Psync by Zile Elliven

Chapter Forty-One

Eli

His head was pounding up a storm when Eli finally managed to pry himself out of bed. Eli bit his lip when he realized Haruka was gone. He stroked the cold sheets next to him and found a note.

At a meeting. Back soon. Eat something when you wake up.

~Haruka

Eli rubbed his head furiously. It seemed like he saw Haruka even less than he did when they were in school. It may have only felt that way because Eli had nothing to do here.

He should remedy that.

Eli brushed his teeth and washed his face roughly, trying to get last night’s dream out of his head. It was the first time he’d had a nightmare while sleeping next to Haruka.

Coffee. He needed coffee in order to deal with the odd thoughts his brain was throwing at him. But not the gourmet stuff stocked in the fancy-schmancy kitchen neither of them used. Eli wanted to go out and explore.

He rode the elevator down the bajillion or so floors and spent the entire time telling himself that dreams and reality were two entirely different things.

Reading fairytales before bed was a great way to give a person nightmares.

Eli reached the first floor and waved to the receptionist on his way to the door. When he got there, he skidded to a halt. In front of him were two burly security guards blocking his path.

“Um . . . hi?” Eli’s fingers crawled inside his sleeves.

“Please forgive us, sir.” Both guards bowed to him, but neither moved out of the way.

Eli backed up a step. Maybe there was construction outside? “Is there something wrong?”

Once again, all the guards would say was, “Please forgive us.”

“Okayyyy.” Eli turned around and went back the way he came.

There was more than one exit, after all. He didn’t relish going through the busy parking garage, but he was sure he could dodge any incoming cars if he had to.

Except his key card wouldn’t give him access to the garage.

His blood-to-caffeine ratio was not sufficient enough for him to deal with this. He went up two floors, tried the other entrance, and got the same treatment.

“We are very sorry, sir. Please forgive us.”

Same for the worker’s access tunnel and the emergency exits.

Eli pulled out his phone.

Eli: What the fuck did you do?

There was no response.

Eli walked up to the closest pair of security guards. “Excuse me—yes, I know you’re very sorry, I got them memo.” Eli pinched the bridge of his nose. “Haruka put you up to this, didn’t he? No, don’t deny it, the look of terror is more than enough.”

Eli took out his phone again.

Eli: I am going to break something and be very loud about it if you don’t call me right now

Eli waited thirty seconds and then started surveying his surroundings, trying to figure out what his best options were.

He turned to guard number one. “Which one is more expensive? That painting? Or that statue?”

The only response Eli got was a set of raised eyebrows and a hushed conversation into the guard’s headset.

“No, you’re right. Why choose? I’ll throw the statue at the painting.” Eli rolled up his sleeves. It was a small statue, but it looked like it would be pretty heavy. Eli would need a triple espresso after this.

His phone rang. Eli pressed answer and continued on his trajectory toward the statue. “What’s up, sweetie? I’m a little busy right now, so make it quick.”

“I’m on my way to our rooms. Meet me there.”

“Sorry, I’m going through a tunnel, can you speak up?” Eli put his phone on speaker and tucked it into his pocket. He grabbed the statue by the arms and lifted. “Damn, this fucker is heavy.”

“Eli, let me explain.”

“Sure thing, I just have this one thing I need to do first.”

Lift with your legs, Eli, you can do it!

There was a scraping sound as the statue finally parted with its base.

Ha! I may be small, but I’m scrappy as hell.

He was distantly aware of the small audience he’d attracted, but he couldn’t give them any attention. Not unless he wanted a broken toe out of this adventure. No, focus was the key to success here.

“Eli, put it down.”

“Oh no, I think we’re well past that. Now if you’d texted me back right away or, I don’t know, maybe not told your henchmen to keep me from leaving? No, you’re losing a statue. Hope you weren’t too attached.”

Fuck, that painting was far away.

“But . . . you might get to keep the painting. This thing is heavy.” Eli’s fingers slipped, but he managed to catch the statue before it crushed his foot.

“I don’t care about the statue, put it down before you hurt yourself.” Haruka sounded out of breath. “I’ll smash it for you, just, put it down, please.” There was a note of desperation in his voice.

Eli took a guess at how much time had elapsed and shoved the statue at the closest security guard and ignored the WRONG that scraped against his insides when he accidentally touched him.

He hung up the phone and ran for the farthest elevator because Haruka was probably in the closest one.

Once inside, he punched the button for the penthouse, fully planning on barricading himself inside.

He beat Haruka there by ten seconds and had the pleasure of slamming the door in his face, only to have an incredibly one-sided shoving match with the door when Haruka opened it again.

