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City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

There was nothing Ele could say about the matter, she was distraught and her mind was racing around what options she had. Thinking of her job, her lease, her friends... But she also had to think of her peace of mind and safety. And Tyler was right, Ele was settling into the pace of life here, growing closer to Tyler and thinking of a potential future with him.

"It seems like much more of a reality now."

Ele said quietly, turning her face to rest her cheek against Tyler's chest, breathing deep as she allowed herself to draw strength and comfort from him,

"I'm just tired of being afraid and looking over my shoulder. I thought I was done with that once I moved, but it never really ended. I was always on alert, just waiting for the other shoe to fall. And even here and now, if she could find me in the city, what's stopping her from finding me here?"

Ele leaned back and looked up at Tyler, her face pale and tired looking,

"They're both crazy, they don't know what fear is and I don't want you to get hurt."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Wiping her eyes and trying to collect herself as much as she could, Ele took in a couple stuttering breaths before she spoke again,

"He... He's one of... Of one the ones."

Pressing a hand to her chest, Ele took her phone back and put it on the counter, unable to look at it again,

"His was the last place I stayed before I left home, but he was one of the worst."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Ele looked down at the floor, feeling like she was about to fall apart. Stepping forward, Ele leaned her forehead on Tyler's chest, needing his touch right now.

"They both know where I work now, it won't take much for them to figure out where I live. My apartment is only a couple blocks away."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

"Kate... She was calling me while we were in the garage."

Taking a deep breath, Ele scrolled through her texts from Kate until she got to the one that made tears come to Ele's eyes,

Your mom and Joey showed up today at work. They were asking about you.

Handing the phone to Tyler, Ele's breathing quickened as she felt panic beginning to choke her,

"I moved to the city and so she couldn't find me, but she did and Joey..."

Ele sobbed at the mention of the man's name and she put her face in her hands and sobbed as memories flooded her, making she shake in fear.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

While Tyler had been in the shower, Ele had used the kitchen sink to wash herself off then went to the bedroom and changed back into Tyler's shirt. It was strange to admit, but Ele enjoyed the fact that she didn't have to worry about makeup, she could put her hair in a messy bun, she was just wearing Tyler's shirt and she didn't feel at all worried that Tyler wouldn't like how she looked.

Going back out to the living room, Ele remembered she had gotten a pretty consistent amount of notifications while they were in the garage. Ele had ignored the, wanting to pay attention to what she was learning and to Tyler. Going to the kitchen where she had left her phone on the counter, Ele was shocked to see messages and missed calls from Kate along side notifications from her social media accounts.

As Tyler walked in, Ele was listening to a voicemail from her best friend and felt a pit forming in her stomach. Her face paled and her eyes widened with fear when she looked at Tyler.

When the message ended, Ele pressed a hand to her mouth as she stared at her phone as the screen went dark,

"Babe..."

Ele said in a shaky voice, still staring at the phone,

"I have a problem."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

The offer was random, and caught Ele off guard for a moment but she laughed and climbed on to Tyler's back. It didn't matter to her that she would have greasy hand prints on her shorts and legs, or that Tyler was sweaty, she just liked being able to touch him.

Wrapping her arms around Tyler's neck, Ele looked over his shoulder and planted a kiss on the one clean part of his neck that she could find.

"You're really cute."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

Sitting on the ground had been a mistake for Ele as Tyler worked, it was too much of a temptation to fall asleep. They had chatted and learned more about one another while Ele watched and learned about all the bits and pieces that Tyler was working with. Occasionally she would be asked to help, but by the time Tyler announced that they were done, Ele was practically dead on her feet.

Smiling sleepily at Tyler, Ele nodded and said,

"Yay!"

Mustering as much enthusiasm as she could. Looking Tyler up and down, Ele giggled and reached up to wipe a drip of liquid off his cheek with her thumb,

"I hope you plan on a shower before bed, or I will be forced to relegate you to couch duty for the rest of the night."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

((We can always skip ahead if you want to.))

Ele nodded, somewhat understanding what Tyler was saying. She was excited to see the Miata up and running, but especially to see it fully completed.

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

"Beach or mountains? And feel free to ask me questions."

She nodded at the tires,

"They look bigger without the original there for comparison."

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

"Hmm... You're right, I like that."

Ele said, nodding her head and sitting on the ground with her legs crossed,

"Cake or pie?"

City Comes to the Country (Tyler Night and Whitelily)

"Oh, right..."

Ele said, thinking of another question as she fiddled with different things,

"Texting or calling?"