When I woke up, Eli wasn't next to me but I heard a lot of noise coming from downstairs in the kitchen.

I brushed my teeth then got down there and saw them all in the kitchen putting away groceries.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Ken said.

"About time you got up." Jesse stated.

It was only 11:30am.

"Good morning." Eli said.

"Explain." I told him.

I may have been drunk but I hadn't forgotten last night.

They all stopped moving and stared at me then at Eli.

"Leyla-" he called.

"No. Explain." I repeated.

"We'll...uhhh...We're gonna go...be on the beach..." Ken said then pulled Jesse away.

"WAIT, I WANNA SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" he shouted before she ran them out the door.

My eyes never left Eli.

"Hungry?" he asked and finished putting away the groceries.

"Stop acting like you don't owe me an explanation." I demanded.

He looked surprised by my response.

"Sit down."

"No."

He took a deep breath.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Why you beat Jonathan's ass and left him for dead on the side of the road."

"Because I don't like him. Next question."

"For one, that was a trash ass answer. For two, why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd act like this. And how's this for a better answer: the bastard sexually assaulted you and then had the audacity to hit you. Is that better?" he asked sarcastically. "Really, you should be THANKING me because I almost did a whole lot worse."

"WORSE?! ELI HE WAS IN A FUCKING WHEELCHAIR FOR TWO WEEKS! THE ONLY NEXT STEP WAS KILLING HIM!" I yelled.

"Don't raise your voice at me." he said in a stern tone. "Was I supposed to let him walk around unharmed while you had a bruise on your face?"

"I don't know what you were supposed to do but that wasn't it."

"I'd do it again."

"ELIJAH?!"

"I'M TIRED OF YOU ACTING LIKE IM SUPPOSED TO JUST SIT AROUND AND LET PEOPLE GET AWAY WITH PUTTING THEIR HANDS ON YOU!"

That's right.

He's done this before.

I forgot.

"I WASN'T EVEN YOUR GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME!" I yelled and approached him.

"Leyla, look me in my eyes and ask me if I give a fuck."

"Are you crazy?" I asked in all seriousness.

"PROBABLY!"

"You owe him an apology."

"I'd rather cut off every single one of my fingers one by one." he stated.

"Eli."

"Don't 'Eli' me. I'm not apologizing for shit. I did what I did. I'd do it again. He's lucky I didn't kill him. If I see him again, I will."

"YOU CAN'T KEEP GOING ON RAMPAGES EVERYTIME SOMEONE LOOKS AT ME THE WRONG WAY!"

"THAT'S THE FUCKING PROBLEM, LEYLA! HE DIDN'T 'LOOK AT YOU THE WRONG WAY' HE PUT HIS HANDS ON YOU! IF YOU EXPECT ME TO LET THAT SHIT SLIDE THEN THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU!"

I got it. I understood his point. Now I don't know if I should just accept it or if he was still in the wrong.

"YOU COULD HAVE JUST TOLD THE POLICE! NOW YOU COULD GET ARRESTED OR HAVE A LAWSUIT PLACED AGAINST YOUR COMPANY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T CONTROL YOUR GODDAMN TEMPER! THERE'S BETTER WAYS TO HANDLE SHIT, ELIJAH!"

"Then let him sue. I really don't give a damn but I also want an explanation."

"What?" I asked.

"Why do you still speak to the man that tried to get you to spread your legs for him despite you saying no?"

"I-"

"Wrong answer."

I didn't even get to finish.

