night-time and no one was any the wiser. Could wonder about using that stairwell, and go wherever she wanted to.

Would come in handy if she had to sneak out and head for the lake. Wanted to stay in that apartment away from all of them. Didn’t need to get comfortable in some cushy apartment closer to all of them. No, it was better to stay as far away from them as possible. Headed up the stairs to collect her Audi car keys.

The car was parked exactly where it had been when they’d shown it to her. No one could move it. She had both sets of keys. Her mother was waiting for her by the front door, smiled right at her, seemed happy about the turn of events.

Linked arms with her and said “I was hoping I’d be the first one to go driving with you in your new car. You’re going to love it. It’s such a nice day, do you want to put the top down?”

“I’d rather not, it’s a bit hot, just put the air-conditioning on. It would be better.”

She drove right out of the gated community, there wasn’t even a need to stop and wait. The gates were open for her to leave. She watched her mother smile and wave at the gate guard. He smiled and waved right back. They all really did seem to know her here, that was still weird. Her mother chatted to her about how happy she was that she’d made the decision to attend university here in the states. Though she also stated she would rather that El stay in the community and drive every day to her classes. But said she understood her need to have some freedom. Told her a few of the other kids her age were likely going to be staying on campus now as well. That gained her attention and when she asked when that had been done.

Her mother smiled at her, “There are always a few that stay on campus El. They like the social aspect of the university. Logan lets them. I believe Marlo will be staying on campus. That will be nice for you.”

“It will, he’s a nice boy.”

“Just nice? I think he likes you more than a little, El.”

“I’m not interested mother.” She told her “Marlo also has a girlfriend, asked Willah out on Monday.”

“What? I’d not heard about that.”

“Yep, she’s really nice, they look good together. She’s always smiling up at him, absolutely smitten with him I think.” Chuckled softly, “It’s kind of cute, she gets all dreamy eyed when watching him.” though she’d seen that with other girls around him as well. Lots of girls stared at him.

“Hmm, I thought you and Marlo had hit it off.”

“I’m not interested in dating anyone. If I was, I would have dated Xavier.” Sighed at that thought, he too had a girlfriend now. Cordi had sent her a pic of the two of them, when she’d asked if Cordi knew why he wasn’t talking to her that much anymore. Text her “He’s got a girlfriend. His father introduced them. Her name is Yara, she’s quite the jealous type too.”

She’d asked if he was happy. He didn’t really look it in the photo. ‘Not really,’ had been the reply ‘I don’t think it’ll last. His father’s choice for a girlfriend.’

“Xavier was a nice boy.” Her mother commented “But he lives a long way away now.”

“He does.” She nodded and said no more on the topic.

They found a park at the university and they got out. Her mother walked and chatted about how big the place was, how she thought El was going to love coming here and she stood and talked to the lady in the office, who was taking her paperwork. Apparently knew her as well, worked here but lived in the gated community.

Offered to have them look at dorm rooms right away, El did ask if there were any single ones, to which she stated, of course Eliza but that there were some nice apartments that housed two and four as well. She got to see all of them, heard her mother pushing for her to have a two bedroom, one where she could have a friend live with her.

Eliza let her go on about it, as she was reading the information in the booklet she was given. Would let her mother do as she pleased. Heard her put in a call into Logan to discuss the logistics of El living in a place with a minimum age bracket of 19. She was not that yet. Heard their discussion of perhaps her staying here in the gated community until she turned 19 and then would be allowed to be on campus.

Didn’t really respond to it, just stood by and waited it out. He also thought it was best that she have a two or four-bedroom apartment. That way, a bunch of them could all live together. That way she could make close friends and be happier there. Saw her mother looking at her and then sighed and relay the news.

El just shrugged, she wasn’t going to argue about it, but did have the lady show her other dorms in other buildings. They were all shared rooms. She opted for one of them on the application as a show that she was willing to share. Didn’t really need it, but played the game. Just a few more weeks and she was going to be out of this place.

They ate lunch and returned to the gated community where she was taken to Logan’s office so they could discuss it with him, and watched her mother tell Logan about the apartments that were available. Saw him nod and look at her. “What do you want, Eliza? to stay here till your 19 and you can live on your own or a shared room in one of the other dorms at the university?”

“On campus the whole time, so I’ll take a shared room.” She stated, wouldn’t be getting a single room anywhere she went. The university that she had been accepted into in Italy, she was going to be sharing with 4 other girls. It didn’t matter, she’d simply stated a single room to be annoying to him. Nothing more, didn’t actually mind sharing a dorm room. It was a good way to make friends.

She walked out of that office of his and both her mother and Logan were smiling and seemed happy, that she had made the decision to stay and attend the university of Logan’s choice. She even agreed to come down and have dinner with them tonight, was really going to be showing them she was making the effort.

Made a point of using that credit card he gave her to shop online with, bought some clothes and new swimwear, sat with Marlo and his friends, and discussed sailboards. She had no limit apparently, so she was going to splash that card around and buy things to be delivered to this gated community to show she was willing to stay here.

Sat down next to her mother to have dinner with her and Logan. Conner was there. It was the first time she’d seen him since the other night in the woods. He nodded to her but kept the conversation directed at his father and his friends. She pretty much just ate and answered a few questions when spoken to. Mostly about her degree and what she would be studying, that she’d finally agreed to study at Utah State.

That seemed to surprise not only Conner, but his friends as well, found them all looking at her over dinner, saw Conner frown at his father when he stated that he was letting El stay on campus, that he was in the process of securing her accommodation in the Canyon Crest Suites. That he was going to have a few of the teens study next semester bunk in with her.

“Not very private.” Marlo commented from his place at the table as he looked at her. “I’d have thought, being your stepdaughter, she would get a single apartment.” His eyes moved to Logan.

“She’s not old enough for an apartment on her own on campus. She needs to be 19 for that.” Her mother told him. “We’d prefer she shared anyway.”

“Well, Hayden and I could bunk in with her and one of the other girls. We’re all happy to be on campus.”

“It won’t be you and Hayden,” Conner commented. “It will be all girls, no mixed dorm rooms from my recollections. But I’m sure you could secure a room next door or down the hall. Somewhere close by.”

Her eyes moved to Conner. He’d not spoken with her since the other night but he had told her he wasn’t going to let her leave him. Obviously, he didn’t like Marlo wanting to stay in a dorm room with her. “I don’t really care, boys, girls. It doesn’t matter to me at all.” She shrugged.

“It will be all girls.” Logan commented, “But yes Marlo, I will secure you and Hayden a room right next door if possible. That way, if there is any trouble at all, you’ll be right there to assist.

Eliza frowned at that, but shook it off. It wasn’t her problem. She wasn’t going to be attending anyway, let them discuss it all they liked, till they were blue in the face even. She would simply agree and play long.

She even went for a walk with her mother after dinner, a nice evening stroll down into the town and back, watched her chat to some of the people, smiled and said hello herself. Actively engaged with everyone.

Talked to her mother about that new sailboard, she wanted. Saw her mother light right up and tell her to find the perfect one and buy it. Discussed the option of a jet ski as well, though did state she had no idea what sort to buy.

Then she spent the rest of the evening talking about things that would seem like she was going to be staying. Was starting to make herself comfortable here, left her mother to go and sit with Marlo and his friends. Her mother had told her to discuss it with them. That was not her thing at all. This Eliza knew. It had been her father that was all for the outdoors and water sports. Her mother was more of a sit and read a book type of person.