“Fine!” Eli took off his hoodie and threw it at Haruka. “Please explain. I’m dying to know why I’m being kept prisoner in my favorite country in the entire world. Use small words so I can understand.” Eli sat himself on top of a marble table and crossed his legs, projecting touch me and I’ll cut you to the best of his ability.

“It’s not as bad as it looks.”

“Oh really? So, I can leave whenever I want to?”

“Yes, of course.” Haruka rubbed the back of his neck. “You just have to take me with you.”

Eli leaned back on his hands. “Fine, then let’s go right now.”

“Where do you want to go?” Haruka asked warily.

“To the airport. I’m going home.” Eli hopped off the table and made for the bedroom.

“No.”

“Excuse me?” Eli pulled his suitcase out from under the bed only to have Haruka shove it back again. Eli left it because he knew it would be pointless. He’d known it was pointless the moment his key card refused to give him access to the parking lot—he just hadn’t been willing to admit it yet.

“What are we even doing here, Haruka? Why did you bring me here? Was what happened back home so awful—”

It was like being kicked by a small horse. Eli nearly choked as the flash of memory hit him, and he swayed on his feet while his brain coughed up the details of Juniper’s visit to their dorm. Haruka stepped forward to steady him, and Eli stopped him with a glare. “I don’t want you to touch me right now.”

Haruka looked like Eli slapped him in the face.

“So Li—,” His throat closed off again. He couldn’t say that name right now. “H-he jumped parole and is looking for me.” Eli clawed at his own hands so he could keep going, and Haruka looked positively wretched as he looked on helplessly. For a second, Eli thought he was going to touch him anyway, so he continued hastily. “I blacked out, you panicked, and brought me halfway around the world.”

Things had been going too well for Eli’s little slice of happiness to continue for much longer. Something like this was bound to crop up sooner or later.

Eli sighed and sat heavily on the bed. “That does sound like you.”

Haruka paced in front of him looking like a cross between a kicked puppy and a riled-up jungle cat.

“I get it, okay? I’m not mad about you bringing me here. I don’t love that you didn’t tell me why, but I’m guessing you were afraid I’d black out again if you did.”

Haruka nodded and stepped forward, only to be stopped when Eli held out a hand. The kicked puppy expression was gaining ground.

“But there’s no reason to keep me locked up here. He’s not going to come to Japan. He’s got to be on the no-fly list, and he couldn’t afford to get here even if he wasn’t. He was dirt-poor when he . . . did what he did.”

“I don’t care,” Haruka said softly. “If there’s even a chance—”

“I’m old enough to be on my own for five minutes. Jesus, all I wanted was a cup of coffee.”

“There’s coffee here.” At Eli’s glare, Haruka amended, “Or someone could go and get you any kind you want.”

“It’s not the same thing, and you know it. What’s going on with you?” Eli took a closer look at Haruka. He didn’t look like he’d slept much better than Eli had last night. “Are you okay? Maybe you should cut down on the meetings with Chiba-san. Or at least let me go with you.”

“Stay away from her. The less you know the better.”

“What does that even mean? What are you keeping from me?”

Haruka examined his fingernails far more closely than necessary. “I’m working out a deal with my family to keep you safe.”

“Shouldn’t I be a part of it then?”

Haruka shook his head. “My family aren’t good people, Eli. There are worse people out there—but trust me. Just hold on for a few more days, and they’ll be out of your life. You won’t have to see my aunt or meet anyone else.”

“So, I can just sit here like a princess in a castle every day waiting for you to come home to spring me for a tiny adventure before you stuff me back in my tower?”

Haruka’s eyes were shuttered, and he refused to look at Eli.

“Haruka, I have to go home. My family is there. I have school!” Eli couldn’t help but wonder if this was all an elaborate joke, but the darkness in Haruka’s eyes said otherwise.

“You can go to school here. My aunt already offered to get us private tutors if we want them. And your family can visit. I’ll fly them here—Juniper would love it.”

“She won’t love you keeping me here.”

“You’ll be safe here.”

“I’ll be trapped here!” Eli had always wanted to live in Japan, but not like this.

“Is it so bad, Eli, being with me?” The hurt on Haruka’s face cut straight into Eli’s soul.

“No, of course not . . . but . . .” How could he make Haruka understand that safety wasn’t the only thing that mattered to Eli?

Haruka’s phone buzzed.

“I have to go. I left in the middle of a meeting.”

Haruka moved like he wanted to kiss Eli but paused, waiting for Eli to come to him. Eli turned his face away. Haruka waited, as if hoping Eli would change his mind. After a minute, he walked stiffly to the door, his expression wooden. Eli couldn’t look at him anymore.

“I only have a ninety-day visa,” Eli said to his clenched hands, listening as the sound of footsteps moved away from him. Haruka would have to let him go after that, wouldn’t he?

“We can take care of that too,” Haruka said just before the door closed behind him.