"You know why that's the wrong answer?" He slowly walked to me. "Because there is no valid explanation for why the FUCK YOU SHOULD GO OUT AND BEFRIEND A MAN THAT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF YOU HAD NONE OF US BEEN AROUND! I'VE BEEN DRUNK AROUND YOU, LEYLA, AND NOT ONCE HAVE I TRIED TO JUST TEAR OFF YOUR CLOTHES AND GROPE YOUR ASS WITHOUT YOUR CONSENT!" he yelled. "THAT ISN'T SOMETHING YOU JUST LET SLIDE! ARE YOU FUCKING DUMB?! YOU'RE LIKE A CHILD! THIS SOFT INNOCENT BABY OF A THING THAT DOESN'T KNOW HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TREATED!" he continued. "AT LEAST WITH YOU HE WAS STOPPED! Do you know how possible it is that he's done this to another woman before, but no one was there to help her? You think you were the first? And then you experience it first hand and expect him to get a slap on the wrist. THE MORE WE FUCKING TALK ABOUT IT THE MORE I WANNA KICK HIS ASS AGAIN!"

I didn't even know tears had formed before they started falling.

"I didn't just kick his ass for you. I kicked his ass for every woman he could have done the same to that didn't have an older brother or family friend to step in for them. SO BE PISSED, LEYLA I DON'T CARE! HE'S NOT YOUR FUCKING FRIEND AND I CAN'T EVEN PROMISE THAT WHEN WE GET BACK I WON'T FIND HIM AND PUMMEL HIM ONE MORE TIME FOR THE HELL OF IT! Matter of fact, if I see you speak to him, text, call, or receive a messenger pigeon from him, I'll kick your ass, too. Do you understand me?"

I looked away from him then down at the floor and nodded.

His hand held up my face and he wiped my tears with his thumb.

"Why were you so okay with that?" he asked and his eyes showed concern.

"I don't know...he said he was sorry." I replied through tears and Eli took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry." I added.

"Don't apologize to me." he kissed my forehead and then my lips. "Just stop being so forgiving. Some people don't deserve it."

I nodded my head.

I was always told to forgive apologies that sounded sincere. I guess that was wrong.

"Listen to me, I'm gonna tell you right now that I will not stop fighting for you. You can get pissed, you can not wanna speak to me, you can question me all you want, but I won't stop. Ever." He pulled me into a hug then kissed the top of my head.

_____________________________________

When Jesse and Kendall came back, we all decided to have brunch. To make it fun we split up into groups, boys versus girls, and prepared dishes.

"Stop stealing our eggs!" I yelled at Jesse.

"Stop hoggin' 'em!" he yelled back.

"WHY DO YOU TWO HAVE EVERY MIXING BOWL?!" Ken yelled at them.

"Why do you have every mixing SPOON?!" Eli said and took one.

We both gasped humorously and they laughed.

"Watch this." I whispered to Ken.

I sneakily put flour into my hands and held them behind my back. I slowly walked up to Eli in the least suspicious manner that I could.

"Have I ever told you how sexy you look when you cook?" I asked him.

"What're you up to?" he laughed.

"I'm offended! I just wanted to watch my man up close and in the kitchen, that's all." I shrugged then kissed his cheek.

"Oh yea?" He kissed me.

"Yea." I replied and kissed him again. I forced the kiss to get deeper and felt him lean in more. Once he had sunken deep into it, I put both handfuls of flour in his face and then into his hair.

"WOW!" he shouted and the rest of us laughed.

"Oh, that's funny to you?" Eli asked Jesse and Jesse straightened his face and shook his head.

"Course not." he lied.

I went back to my station with Kendall then felt a smack to my ass. I gasped and turned around and Eli held his hand up which was covered in flour. I turned around to look and I saw a giant flour handprint on my ass.

"ELIJAH!" I yelled and he and Kendall laughed.

I flicked some flour at Ken and she looked shocked. The rest of us laughed.

"Fuck ALL OF YOU!" she exclaimed then looked at Jesse.

"You're looking a little too clean, baby..." she said and grabbed a handful of flour.

"Oh no..." he said and slowly walked backwards.

"Oh yea..." she took off towards him and he ran off.

"GET BACK HERE, ASSHOLE!!!" she shouted.

Eli and I stood back and laughed as we listened to their stampeding footsteps and the slamming and opening of doors.