The Overly Complicated Life of a (Self-Proclaimed) Villain

Chapter 19

Elliot

Seeing Bleddyn walk out was more painful than it should have been in any meaning of the word. I knew I should have stopped him, should have thrown the doors shut and tried to keep him here. But that would make me seem clingy, like I couldn't bear the thought of this man, this hero, abandoning me. So I watched, stock still, as he fled my lab; even after he had left, I didn't dare to move. What if he returned? What if his definition of time was merely the seconds that had passed in his flight? The probability of my null hypothesis being correct was slim, but not none. In science, it is rarely zero.

But humans are not science, and Bleddyn never returned that night.

I jerked from my singular position, wiping the tears from my cheeks and turned to look over the empty lab. At my core, I knew what I had to do. My lab was dependent on the success of the projects N.E.L.O.S. tasked us. I could not forestall my role anymore playing fantasy with an illusion.

I had to get back to work.

I did not pause from my craftsmanship for nearly twelve hours. I spent my night mixing chemicals, tinkering with ideas, and nearly blowing myself up numerous times before I was snatched out of the haze by a click of heels on the tile. By the time my eyes caught the clock's time, Allie was already pulling me out of my trance with her voice.

"El, did you spend all night here?" I didn't respond. "Look at me, Elliot. You looked exhausted yesterday. I didn't mean for you to stay while we all left. You need sleep too." She pulled my shoulder, forcing my head away from the work I was all too determined to finish in this stint. It was my bad shoulder, I had to keep my face from showing the pain.

"It's only 7:30, I have time before the rest of them come in," I muttered, releasing my white fists.

"You'll be more useful if you're well rested. Besides, I can tell you're in pain." She paused, scanning me. "E, your eyes are red." I knew she wanted to ask about Bleddyn, but I also knew that she understood asking about him right now would lead to yet another breakdown, and I couldn't risk anyone other than her seeing me break. I shook my head.

"I'll explain later, okay?" My hand grips the side of the table trying to stabilize my uneven vision. Exhaustion will do that to a person.

"Right now, you need to get into bed. How long has it been since you've slept?" I shrugged. Since before the road trip.

That was four days ago.

I peered at Allie through strings of hair, "I'll just go take a nap in my office."

"Elliot--"

I waved her off, walking towards my office. "Just wake me when the troops begin coming in. Then I'll get back to work."

"This isn't healthy, E. You need to go home. What about your cat?"

"Lex will live. He's scrappy." I waved her off.

"No, Veal." She grabbed my good arm as I began to stumble to my glass-encased office. "You are going home." Meeting her eyes, seeing the pain, the worry etched into her irises, was decidedly a bad decision. "I don't give a shit what you are trying to pull here, but I know you. You have always been there for me. Let me be there for you." She didn't comment on the single tear that had slid down my cheek. "Elliot, go home."

So I went, stumbling from the building into an overcast campus. No students loitered on the walkways or rushed to get to class. No one saw me as I meandered to my apartment, lost in my head.

Eventually I made it home. Lex was talking again, assumingly destroyed all the listening devices in our apartment.

"What the hell happened last night?" He was sitting on the top of the counter as I collapsed on my couch.